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Forest River Cardinal 36FL

Fifth wheelbuilt 2027– (in production)Mixed build tierFindable on the used market
WHAT ONE COSTS
$111,800est. MSRP (from 11 priced floorplans of this line)

Still in production. A used 2023 would run roughly $66,000.

WHAT IT WEIGHS BEHIND YOUR TRUCK
~12,583 lbestimated as towed, for 2 people

dry weight 11,283 lb + fresh water (60 gal, full) 500 lb + propane + battery 200 lb + gear for 2 600 lb. Brochure dry weight omits water, propane, batteries and your gear; this estimate doesn't.

You want a tow rating around13,985 lb (10% margin)
GVWR (the sticker maximum)14,235 lb
Tongue weight, loaded~2,493 lb (20%)
Cargo capacity2,952 lb
WHICH TOW VEHICLES IT FITS: 20 OF 95

Judged the way the app judges: estimated loaded weight against each vehicle's rating less a 10% margin, per model year, because the 36FL's published weights held steady. Fifth wheels also need a pickup bed and are held to the fifth-wheel rating where published.

VEHICLETOW RATINGVERDICT
Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra 2500HD (Duramax, max tow) '24-2622,500 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra 2500HD (Duramax) '20-2318,510 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra 2500HD (Duramax) '11-1918,100 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra 3500HD (Duramax DRW, gooseneck) '20-2636,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra 3500HD (Duramax DRW, gooseneck) '11-1923,300 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-150 (3.5 EcoBoost, max tow) '21-2314,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-250 Super Duty (6.7 diesel, gooseneck) '20-2222,800 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-250 Super Duty (6.7 diesel, tow pkg) '17-1918,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-250 Super Duty (6.7 diesel) '11-1616,600 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-250 Super Duty (6.7 HO diesel, gooseneck) '23-2623,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-350 Super Duty (6.7 diesel DRW, gooseneck) '17-1932,500 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-350 Super Duty (6.7 diesel DRW, gooseneck) '20-2237,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-350 Super Duty (6.7 diesel DRW, gooseneck) '11-1621,600 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-350 Super Duty (6.7 HO diesel DRW, gooseneck) '23-2638,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-450 Super Duty (6.7 HO diesel DRW, gooseneck) '23-2640,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ram 2500 (6.7 Cummins HO) '19-2620,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ram 2500 (6.7 Cummins) '11-1817,980 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ram 3500 (6.7 Cummins DRW, gooseneck) '13-1831,210 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ram 3500 (6.7 Cummins HO DRW, gooseneck) '25-2636,610 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ram 3500 (6.7 Cummins HO DRW, gooseneck) '19-2437,090 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
The 75it doesn't fit

These verdicts assume 2 people aboard with typical gear. See the margin for your truck and your crew →

THE SPECS
Length44.4 ft
Height (incl. A/C)13.3 ft
Width8.0 ft
GVWR14,235 lb
Dry weight11,283 lb
Dry tongue weight2,235 lb
Cargo capacity2,952 lb
Sleeps4
Slide-outs4
Axles2
Fresh water60 gal
Grey water76 gal
Black water38 gal
Air conditioning45,000 BTU
Solar (standard)200 W
Awning15.3 ft

A missing row means the maker never published that figure: unknown, not zero.

WHERE PEOPLE SLEEP
  • 1× Rear king(Permanent)—
  • 2× Theater seats(Convertible)—
  • 1× Dinette(Convertible)—
HOW IT'S BUILT: 4/5
WallsLaminated fiberglass
FrameAluminum
RoofWalk-on
UnderbellyEnclosed

Forest River (Mixed tier): Cardinal

YEAR BY YEAR: WHAT CHANGED
  • 2027Introduced
FINDING ONE

Findable: a few listed nationwide most weeks. Why: Forest River is a volume manufacturer; only one model year; still in production. Estimated from build volume and production span, not a count of live listings.

OUR TAKE

Longest Cardinal at 44.4ft; front living room.

OTHER CARDINAL FLOORPLANS
32CHILL · 12,188 lb · sleeps 432LIVE · 13,500 lb · sleeps 433CHEF · 13,885 lb · sleeps 434CRIB · 14,300 lb · sleeps 835CRIB · 14,305 lb · sleeps 835FL · 14,115 lb · sleeps 435FUN · 14,135 lb · sleeps 636FUN · 14,095 lb · sleeps 636MB · 14,335 lb · sleeps 637BEST · 15,498 lb · sleeps 637GALLEY · 14,080 lb · sleeps 637PUB · 14,050 lb · sleeps 638DEN · 14,235 lb · sleeps 4402BEDS · 14,800 lb · sleeps 8the whole line →
Find one for sale

Live listings for the 36FL on the big marketplaces. Each search opens pre-filled with this exact floorplan:

RV Trader ↗Camping World ↗FB Marketplace ↗Google ↗

Inventory varies by site and day. Slim pickings? search the whole Cardinal line ↗

Is the 36FL your #1, or just a spec sheet?

These are the facts. Whether it beats the other six thousand rigs for you depends on what you care about. Set your priorities as sliders, switch on your hard limits, and watch the whole market re-rank around them. Every exclusion explained, every margin shown.

See where it ranks for you →

Data compiled from dealer and aggregator listings, retrieved 2026-07.