01 What makes it unique
The 37GALLEY is Wildcat’s front-kitchen galley-and-entertainment plan. It puts a fully equipped kitchen up front (a 16-cubic-foot refrigerator, a 30-inch microwave and a 21-inch 2-in-1 oven range), a Hi-Top dinette, a living room with theater seating and two tri-fold hide-a-bed sofas, a king bedroom suite and a full bath-and-a-half, opened by three slide-outs, sleeping six (a king plus two hide-a-bed sofas). It is the front-kitchen sibling to the front-living 37PUB on the same 42-foot-9 body. It rides the full Wildcat build: a 2-inch vacuum-bonded aluminum-framed sidewall structure, a one-piece molded fiberglass front cap, a PVC roof membrane with a lifetime warranty, a heated and enclosed underbelly with 12-volt tank heat pads and sectioned ABS armor, and 4-point automatic leveling.
Forest River publishes an 11,123-pound UVW, a 2,957-pound CCC and a 14,080-pound GVWR (the published GVWR equals UVW plus CCC exactly), against a 2,080-pound dry pin. It carries the line’s larger 76-gallon grey and black tanks (matched to its bath-and-a-half). A 45,000-BTU three-air-conditioner system, a 35,000-BTU furnace, a 5,000-BTU electric fireplace, a 60,000-BTU tankless water heater, a 16-cubic-foot 12-volt refrigerator, a 21-inch 2-in-1 oven range, a 30-inch over-the-range microwave and a 60-gallon fresh tank are standard, under a 19-foot power awning with a 200-watt rooftop solar prep.
US street pricing has commonly run in the low-to-mid $60,000s. It is the front-kitchen, big-living Wildcat. For a cook who wants a full front kitchen, a Hi-Top dinette, a theater-seating living room with two hide-a-bed sofas and a king bedroom suite with a bath-and-a-half — towed behind a properly rated three-quarter-ton or larger truck — the 37GALLEY is the line’s front-kitchen plan. It is sold as the Cardinal 37GALLEY under a sister badge.
02 Full specifications
Dimensions
- Exterior length
- 42' 9"
- Exterior width
- 8' 0"
- Exterior height
- 13' 5"
- Interior height
- 6' 5"
Weights
- Dry / unit base weight (UVW)
- 11,123 lbs
- GVWR (max loaded)
- 14,080 lbs
- Net cargo / payload (CCC)
- 2,957 lbs
- Dry pin (hitch) weight
- 2,080 lbs
Capacities
- Fresh water
- 60 gal
- Grey water
- 76 gal
- Black water
- 76 gal
- Refrigerator
- 16 cu ft 12V
Construction
- Frame
- 2" vacuum-bonded aluminum-framed sidewalls · high-density block-foam insulation · welded aluminum structure
- Walls
- Laminated aluminum-framed walls · one-piece molded fiberglass front cap · residential fiberglass roof & floor insulation
- Roof
- PVC roof membrane (lifetime warranty) · 5" arched roof rafters · 6′ 5" upper-deck height
- Underbelly
- Heated & enclosed underbelly · 12V tank heat pads · sectioned ABS underbelly armor · 5/8" T&G plywood floor
Running gear
- Axles
- 2 (tandem) · per-axle GAWR not separately published *
- Hitch
- Fifth-wheel (in-bed) · 4-point automatic leveling · 200W rooftop solar prep
- Brakes
- Electric · self-adjusting · 50-amp service
- Tires
- Aluminum wheels · outside shower · dual 20-lb LP
Galley & bath
- Cooktop
- 21" 2-in-1 oven range · 30" OTR microwave · 60K tankless water heater
- Refrigerator
- 16 cu ft 12V
- A/C
- 45,000 BTU 3-A/C system
- Water heater
- 60,000-BTU tankless · on-demand
Sleeping & layout
- Sleeps
- 6
- Slides
- 3
- Entries
- 1
- Awnings
- 1 (19')
- Primary bed
- King 66×80
Verified specs, drawn to scale
Original graphics built from this floorplan’s own verified figures.
