01 What makes it unique
Forest River lists the 2026 Shasta Phoenix 218SE at 7,365 lb dry, a GVWR of 8,500 lb, a net carrying capacity of 1,135 lb and a pin weight of 1,144 lb. Its dry weight plus its carrying capacity comes to exactly its GVWR.
It is 29' 1" long. Forest River prints its tanks as 40 gal fresh, 33 gal grey, 33 gal black.
Among the 17 Shasta Phoenix floorplans Forest River lists for 2026 with a published dry weight, it is number 1 from the lightest, in a range from 7,365 lb (Shasta Phoenix 218SE) to 13,030 lb (Shasta Phoenix 373MBRB). Every figure in that comparison is Forest River’s, for the same model year.
Every number on this page was read on 5 Nov 2026 from Forest River’s 2026 Shasta Phoenix sheet, the maker’s own dated document for model year 2026.
How the 218SE differs from the other sixteen Shasta Phoenix floorplans. Most distinctive first. How these ranks are worked out.
- Dry weight, 7,365 lb: lightest of seventeen; next is the 254RLS (7,511 lb).
- GVWR, 8,500 lb: lowest of seventeen; next is the 254RLS (9,800 lb).
- Cargo capacity, 1,135 lb: smallest of seventeen; next is the 389DEK (1,779 lb).
- Pin weight, 1,144 lb: lightest of seventeen; next is the 254RLS (1,388 lb).
- Pin weight as a share of dry weight, 15.5%: smallest of seventeen; next is the 30RLS (16.1%).
- Length, 29 ft 1 in: shortest of seventeen; next is the 254RLS (30 ft 9 in).
- Cargo capacity as a share of GVWR, 13.4%: third-smallest of seventeen, between the 373MBRB (13.1%) and the 391MBH (14.2%).
- Grey tank, 33 gal: smallest of seventeen, level with the 254RLS and 27BAR; next are the 30BHS, 30RLS and 31BH (66 gal).
- Black tank, 33 gal: smallest of seventeen, level with the 254RLS, 27BAR and three others; next are the 298RLS, 334FL and four others (45 gal).
- Fresh tank, 40 gal: smallest of seventeen, level with the 254RLS, 27BAR and four others; next are the 298RLS, 334FL and eight others (48 gal).
Next to the 254RLS, the nearest heavier floorplan by dry weight, the 218SE is 146 lb lighter by dry weight, has a GVWR 1,300 lb lower, has 1,154 lb less cargo capacity, has a pin weight 244 lb lighter and is 1 ft 8 in shorter; the two publish the same fresh tank, grey tank and black tank.
02 Full specifications
Dimensions
- Exterior length
- 29' 1"
- Exterior height
- Not published by Forest River
- Exterior width
- 96"
- Interior height
- Not published by Forest River
Weights
- Dry / unit base weight (UVW)
- 7,365 lb
- GVWR (max loaded)
- 8,500 lb
- Net cargo / payload (CCC)
- 1,135 lb
- Hitch / pin weight
- 1,144 lb
Capacities
- Fresh water
- 40 gal
- Grey water
- 33 gal
- Black water
- 33 gal
Running gear
- Hitch type
- Fifth wheel (pin box)
- Tire size
- Not published by Forest River
Sleeping & layout
- Sleeps
- Not published by Forest River
- Awning
- 20'
- Height as printed
- 131 5" (not readable as a height; not repaired)
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.
Drawn to scale
Weight budget
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 (8,500 lb) and the upper loaded pin estimate (2,125 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).
03 The Shasta Phoenix floorplan family
Forest River lists 17 Shasta Phoenix floorplans for 2026; this site profiles every one with a printed weight, from Forest River’s own 2026 Shasta Phoenix sheet.
| Floorplan | Nominal | Sleeps | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shasta Phoenix 218SE | 29' 1" | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 254RLS | 30' 9" | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 27BAR | 34' 2" | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 31BH | 37' 3" | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 30RLS | 34' 2" | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 30BHS | 37' | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 298RLS | 34' 8" | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 368TBH | 42' | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 336RL | 37' | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 360BH | 39' 9" | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 381DBL | 42' 6" | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 367BH | 42' 6" | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 334FL | 42' 6" | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 370BAF | 42' 6" | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 391MBH | 42' 2" | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 389DEK | 42' 4" | — | Profiled |
| Shasta Phoenix 373MBRB | 42' 6" | — | Profiled |
Forest River lists 17 Shasta Phoenix floorplans for 2026. Every one with a printed weight has a page here.
