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Forest River Salem 36VBDS

Travel trailerbuilt 2020– (in production)Mixed build tierCommon on the used market
WHAT ONE COSTS
$45,200MSRP today

Still in production. A used 2023 would run roughly $26,700.

WHAT IT WEIGHS BEHIND YOUR TRUCK
~9,667 lbestimated as towed, for 2 people

dry weight 8,533 lb + fresh water (40 gal, full) 334 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 around10,745 lb (10% margin)
GVWR (the sticker maximum)10,115 lb
Tongue weight, loaded~1,308 lb (14%)
WHICH TOW VEHICLES IT FITS: 33 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 36VBDS'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
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-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
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 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 Tundra (i-Force Max, tow pkg) '22-2612,000 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
The 62it doesn't fit

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

THE SPECS
Length38.9 ft
Height (incl. A/C)11.4 ft
Width8.0 ft
GVWR10,115 lb
Dry weight8,533 lb
Dry tongue weight1,155 lb
Sleeps10
Slide-outs2
Axles2
Fresh water40 gal
Grey water27 gal
Black water38 gal
Air conditioning13,500 BTU
Awning18 ft

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

WHERE PEOPLE SLEEP
  • 1× Rear bedroom queen with dresser and closet(Permanent)—
  • 2× Front Versa-Bunks(Permanent)—
  • 1× Front Versa-Queen(Convertible)—
  • 1× Versa-Lounge converts(Convertible)—
HOW IT'S BUILT: 2/5
WallsWood frame + siding
FrameWood
RoofWalk-on
UnderbellyEnclosed

Forest River (Mixed tier): Forest River's volume full-size travel trailer - wood-framed and cheap to buy, but with a heated enclosed underbelly, a walk-on roof and the genuinely clever Versa furniture system.

YEAR BY YEAR: WHAT CHANGED
  • 2020Introduced
FINDING ONE

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

OUR TAKE

Front bunk room, rear private bedroom - bedrooms at both ends. No published MSRP found.

OTHER SALEM FLOORPLANS
22ERAS · 7,664 lb · sleeps 222RBS · 7,765 lb · sleeps 425RKS · 7,578 lb · sleeps 626DBUD · 9,595 lb · sleeps 826RBS · 9,723 lb · sleeps 626TBUD · 7,853 lb · sleeps 927RE · 11,155 lb · sleeps 427RK · 9,755 lb · sleeps 627RKSS · 9,660 lb · sleeps 627TDSS · 9,999 lb · sleeps 9280ZEN · 11,265 lb · sleeps 428DBUD · 7,805 lb · sleeps 10290ZEN · 9,810 lb · sleeps 629BDB · 9,850 lb · sleeps 10the whole line →
Find one for sale

Live listings for the 36VBDS 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 line ↗

Is the 36VBDS 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.