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Travel Trailer · Factory-Source Profile

2026 Forest River Puma Camping Edition16BHCE

a 20-foot travel trailer that leaves the factory at 3,164 lbs dry and is rated to carry 671 lbs of cargo.

Tow-Critical Data — as built, MY2026

3,164lb
Dry Weight
3,835lb
GVWR
335lb
Tongue Weight
20ft
Length
671 lb cargo Travel Trailer · Camping Edition Travel Trailers Built by · Forest River Model year · 2026

01 What makes it unique

The Puma Camping Edition 16BHCE has 671 lbs of cargo capacity between 3,164 lbs dry and its 3,835 lbs GVWR, 17% of that rating; filling its 34-gallon fresh tank at 8.3 lb a gallon uses 282 lbs of it (how to read trailer weights).

Tongue weight is 335 lbs, 11% of the dry weight as published; it rises as the trailer is loaded and counts against the tow vehicle’s tongue-weight and payload limits (tongue weight by size).

Off hookups: 60 gallons of grey and black capacity against 34 gallons of fresh water, so fresh water runs out first (tank sizes by length).

Against the rest of the Puma Camping Edition roster this is the 13th of 30 floorplans by dry weight, in a line that runs from 2,295 lbs to 7,018 lbs. It sits in the middle of the line by weight.

Plan the tow on loaded weight, not the 3,164 lbs dry figure: half the published cargo capacity brings this plan to about 3,500 lbs, and the published GVWR of 3,835 lbs is the limit (how to read trailer weights).

Forest River’s line listing and this floorplan’s own factory page agree on all 4 shared figures. Dry weight plus cargo capacity equals the published GVWR exactly. A missing row means Forest River does not publish that figure (how figures are verified).

Forest River publishes no floorplan description for this plan in the channel this page is built from - only the numeric specification block. Rather than describe a layout from the floorplan code, which would be a guess dressed as a fact, this page carries what the factory publishes and says where it stops. 16BHCE is a Puma Camping Edition designation and this site does not decode it into a layout claim.

How the 16BHCE differs from the other 29 Puma Camping Edition floorplans. Most distinctive first. Sibling pages may cover other model years than this one (2026). How these ranks are worked out.

  • Cargo capacity, 671 lb: smallest of 30; next is the 16QBCE (880 lb).
  • Cargo capacity as a share of GVWR, 17.5%: smallest of 27; next is the 305BHCE (17.6%).
  • Tongue weight as a share of dry weight, 10.6%: second-smallest of 30, between the 303BHCE (10.4%) and the 132RKCE and 210RKCE (11.1%).
  • GVWR, 3,835 lb: fifth-lowest of 30, between the 17COUPLE (3,800 lb) and the 121RKCE (3,840 lb).
  • Tongue weight, 335 lb: fifth-lightest of 30, between the 17COUPLE (325 lb) and the 121RKCE (340 lb).
  • Dry weight, 3,164 lb: thirteenth-lightest of 30, between the 141THCE (3,089 lb) and the 16DSCE (3,629 lb).
  • Length, 20 ft: shared with the 17COUPLE; of 30, ten shorter and eighteen longer, nearest the 17BUNK (19 ft 11 in) and the 16QBCE (20 ft 10 in).
  • Black tank, 30 gal: smallest of 30, level with the 120RKCE, 121RKCE and eleven others; next are the 141THCE, 20BHCE and fourteen others (35 gal).
  • Fresh tank, 34 gal: smallest of 30, level with the 120RKCE, 121RKCE and twelve others; next are the 20BHCE, 20RLCE and thirteen others (43 gal).
  • Grey tank, 30 gal: smallest of 30, level with the 120RKCE, 121RKCE and twelve others; next are the 20BHCE, 20RLCE and five others (35 gal).
  • Exterior height, 10 ft 5 in: shared with the 121RKCE, 122BHCE and six others; of 30, eight lower and thirteen taller, nearest the 210RKCE (10 ft 4 in) and the 260BHCE (10 ft 6 in).

Next to the 141THCE, the nearest lighter floorplan by dry weight, the 16BHCE is 75 lb heavier by dry weight, has a GVWR 754 lb lower, has 829 lb less cargo capacity, has a tongue weight 325 lb lighter, is 3 ft 9 in longer, stands 2 in lower and has a black tank 5 gal smaller; the two publish the same fresh tank and grey tank.

Next to the 16DSCE, the nearest heavier floorplan by dry weight, the 16BHCE is 465 lb lighter by dry weight, has a GVWR 1,295 lb lower, has 830 lb less cargo capacity, has a tongue weight 105 lb lighter and is 2 ft shorter; the two publish the same exterior height, fresh tank, grey tank and black tank.

