01 What makes it unique
Heartland lists the 2025 Trail Runner 261BHS at 5,876 lb dry, a GVWR of 7,766 lb and a hitch weight of 766 lb. Heartland prints no cargo carrying capacity for it, so none is given here; the federal label inside the trailer carries one.
It is 30' 5" long and 11' 2" high. Heartland prints no tank capacity for it.
Among the 11 Trail Runner floorplans Heartland’s 2025 Trail Runner brochure lists with a published dry weight, it is number 6 from the lightest, in a range from 3,016 lb (Trail Runner 171BH) to 6,980 lb (Trail Runner 31DB). Every figure in that comparison is Heartland’s, for the same model year.
Every number on this page was read on 5 Nov 2026 from Heartland’s 2025 Trail Runner brochure, the maker’s own dated document for model year 2025.
How the 261BHS differs from the other ten Trail Runner floorplans. Most distinctive first. How these ranks are worked out.
- GVWR, 7,766 lb: fourth-highest of eleven, between the 270BH (7,748 lb) and the 30RBK (9,538 lb).
- Length, 30 ft 5 in: fifth-longest of eleven, between the 258BH (30 ft 1 in) and the 270BH (31 ft 11 in).
- Dry weight, 5,876 lb: sixth-lightest of eleven, between the 251BH (5,288 lb) and the 255RL (5,914 lb).
Next to the 251BH, the nearest lighter floorplan by dry weight, the 261BHS is 588 lb heavier by dry weight, has a GVWR 170 lb higher and is 11 in longer; the two publish the same exterior height.
Next to the 255RL, the nearest heavier floorplan by dry weight, the 261BHS is 38 lb lighter by dry weight, has a GVWR 94 lb higher and is 8 in longer; the two publish the same exterior height.
02 Full specifications
Dimensions
- Exterior length
- 30' 5"
- Exterior height
- 11' 2"
- Exterior width
- Not published by Heartland
- Interior height
- Not published by Heartland
Weights
- Dry / unit base weight (UVW)
- 5,876 lb
- GVWR (max loaded)
- 7,766 lb
- Net cargo / payload (CCC)
- Not published by Heartland
- Hitch weight
- 766 lb
Capacities
- Fresh water
- Not published by Heartland
- Grey water
- Not published by Heartland
- Black water
- Not published by Heartland
Running gear
- Hitch type
- Not stated per floorplan by Heartland
- Tire size
- Not published by Heartland
Sleeping & layout
- Sleeps
- 7-8
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
Size (no width published)
Axles, wheels and nose shape are schematic; not a floorplan. Data: dataset.
03 The Trail Runner floorplan family
Heartland’s 2025 Trail Runner brochure lists 11 Trail Runner floorplans; every one with a printed weight has a page here.
| Floorplan | Nominal | Sleeps | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trail Runner 171BH | 20' 1 1/4" | 5-6 | Profiled |
| Trail Runner 117R | 20' 10 3/4" | 3-4 | Profiled |
| Trail Runner 211RD | 25' 8 1/2" | 3-4 | Profiled |
| Trail Runner 258BH | 30' 1 1/2" | 7-8 | Profiled |
| Trail Runner 251BH | 29' 6 1/2" | 7-8 | Profiled |
| Trail Runner 261BHS | 30' 5" | 7-8 | Profiled |
| Trail Runner 255RL | 29' 9" | 5-6 | Profiled |
| Trail Runner 270BH | 31' 11 1/2" | 9+ | Profiled |
| Trail Runner 27RKS | 33' 9 1/2" | 5-6 | Profiled |
| Trail Runner 30RBK | 35' 4" | 7-8 | Profiled |
| Trail Runner 31DB | 36' 11" | 7-8 | Profiled |
Heartland’s 2025 Trail Runner brochure lists 11 Trail Runner floorplans. Every one with a printed weight has a page here.
04 Notes on this floorplan
What Heartland does not publish for the Trail Runner 261BHS
Heartland prints no cargo carrying capacity, 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
5,288 lb dry and 7,596 lb GVWR, against this model’s 5,876 lb and 7,766 lb.
5,914 lb dry and 7,672 lb GVWR, against this model’s 5,876 lb and 7,766 lb.
06 Loading it for a trip
No source publishes a tongue weight for the Trail Runner 261BHS, so its hitch load has to come from a scale ticket taken with the trailer hitched.
