01 What makes it unique
Coachmen lists the 2023 Clipper 4K 17MBS at 3,550 lb dry, a GVWR of 4,043 lb, a net carrying capacity of 493 lb and a tongue weight of 400 lb. Its dry weight plus its carrying capacity comes to exactly its GVWR.
It is 20' 5" long and 10' high. Coachmen prints its tanks as 40 gal fresh, 32 gal grey, 32 gal black.
Among the 13 Clipper floorplans Coachmen’s 2023 Clipper brochure lists with a published dry weight, it is number 9 from the lightest, in a range from 2,450 lb (Clipper 3K 14CR) to 6,226 lb (Clipper 6K 262BHS). Every figure in that comparison is Coachmen’s, for the same model year.
Every number on this page was read on 5 Nov 2026 from Coachmen’s 2023 Clipper brochure, the maker’s own dated document for model year 2023.
How the 17MBS differs from the other twelve Clipper floorplans. Most distinctive first. How these ranks are worked out.
- Cargo capacity, 493 lb: smallest of thirteen; next is the 182DBU (593 lb).
- Cargo capacity as a share of GVWR, 12.2%: smallest of twelve; next is the 182DBU (13.4%).
- Dry weight, 3,550 lb: fifth-heaviest of thirteen, between the 18BH (3,420 lb) and the 18BHS (3,790 lb).
- GVWR, 4,043 lb: seventh-lowest of thirteen, between the 17CBH (3,943 lb) and the 18FQ (4,090 lb).
- Tongue weight, 400 lb: shared with the 18BH and 18FQ; of thirteen, six lighter and four heavier, nearest the 162RBU (360 lb) and the 182DBU and 18BHS (425 lb).
- Tongue weight as a share of dry weight, 11.3%: shared with the 17CFQ; of thirteen, five smaller and six larger, nearest the 18BHS (11.2%) and the 262BHS (11.6%).
- Length, 20 ft 5 in: shared with the 17CBH, 17CFQ and two others; of thirteen, four shorter and four longer, nearest the 162RBU (19 ft 9 in) and the 18BHS (21 ft 6 in).
Next to the 18BH, the nearest lighter floorplan by dry weight, the 17MBS is 130 lb heavier by dry weight, has a GVWR 82 lb lower and has 212 lb less cargo capacity; the two publish the same tongue weight, length, exterior height, interior height, fresh tank, grey tank and black tank.
Next to the 18BHS, the nearest heavier floorplan by dry weight, the 17MBS is 240 lb lighter by dry weight, has a GVWR 482 lb lower, has 242 lb less cargo capacity, has a tongue weight 25 lb lighter and is 1 ft 1 in shorter; the two publish the same exterior height, interior height, fresh tank, grey tank and black tank.
02 Full specifications
Dimensions
- Exterior length
- 20' 5"
- Exterior height
- 10'
- Exterior width
- 8'
- Interior height
- 6' 6"
Weights
- Dry / unit base weight (UVW)
- 3,550 lb
- GVWR (max loaded)
- 4,043 lb
- Net cargo / payload (CCC)
- 493 lb
- Hitch / tongue weight
- 400 lb
Capacities
- Fresh water
- 40 gal
- Grey water
- 32 gal
- Black water
- 32 gal
Running gear
- Hitch type
- Bumper pull
- Tire size
- Not published by Coachmen
Sleeping & layout
- Sleeps
- Not published by Coachmen
- Spec table heading
- Coachmen heads this table "May include estimated values"
- Weight class (as printed)
- 4K SERIES
- LP capacity (as printed)
- 4.5
- Awning
- 12'
How these published figures sit against the rest of the catalogue: travel trailer tongue weight by size; fresh, grey and black tank sizes; camper trailer size chart.
Drawn to scale
Weight budget
Size, with end view
Holding tanks
Axles, wheels and nose shape are schematic; not a floorplan. Data: dataset.
Towing it
Check your vehicle. Enter the ratings from your owner’s manual and the door-pillar placard.
