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Fifth wheel · Heartland factory figures · Single-Source Profile

2023 HeartlandElkRidge 38FLIK

A 42-foot fifth wheel that Heartland lists at 12,815 lb dry, with a 16,000 lb GVWR, for 2023.

Tow-Critical Data — as built, MY2023

12,815lb
Dry Weight
16,000lb
GVWR
2,856lb
Hitch Weight
42ft
Length
Sleeps 5-6 Fifth wheel · Heartland Built by · Heartland Model year · 2023

01 What makes it unique

Heartland lists the 2023 ElkRidge 38FLIK at 12,815 lb dry, a GVWR of 16,000 lb and a pin weight of 2,856 lb. Heartland prints no cargo carrying capacity for it, so none is given here; the federal label inside the trailer carries one.

It is 42' 1 7/8" long and 13' 3" high. Heartland prints no tank capacity for it.

Among the 8 ElkRidge floorplans Heartland’s 2023 ElkRidge brochure lists with a published dry weight, it is number 6 from the lightest, in a range from 10,607 lb (ElkRidge 32RK) to 13,435 lb (ElkRidge 37DRB). Every figure in that comparison is Heartland’s, for the same model year.

Every number on this page was read on 5 Nov 2026 from Heartland’s 2023 ElkRidge brochure, the maker’s own dated document for model year 2023.

How the 38FLIK differs from the other seven ElkRidge floorplans. Most distinctive first. How these ranks are worked out.

  • Pin weight, 2,856 lb: heaviest of eight; next is the 37FBH (2,660 lb).
  • Pin weight as a share of dry weight, 22.3%: largest of eight; next is the 37RED (22.2%).
  • Dry weight, 12,815 lb: third-heaviest of eight, between the 38MB (12,615 lb) and the 37FBH (12,905 lb).
  • Length, 42 ft 1 in: fourth-shortest of eight, between the 37RED (41 ft 7 in) and the 37FBH (42 ft 4 in).
  • Exterior height, 13 ft 3 in: lowest of eight, level with the 32RLS and 38MB; next are the 32RK, 37BBH and three others (13 ft 4 in).
  • GVWR, 16,000 lb: shared with the 32RLS and 38MB; of eight, two lower and three higher, nearest the 37RED (15,500 lb) and the 37BBH (16,531 lb).

Next to the 38MB, the nearest lighter floorplan by dry weight, the 38FLIK is 200 lb heavier by dry weight, has a pin weight 497 lb heavier and is 5 in shorter; the two publish the same GVWR and exterior height.

Next to the 37FBH, the nearest heavier floorplan by dry weight, the 38FLIK is 90 lb lighter by dry weight, has a GVWR 660 lb lower, has a pin weight 196 lb heavier, is 3 in shorter and stands 1 in lower.

02 Full specifications

Dimensions

Exterior length
42' 1 7/8"
Exterior height
13' 3"
Exterior width
Not published by Heartland
Interior height
Not published by Heartland

Weights

Dry / unit base weight (UVW)
12,815 lb
GVWR (max loaded)
16,000 lb
Net cargo / payload (CCC)
Not published by Heartland
Hitch / pin weight
2,856 lb

Capacities

Fresh water
Not published by Heartland
Grey water
Not published by Heartland
Black water
Not published by Heartland

Running gear

Hitch type
Fifth wheel (pin box)
Tire size
Not published by Heartland

Sleeping & layout

Sleeps
5-6

How these published figures sit against the rest of the catalogue: fifth wheel pin weight and payload; fresh, grey and black tank sizes; camper trailer size chart.

Towing it

Tow rating needed16,000 lb
Published pin weight2,856 lb
Loaded pin weight, rule of thumb2,856–4,000 lb
In-bed fifth-wheel hitch rating needed16,000 lb towed / 4,000 lb pin
Payload check. Budget loaded, not dry: subtract the loaded range, every passenger and the bed and cab load from the payload on your tow vehicle’s door-pillar placard (49 CFR 571.110 S4.3).

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 (16,000 lb) and the upper loaded pin estimate (4,000 lb, a rule of thumb). Your vehicle’s placard and the trailer’s own weight label govern.

Loaded range: 15–25% of GVWR on the pin, a rule of thumb, not a measurement of this unit. No truck ratings or hitch classes (why; NHTSA, DOT HS 809 433). The range starts at the published figure, because loaded is never lighter than that.

Check this floorplan against your own vehicle’s numbers

03 The ElkRidge floorplan family

Heartland’s 2023 ElkRidge brochure lists 8 ElkRidge floorplans; every one with a printed weight has a page here.

