CAMPERTRAILERS.COM

Fifth Wheel · Top Luxury · Single-Source Profile

2026 Forest River Riverstone43BFC

The 2026 RV of the Year (Luxury Fifth Wheel) — a rear-kitchen residential coach with a bath-and-a-half, a large sectional sofa, a desk and a primary bedroom suite, the longest Riverstone.

Tow-Critical Data — as built, MY2026

18,971lb
Dry Weight
23,900lb
GVWR
2,900lb
Pin Weight
44ft
Length
Sleeps 4 Luxury Fifth Wheel · Rear kitchen, bath-and-a-half, RV of the Year Built by · Forest River Construction · 102" widebody · French-door fridge Starting MSRP · $199,816

01 What makes it unique

The 43BFC is Riverstone’s most decorated plan: RV News 2026 RV of the Year in the luxury-fifth-wheel category. It is pitched as a residential retreat — a high-end rear kitchen with a large pantry, ample counter space and the standard 18-cubic-foot French-door refrigerator, a large sectional sofa in the living area, a standard desk, a bath-and-a-half, and a primary bedroom suite up front with a dresser and dedicated shoe storage. At 44 feet 10 inches it is the longest Riverstone fifth wheel. It rides the full Riverstone build: a 102-inch-wide fully-welded frame, tandem 8,000-pound axles and an automatic six-point hydraulic level-up system.

Forest River lists a published 23,900-pound GVWR against the 18,971-pound dry weight, leaving a 4,929-pound payload and a 2,900-pound dry pin. Its holding tanks are sized for long stays — a 100-gallon grey tank and a 100-gallon black tank, the largest black capacity in the line. Two 15,000-BTU heat-pump air conditioners, a Truma AquaGo tankless water heater, a Splendide stackable washer and dryer, a Fisher & Paykel dishwasher and 200-watt solar with a 2,000-watt inverter are standard, with preparation for a four-camera observation system.

At a starting MSRP around $200,000, with US street pricing well below the placard (often in the $140,000s–$160,000s), it is the award-winning residential Riverstone. For a full-timer or a couple who wants the line’s most acclaimed rear-kitchen layout, a sectional, a desk and a second half bath — and who tows with a one-ton truck — the 43BFC is the residential flagship.

02 Full specifications

Dimensions

Exterior length
44' 10"
Exterior width
8' 6"
Exterior height
13' 5"
Interior height
8' 0"

Weights

Dry / unit base weight (UVW)
18,971 lbs
GVWR (max loaded)
23,900 lbs
Net cargo / payload (CCC)
4,929 lbs
Dry pin (hitch) weight
2,900 lbs

Capacities

Fresh water
79 gal
Grey water
100 gal
Black water
100 gal
Refrigerator
18 cu ft

Construction

Frame
Fully-welded frame · 102" widebody · riveted skirt metal
Walls
3" hung-glass exterior walls · high-gloss gel coat · batten insulation
Roof
Fiberglass roof · 3/8" decking
Underbelly
12V heated full docking station · 12V heated holding tanks

Running gear

Axles
2 (8,000 lb tandem)
Hitch
Fifth-wheel (in-bed) · 2" bike-rack receiver
Suspension
LCI Road Armour™ · MORryde independent susp. optional
Tires
17.5" H-rated on aluminum rims

Galley & bath

Cooktop
4-burner gas oven · 30" convection microwave
Refrigerator
18 cu ft
A/C
30,000 BTU (dual 15K heat pump)
Water heater
Truma AquaGo Comfort · tankless on-demand

Sleeping & layout

Sleeps
4
Slides
4
Entries
1
Awnings
2 (13'6" & 20')
Primary bed
King

03 The Riverstone floorplan family

Riverstone is Forest River's top-luxury full-profile fifth wheel — a step above Cedar Creek and a cross-shop against the upper trims of Keystone's Montana and Grand Design's Solitude. The 2026 fifth-wheel line runs to seven floorplans, and all seven are profiled here in full. The 43BFC on this page is highlighted; each other plan links to its own page.

FloorplanNominalSleepsNotable
39RKFB42 ft4Rear kitchen, bath-and-a-half, lightest + shortest
442MC44 ft6Mid-coach den, kitchen island, six slides
421FK44 ft4Front kitchen + island, rear bed, biggest grey
44DBL44 ft6Two full baths + murphy, dual entry, heaviest
425FO45 ft6Front living, hidden front office, six slides
420RE45 ft4Rear living + entertainment, biggest payload
43BFC45 ft4Rear kitchen, bath-and-a-half, RV of the Year

Riverstone is Forest River's top-luxury full-profile fifth wheel — a step above the Cedar Creek line and a cross-shop against the upper trims of Keystone's Montana and Grand Design's Solitude. The 2026 fifth-wheel line runs to seven floorplans, all profiled here. Every plan rides on a 102-inch-wide, fully-welded frame with tandem 8,000-pound axles, 17.5-inch H-rated tires, LCI Road Armour suspension, an automatic six-point hydraulic level-up system and a 12V heated full docking station, and ships with an 18-cubic-foot French-door refrigerator, two 15,000-BTU heat-pump air conditioners, a Truma AquaGo tankless water heater, a Splendide stackable washer and dryer, a Fisher & Paykel dishwasher, 200-watt solar with a 2,000-watt inverter and a 72-by-80-inch king bed as standard. Hitch weight, GVWR, UVW and CCC are published per plan on the Forest River factory pages, and each plan's UVW plus CCC equals its GVWR exactly. The published GVWR (up to 24,000 pounds) is rated by the full chassis, with the balance over the 8,000-pound tandem axles carried on the king pin; real loaded pin weights run higher — always weigh the loaded coach and confirm against your truck's payload and rear-axle ratings. An eighth Riverstone plan, the 42FSKG, is a toy hauler and is not catalogued here.

04 What owners & reviewers report

2026 RV of the Year

RV News named it the 2026 RV of the Year in the luxury-fifth-wheel category — the line’s most decorated plan.

Residential rear kitchen

A high-end rear galley with a large pantry, a sectional sofa and a desk — a residential-retreat layout.

Longest plan + big black tank

At 44′ 10″ it is the longest Riverstone, with a 100-gallon black tank — the largest in the line — for long stays.

Detail page bot-blocked

Its factory detail page was bot-blocked; tanks, height and awning were verified against the Forest River print mirror.

SOURCING — ownership notes to be expanded with cited threads from owner communities & forums per the data plan

05 How it compares

↔ Cross-shop
Riverstone 39RKFB

The other rear-kitchen plan — the lightest in the line, a tow-friendlier alternative.

↔ Cross-shop
Riverstone 420RE

The rear-living plan — a rear lounge and the line’s biggest payload instead of a rear kitchen.

↔ Cross-shop
Keystone Montana 3854RK

Keystone’s rear-kitchen luxury plan — the direct full-size-luxury-FW cross-shop.