Loaded weight budget
Size, drawn to scale
Holding tanks
These graphics are generated from the same verified record that builds the table above, and are published under this site’s own licence — nothing here is traced from, or derived from, a manufacturer drawing or photo. Where a figure is not published for this plan, the graphic that would need it is omitted rather than estimated. The full record is in the published dataset.
What it takes to tow this
Built from this floorplan’s verified weights. We publish the trailer side only.
We do not publish tow ratings for specific trucks. A single model can vary by thousands of pounds depending on engine, axle ratio, cab, drivetrain and package — the only authoritative figure is the one on your own door jamb. Loaded pin percentages are industry convention for fifth wheels (15–25% of loaded weight), not a measurement of this unit. Hitch classes are not used here as a rating: SAE J684 covers trailers to 10,000 lb GVWR and does not define Class V, and capacity boundaries differ between manufacturers — read the rating stamped on your hitch.
03 The Wildcat floorplan family
Wildcat is Forest River's mid-profile affordable-luxury fifth wheel — a step above the brand's own value-mid Arctic Wolf and a step below its premium-mainstream Sandpiper. Six of the most distinct 2026 floorplans are profiled here in full. The 37GALLEY on this page is highlighted; each other plan links to its own page.
| Floorplan | Nominal | Sleeps | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32LIVE | 36 ft | 4 | Rear living + kitchen island + front bedroom, lightest and shortest, lowest GVWR |
| 33CHEF | 38 ft | 4 | Rear kitchen + front bedroom, couples who cook and work remote, lowest pin |
| 402BEDS | 42 ft | 8 | Two queen bedrooms + two full baths, dual entry, unique family plan |
| 36MB | 43 ft | 10 | Mid-bunk + loft family plan, fireplace, longest awning, highest pin |
| 35CRIB | 43 ft | 8 | Rear bunkhouse + front queen + two full baths, tallest in the line |
| 36FUN | 43 ft | 8 | Rear king master + front bunkhouse suite + two full baths, dual entry |
| 37GALLEY | 43 ft | 6 | Front kitchen + king suite + bath-and-a-half, galley-and-entertainment |
| 37PUB | 43 ft | 4 | Front living + kitchen island + bath-and-a-half, the front-living sibling |
| 35FL | 43 ft | 6 | Front entertainment/living + rear bedroom, biggest cargo capacity, four slides |
| 37BEST | 44 ft | 10 | Bunk beds + bath-and-a-half + dual entry, heaviest, longest, highest GVWR |
Wildcat is Forest River's mid-profile affordable-luxury fifth wheel — a step above the brand's own value-mid Arctic Wolf and a step below its premium-mainstream Sandpiper. Ten of the most distinct 2026 retail floorplans are profiled here in full; only two Dealer Stock Only plans (34CRIB, 35FUN) are listed on the hub but not profiled. Every plan is built on a 2-inch vacuum-bonded aluminum-framed sidewall structure with a one-piece molded fiberglass front cap, a PVC roof membrane with a lifetime warranty, residential fiberglass roof and floor insulation, a heated and enclosed underbelly with 12-volt tank heat pads and sectioned ABS armor, seamless roto-cast holding tanks, 4-point automatic leveling, a 50-amp service, a 35,000-BTU furnace, an 18,000-BTU ducted air conditioner (a 45,000-BTU three-A/C system is standard on most plans), a 60,000-BTU tankless water heater, a 16-cubic-foot 12-volt refrigerator, a 5,000-BTU electric fireplace, a 60-gallon fresh tank line-wide and a 200-watt rooftop solar prep. Hitch weight, UVW, CCC and GVWR are published per plan; the published GVWR equals UVW plus CCC exactly on every profiled plan. The numeric per-axle GAWR is not separately published for Wildcat. UVW is a factory estimated average; real loaded pin weights run higher — always weigh the loaded coach and confirm against your truck's payload and rear-axle ratings. Wildcat is badge-engineered as the Cardinal under a sister badge.
04 What owners & reviewers report
Front kitchen + big entertainment living
A fully equipped front kitchen, a Hi-Top dinette and a living room with theater seating and two tri-fold hide-a-bed sofas — a galley-and-entertainment layout for a cook who entertains.
