01 What makes it unique
Forest River publishes a 13,900-pound GVWR for the Puma Vista 402LFT against a 11,849-pound unloaded weight, and the 2,051 pounds of cargo carrying capacity that leaves is the third largest on the 13-plan destination trailer roster. Dry weight plus CCC equals the published GVWR exactly, so the three figures are internally consistent rather than rounded against each other. The published tongue weight is 1,695 pounds.
The 402LFT measures 42' 10" long, 13' 4" tall and 96" wide, and carries a 43 / 35 / 35-gallon fresh, grey and black tank set with a 21' awning. Height is the number to check first on a trailer this size — measure garage doors, carports and low branches against the published 13' 4" before the first trip. The factory files this plan under “Destination Trailers w/Loft” — one of three groupings it uses inside the Vista roster. Against its neighbours on the roster, the shorter 401RLFT runs 755 pounds heavier dry and the longer 403LFT runs 790 pounds heavier dry.
Equipment for this plan is published as 2 named packages on its factory floorplan record — the “Vista LFT Value Shopper Package” and the “Vista LFT Loft Package”, listing 22 items and 11 items respectively. The first package opens with (3) AC's, Smart TV, Tankless water heater and Washer/Dryer Prep. Package inclusion on any given unit is not asserted here and Forest River publishes no MSRP for this tier, so confirm delivered equipment and current pricing with a dealer.
How the 402LFT differs from the other 25 Puma travel trailers. Most distinctive first. How these ranks are worked out.
- Cargo capacity, 2,051 lb: sixth-largest of 26, between the 37PFL and 38DEN (2,000 lb) and the 38RLB (2,451 lb).
- Tongue weight, 1,695 lb: sixth-heaviest of 26, between the 403LFT (1,675 lb) and the 429LFT (1,730 lb).
- Dry weight, 11,849 lb: eighth-heaviest of 26, between the 38VFL (11,414 lb) and the 429LFT (12,114 lb).
- Cargo capacity as a share of GVWR, 14.8%: eighth-smallest of 24, between the 38VFL (13.6%) and the 32BHFS (15%).
- GVWR, 13,900 lb: shared with the 401RLFT, 403LFT and 429LFT; of 25, eighteen lower and three higher, nearest the 39FKL (13,440 lb) and the 422LFT (14,689 lb).
- Length, 42 ft 10 in: shared with the 39BHK, 401RLFT and three others; of 26, eighteen shorter and two longer, nearest the 429LFT (42 ft 8 in) and the 423LFT (43 ft).
- Tongue weight as a share of dry weight, 14.3%: shared with the 429LFT; of 26, seventeen smaller and seven larger, nearest the 39DBT (14.2%) and the 420LFT (14.5%).
- Exterior height, 13 ft 4 in: tallest of 26, level with the 38VFL, 401RLFT and six others; next are the 25TH, 27TH and 29TH (12 ft 2 in).
- Grey tank, 35 gal: smallest of 26, level with the 25TH, 27TH and six others; next are the 31FKRK, 38RLB and two others (65 gal).
Next to the 38VFL, the nearest lighter floorplan by dry weight, the 402LFT is 435 lb heavier by dry weight, has a GVWR 686 lb higher, has 251 lb more cargo capacity, has a tongue weight 90 lb heavier, is 2 ft 7 in longer, has a grey tank 35 gal smaller and has a black tank 35 gal smaller; the two publish the same exterior height and fresh tank.
Next to the 429LFT, the nearest heavier floorplan by dry weight, the 402LFT is 265 lb lighter by dry weight, has 265 lb more cargo capacity, has a tongue weight 35 lb lighter, is 2 in longer, has a grey tank 30 gal smaller and has a black tank 30 gal smaller; the two publish the same GVWR, exterior height and fresh tank.
02 Full specifications
Dimensions
- Exterior length
- 42' 10"
- Exterior height
- 13' 4"
- Exterior width
- 96"
Weights
- Dry / unit base weight (UVW)
- 11,849 lbs
- GVWR (max loaded)
- 13,900 lbs
- Net cargo / payload (CCC)
- 2,051 lbs
- Hitch / tongue weight
- 1,695 lbs
Capacities
- Fresh water
- 43 gal
- Grey water
- 35 gal
- Black water
- 35 gal
- Awning
- 21'
Running gear
- Hitch type
- Bumper pull
- Axles
- Not published by source*
- Axle rating
- Not published by source*
- Wheels & tires
- Not published by source*
Systems — factory packages, as published
- Factory package 1
- Vista LFT Value Shopper Package — 22 published items
- Factory package 2
- Vista LFT Loft Package — 11 published items
Layout
- Sleeps
- Not published by source*
- Slides
- Not published by source*
- Entries
- Not published by source*
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
Size, with end view
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 (13,900 lb) and the upper loaded tongue estimate (2,085 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). The range starts at the published figure, because loaded is never lighter than that.