04 Notes on this floorplan
What Forest River does not publish for the Shasta Phoenix 218SE
Forest River prints no tire size, interior height, 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
7,511 lb dry and 9,800 lb GVWR, against this model’s 7,365 lb and 8,500 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), 29% of the Shasta Phoenix 218SE’s 1,135 lb cargo capacity, leaving 803 lb. Across 17 Shasta Phoenix floorplans the water share runs 13% to 29%, and this plan’s is the highest. Nearest on that share: Shasta Phoenix 389DEK at 22%. 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 Shasta Phoenix 254RLS, nearest on the published figures. It differs on 5 of the 8 fields both publish (this plan first): length 29 ft 1 in vs 30 ft 9 in; dry weight 7,365 lb vs 7,511 lb; GVWR 8,500 lb vs 9,800 lb; cargo capacity 1,135 lb vs 2,289 lb; hitch weight 1,144 lb vs 1,388 lb. They match on fresh tank, grey tank and black tank.
| Shasta Phoenix plans | This plan | Position, low to high | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| GVWR (lb) | 8,500 | 1 of 17 | 8,500–15,500 |
| Dry weight (lb) | 7,365 | 1 of 17 | 7,365–13,030 |
| Cargo capacity (lb) | 1,135 | 1 of 17 | 1,135–3,172 |
| Hitch weight (lb) | 1,144 | 1 of 17 | 1,144–2,708 |
| Length | 29 ft 1 in | 1 of 17 | 29 ft 1 in–42 ft 6 in |
| Fresh tank (gal) | 40 | 1–7 of 17 | 40–48 |
| Grey tank (gal) | 33 | 1–3 of 17 | 33–135 |
| Black tank (gal) | 33 | 1–6 of 17 | 33–75 |
Either side of it by GVWR: Shasta Phoenix 254RLS is 1,300 lb heavier (9,800 lb GVWR).
| Nearest Shasta Phoenix siblings | Length | Sleeps | Dry (lb) | GVWR (lb) | CCC (lb) | Hitch (lb) | Fresh (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shasta Phoenix 218SE | 29 ft 1 in | — | 7,365 | 8,500 | 1,135 | 1,144 | 40 |
| Shasta Phoenix 254RLS | 30 ft 9 in | — | 7,511 | 9,800 | 2,289 | 1,388 | 40 |
| Shasta Phoenix 27BAR | 34 ft 2 in | — | 8,507 | 11,000 | 2,493 | 1,521 | 40 |
| Shasta Phoenix 30RLS | 34 ft 2 in | — | 8,980 | 11,000 | 2,020 | 1,445 | 40 |
| Shasta Phoenix 30BHS | 37 ft 0 in | — | 9,535 | 11,500 | 1,965 | 1,553 | 40 |
| Shasta Phoenix 31BH | 37 ft 3 in | — | 8,802 | 11,000 | 2,198 | 1,627 | 40 |
All 17 Shasta Phoenix floorplans: Shasta Phoenix line hub.
| Other lines, nearest by GVWR | GVWR (lb) | Dry (lb) | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shasta Phoenix 218SE | 8,500 | 7,365 | — | 29 ft 1 in |
| Chaparral Lite 235RK | 8,900 | 6,950 | — | 27 ft 3 in |
| Eagle 24MLE | 9,500 | 7,855 | 4 | 29 ft 3 in |
| Roamer Light Duty 24MLDS | 9,500 | 7,975 | 6 | 29 ft 3 in |
| GSL Light Duty Fifth Wheel 274BHS | 9,500 | 7,700 | 8 | 30 ft 7 in |
| Sundance Fifth Wheel 24ML | 9,500 | 8,030 | 4 | 29 ft 3 in |
| Blackthorn 229RK | 9,945 | 7,324 | — | 28 ft 1 in |
Against the Shasta Phoenix 218SE: the Chaparral Lite 235RK is 400 lb heavier and 2 ft shorter; the Eagle 24MLE is 1,000 lb heavier; the Roamer Light Duty 24MLDS is 1,000 lb heavier.
08 Common questions about the Shasta Phoenix 218SE
How much does the Shasta Phoenix 218SE weigh?
7,365 lb dry; 8,500 lb GVWR, the most it may weigh loaded.
How much can the Shasta Phoenix 218SE carry?
1,135 lb, 13% of its GVWR (median across 334 fifth wheels here: 18%). A full fresh tank uses 332 lb of it.
What is the pin weight of the Shasta Phoenix 218SE?
1,144 lb as published, 16% of the dry weight (median across 540 fifth wheels here: 19%).
What size tow vehicle does the Shasta Phoenix 218SE need?
A tow rating of at least 8,500 lb, plus payload for the loaded pin weight, passengers and cargo.
What are the tank capacities on the Shasta Phoenix 218SE?
Fresh 40, grey 33, black 33 gallons. Off hookups, fresh water runs out first.
How long is the Shasta Phoenix 218SE?
29' 1" overall, tongue or pin box included.
From the figures above.
09 What this page publishes, and what it does not
10 of the 18 fields this catalogue tracks are published for the Shasta Phoenix 218SE. Not published: exterior height, interior height, 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 8 recall campaigns and 1 owner complaint (model years 2005 on) against the Shasta Phoenix line (a recall and a complaint are not the same thing).
Too few reports to show a pattern. 1 complaint has been filed on this line — not enough to say what fails most often. It covers unknown or other.
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 Shasta Phoenix line page.