02 Full specifications

Dimensions

Exterior length
20' 0"
Exterior height
10' 5"
Exterior width
90"

Weights

Dry / unit base weight (UVW)
3,164 lbs
GVWR (max loaded)
3,835 lbs
Net cargo / payload (CCC)
671 lbs
Hitch / tongue weight
335 lbs

Capacities

Fresh water
34 gal
Grey water
30 gal
Black water
30 gal

Running gear

Hitch type
Bumper pull
Axles
Not published by Forest River
Tires
Not published by Forest River

Sleeping & layout

Sleeps
Not published by Forest River
Awnings
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

Loaded weight budget for the 16BHCEHorizontal bar. Dry weight 3,164 pounds, then cargo capacity 671 pounds, against a GVWR of 3,835 pounds. Tongue weight 335 pounds on the same scale.GVWR 3,835 lbsDry 3,164 lbsCargo capacity 671 lbsTongue weight 335 lbs — same scale

Size, with end view

Scale outline of the 16BHCEScale outline of the 16BHCE. Overall length 20' 0", overall height 10' 5", overall width 7' 6".end view7' 6"20' 0" overall length10' 5"

Holding tanks

Holding tank capacities for the 16BHCEHolding tank capacities: fresh 34 gallons, grey 30 gallons, black 30 gallons.Fresh34 galGrey30 galBlack30 gal

Axles, wheels and nose shape are schematic; not a floorplan. Data: dataset.

Towing it

Tow rating needed3,835 lb
Published tongue weight335 lb
Loaded tongue weight, rule of thumb384–575 lb
Receiver hitch rating needed3,835 lb towed / 575 lb tongue
Payload check. Budget loaded, not dry: subtract the loaded range, every passenger, the bed and cab load and a weight-distributing hitch 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 (3,835 lb) and the upper loaded tongue estimate (575 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).

Check this floorplan against your own vehicle’s numbers

03 The Puma Camping Edition floorplan family

Camping Edition is where Puma starts, and the range is wide enough that the badge on the side tells you very little on its own. The lightest plans here are single-axle trailers under 2,700 lbs dry; the heaviest are past 7,000 lbs dry. Cargo capacity runs 671 to 1,592 lbs and does not track length in the way buyers expect, so the plan that fits the family may not be the plan that carries their gear. Forest River publishes a GVWR for every plan in this class, which is the number to tow against.

FloorplanNominalDry weight (lb)GVWR (lb)Notable
120RKCE16' 0"2,6143,860Camping Edition Travel Trailers
121RKCE16' 0"2,6643,840Camping Edition Travel Trailers
122BHCE16' 0"2,6643,865Published with conflict · figures do not reconcile
123RDCE16' 0"2,6843,865Published with conflict · figures do not reconcile
12FBCE18' 6"2,8693,855Camping Edition Travel Trailers
16QBCE20' 10"3,0043,885Published with conflict · figures do not reconcile
141THCE16' 3"3,0894,589Camping Edition Travel Trailers
16BHCE20' 0"3,1643,835Camping Edition Travel Trailers
16DSCE22' 0"3,6295,130Camping Edition Travel Trailers
18BHCE23' 1"4,1595,615Camping Edition Travel Trailers
20RLCE24' 8"4,1885,688Camping Edition Travel Trailers
20BHCE25' 0"4,2235,723Camping Edition Travel Trailers
210RKCE25' 10"4,3585,858Camping Edition Travel Trailers
211FKCE26' 7"4,9886,488Camping Edition Travel Trailers
23BHCE29' 8"5,1536,653Camping Edition Travel Trailers
250RBCE28' 11"5,6237,123Camping Edition Travel Trailers
284BHCE - DSO30' 9"5,9337,433Dealer stock only
283BHCE30' 9"6,0087,600Camping Edition Travel Trailers
263BHCE32' 0"6,1037,603Camping Edition Travel Trailers
304BHCE33' 5"6,5238,023Camping Edition Travel Trailers
303BHCE33' 4"6,5488,048Camping Edition Travel Trailers
305BHCE33' 5"7,0188,518Camping Edition Travel Trailers

Camping Edition is the entry class of the Puma family and the widest spread in it: the factory publishes twenty-two floorplans under a single grouping, from a 2,614 lb single-axle at sixteen feet up to a 7,018 lb twin-axle at thirty-three feet. Eighteen are profiled here. Three — 122BHCE, 123RDCE and 16QBCE — publish an unloaded weight and a cargo capacity that add up to one pound less than their own published GVWR, so each is published on its own page with that conflict shown rather than profiled with the rest. One more, 284BHCE, is dealer-stock-only and the factory publishes no detail page for it at all.

04 Notes on this floorplan

What Forest River does not publish for this line

Sleeping capacity, axle count, tire size and MSRP are not in Forest River’s specification channel for Puma Camping Edition, so this page does not publish them and does not estimate them (how figures are verified).

Weigh it before you tow it

Forest River calls its unloaded weight an estimated average for a standard build, and options and dealer add-ons change it, so weigh your own trailer loaded the way you travel (how figures are verified).

05 How it compares

Lighter
Puma Camping Edition 141THCE

3,089 lbs dry against this plan's 3,164 lbs, a difference of 75 lbs.