The 2027 model year, as Forest River lists it
Forest River’s own floorplan page lists the 2027 Palomino Puma Vista 402LFT with the figures below (read 22 Oct 2026). They are that year’s record. The specifications above are the 2026 record; the two are not merged, and neither fills a gap in the other. Compare it with the 2026 specifications above; nothing is carried from one record to the other. Unloaded weight plus cargo capacity equals the 2027 GVWR exactly.
| 2027 Palomino Puma Vista 402LFT | As published |
|---|---|
| Hitch weight | 1,695 lb |
| Unloaded vehicle weight (UVW) | 11,849 lb |
| Cargo carrying capacity (CCC) | 2,051 lb |
| GVWR | 13,900 lb |
| Length | 42' 10" |
| Height | 13' 4" |
| Width | 96" |
| Fresh / gray / black water | 43 gal / 35 gal / 35 gal |
| Awning | 21' |
| Sleeps | Not published |
Source: Forest River floorplan page, Palomino Puma Vista 402LFT.
03 The Puma Vista roster
Puma Vista is the destination trailer tier of Palomino’s Puma family — 15 floorplans filed by the factory under “Destination Trailers”, sold under the parent Puma line and rostered on the Puma hub’s Puma Vista section. Per this site’s family policy a factory sub-roster lives under its parent hub rather than taking a hub of its own. Two plans are published with the conflict shown rather than profiled with the rest: on 39BHK, 423LFT the factory’s own published GVWR does not equal its published dry weight plus CCC, and this site publishes that conflict rather than resolving it. Of those, the 39BHK misses by 50 lb, and all three of its figures are published in full and flagged (†), with the trailer’s weight label governing; the 423LFT misses by 3,000 lb, so its printed GVWR is shown as disputed and is not given as a rating (†).
| Floorplan | Nominal | Cargo (CCC) | Published GVWR | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37PFL | 40 ft | 2,000 lbs | 11,749 lbs GVWR | profiled |
| 38VFL | 40 ft | 1,800 lbs | 13,214 lbs GVWR | profiled |
| 38DEN | 40 ft | 2,000 lbs | 12,434 lbs GVWR | profiled |
| 38RLB | 42 ft | 2,451 lbs | 13,255 lbs GVWR | profiled |
| 39DBT | 42 ft | 1,838 lbs | 12,000 lbs GVWR | profiled |
| 39FKL | 42 ft | 2,731 lbs | 13,440 lbs GVWR | profiled |
| 429LFT | 42 ft | 1,786 lbs | 13,900 lbs GVWR | profiled |
| 401RLFT | 42 ft | 1,296 lbs | 13,900 lbs GVWR | profiled |
| 402LFT | 42 ft | 2,051 lbs | 13,900 lbs GVWR | profiled |
| 403LFT | 42 ft | 1,261 lbs | 13,900 lbs GVWR | profiled |
| 420LFT | 42 ft | 1,801 lbs | 14,825 lbs GVWR | profiled |
| 421LFT | 42 ft | 1,800 lbs | 15,299 lbs GVWR | profiled |
| 39BHK | 42 ft | 1,800 lbs | 12,739 lbs GVWR† | published with conflict |
| 423LFT | 43 ft | 1,800 lbs | Disputed† | published with conflict |
| 422LFT | 43 ft | 1,800 lbs | 14,689 lbs GVWR | profiled |
04 Notes on this floorplan
The published figures tie out exactly
Dry 11,849 plus CCC 2,051 equals the published GVWR of 13,900 — no rounding gap.
A 1,695-pound tongue weight
This is the unloaded figure — use a weight-distributing hitch and weigh the loaded combination rather than trusting the base number.
13' 4" of height
Measure garage doors, carports, awnings and low branches against this figure before the first trip.
Sleeps, slides and axles are not published
Forest River publishes no sleeping capacity, slide count, entry count, axle count or rating, or tire size for this tier — confirm the layout and running gear on the unit itself.
Weigh the loaded trailer
Dry weight is a factory estimate for a base unit; options, water and cargo all add to it. Weigh loaded and confirm against your tow vehicle's ratings and the unit's weight sticker before purchase.
05 How it compares
-755 pounds lighter dry on a 1,895-pound tongue weight.
790 pounds heavier dry, 1,261 lbs of CCC.
Forest River’s other destination-trailer roster.
06 Loading it for a trip
A full 43-gallon fresh tank is about 357 lb of water (water counts as cargo: 49 CFR 571.120 S10.4.2), 17% of the Puma Vista 402LFT’s 2,051 lb cargo capacity, leaving 1,694 lb. Across 26 Puma travel-trailer floorplans the water share runs 11% to 28%, and 20 give up more than this one. Nearest on that share: Puma Vista 38RLB at 15% and Puma Vista 37PFL at 18%. Your own unit’s figure is on the label inside its entry door (49 CFR 571.120 S10.4.3).
