CamperHardlyKnowHer

Heartland Bighorn 3970FB

Fifth wheelbuilt 2022–24Mixed build tierFindable on the used market
WHAT ONE COSTS
$103,600est. used (2024, 2 yr old)

Sticker was $137,198 in 2024 — out of production since 2024, so the used market is the only way to buy one. Estimate assumes a 2024 unit.

WHAT IT WEIGHS BEHIND YOUR TRUCK
~15,808 lbestimated as towed, for 2 people

dry weight 14,466 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 around17,565 lb (10% margin)
GVWR (the sticker maximum)16,500 lb
Tongue weight, loaded~3,191 lb (20%)
Cargo capacity1,986 lb
WHICH TOW VEHICLES IT FITS — 18 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 3970FB'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) '11-1918,100 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra 2500HD (Duramax) '20-2318,510 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra 3500HD (Duramax DRW, gooseneck) '11-1923,300 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra 3500HD (Duramax DRW, gooseneck) '20-2636,000 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 HO diesel, gooseneck) '23-2623,000 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 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 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) '19-2437,090 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
Ram 3500 (6.7 Cummins HO DRW, gooseneck) '25-2636,610 lbfits, loaded, with 10% margin
The 77it doesn't fit
  • Chevrolet Colorado / GMC Canyon (2.7 Turbo HO, tow pkg) '23-26 — over by ~8,878 lb loaded
  • Chevrolet Colorado / GMC Canyon (2.8 Duramax) '15-22 — over by ~8,878 lb loaded
  • Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra 1500 (6.2 V8, max tow) '19-26 — over by ~6,538 lb loaded
  • Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (max tow) '14-18 — over by ~5,368 lb loaded
  • Chevrolet Silverado EV (4WT) '24-26 — over by ~4,558 lb loaded
  • Chevrolet Suburban (5.3 V8, max tow) '21-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Chevrolet Tahoe (5.3 V8, max tow) '21-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Chevrolet Traverse (tow pkg) '18-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Chrysler Pacifica '17-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Dodge Durango (5.7 / 6.4 Hemi, tow pkg) '14-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Ford Bronco 4-dr (2.7 EcoBoost, tow pkg) '21-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Ford Expedition (3.5 EcoBoost, tow pkg) '18-24 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Ford Expedition (3.5 EcoBoost, tow pkg) '25-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Ford Explorer (3.0 EcoBoost, tow pkg) '20-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Ford F-150 (3.5 EcoBoost, max tow) '11-14 — over by ~5,638 lb loaded
  • Ford F-150 (3.5 EcoBoost, max tow) '15-20 — over by ~5,098 lb loaded
  • Ford F-150 (3.5 EcoBoost, max tow) '21-23 — over by ~3,208 lb loaded
  • Ford F-150 (3.5 EcoBoost, max tow) '24-26 — over by ~6,088 lb loaded
  • Ford F-150 Lightning (max trailer tow) '22-26 — over by ~6,808 lb loaded
  • Ford F-250 Super Duty (6.7 diesel) '11-16 — over by ~868 lb loaded
  • Ford Maverick (2.0 EcoBoost, 4K tow pkg) '22-26 — over by ~12,208 lb loaded
  • Ford Ranger (2.3 EcoBoost, tow pkg) '19-23 — over by ~9,058 lb loaded
  • Ford Ranger (2.7 EcoBoost, tow pkg) '24-26 — over by ~9,058 lb loaded
  • Ford Transit (HD tow pkg) '15-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • GMC Acadia (tow pkg) '20-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • GMC Hummer EV Pickup '22-26 — over by ~9,058 lb loaded
  • GMC Sierra EV '24-26 — over by ~5,008 lb loaded
  • GMC Yukon / Yukon XL (5.3 V8, max tow) '21-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Honda Odyssey '18-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Honda Passport (AWD) '19-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Honda Pilot (AWD, tow pkg) '16-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Honda Ridgeline (AWD) '17-26 — over by ~11,308 lb loaded
  • Hyundai Palisade (tow pkg) '20-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Hyundai Santa Cruz (2.5T AWD) '22-26 — over by ~11,308 lb loaded