Heavier
Puma Camping Edition 16DSCE

3,629 lbs dry, 465 lbs more than this plan, and 1,501 lbs of cargo capacity against this one's 671 lbs.

Most cargo in the line
Puma Camping Edition 283BHCE

1,592 lbs of cargo capacity, the highest of the 30 Puma Camping Edition floorplans profiled here. If payload rather than length is the binding constraint, that is the plan to compare against.

06 Loading it for a trip

A full 34-gallon fresh tank is about 282 lb of water (water counts as cargo: 49 CFR 571.110 S9.3.2), 42% of the 16BHCE’s 671 lb cargo capacity, leaving 389 lb. Across 30 Puma Camping Edition floorplans the water share runs 19% to 42%, and this plan’s is the highest. Nearest on that share: Puma Camping Edition 16QBCE at 32%. 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 Puma Camping Edition 16QBCE, nearest on the published figures. It differs on 5 of the 8 fields both publish (this plan first): length 20 ft 0 in vs 20 ft 10 in; dry weight 3,164 lb vs 3,004 lb; GVWR 3,835 lb vs 3,885 lb; cargo capacity 671 lb vs 880 lb; hitch weight 335 lb vs 385 lb. They match on fresh tank, grey tank and black tank.

Puma Camping Edition plansThis planPosition, low to highRange
GVWR (lb)3,8355 of 303,760–8,518
Dry weight (lb)3,16413 of 302,295–7,018
Cargo capacity (lb)6711 of 30671–1,592
Hitch weight (lb)3355 of 30260–860
Length20 ft 0 in11–12 of 3016 ft 0 in–34 ft 6 in
Fresh tank (gal)341–15 of 3034–43
Grey tank (gal)301–15 of 3030–70
Black tank (gal)301–14 of 3030–35

Either side of it by GVWR: Puma Camping Edition 17COUPLE is 35 lb lighter (3,800 lb GVWR); Puma Camping Edition 121RKCE is 5 lb heavier (3,840 lb GVWR).

Nearest Puma Camping Edition siblingsLengthSleepsDry (lb)GVWR (lb)CCC (lb)Hitch (lb)Fresh (gal)
Puma Camping Edition 16BHCE20 ft 0 in—3,1643,83567133534
Puma Camping Edition 16QBCE20 ft 10 in—3,0043,88588038534
Puma Camping Edition 12FBCE18 ft 6 in—2,8693,85598635534
Puma Camping Edition 17COUPLE20 ft 0 in—2,6003,8001,20032534
Puma Camping Edition 17BUNK19 ft 11 in—2,7653,9001,13540034
Puma Camping Edition 121RKCE16 ft 0 in—2,6643,8401,17634034

All 30 Puma Camping Edition floorplans: Puma Camping Edition line hub.

Other lines, nearest by GVWRGVWR (lb)Dry (lb)SleepsLength
16BHCE3,8353,164—20 ft 0 in
Cherokee Wolf Pup 14RKLP3,8302,654—17 ft 4 in
Airelume 1623,8252,824—20 ft 3 in
Cascade 14BHLPC3,8202,604—17 ft 3 in
Jay Flight 170FQ3,8503,060421 ft 5 in
Viking 17FQ3,8503,084—20 ft 5 in
Ozark 1610FBLE3,8603,014—20 ft 1 in

Against the 16BHCE: the Cherokee Wolf Pup 14RKLP is 5 lb lighter and 3 ft shorter; the Airelume 162 is 10 lb lighter; the Cascade 14BHLPC is 15 lb lighter and 3 ft shorter.

08 Common questions about the 16BHCE

How much does the 16BHCE weigh?

3,164 lb dry; 3,835 lb GVWR, the most it may weigh loaded.

How much can the 16BHCE carry?

671 lb, 17% of its GVWR (median across 855 travel trailers here: 23%). A full fresh tank uses 282 lb of it.

What is the tongue weight of the 16BHCE?

335 lb as published, 11% of the dry weight (median across 1,205 travel trailers here: 12%).

What size tow vehicle does the 16BHCE need?

A tow rating of at least 3,835 lb, plus payload for the loaded tongue weight, passengers and cargo.

What are the tank capacities on the 16BHCE?

Fresh 34, grey 30, black 30 gallons. Off hookups, fresh water runs out first.

How long is the 16BHCE?

20' 0" overall, tongue or pin box included.

From the figures above.

09 What this page publishes, and what it does not

11 of the 18 fields this catalogue tracks are published for the 16BHCE. Not published: interior height, sleeps, slide count, axle count, tire specification, refrigerator, air conditioning.

Sourcing rules: methodology.

11 NHTSA safety record

NHTSA holds 21 recall campaigns and 38 owner complaints (model years 2005 on) against the Puma line (a recall and a complaint are not the same thing).

What to look at on a used one. Across the 38 complaints filed on this line the most-reported components are tires (26%), structure (21%) and equipment (16%).

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 Puma line page.