Compares your figures with this page’s published GVWR (4,043 lb) and the upper loaded tongue estimate (606 lb, a rule of thumb). Your vehicle’s placard and the trailer’s own weight label govern.
Loaded range: 10–15% of GVWR on the tongue, a rule of thumb, not a measurement of this unit. No truck ratings or hitch classes (why; NHTSA, DOT HS 809 433).
03 The Clipper floorplan family
Coachmen’s 2023 Clipper brochure lists 15 Clipper floorplans; every one with a printed weight has a page here.
| Floorplan | Nominal | Sleeps | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clipper 3K 14CR | 16' 6" | — | Profiled |
| Clipper 3K 15CBH | 17' 10" | — | Profiled |
| Clipper 3K 16CFB | 18' 6" | — | Profiled |
| Clipper 3K 17CBH | 20' 5" | — | Profiled |
| Clipper 3K 17CFQ | 20' 5" | — | Profiled |
| Clipper 4K 162RBU | 19' 9" | — | Profiled |
| Clipper 4K 18FQ | 20' 5" | — | Profiled |
| Clipper 4K 18BH | 20' 5" | — | Profiled |
| Clipper 4K 17MBS | 20' 5" | — | Profiled |
| Clipper 4K 18BHS | 21' 6" | — | Profiled |
| Clipper 4K 182DBU | 22' 3" | — | Profiled |
| Clipper 6K 272RLS | 31' 10" | — | Profiled |
| Clipper 6K 262BHS | 32' | — | Profiled |
| Clipper 5K 251RBS | 27' 1" | — | Catalogued · Coachmen prints its weights as TBD |
| Clipper 5K 252DBUS | 25' 6" | — | Catalogued · Coachmen prints its weights as TBD |
Coachmen’s 2023 Clipper brochure lists 15 Clipper floorplans. Every one with a printed weight has a page here.
04 Notes on this floorplan
What Coachmen does not publish for the Clipper 4K 17MBS
Coachmen prints no tire size, sleeping capacity for this model, so none is given. Nothing is filled from a sibling model, a different model year or a dealer listing.
Read the label on the trailer
Federal rules put a load-carrying label inside every RV trailer: its unloaded weight with full propane, its cargo carrying capacity and its GVWR (49 CFR 571.110 and 571.120). Those figures come from the trailer itself and govern the towing decision.
05 How it compares
3,420 lb dry and 4,125 lb GVWR, against this model’s 3,550 lb and 4,043 lb.
3,790 lb dry and 4,525 lb GVWR, against this model’s 3,550 lb and 4,043 lb.
06 Loading it for a trip
A full 40-gallon fresh tank is about 332 lb of water (water counts as cargo: 49 CFR 571.110 S9.3.2), 67% of the Clipper 4K 17MBS’s 493 lb cargo capacity, leaving 161 lb. Across 13 Clipper floorplans the water share runs 16% to 67%, and this plan’s is the highest. Nearest on that share: Clipper 4K 182DBU at 56%. Your own unit’s figure is on the label inside its entry door (49 CFR 571.110 S9.3.3).
07 Where this floorplan sits
Closest sibling: the Clipper 4K 18FQ, nearest on the published figures. It differs on 3 of the 8 fields both publish (this plan first): dry weight 3,550 lb vs 3,390 lb; GVWR 4,043 lb vs 4,090 lb; cargo capacity 493 lb vs 700 lb. They match on length, hitch weight, fresh tank, grey tank and black tank.
| Clipper plans | This plan | Position, low to high | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| GVWR (lb) | 4,043 | 7 of 13 | 3,750–7,946 |
| Dry weight (lb) | 3,550 | 9 of 13 | 2,450–6,226 |
| Cargo capacity (lb) | 493 | 1 of 13 | 493–2,018 |
| Hitch weight (lb) | 400 | 7–9 of 13 | 250–946 |
| Length | 20 ft 5 in | 5–9 of 13 | 16 ft 6 in–32 ft 0 in |
| Fresh tank (gal) | 40 | 6–13 of 13 | 27–40 |
| Grey tank (gal) | 32 | 6–13 of 13 | 27–32 |
| Black tank (gal) | 32 | 6–13 of 13 | 27–32 |
Either side of it by GVWR: Clipper 3K 17CBH is 100 lb lighter (3,943 lb GVWR); Clipper 4K 18FQ is 47 lb heavier (4,090 lb GVWR).
