01 What makes it unique
Heartland lists the 2023 Mallard (East Coast edition) M26 at 5,996 lb dry, a GVWR of 8,600 lb and a tongue weight of 641 lb. Heartland prints no cargo carrying capacity for it, so none is given here; the federal label inside the trailer carries one.
It is 31' 9 1/2" long and 11' 4" high. Heartland prints no tank capacity for it.
Among the 11 Mallard floorplans Heartland’s 2023 Mallard East Coast brochure lists with a published dry weight, it is number 6 from the lightest, in a range from 4,598 lb (Mallard (East Coast edition) M210RB) to 8,840 lb (Mallard (East Coast edition) M335). 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 Mallard East Coast brochure, the maker’s own dated document for model year 2023.
How the M26 differs from the other ten Mallard floorplans. Most distinctive first. How these ranks are worked out.
- Tongue weight, 641 lb: fourth-lightest of eleven, between the M27 (638 lb) and the M32 (670 lb).
- Tongue weight as a share of dry weight, 10.7%: fourth-smallest of eleven, between the M32 (9.7%) and the M27 (11.2%).
- Length, 31 ft 9 in: fifth-longest of eleven, between the M260 (31 ft) and the M263RK (32 ft 3 in).
- Dry weight, 5,996 lb: sixth-lightest of eleven, between the M260 (5,866 lb) and the M263RK (6,256 lb).
- GVWR, 8,600 lb: shared with the M32; of eleven, five lower and four higher, nearest the M251BH (7,846 lb) and the M263RK (9,596 lb).
Next to the M260, the nearest lighter floorplan by dry weight, the M26 is 130 lb heavier by dry weight, has a GVWR 1,700 lb higher, has a tongue weight 33 lb lighter and is 9 in longer; the two publish the same exterior height.
Next to the M263RK, the nearest heavier floorplan by dry weight, the M26 is 260 lb lighter by dry weight, has a GVWR 996 lb lower, has a tongue weight 155 lb lighter and is 6 in shorter; the two publish the same exterior height.
02 Full specifications
Dimensions
- Exterior length
- 31' 9 1/2"
- Exterior height
- 11' 4"
- Exterior width
- Not published by Heartland
- Interior height
- Not published by Heartland
Weights
- Dry / unit base weight (UVW)
- 5,996 lb
- GVWR (max loaded)
- 8,600 lb
- Net cargo / payload (CCC)
- Not published by Heartland
- Hitch / tongue weight
- 641 lb
Capacities
- Fresh water
- Not published by Heartland
- Grey water
- Not published by Heartland
- Black water
- Not published by Heartland
Running gear
- Hitch type
- Bumper pull
- Tire size
- Not published by Heartland
Sleeping & layout
- Sleeps
- 7-8
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
Size (no width published)
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 (8,600 lb) and the upper loaded tongue estimate (1,290 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 Mallard floorplan family
Heartland’s 2023 Mallard East Coast brochure lists 12 Mallard floorplans; every one with a printed weight has a page here.
| Floorplan | Nominal | Sleeps | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M210RB | 21' 9 1/2" | 3-4 | Profiled |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M223RK | 26' 10" | 5-6 | Profiled |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M27 | 30' 1" | 5-6 | Profiled |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M251BH | 29' 8 1/2" | 7-8 | Profiled |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M260 | 31' | 5-6 | Profiled |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M26 | 31' 9 1/2" | 7-8 | Profiled |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M263RK | 32' 3 1/3" | 5-6 | Profiled |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M267FK | 29' 10 1/4" | 5-6 | Profiled |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M32 | 34' 8 1/2" | 9+ | Profiled |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M33 | 36' 8 1/2" | 9+ | Profiled |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M335 | 39' 1/2" | 3-4 | Profiled |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M321BH | 36' 10" | 9+ | Catalogued · Heartland prints its weights as TBD |
Heartland’s 2023 Mallard East Coast brochure lists 12 Mallard floorplans. Every one with a printed weight has a page here.
04 Notes on this floorplan
What Heartland does not publish for the Mallard (East Coast edition) M26
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
5,866 lb dry and 6,900 lb GVWR, against this model’s 5,996 lb and 8,600 lb.
6,256 lb dry and 9,596 lb GVWR, against this model’s 5,996 lb and 8,600 lb.