  • Jeep Gladiator (3.6 V6, max tow) '20-26 — over by ~8,878 lb loaded
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee (5.7 Hemi) '11-21 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee (WL, tow pkg) '22-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee L (5.7 Hemi) '21-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Jeep Grand Wagoneer (Hurricane, max tow) '22-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Jeep Wagoneer (Hurricane, max tow) '22-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4-dr (tow pkg) '18-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Kia Telluride (tow pkg) '20-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Land Rover Defender '20-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Land Rover Discovery '17-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Lexus GX 550 (tow pkg) '24-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Lexus LX 600 '22-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Mazda CX-90 (3.3 turbo, tow pkg) '24-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Mercedes-Benz Sprinter '19-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Nissan Armada (3.5 twin-turbo, tow pkg) '25-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Nissan Armada (tow pkg) '17-24 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Nissan Frontier (3.8 V6, tow pkg) '22-26 — over by ~9,373 lb loaded
  • Nissan Pathfinder (tow pkg) '22-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Nissan Titan (5.6 V8, tow pkg) '17-24 — over by ~7,023 lb loaded
  • Nissan Titan XD (Cummins diesel) '16-19 — over by ~4,368 lb loaded
  • Ram 1500 (3.0 Hurricane, max tow) '25-26 — over by ~5,358 lb loaded
  • Ram 1500 (5.7 Hemi eTorque, max tow) '19-24 — over by ~4,333 lb loaded
  • Ram 1500 (5.7 Hemi, max tow) '11-18 — over by ~6,248 lb loaded
  • Ram ProMaster '14-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Rivian R1S '22-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Rivian R1T '22-26 — over by ~5,908 lb loaded
  • Subaru Ascent '19-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Subaru Outback (XT / Wilderness) '20-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Tesla Cybertruck '24-26 — over by ~5,908 lb loaded
  • Tesla Model X (tow pkg) '16-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Tesla Model Y (tow pkg) '21-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Toyota 4Runner (4.0 V6) '11-24 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Toyota 4Runner (i-Force Max) '25-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Toyota Grand Highlander (i-Force Max) '24-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Toyota Highlander (tow pkg) '20-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Toyota Land Cruiser (i-Force Max) '24-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Toyota Sequoia (i-Force Max, tow pkg) '23-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Toyota Sienna '21-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
  • Toyota Tacoma (i-Force Max, tow pkg) '24-26 — over by ~9,958 lb loaded
  • Toyota Tacoma (V6, tow pkg) '16-23 — over by ~9,688 lb loaded
  • Toyota Tundra (5.7 V8, tow pkg) '11-21 — over by ~6,628 lb loaded
  • Toyota Tundra (i-Force Max, tow pkg) '22-26 — over by ~5,008 lb loaded
  • Volkswagen Atlas (tow pkg) '18-26 — no pickup bed — cannot hitch a fifth wheel
THE SPECS
Length42.9 ft
Height (incl. A/C)13.3 ft
GVWR16,500 lb
Dry weight14,466 lb
Dry tongue weight2,920 lb
Cargo capacity1,986 lb
Sleeps4
Slide-outs3
Axles2
Fresh water65 gal
Grey water84 gal
Black water84 gal
Air conditioning15,000 BTU
Awning20 ft

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

WHERE PEOPLE SLEEP
  • 1× Front bath king bed(Permanent)—
  • 1× Hide-a-bed sofa(Convertible)—
HOW IT'S BUILT — 5/5
WallsAzdel composite
FrameAluminum
RoofWalk-on
UnderbellyEnclosed

Heartland (Mixed tier): Bighorn

YEAR BY YEAR — WHAT CHANGED
  • 2022Introduced
  • 2025Discontinued
FINDING ONE

Findable — a few listed nationwide most weeks. Why: Heartland is a volume manufacturer. