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Forest River Salem Cruise Lite 273QBXL

Travel trailerbuilt 2016– (in production)Caution build tierCommon on the used market
WHAT ONE COSTS
$48,500MSRP today

Still in production. A used 2023 would run roughly $25,600.

WHAT IT WEIGHS BEHIND YOUR TRUCK
~7,142 lbestimated as towed, for 2 people

dry weight 5,975 lb + fresh water (44 gal, full) 367 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 around7,940 lb (10% margin)
GVWR (the sticker maximum)7,680 lb
Tongue weight, loaded~813 lb (11%)
Cargo capacity1,705 lb
WHICH TOW VEHICLES IT FITS: 52 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 273QBXL's published weights held steady.

VEHICLETOW RATINGVERDICT
Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra 1500 (6.2 V8, max tow) '19-2613,300 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
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
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (max tow) '14-1812,500 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Chevrolet Silverado EV (4WT) '24-2612,500 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Chevrolet Suburban (5.3 V8, max tow) '21-268,300 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Chevrolet Tahoe (5.3 V8, max tow) '21-268,400 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Dodge Durango (5.7 / 6.4 Hemi, tow pkg) '14-268,700 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford Expedition (3.5 EcoBoost, tow pkg) '25-269,600 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford Expedition (3.5 EcoBoost, tow pkg) '18-249,300 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-150 (3.5 EcoBoost, max tow) '24-2613,500 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-150 (3.5 EcoBoost, max tow) '15-2013,200 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-150 (3.5 EcoBoost, max tow) '21-2314,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-150 (3.5 EcoBoost, max tow) '11-1411,300 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ford F-150 Lightning (max trailer tow) '22-2610,000 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
GMC Sierra EV '24-2612,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
GMC Yukon / Yukon XL (5.3 V8, max tow) '21-268,400 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Jeep Grand Wagoneer (Hurricane, max tow) '22-269,850 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Jeep Wagoneer (Hurricane, max tow) '22-2610,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Land Rover Defender '20-268,201 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Land Rover Discovery '17-268,201 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Lexus GX 550 (tow pkg) '24-269,096 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Lexus LX 600 '22-268,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Nissan Armada (3.5 twin-turbo, tow pkg) '25-268,500 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Nissan Armada (tow pkg) '17-248,500 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Nissan Titan (5.6 V8, tow pkg) '17-249,760 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Nissan Titan XD (Cummins diesel) '16-1912,710 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ram 1500 (3.0 Hurricane, max tow) '25-2611,610 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ram 1500 (5.7 Hemi eTorque, max tow) '19-2412,750 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ram 1500 (5.7 Hemi, max tow) '11-1810,620 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
Rivian R1T '22-2611,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Tesla Cybertruck '24-2611,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Toyota Sequoia (i-Force Max, tow pkg) '23-269,520 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Toyota Tundra (5.7 V8, tow pkg) '11-2110,200 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Toyota Tundra (i-Force Max, tow pkg) '22-2612,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
The 43it doesn't fit

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

THE SPECS
Length33.3 ft
Height (incl. A/C)10.3 ft
Width8.0 ft
GVWR7,680 lb
Dry weight5,975 lb
Dry tongue weight680 lb
Cargo capacity1,705 lb
Sleeps10
Slide-outs1
Axles2
Fresh water44 gal
Grey water30 gal
Black water30 gal
Air conditioning13,500 BTU
Awning16 ft

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

WHERE PEOPLE SLEEP
  • 1× Front bed(Permanent)—
  • 3× Rear triple bunks(Permanent)—
  • 3× Dinette and sofas(Convertible)—
HOW IT'S BUILT: 4/5
WallsAluminum / metal van
FrameWood
RoofWalk-on
UnderbellyEnclosed

Forest River (Caution tier): Lightweight Salem spin-off on the same stick-and-tin construction — wood framing, corrugated metal siding standard (fiberglass only in the Platinum package) — generous content for the money, thin durability.

YEAR BY YEAR: WHAT CHANGED
  • 2016Introduced
  • 2026UVW 5,975 lb / GVWR 7,680 lb
FINDING ONE

Common: usually several for sale within a day’s drive. Why: Forest River is a volume manufacturer; 11-year production run; still in production. Estimated from build volume and production span, not a count of live listings.

OUR TAKE

Triple-bunk quad bunkhouse - the biggest sleeping count in the line at only 5,975 lb dry.

OTHER SALEM CRUISE LITE FLOORPLANS
171RBXL · 7,521 lb · sleeps 419DBXL · 7,520 lb · sleeps 6210RBXL · 7,543 lb · sleeps 422VERANDA · 9,765 lb · sleeps 523ZEN · 7,830 lb · sleeps 4240BHXL · 7,570 lb · sleeps 8241BHXL · 7,610 lb · sleeps 7241QBXL · 7,499 lb · sleeps 424RLXL · 7,550 lb · sleeps 624VIEW · 7,640 lb · sleeps 624ZEN · 7,640 lb · sleeps 625ICE · 7,735 lb · sleeps 6261BHXL · 7,545 lb · sleeps 8263BHXL · 7,682 lb · sleeps 7the whole line →
Find one for sale

Live listings for the 273QBXL 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 Salem Cruise Lite line ↗

Is the 273QBXL 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.