CamperResearchFind your rig →

Heartland ElkRidge 38RK

Fifth wheelbuilt 2020–21Mixed build tierFindable on the used market
WHAT ONE COSTS
$50,900est. used (2021, 5 yr old)

Sticker was $82,958 in 2021. Out of production since 2021, so the used market is the only way to buy one. Estimate assumes a 2021 unit.

WHAT IT WEIGHS BEHIND YOUR TRUCK
~14,302 lbestimated as towed, for 2 people

dry weight 12,960 lb + fresh water (65 gal, full) 542 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 around15,895 lb (10% margin)
GVWR (the sticker maximum)16,000 lb
Tongue weight, loaded~2,803 lb (20%)
Cargo capacity2,992 lb
WHICH TOW VEHICLES IT FITS: 19 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 38RK'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-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 76it doesn't fit

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

THE SPECS
Length43.3 ft
Height (incl. A/C)13.3 ft
Width8.0 ft
GVWR16,000 lb
Dry weight12,960 lb
Dry tongue weight2,540 lb
Cargo capacity2,992 lb
Sleeps6
Slide-outs5
Axles2
Fresh water65 gal
Grey water90 gal
Black water45 gal
Air conditioning28,500 BTU
Awning17 ft

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

WHERE PEOPLE SLEEP
  • front king bed(Permanent)
  • dinette converts to a bed(Convertible)
  • hide-a-bed sofa(Convertible)
HOW IT'S BUILT: 5/5
WallsAzdel composite
FrameAluminum
RoofWalk-on
UnderbellyEnclosed

Heartland (Mixed tier): Heartland's mid-priced full-profile fifth wheel - Azdel laminated walls on a welded aluminum cage, dual A/C and 7,000 lb axles, built through model year 2024 and then quietly dropped.

YEAR BY YEAR: WHAT CHANGED
  • 2020Introduced
FINDING ONE

Findable: a few listed nationwide most weeks. Why: Heartland is a volume manufacturer; only 2 model years. Estimated from build volume and production span, not a count of live listings.

OUR TAKE

Longest ElkRidge at 43 ft 3 in.; five slides around a rear kitchen.

OTHER ELKRIDGE FLOORPLANS
Find one for sale

Live listings for the 38RK on the big marketplaces. Each search opens pre-filled with this exact floorplan:

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

Is the 38RK 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 manufacturer spec sheets, retrieved 2026-07.