King bedroom suite + bath-and-a-half
A king bedroom suite plus a full bath-and-a-half (a rear full bath and a second half bath) — a real two-bath water-and-waste budget for a couple or small family.
Front-kitchen sibling to the 37PUB
It shares the 42-foot-9 body, three slides, single entry and 19-foot awning of the front-living 37PUB; the two flip the front room between a kitchen and a living area.
Healthy cargo capacity
At a 2,957-pound CCC it carries one of the deeper payload budgets in the line — a real load allowance for a fully-equipped coach.
05 How it compares
The front-living sibling — a front living area and kitchen island on the same 42-foot-9 body instead of a front kitchen, slightly lighter with more cargo.
The four-slide front-living plan — a front entertainment area and rear king bedroom with the biggest cargo capacity in the line.
Forest River’s premium-mainstream full-size fifth wheel a tier above — a richer construction and equipment package at a higher price.
06 Loading it for a trip
This floorplan carries its water comfortably. A full 60-gallon fresh tank is roughly 17% of the 2,957-pound cargo capacity, leaving the 37GALLEY with a usable gear budget even when you tow full.
| Weight budget | Figure | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo capacity as published (CCC) | 2,957 lb | Everything you add: gear, water, propane, batteries, food, people’s belongings. |
| Fresh tank filled (60 gal × 8.34 lb) | −500 lb | Water is the heaviest thing most owners add, and it is added first. |
| Cargo budget left with a full fresh tank | 2,457 lb | 17% of this plan’s capacity is spent before a single bag is loaded. |
| Per sleeping position, water aboard | 409 lb | A rough share of what is left across the 6 berths this plan sleeps. |
The published dry pin weight of 2,080 pounds is 19% of this floorplan’s 11,123-pound dry weight. Fifth-wheel pin weight rides in the bed of the truck, so it comes off payload rather than off tow rating — and it rises with the trailer as you load it, not in proportion to what you put over the axles.
Nothing above changes the ceiling. Loaded to its 14,080-pound GVWR the 37GALLEY is towing 2,957 pounds more than its 11,123-pound dry figure, and that is the number your vehicle has to be rated for — not the brochure weight.
Tank balance is generous here: 60 gallons of fresh against 76 grey and 76 black, so waste capacity keeps pace with supply and the fresh tank is the constraint that ends a dry stay.
07 Where this floorplan sits
Ranked by GVWR, the 37GALLEY sits 4 of 10 in the Wildcat line: 14,080 pounds against a line that runs from 13,500 to 15,498 pounds. That position is the useful thing to know, because the plans immediately either side of it are the real alternatives.
Either side of it in the same line: Wildcat 37PUB is 30 pounds lighter at 14,050 lb GVWR; and Wildcat 36FUN is 15 pounds heavier at 14,095 lb GVWR.
| Comparable fifth wheels | GVWR (lb) | Dry (lb) | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37GALLEY | 14,080 | 11,123 | 6 | 42 ft 9 in |
| Cardinal 37GALLEY | 14,080 | 11,123 | — | 42 ft 9 in |
| Cougar 364BHL | 14,000 | 11,625 | 10 | 39 ft 0 in |
| Eagle 370FB | 14,000 | 11,905 | 5 | 40 ft 3 in |
| Avenue 32RLS | 13,995 | 10,500 | 4 | 34 ft 11 in |
| Model Z 2670 | 13,995 | 10,691 | 7 | 29 ft 11 in |
| Reflection 311BHS | 13,995 | 11,700 | 6 | 36 ft 11 in |
Against the 37GALLEY: the Cougar 364BHL is 80 lb lighter and 4 ft shorter and sleeps 4 more; the Eagle 370FB is 80 lb lighter and 2 ft shorter and sleeps 1 fewer. Those are differences in the published numbers only — what they cost, how they are built and how they live are separate questions each of those pages answers on its own terms.
Those are the nearest fifth wheels from other lines by weight — one per line, picked by proximity on that figure and nothing else. They are listed so the same tow vehicle can be checked against real alternatives, not because they are equivalent inside; layout, build and price diverge sharply across that group.