| Nearest Clipper siblings | Length | Sleeps | Dry (lb) | GVWR (lb) | CCC (lb) | Hitch (lb) | Fresh (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clipper 4K 17MBS | 20 ft 5 in | — | 3,550 | 4,043 | 493 | 400 | 40 |
| Clipper 4K 18FQ | 20 ft 5 in | — | 3,390 | 4,090 | 700 | 400 | 40 |
| Clipper 4K 18BH | 20 ft 5 in | — | 3,420 | 4,125 | 705 | 400 | 40 |
| Clipper 4K 182DBU | 22 ft 3 in | — | 3,840 | 4,433 | 593 | 425 | 40 |
| Clipper 4K 162RBU | 19 ft 9 in | — | 3,250 | 3,880 | 630 | 360 | 40 |
| Clipper 4K 18BHS | 21 ft 6 in | — | 3,790 | 4,525 | 735 | 425 | 40 |
All 13 Clipper floorplans: Clipper line hub.
| Other lines, nearest by GVWR | GVWR (lb) | Dry or base (lb) | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clipper 4K 17MBS | 4,043 | 3,550 | — | 20 ft 5 in |
| Forest River r·pod RP-171 | 4,029 | 2,529 | — | 19 ft 0 in |
| Nest 16FB | 4,000 | 3,400 | 2 | 16 ft 7 in |
| Escape E17 HATCH | 4,000 | 3,320 | 4 | 22 ft 0 in |
| Viking 18BH | 4,088 | 3,479 | — | 23 ft 0 in |
| Colt 17QB | 3,995 | 3,065 | 4 | 21 ft 5 in |
| Jay Flight 172DB | 3,995 | 3,270 | 6 | 22 ft 5 in |
Against the Clipper 4K 17MBS: the Forest River r·pod RP-171 is 14 lb lighter and 1 ft shorter; the Nest 16FB is 43 lb lighter and 4 ft shorter; the Escape E17 HATCH is 43 lb lighter and 2 ft longer.
08 Common questions about the Clipper 4K 17MBS
How much does the Clipper 4K 17MBS weigh?
3,550 lb dry; 4,043 lb GVWR, the most it may weigh loaded.
How much can the Clipper 4K 17MBS carry?
493 lb, 12% of its GVWR (median across 1,416 travel trailers here: 23%). A full fresh tank uses 332 lb of it.
What is the tongue weight of the Clipper 4K 17MBS?
400 lb as published, 11% of the dry weight (median across 2,002 travel trailers here: 12%).
What size tow vehicle does the Clipper 4K 17MBS need?
A tow rating of at least 4,043 lb, plus payload for the loaded tongue weight, passengers and cargo.
What are the tank capacities on the Clipper 4K 17MBS?
Fresh 40, grey 32, black 32 gallons. Off hookups, fresh water runs out first.
How long is the Clipper 4K 17MBS?
20' 5" overall, tongue or pin box included.
From the figures above.
09 What this page publishes, and what it does not
12 of the 18 fields this catalogue tracks are published for the Clipper 4K 17MBS. Not published: sleeps, slide count, axle count, tire specification, refrigerator, air conditioning.
Sourcing rules: methodology.
10 Manuals & documents
Sources: forestriverinc.com, library.rvusa.com (linked below); the full source note is at the foot of the page.
11 NHTSA safety record
NHTSA holds 12 recall campaigns and 9 owner complaints (model years 2005 on) against the Clipper line (a recall and a complaint are not the same thing).
Too few reports to show a pattern. 9 complaints have been filed on this line — not enough to say what fails most often. They cover unknown or other, structure, service brakes, suspension and trailer hitches.
Recall coverage here is not complete, and complaints are owners’ unverified reports (how this record is built). Check a specific VIN at NHTSA before you buy. Full tables are on the Clipper line page.