07 Where this floorplan sits
Closest sibling: the Puma Vista 401RLFT, nearest on the published figures. It differs on 3 of the 8 fields both publish (this plan first): dry weight 11,849 lb vs 12,604 lb; cargo capacity 2,051 lb vs 1,296 lb; hitch weight 1,695 lb vs 1,895 lb. They match on length, GVWR, fresh tank, grey tank and black tank.
| Puma travel-trailer plans | This plan | Position, low to high | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| GVWR (lb) | 13,900 | 19–22 of 25 | 8,553–15,299 |
| Dry weight (lb) | 11,849 | 19 of 26 | 6,173–13,499 |
| Cargo capacity (lb) | 2,051 | 21 of 26 | 1,261–3,257 |
| Hitch weight (lb) | 1,695 | 21 of 26 | 770–1,990 |
| Length | 42 ft 10 in | 19–24 of 26 | 29 ft 9 in–43 ft 1 in |
| Grey tank (gal) | 35 | 1–9 of 26 | 35–105 |
| Black tank (gal) | 35 | 2–19 of 26 | 30–70 |
Either side of it by GVWR: Puma Vista 401RLFT matches it at 13,900 lb GVWR; Puma Vista 403LFT matches it at 13,900 lb GVWR.
| Nearest Puma travel-trailer siblings | Length | Sleeps | Dry (lb) | GVWR (lb) | CCC (lb) | Hitch (lb) | Fresh (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puma Vista 402LFT | 42 ft 10 in | — | 11,849 | 13,900 | 2,051 | 1,695 | 43 |
| Puma Vista 401RLFT | 42 ft 10 in | — | 12,604 | 13,900 | 1,296 | 1,895 | 43 |
| Puma Vista 38DEN | 40 ft 6 in | — | 10,434 | 12,434 | 2,000 | 1,295 | 43 |
| Puma Vista 37PFL | 40 ft 0 in | — | 9,749 | 11,749 | 2,000 | 1,335 | 43 |
| Puma Vista 420LFT | 42 ft 10 in | — | 13,024 | 14,825 | 1,801 | 1,890 | 43 |
| Puma Vista 403LFT | 42 ft 10 in | — | 12,639 | 13,900 | 1,261 | 1,675 | 43 |
All 29 Puma floorplans: Puma line hub.
| Other lines, nearest by GVWR | GVWR (lb) | Dry (lb) | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puma Vista 402LFT | 13,900 | 11,849 | — | 42 ft 10 in |
| Sandstorm 2900 | 13,855 | 9,399 | — | 36 ft 6 in |
| Jay Flight 40LOFT | 13,950 | 11,925 | 8 | 40 ft 10 in |
| Campsite Reserve 39IB | 14,000 | 11,039 | — | 44 ft 6 in |
| Cedar Creek Cottage 40CCK | 14,000 | 12,474 | — | 40 ft 6 in |
| Sandpiper Destination / Sierra Destination 411DBDL | 14,000 | 12,714 | — | 42 ft 8 in |
| Cherokee Timberwolf Black Label 39JMBL | 14,000 | 12,984 | — | 43 ft 4 in |
Against the Puma Vista 402LFT: the Sandstorm 2900 is 45 lb lighter and 6 ft shorter; the Jay Flight 40LOFT is 50 lb heavier and 2 ft shorter; the Campsite Reserve 39IB is 100 lb heavier and 2 ft longer.
08 Common questions about the Puma Vista 402LFT
How much does the Puma Vista 402LFT weigh?
11,849 lb dry; 13,900 lb GVWR, the most it may weigh loaded.
How much can the Puma Vista 402LFT carry?
2,051 lb, 15% of its GVWR (median across 855 travel trailers here: 23%). A full fresh tank uses 357 lb of it.
What is the tongue weight of the Puma Vista 402LFT?
1,695 lb as published, 14% of the dry weight (median across 1,205 travel trailers here: 12%).
What size tow vehicle does the Puma Vista 402LFT need?
A tow rating of at least 13,900 lb, plus payload for the loaded tongue weight, passengers and cargo.
What are the tank capacities on the Puma Vista 402LFT?
Fresh 43, grey 35, black 35 gallons. Off hookups, fresh water runs out first.
How long is the Puma Vista 402LFT?
42' 10" 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 Puma Vista 402LFT. Not published: interior height, sleeps, slide count, axle count, tire specification, refrigerator, air conditioning.
Values marked with an asterisk are arithmetic on published figures or come from a single source; the flag travels into the downloadable spec sheet.
Sourcing rules: methodology.
10 Manuals & documents
Sources: forestriverinc.com (linked below); the full source note is at the foot of the page.
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.