01 What makes it unique
Cruiser RV lists the 2025 Shadow Cruiser 252RKS at 5,948 lb dry, a GVWR of 7,570 lb and a net carrying capacity of 1,590 lb. It prints no hitch weight for it. Cruiser RV’s own figures do not add up — a conflict, stated not resolved: 5,948 lb dry plus 1,590 lb carrying capacity is 7,538 lb, against a printed GVWR of 7,570 lb. All three are shown as Cruiser RV prints them and none is corrected; the federal label on the trailer is the one to trust.
It is 29' 5" long and 11' 3" high. Cruiser RV prints no tank capacity for it.
Among the 8 Shadow Cruiser floorplans Cruiser RV’s 2025 Shadow Cruiser brochure lists with a published dry weight, it is number 2 from the lightest, in a range from 5,284 lb (Shadow Cruiser 235RBS) to 8,049 lb (Shadow Cruiser 330BHS). Every figure in that comparison is Cruiser RV’s, for the same model year.
Every number on this page was read on 5 Nov 2026 from Cruiser RV’s 2025 Shadow Cruiser brochure, the maker’s own dated document for model year 2025.
How the 252RKS differs from the other seven Shadow Cruiser floorplans. Most distinctive first. How these ranks are worked out.
- GVWR, 7,570 lb: lowest of eight; next is the 235RBS (7,598 lb).
- Dry weight, 5,948 lb: second-lightest of eight, between the 235RBS (5,284 lb) and the 251BHS (6,140 lb).
- Length, 29 ft 5 in: third-shortest of eight, between the 240RPD (28 ft 9 in) and the 251BHS (30 ft 5 in).
- Cargo capacity, 1,590 lb: fourth-smallest of eight, between the 240RPD (1,550 lb) and the 251BHS (1,662 lb).
Next to the 235RBS, the nearest lighter floorplan by dry weight, the 252RKS is 664 lb heavier by dry weight, has a GVWR 28 lb lower, has 692 lb less cargo capacity and is 3 ft 6 in longer; the two publish the same exterior height.
Next to the 251BHS, the nearest heavier floorplan by dry weight, the 252RKS is 192 lb lighter by dry weight, has a GVWR 264 lb lower, has 72 lb less cargo capacity and is 1 ft shorter; the two publish the same exterior height.
02 Full specifications
Dimensions
- Exterior length
- 29' 5"
- Exterior height
- 11' 3"
- Exterior width
- Not published by Cruiser RV
- Interior height
- Not published by Cruiser RV
Weights
- Dry / unit base weight (UVW)
- 5,948 lb
- GVWR (max loaded)
- 7,570 lb
- Net cargo / payload (CCC)
- 1,590 lb
- Hitch weight
- Not published by Cruiser RV
Capacities
- Fresh water
- Not published by Cruiser RV
- Grey water
- Not published by Cruiser RV
- Black water
- Not published by Cruiser RV
Running gear
- Hitch type
- Not stated per floorplan by Cruiser RV
- Tire size
- Not published by Cruiser RV
Sleeping & layout
- Sleeps
- 5-6
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 (no width published)
Axles, wheels and nose shape are schematic; not a floorplan. Data: dataset.
03 The Shadow Cruiser floorplan family
Cruiser RV’s 2025 Shadow Cruiser brochure lists 8 Shadow Cruiser floorplans; every one with a printed weight has a page here.
| Floorplan | Nominal | Sleeps | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Cruiser 235RBS | 25' 11" | 3-4 | Profiled |
| Shadow Cruiser 252RKS | 29' 5" | 5-6 | Profiled |
| Shadow Cruiser 251BHS | 30' 5" | 7-8 | Profiled |
| Shadow Cruiser 240RPD | 28' 9-1/4" | 3-4 | Profiled |
| Shadow Cruiser 261RB | 31' 4" | 5-6 | Profiled |
| Shadow Cruiser 292BHS | 33' 11" | 9+ | Profiled |
| Shadow Cruiser 300RLS | 34' 11" | 5-6 | Profiled |
| Shadow Cruiser 330BHS | 37' 11" | 9+ | Profiled |
Cruiser RV’s 2025 Shadow Cruiser brochure lists 8 Shadow Cruiser floorplans. Every one with a printed weight has a page here.
04 Notes on this floorplan
What Cruiser RV does not publish for the Shadow Cruiser 252RKS
Cruiser RV prints no hitch weight, tire size, interior height, grey-tank, black-tank 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
5,284 lb dry and 7,598 lb GVWR, against this model’s 5,948 lb and 7,570 lb.
6,140 lb dry and 7,834 lb GVWR, against this model’s 5,948 lb and 7,570 lb.
06 Loading it for a trip
Cargo capacity on the Shadow Cruiser 252RKS is 1,590 lb.
