01 What makes it unique
The Salem Cruise Lite 28ICE is the family bunkhouse in the value twins' ICE series — a front private bedroom for the parents and a rear bunk area for the kids in a 33-foot body. The front holds a private bedroom; a single slide widens the central living and kitchen; and the rear is given over to bunks, with a bathroom serving the trailer. With the bunks, the front bed and convertible furniture, dealers list nominal capacity at six (one lists five). Its twin is the Wildwood X-Lite 28ICE, the identical trailer in different décor.
It carries the full Cruise Lite value-laminate build — a powder-coated I-beam steel frame, two-inch laminated sidewalls, a walk-on Tufflex™ PVC roof and an enclosed Accessibelly underbelly — with a 60,000-BTU on-demand tankless water heater and a 13,500-BTU air conditioner standard, and the current model year's retro/metal exterior, JBL stereo and 4K blade lighting. As with the rest of the ICE series, the Platinum fiberglass/solar package is not offered here; a 200-watt solar panel is the standalone off-grid option, and a 15,000-BTU ducted air conditioner is a standalone upgrade.
At 6,688 pounds dry against a 7,675-pound GVWR it leaves only about 987 pounds of cargo capacity — tight for a family trailer once water, gear and a loaded bunk room are aboard — so it rewards careful packing and a well-equipped half-ton, and owners should weigh it loaded. The factory record does not break out the refrigerator's cubic footage, so it is flagged, and the factory awning size is published as TBD. For a family that wants a private parents' bedroom and a separate bunk area in the ICE series — with the identical Wildwood to shop against — the 28ICE is the ICE family bunkhouse, with the caveat that its cargo capacity is the line's tightest.
02 Full specifications
Dimensions
- Exterior length
- 33' 2"
- Exterior width
- 8' 0"
- Exterior height
- 10' 3"
- Slide-outs
- 1
Weights
- Dry / unit base weight
- 6,688 lbs
- GVWR (max loaded)
- 7,675 lbs*
- Cargo carrying capacity
- 987 lbs
- Hitch / tongue weight
- 675 lbs
Capacities
- Fresh water
- 44 gal
- Grey water
- 30 gal
- Black water
- 30 gal
- Refrigerator
- 12V*
Construction
- Frame
- Powder-coated I-beam steel
- Walls
- 2″ laminated · 16″ OC
- Roof
- Tufflex™ PVC · walk-on
- Underbelly
- Enclosed Accessibelly
Running gear
- Axles
- 2 (tandem)
- Hitch
- Bumper Pull
- Front cap
- .040 smooth aluminum
- Solar
- 200W (option)
Galley & bath
- Cooktop
- 3-burner range
- Refrigerator
- 12V (size not published*)
- A/C
- 13,500 BTU (15K opt)
- Water heater
- 60K tankless on-demand
Sleeping & layout
- Sleeps
- 6
- Primary bed
- Front bedroom
- Layout
- Front private bedroom, central kitchen and living with slide, rear bunks, bathroom, 1 slide
- Awnings
- 1 (power, size TBD*)
03 Salem & Wildwood floorplan family
Forest River's Salem and Wildwood are near-identical twin lines — the same trailers built on the same factory line, differing mainly in exterior graphics and interior décor. The volume laminate models are the Salem Cruise Lite and its twin the Wildwood X-Lite, which share an identical floorplan roster. The 28ICE on this page is highlighted; each other profiled plan links to its own page. Across both nameplates the family runs to dozens of floorplans; the highest-demand layouts are detailed here and the rest are catalogued on the line hub.
| Floorplan | Nominal | Sleeps | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 171RBXL | 23 ft | 4 | Compact rear-bath couples, triple-slide |
| 19DBXL | 25 ft | 6 | Compact double-bunk family, single-axle |
| 23ZEN | 31 ft | 4 | Rear-living couples, walk-through bath, front bedroom |
| 240BHXL | 29 ft | 7 | Double-bunk family, king bed, dual entry, outside kitchen |
| 24RLXL | 29 ft | 4 | Rear-living couples, king bed, fireplace |
| 25ICE | 30 ft | 5 | Front-bedroom couples, rear bath, fireplace |
| 261BHXL | 29 ft | 8 | Mid bunkhouse family, walk-in shower |
| 263BHXL | 32 ft | 7 | Double-bunk family, dual entry, Versa-Lounge, outside kitchen |
| 26ICE | 33 ft | 8 | King + double bunks family, rear bath, 18′ awning |
| 273QBXL | 33 ft | 8 | Large family bunkhouse, outside kitchen |
| 28ICE | 33 ft | 6 | Front-bedroom family, rear bunks, ICE-series |
| 28VBXL | 34 ft | 10 | King + rear private bunkhouse, Versa-Bunks + Versa-Queen |
Every Salem Cruise Lite and Wildwood X-Lite travel trailer carries a powder-coated I-beam steel frame, two-inch laminated sidewalls, a walk-on Tufflex™ PVC roof and an enclosed Accessibelly underbelly; a 200-watt solar panel comes with the Platinum package. Lengths, weights and equipment change with options and model year — always confirm against the unit's own weight sticker. Additional Cruise Lite / X-Lite, FSX and Hemisphere floorplans are documented on the line hub.
04 What owners & reviewers report
A private bedroom plus a rear bunk area
A front private bedroom and a separate rear bunk area give parents-and-kids separation — the ICE series’ family layout in a 33-foot trailer.
Cargo capacity runs tight
At 6,688 lb dry against a 7,675-lb GVWR there is only ~987 lb of cargo capacity — the tightest in the line for a family trailer; a full load of water, gear and a packed bunk room adds up fast, so weigh it loaded and tow with a well-equipped half-ton.
ICE series: no Platinum package
Unlike the XL plans, the ICE series does not offer the Platinum fiberglass/solar package; a 200-watt solar panel is the standalone off-grid option and a 15,000-BTU ducted A/C is a standalone upgrade.
Refrigerator size and awning not published
The factory record confirms a 12V refrigerator but not its cubic footage, and publishes the awning size as TBD; both are shown unverified and excluded from the completeness figure. GVWR is derived as dry plus cargo capacity.
05 How it compares
The shorter ICE family plan — a front king and double bunks with a rear bath and an 18-foot awning, more cargo capacity in a slightly smaller body.
The same trailer in Wildwood trim — identical chassis and specs, different décor. Compare both nameplates' pricing.
The XL-series family bunkhouse at a similar length — a private Versa bunk room and an oversized fridge with more cargo capacity, a different layout to weigh.