CAMPERTRAILERS.COM

Data Guide · Weight data

How much does a camper trailer weigh?

Published dry weights and GVWRs for 1,810 floorplan pages: the spread by type, length and sleeping capacity, the dry-to-GVWR gap and the cargo capacity makers actually print.

LAST UPDATED · FIGURES · 1,810 verified floorplan pages

Short answer. Across the 1,231 travel-trailer floorplan pages here that publish a dry weight, the median is 6,098 lb empty (half fall between 4,644 and 7,599 lb; n=1,231), and the median published GVWR, the most it may weigh loaded, is 7,775 lb (n=1,029). Fifth wheels are a different class: median 12,500 lb dry (middle half 10,431–14,659 lb; n=411) and 16,128 lb GVWR (n=322). Small travel trailers under 22 feet have a median of 3,149 lb dry (n=173).

01The real spread, not one average

An "average camper weight" hides how wide the range is. The lightest travel trailer here by published dry weight is the Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro E11LE at 1,779 lb; the heaviest fifth wheel is the Forest River Riverstone 45FLE at 19,771 lb. Most travel trailers sit in a band a few thousand pounds wide:

Travel trailers by published dry weight1,000–1,999 lb: 3 floorplans31k2,000–2,999 lb: 61 floorplans613,000–3,999 lb: 135 floorplans1353k4,000–4,999 lb: 176 floorplans1765,000–5,999 lb: 206 floorplans2065k6,000–6,999 lb: 255 floorplans2557,000–7,999 lb: 146 floorplans1467k8,000–8,999 lb: 112 floorplans1129,000–9,999 lb: 49 floorplans499k10,000–10,999 lb: 29 floorplans2911,000–11,999 lb: 24 floorplans2411k12,000–12,999 lb: 35 floorplans35
Travel trailers by published dry weight (n=1,231). Each bar is a 1,000-lb band; the first and last bars include everything below and above.
Fifth wheels by published dry weight6,000–6,999 lb: 0 floorplans06k7,000–7,999 lb: 18 floorplans188,000–8,999 lb: 33 floorplans338k9,000–9,999 lb: 39 floorplans3910,000–10,999 lb: 43 floorplans4310k11,000–11,999 lb: 46 floorplans4612,000–12,999 lb: 58 floorplans5812k13,000–13,999 lb: 52 floorplans5214,000–14,999 lb: 37 floorplans3714k15,000–15,999 lb: 52 floorplans5216,000–16,999 lb: 12 floorplans1216k17,000–17,999 lb: 5 floorplans518,000–18,999 lb: 9 floorplans918k19,000–19,999 lb: 7 floorplans7
Fifth wheels by published dry weight (n=411). Each bar is a 1,000-lb band; the first and last bars include everything below and above.
GroupnMedian (lb)Middle half (lb)Lowest publishedHighest published
Travel trailers, dry1,2316,0984,644–7,5991,779 (Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro E11LE)14,404 (Forest River Salem Villa 42ZEN)
Travel trailers, GVWR1,0297,7756,395–9,9502,995 (Jayco Jay Flight SLX 145RB)15,565 (Forest River Cedar Creek Cottage 40CBK)
Travel trailers under 22 ft, dry1733,1492,705–3,7701,779 (Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro E11LE)5,473 (Forest River Pause R17TH)
Travel trailers under 22 ft, GVWR1374,3003,850–4,9952,995 (Jayco Jay Flight SLX 145RB)7,500 (Jayco Octane 161)
Fifth wheels, dry41112,50010,431–14,6597,000 (Grand Design Reflection 22RK)19,771 (Forest River Riverstone 45FLE)
Fifth wheels, GVWR32216,12813,958–18,0759,500 (Jayco Eagle 24MLE)24,000 (Forest River Riverstone 420RE)

One record per floorplan page; model-year records are not counted again. GVWR figures are the ones makers print; a GVWR this site obtained by addition is left out. Airstream lists a unit base weight with LP and batteries rather than a dry weight; its 29 floorplans are included as published.