FloorplanNominalSleepsNotable
ElkRidge 32RK36' 6 1/2"3-4Profiled
ElkRidge 32RLS36' 2 3/8"3-4Profiled
ElkRidge 37RED41' 7 3/8"5-6Profiled
ElkRidge 37BBH42' 5"7-8Profiled
ElkRidge 38MB42' 6"7-8Profiled
ElkRidge 38FLIK42' 1 7/8"5-6Profiled
ElkRidge 37FBH42' 4 1/8"3-4Profiled
ElkRidge 37DRB42' 7 3/8"3-4Profiled

Heartland’s 2023 ElkRidge brochure lists 8 ElkRidge floorplans. Every one with a printed weight has a page here.

04 Notes on this floorplan

What Heartland does not publish for the ElkRidge 38FLIK

Heartland prints no cargo carrying capacity, tire size, interior height, grey-tank, black-tank 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

Lighter
Heartland ElkRidge 38MB

12,615 lb dry and 16,000 lb GVWR, against this model’s 12,815 lb and 16,000 lb.

Heavier
Heartland ElkRidge 37FBH

12,905 lb dry and 16,660 lb GVWR, against this model’s 12,815 lb and 16,000 lb.

07 Where this floorplan sits

Closest sibling: the ElkRidge 37RED, nearest on the published figures. It differs on 4 of the 5 fields both publish (this plan first): length 42 ft 1 in vs 41 ft 7 in; dry weight 12,815 lb vs 11,848 lb; GVWR 16,000 lb vs 15,500 lb; hitch weight 2,856 lb vs 2,626 lb. They match on sleeps.

ElkRidge plansThis planPosition, low to highRange
GVWR (lb)16,0003–5 of 815,000–16,660
Dry weight (lb)12,8156 of 810,607–13,435
Hitch weight (lb)2,8568 of 82,032–2,856
Length42 ft 1 in4 of 836 ft 2 in–42 ft 7 in
Sleeps65–6 of 84–8

Either side of it by GVWR: ElkRidge 32RLS matches it at 16,000 lb GVWR; ElkRidge 38MB matches it at 16,000 lb GVWR.

Nearest ElkRidge siblingsLengthSleepsDry (lb)GVWR (lb)CCC (lb)Hitch (lb)Fresh (gal)
ElkRidge 38FLIK42 ft 1 in612,81516,000—2,856—
ElkRidge 37RED41 ft 7 in611,84815,500—2,626—
ElkRidge 37BBH42 ft 5 in812,28716,531—2,531—
ElkRidge 38MB42 ft 6 in812,61516,000—2,359—
ElkRidge 37FBH42 ft 4 in412,90516,660—2,660—
ElkRidge 37DRB42 ft 7 in413,43516,570—2,570—

All 8 ElkRidge floorplans: ElkRidge line hub.

Other lines, nearest by GVWRGVWR (lb)Dry (lb)SleepsLength
ElkRidge 38FLIK16,00012,815642 ft 1 in
Big Country 3200RLK16,00012,140436 ft 5 in
Bighorn 31RL16,00013,060436 ft 0 in
North Point 310RLTS16,00013,375436 ft 0 in
Paradigm 295MK16,00013,193—33 ft 3 in
Talon 313T16,00010,800838 ft 4 in
Avenue 38DBL15,99512,890—41 ft 11 in

Against the ElkRidge 38FLIK: the Big Country 3200RLK is 6 ft shorter and sleeps 2 fewer; the Bighorn 31RL is 6 ft shorter and sleeps 2 fewer; the North Point 310RLTS is 6 ft shorter and sleeps 2 fewer.

08 Common questions about the ElkRidge 38FLIK

How much does the ElkRidge 38FLIK weigh?

12,815 lb dry; 16,000 lb GVWR, the most it may weigh loaded.

What is the pin weight of the ElkRidge 38FLIK?

2,856 lb as published, 22% of the dry weight (median across 540 fifth wheels here: 19%).

What size tow vehicle does the ElkRidge 38FLIK need?

A tow rating of at least 16,000 lb, plus payload for the loaded pin weight, passengers and cargo.

How many people does the ElkRidge 38FLIK sleep?

Its published sleeping capacity is 5–6. 2 of the 8 ElkRidge floorplans that publish a count sleep more.

How long is the ElkRidge 38FLIK?

42' 1 7/8" overall, tongue or pin box included.

From the figures above.

09 What this page publishes, and what it does not

6 of the 18 fields this catalogue tracks are published for the ElkRidge 38FLIK. Not published: cargo capacity (CCC), exterior width, interior height, fresh tank, grey tank, black tank, slide count, axle count, tire specification, awning, refrigerator, air conditioning.

Sourcing rules: methodology.