07 Where this floorplan sits
Closest sibling: the Mallard (East Coast edition) M32, nearest on the published figures. It differs on 4 of the 5 fields both publish (this plan first): length 31 ft 9 in vs 34 ft 8 in; sleeps 8 vs 9; dry weight 5,996 lb vs 6,926 lb; hitch weight 641 lb vs 670 lb. They match on GVWR.
| Mallard plans | This plan | Position, low to high | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| GVWR (lb) | 8,600 | 6–7 of 11 | 6,900–9,900 |
| Dry weight (lb) | 5,996 | 6 of 11 | 4,598–8,840 |
| Hitch weight (lb) | 641 | 4 of 11 | 550–908 |
| Length | 31 ft 9 in | 7 of 11 | 21 ft 9 in–39 ft 1 in |
| Sleeps | 8 | 8–9 of 11 | 4–9 |
Either side of it by GVWR: Mallard (East Coast edition) M251BH is 754 lb lighter (7,846 lb GVWR); Mallard (East Coast edition) M32 matches it at 8,600 lb GVWR.
| Nearest Mallard siblings | Length | Sleeps | Dry (lb) | GVWR (lb) | CCC (lb) | Hitch (lb) | Fresh (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M26 | 31 ft 9 in | 8 | 5,996 | 8,600 | — | 641 | — |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M32 | 34 ft 8 in | 9 | 6,926 | 8,600 | — | 670 | — |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M251BH | 29 ft 8 in | 8 | 5,860 | 7,846 | — | 820 | — |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M260 | 31 ft 0 in | 6 | 5,866 | 6,900 | — | 674 | — |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M27 | 30 ft 1 in | 6 | 5,672 | 6,900 | — | 638 | — |
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M263RK | 32 ft 3 in | 6 | 6,256 | 9,596 | — | 796 | — |
All 11 Mallard floorplans: Mallard line hub.
| Other lines, nearest by GVWR | GVWR (lb) | Dry (lb) | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mallard (East Coast edition) M26 | 8,600 | 5,996 | 8 | 31 ft 9 in |
| Coachmen Catalina 263FKDS | 8,600 | 6,869 | 4 | 30 ft 0 in |
| EVO 2480VBX | 8,575 | 6,159 | — | 29 ft 11 in |
| Puma 26FKDS | 8,553 | 7,053 | — | 30 ft 10 in |
| Jay Feather 29RL | 8,650 | 7,130 | 6 | 35 ft 4 in |
| Jay Flight 294QBS | 8,650 | 6,775 | 10 | 35 ft 7 in |
| Cherokee Alpha Wolf 28QBX | 8,545 | 6,518 | — | 34 ft 0 in |
Against the Mallard (East Coast edition) M26: the Coachmen Catalina 263FKDS is 2 ft shorter and sleeps 4 fewer; the EVO 2480VBX is 25 lb lighter and 2 ft shorter; the Puma 26FKDS is 47 lb lighter.
08 Common questions about the Mallard (East Coast edition) M26
How much does the Mallard (East Coast edition) M26 weigh?
5,996 lb dry; 8,600 lb GVWR, the most it may weigh loaded.
What is the tongue weight of the Mallard (East Coast edition) M26?
641 lb as published, 11% of the dry weight (median across 2,002 travel trailers here: 12%).
What size tow vehicle does the Mallard (East Coast edition) M26 need?
A tow rating of at least 8,600 lb, plus payload for the loaded tongue weight, passengers and cargo.
How many people does the Mallard (East Coast edition) M26 sleep?
Its published sleeping capacity is 7–8. 2 of the 11 Mallard floorplans that publish a count sleep more.
How long is the Mallard (East Coast edition) M26?
31' 9 1/2" 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 Mallard (East Coast edition) M26. 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.
10 Manuals & documents
Sources: heartlandrvs.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 16 owner complaints (model years 2005 on) against the Mallard line (a recall and a complaint are not the same thing).
What to look at on a used one. Across the 16 complaints filed on this line the most-reported components are suspension (19%), electrical system (12%) and equipment (12%).
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 Mallard line page.
Owner’s manuals
The maker’s own owner’s manual for each model year on this page, linked where the maker publishes it. Each link goes to the maker’s file, labelled as the maker labels it; a year with no manual of its own is not filled from another year.
| Model year | Manual |
|---|---|
| 2023 | General Owner's Manual for 2025 or before (PDF on heartlandrvs.com; the maker’s one manual for all its products that year, not a manual written for this line alone) |