07 Where this floorplan sits
Closest sibling: the Trail Runner 251BH, nearest on the published figures. It differs on 3 of the 4 fields both publish (this plan first): length 30 ft 5 in vs 29 ft 6 in; dry weight 5,876 lb vs 5,288 lb; GVWR 7,766 lb vs 7,596 lb. They match on sleeps.
| Trail Runner plans | This plan | Position, low to high | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| GVWR (lb) | 7,766 | 8 of 11 | 3,886–9,632 |
| Dry weight (lb) | 5,876 | 6 of 11 | 3,016–6,980 |
| Length | 30 ft 5 in | 7 of 11 | 20 ft 1 in–36 ft 11 in |
| Sleeps | 8 | 6–10 of 11 | 4–9 |
Either side of it by GVWR: Trail Runner 270BH is 18 lb lighter (7,748 lb GVWR); Trail Runner 30RBK is 1,772 lb heavier (9,538 lb GVWR).
| Nearest Trail Runner siblings | Length | Sleeps | Dry (lb) | GVWR (lb) | CCC (lb) | Hitch (lb) | Fresh (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trail Runner 261BHS | 30 ft 5 in | 8 | 5,876 | 7,766 | — | — | — |
| Trail Runner 251BH | 29 ft 6 in | 8 | 5,288 | 7,596 | — | — | — |
| Trail Runner 270BH | 31 ft 11 in | 9 | 6,086 | 7,748 | — | — | — |
| Trail Runner 258BH | 30 ft 1 in | 8 | 4,800 | 7,418 | — | — | — |
| Trail Runner 255RL | 29 ft 9 in | 6 | 5,914 | 7,672 | — | — | — |
| Trail Runner 30RBK | 35 ft 4 in | 8 | 6,960 | 9,538 | — | — | — |
All 11 Trail Runner floorplans: Trail Runner line hub.
| Other lines, nearest by GVWR | GVWR (lb) | Dry (lb) | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trail Runner 261BHS | 7,766 | 5,876 | 8 | 30 ft 5 in |
| Campsite Reserve 25MW | 7,765 | 6,008 | — | 29 ft 8 in |
| Aurora Light 23BHS | 7,768 | 5,988 | — | 28 ft 4 in |
| Cherokee Grey Wolf 26SS | 7,764 | 5,987 | — | 30 ft 11 in |
| Coachmen Catalina 231BHS | 7,762 | 5,872 | 8 | 28 ft 4 in |
| Cascade 23MSC | 7,775 | 5,948 | — | 29 ft 2 in |
| Ozark 2430RBK | 7,755 | 5,628 | — | 26 ft 1 in |
Against the Trail Runner 261BHS: the Campsite Reserve 25MW is 1 lb lighter; the Aurora Light 23BHS is 2 lb heavier and 2 ft shorter; the Cherokee Grey Wolf 26SS is 2 lb lighter.
08 Common questions about the Trail Runner 261BHS
How much does the Trail Runner 261BHS weigh?
5,876 lb dry; 7,766 lb GVWR, the most it may weigh loaded.
What size tow vehicle does the Trail Runner 261BHS need?
A tow rating of at least 7,766 lb, plus payload for the loaded tongue weight, passengers and cargo.
How many people does the Trail Runner 261BHS sleep?
Its published sleeping capacity is 7–8. 1 of the 11 Trail Runner floorplans that publish a count sleep more.
How long is the Trail Runner 261BHS?
30' 5" overall, tongue or pin box included.
From the figures above.
09 What this page publishes, and what it does not
5 of the 18 fields this catalogue tracks are published for the Trail Runner 261BHS. Not published: cargo capacity (CCC), 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: heartlandrvs.com, library.rvusa.com (linked below); the full source note is at the foot of the page.
11 NHTSA safety record
NHTSA holds 16 recall campaigns and 8 owner complaints (model years 2005 on) against the Trail Runner line (a recall and a complaint are not the same thing).
Too few reports to show a pattern. 8 complaints have been filed on this line — not enough to say what fails most often. They cover electrical system, equipment, structure, suspension and tires.
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 Trail Runner line page.
Owner’s manuals
The maker’s own owner’s manual for each model year on this page, linked where the maker publishes it. Each link goes to the maker’s file, labelled as the maker labels it; a year with no manual of its own is not filled from another year.
| Model year | Manual |
|---|---|
| 2025 | General Owner's Manual for 2025 or before (PDF on heartlandrvs.com; the maker’s one manual for all its products that year, not a manual written for this line alone) |