No source publishes a tongue weight for the Shadow Cruiser 252RKS, so its hitch load has to come from a scale ticket taken with the trailer hitched.
07 Where this floorplan sits
Closest sibling: the Shadow Cruiser 261RB, nearest on the published figures. It differs on 4 of the 5 fields both publish (this plan first): length 29 ft 5 in vs 31 ft 4 in; dry weight 5,948 lb vs 6,262 lb; GVWR 7,570 lb vs 7,699 lb; cargo capacity 1,590 lb vs 1,405 lb. They match on sleeps.
| Shadow Cruiser plans | This plan | Position, low to high | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| GVWR (lb) | 7,570 | 1 of 8 | 7,570–9,995 |
| Dry weight (lb) | 5,948 | 2 of 8 | 5,284–8,049 |
| Cargo capacity (lb) | 1,590 | 4 of 8 | 1,195–2,776 |
| Length | 29 ft 5 in | 3 of 8 | 25 ft 11 in–37 ft 11 in |
| Sleeps | 6 | 3–5 of 8 | 4–9 |
Either side of it by GVWR: Shadow Cruiser 235RBS is 28 lb heavier (7,598 lb GVWR).
| Nearest Shadow Cruiser siblings | Length | Sleeps | Dry (lb) | GVWR (lb) | CCC (lb) | Hitch (lb) | Fresh (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Cruiser 252RKS | 29 ft 5 in | 6 | 5,948 | 7,570 | 1,590 | — | — |
| Shadow Cruiser 261RB | 31 ft 4 in | 6 | 6,262 | 7,699 | 1,405 | — | — |
| Shadow Cruiser 251BHS | 30 ft 5 in | 8 | 6,140 | 7,834 | 1,662 | — | — |
| Shadow Cruiser 240RPD | 28 ft 9 in | 4 | 6,214 | 7,796 | 1,550 | — | — |
| Shadow Cruiser 235RBS | 25 ft 11 in | 4 | 5,284 | 7,598 | 2,282 | — | — |
| Shadow Cruiser 300RLS | 34 ft 11 in | 6 | 7,440 | 9,890 | 2,418 | — | — |
All 8 Shadow Cruiser floorplans: Shadow Cruiser line hub.
| Other lines, nearest by GVWR | GVWR (lb) | Dry (lb) | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Cruiser 252RKS | 7,570 | 5,948 | 6 | 29 ft 5 in |
| Aurora Light 26BHS | 7,566 | 6,066 | — | 30 ft 5 in |
| Twilight Signature TWS-21RB | 7,574 | 5,230 | 6 | 25 ft 11 in |
| Cherokee Grey Wolf 26LP | 7,575 | 4,508 | 6 | 29 ft 4 in |
| Ozark 2300RBLE | 7,575 | 5,058 | — | 28 ft 7 in |
| Surveyor Legend 261RKLE | 7,578 | 6,078 | — | 30 ft 0 in |
| Campsite Reserve 20LJ | 7,580 | 4,688 | — | 25 ft 9 in |
Against the Shadow Cruiser 252RKS: the Aurora Light 26BHS is 4 lb lighter and 1 ft longer; the Twilight Signature TWS-21RB is 4 lb heavier and 4 ft shorter; the Cherokee Grey Wolf 26LP is 5 lb heavier.
08 Common questions about the Shadow Cruiser 252RKS
How much does the Shadow Cruiser 252RKS weigh?
5,948 lb dry; 7,570 lb GVWR, the most it may weigh loaded.
How much can the Shadow Cruiser 252RKS carry?
1,590 lb, 21% of its GVWR (median across 1,416 travel trailers here: 23%).
What size tow vehicle does the Shadow Cruiser 252RKS need?
A tow rating of at least 7,570 lb, plus payload for the loaded tongue weight, passengers and cargo.
How many people does the Shadow Cruiser 252RKS sleep?
Its published sleeping capacity is 5–6. 3 of the 8 Shadow Cruiser floorplans that publish a count sleep more.
How long is the Shadow Cruiser 252RKS?
29' 5" overall, tongue or pin box included.
From the figures above.
09 What this page publishes, and what it does not
6 of the 18 fields this catalogue tracks are published for the Shadow Cruiser 252RKS. Not published: hitch weight, exterior width, interior height, fresh tank, grey tank, black tank, slide count, axle count, tire specification, awning, refrigerator, air conditioning.
Sourcing rules: methodology.
10 Manuals & documents
Sources: library.rvusa.com (linked below); the full source note is at the foot of the page.
11 NHTSA safety record
NHTSA holds 12 recall campaigns and 11 owner complaints (model years 2005 on) against the Shadow Cruiser line (a recall and a complaint are not the same thing).
What to look at on a used one. Across the 11 complaints filed on this line the most-reported components are structure (27%), suspension (27%) and equipment (18%).
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 Shadow Cruiser line page.