02Weight by length

Weight rises steadily with length. Median published figures by exterior length:

Travel trailers by length12–16 ftmedian dry 2,309 lb2,30916–20 ftmedian dry 2,628 lbmedian GVWR 3,865 lb3,8652,62820–24 ftmedian dry 3,836 lbmedian GVWR 5,000 lb5,0003,83624–28 ftmedian dry 5,104 lbmedian GVWR 6,995 lb6,9955,10428–32 ftmedian dry 6,068 lbmedian GVWR 7,708 lb7,7086,06832–36 ftmedian dry 7,018 lbmedian GVWR 9,124 lb9,1247,01836–40 ftmedian dry 8,463 lbmedian GVWR 10,500 lb10,5008,46340–44 ftmedian dry 11,778 lbmedian GVWR 13,410 lb13,41011,778
Travel trailers by length. Upper bar: median published dry weight; lower bar: median published GVWR.
LengthMedian dry (lb)nMedian GVWR (lb)n
12–16 ft2,3097—3
16–20 ft2,628543,86549
20–24 ft3,8362235,000174
24–28 ft5,1041846,995158
28–32 ft6,0682857,708244
32–36 ft7,0182119,124177
36–40 ft8,46317910,500149
40–44 ft11,7787213,41063
Fifth wheels by length28–32 ftmedian dry 7,962 lbmedian GVWR 9,995 lb9,9957,96232–36 ftmedian dry 9,595 lbmedian GVWR 11,995 lb11,9959,59536–40 ftmedian dry 11,055 lbmedian GVWR 14,995 lb14,99511,05540–44 ftmedian dry 13,874 lbmedian GVWR 17,275 lb17,27513,87444–48 ftmedian dry 15,679 lbmedian GVWR 20,748 lb20,74815,679
Fifth wheels by length. Upper bar: median published dry weight; lower bar: median published GVWR.
LengthMedian dry (lb)nMedian GVWR (lb)n
28–32 ft7,962329,99521
32–36 ft9,5956911,99557
36–40 ft11,0558014,99553
40–44 ft13,87415617,275124
44–48 ft15,6795720,74850

03Weight by how many it sleeps

Travel trailers that sleep more weigh more, but the steps are smaller than the steps by length, because bunks fold into the same box:

Travel trailers by sleeping capacitySleeps 2–3median dry 4,450 lbmedian GVWR 6,543 lb6,5434,450Sleeps 4–5median dry 5,361 lbmedian GVWR 7,400 lb7,4005,361Sleeps 6–7median dry 6,551 lbmedian GVWR 8,500 lb8,5006,551Sleeps 8 or moremedian dry 6,510 lbmedian GVWR 8,250 lb8,2506,510
Travel trailers by sleeping capacity. Upper bar: median published dry weight; lower bar: median published GVWR.
Sleeping capacityMedian dry (lb)nMedian GVWR (lb)n
Sleeps 2–34,450906,54367
Sleeps 4–55,3611977,400188
Sleeps 6–76,5511428,500137
Sleeps 8 or more6,5101778,250176

04The gap between dry weight and GVWR

Dry weight is the trailer as built; GVWR is the most it may weigh loaded. Across the 1,029 travel trailers that publish both, the median gap is 1,682 lb (middle half 1,418–2,104 lb), or 23% of the GVWR (n=1,029). For fifth wheels the median gap is 2,936 lb (n=322). Plan against GVWR: the loaded trailer is the one your vehicle tows.

05Cargo capacity, where the maker prints it

Cargo carrying capacity (CCC) is what you may add: water, propane beyond the base, batteries, gear, food and anything the dealer installs. Counting only makers whose own floorplan pages print it (Forest River, Jayco, East to West, Highland Ridge), the median travel-trailer CCC is 1,695 lb (middle half 1,425–2,086 lb; n=1,048). 76 of those 1,048 travel trailers publish less than 1,000 lb.

Water is the part people forget. At about 8.34 lb per gallon, a full fresh tank uses half or more of the published cargo capacity on 10 of 1,047 travel trailers that publish both figures (n=1,047).

Travel trailers by published cargo carrying capacity500–749 lb: 13 floorplans130k750–999 lb: 63 floorplans631,000–1,249 lb: 77 floorplans771k1,250–1,499 lb: 165 floorplans1651,500–1,749 lb: 242 floorplans2421k1,750–1,999 lb: 156 floorplans1562,000–2,249 lb: 122 floorplans1222k2,250–2,499 lb: 62 floorplans622,500–2,749 lb: 50 floorplans502k2,750–2,999 lb: 32 floorplans323,000–3,249 lb: 12 floorplans123k3,250–3,499 lb: 9 floorplans93,500–3,749 lb: 8 floorplans83k3,750–3,999 lb: 37 floorplans37
Travel trailers by published cargo carrying capacity (n=1,048). Each bar is a 250-lb band; the first and last bars include everything below and above.

06Related data