2025 Forest River Salem 242BHXLX Walk-Around
Walking up to the 2025 Forest River Salem 242BHXLX
Start at the curb and the first thing worth noting is the footprint. This is a 28 foot 10 inch travel trailer, 8 feet wide and 10.83 feet tall, riding on two axles with ST205/75R14/D tires. That's a size that fits normal campgrounds at Payson Lakes or Yuba without a lot of shuffling, and it's short enough that you aren't sweating the switchbacks on the way up to Mirror Lake. Down the side you've got a 16 foot awning, which covers most of the patio side and gives you shade when you're parked in the open desert down by Goblin Valley. There are two entry doors on this floorplan, so people coming and going aren't all funneling past the same spot.
Up at the tongue, hitch weight is 690 pounds and there are two propane bottles (9.4 gallons of LP total) sitting right there. Tongue jack and stabilizers are manual front and rear, so you'll crank them, though power stabilizer jacks are available if you'd rather push a button after a long drive. Two 30 pound bottles are also available in place of the standard bottles, which is worth thinking about if you run the furnace hard in October.
The storage compartment up front is a pass-through, so camp chairs, leveling blocks and the hoses all load from either side instead of you crawling in after them. There's also an outdoor kitchen on this floorplan, which is where most of the summer cooking ends up happening anyway when it's 95 degrees in Spanish Fork and nobody wants the stove running inside. An outside shower is available too, and if you've ever brought a dog back from the Uintas covered in mud, you know why people order it.
Through the door
Inside, you've got 6 feet 6 inches of ceiling height and a white interior that keeps things bright, with one slide-out opening up the center living area. Electrical service is 30 amp and the air conditioner is 13,500 BTU, with a ducted 15,000 BTU unit with quick cool available if you camp a lot in the southern Utah heat. The furnace is 25,000 BTU, and that number matters more here than it does in most states. Nights at 8,000 feet drop into the 30s well into June, and a 25,000 BTU furnace brings a trailer this size back up to comfortable quickly.
The kitchen runs a three-burner cooktop, which is enough real estate to have a pan of eggs going while something else simmers. Counter space wraps around with the slide out, and there's cabinet storage above and below.
The refrigerator is a full-size 12V unit. For dry camping, that's the detail to pay attention to: it runs off the battery system instead of propane, it keeps cooling while you're driving over Soldier Summit, and it holds a real week of groceries instead of making you ration shelf space. Roof mount solar prep is available, and that pairs naturally with a 12V fridge if you plan on sitting out in the San Rafael Swell for a few days.
The dinette and the living area sit in the middle of the coach, and there's an LED TV in the living room along with rear entertainment built into the floorplan. Dimmable LED blade lighting, a JBL stereo and the Versa furniture package are all available if you want to spec it up. Day to day, what this layout gives you is a place for the adults to sit that isn't the same place the kids are using.
Speaking of which, this floorplan sleeps 8, and the bunks are a big part of that number. Bunks mean every kid has an assigned spot, which cuts the nightly negotiation down to nothing.
The bedroom and bath
The front bedroom is set up with a king bed. If you've spent a few seasons on a short queen with your feet hanging off, that alone is reason enough to look at a travel trailer with a king bed. There's a built-in laundry hamper available in the bedroom, and the closet storage gives you somewhere to hang jackets rather than living out of duffel bags for a week.
The bath is a rear bath, which means the door closes and it's genuinely a separate room instead of a hallway you walk through. The shower measures 24 by 40 inches, and hot water comes from a 6 gallon gas/electric DSI water heater. A 60,000 BTU on-demand tankless water heater is available if you've got teenagers and the 6 gallon tank sounds optimistic. A backlit radius mirror is also on the available list.
Weights and water
Dry weight is 6,014 pounds with a GVWR of 7,700, which leaves 1,676 pounds of cargo capacity. Hitch weight is 690 pounds dry. Run those numbers against your truck's door sticker before you commit, especially if you're pulling up Parleys or over Sardine Summit loaded for a week. Plenty of properly equipped half-tons handle this range, but your payload number is the one that decides it, not your tow rating.
Fresh water is 50 gallons, with 30 gallons grey and 30 black. That's a realistic three to four days off grid for a couple, less with a full house of eight, and it's the reason people boondocking the Book Cliffs or Fishlake learn to shower short. Dump stations are scarce once you leave the pavement in central Utah, so knowing you have 30 gallons of grey before you're hunting for one is worth planning around.
Frequently asked questions
How many people does this floorplan sleep?
Eight. The bunks plus the king bed in the front bedroom and the living area seating get you there, which is why families tend to land on this layout.
What truck do I need to tow it?
Dry weight is 6,014 pounds and the GVWR is 7,700 pounds, with a 690 pound dry hitch weight. Check your truck's payload sticker and tow rating against the loaded number rather than the dry number, since this floorplan has 1,676 pounds of cargo capacity and families tend to use it.
Can I dry camp in it?
Yes. You've got 50 gallons of fresh water, 30 gallons each of grey and black, two propane bottles and a 12V refrigerator that doesn't need shore power to keep running. Roof mount solar prep is available if you want to extend your stay.
Does it have an outdoor kitchen?
It does, along with two entry doors and a 16 foot awning over the patio side.
Is this a good choice for cold Utah nights?
The 25,000 BTU furnace handles a trailer this size well, which matters for shoulder-season trips in the Uintas and fall hunting camps where nights drop below freezing.
Come see this Forest River travel trailer in person at our lot in Spanish Fork and walk the floorplan yourself, or check the live listing for current photos and details on what we have on the ground. If you're shopping new travel trailers for sale in Utah, it's worth an hour of your Saturday.
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