For scale, the Wildcat floorplans profiled here run 10,363 to 12,698 pounds dry and 36 to 44 feet of exterior length across 10 plans. Where a floorplan falls in that spread usually says more about which vehicle can tow it, and which site it fits, than the layout name does.
Every profiled floorplan in this line, with the full weight table, is on the Wildcat line hub.
08 Common questions about the 37GALLEY
How much does the 37GALLEY weigh?
It leaves the factory at 11,123 pounds dry, and its manufacturer-set loaded ceiling (GVWR) is 14,080 pounds. Real towing weight lands between the two and depends entirely on what you load. Use the GVWR when matching a tow vehicle; the dry figure is only useful for comparing floorplans against each other.
How much can the 37GALLEY carry?
Cargo carrying capacity is 2,957 pounds. That is the whole budget: water, propane, batteries, gear and everything you bring. Filling the 60-gallon fresh tank uses about 500 pounds of that.
What is the pin weight of the 37GALLEY?
The published dry pin weight is 2,080 pounds. It is measured empty; loaded, it runs higher, and it comes out of your tow vehicle’s payload rather than its tow rating.
What size tow vehicle does the 37GALLEY need?
Your vehicle needs a tow rating of at least 14,080 pounds — this floorplan’s GVWR — and enough payload left over for the hitch load, passengers and anything in the bed. This site does not publish tow ratings for specific vehicles, because one truck model varies by thousands of pounds across engine, axle ratio, cab and package. The figure that governs is the payload sticker on your own door jamb.
How many people does the 37GALLEY sleep?
It is rated to sleep 6. Rated sleeping positions include convertible furniture, so count the beds against how you actually travel rather than against the number.
What are the tank capacities on the 37GALLEY?
Fresh 60 gallons, grey 76 gallons, black 76 gallons. Tank sizes set how long the floorplan can sit away from hookups, and the smallest of the three is what ends the stay.
How long is the 37GALLEY?
Exterior length is 42' 9". Measure against your site length and your storage before committing — the exterior figure is the one that has to fit, and it includes the tongue or pin box.
Every figure in these answers is read from this page’s verified specification table. Where the manufacturer publishes nothing, the question is not answered rather than estimated.
09 What this page publishes, and what it does not
This catalog tracks 18 specification fields per floorplan. Named sources publish 18 of them for the 37GALLEY. The rest are not shown, because the alternative is reading a figure across from a sibling floorplan or from what the segment usually does — and a number nobody published is worth less than an admitted gap.
Not published for this floorplan: tire size (a tire description is published, a size is not). If you find one of these in a manufacturer document for this plan, it belongs on this page.
The completeness figure at the foot of this page (95%) measures the same thing on the full field set: it is a measurement of how much this floorplan’s manufacturer publishes, not of how much research went into the page.
Values on this page carrying an asterisk were derived by arithmetic from published figures, or come from a single source, rather than being printed directly by the manufacturer. The flag travels with the number into the downloadable spec sheet.
How every figure here was sourced and checked is set out on the methodology page.
11 NHTSA safety record
This floorplan belongs to the Wildcat line, and NHTSA holds 20 recall campaigns and 56 owner complaints against that line. They are separate records and are not added together — a recall is a manufacturer-confirmed defect with a remedy; a complaint is one owner’s account, which NHTSA does not verify.
What to look at on a used one. Across the 56 complaints filed on this line the most-reported components are tires (27%), structure (18%) and wheels (18%). That is where owners of this family have had trouble, so it is where an inspection is worth the time.
Recall coverage is not complete — our harvest of NHTSA’s recall API ran 1,556 queries, of which 0 failed and 242 returned an explicit zero. A line can still be under-reported where NHTSA files a roster under a parent name, or where a match rests on the wording of the recall rather than its model field. Complaints come from the complete bulk file but are unverified and self-selected: a high count tracks how many units a line sold at least as much as how well it was built. Check a specific VIN at NHTSA before you buy. Full tables are on the Wildcat line page.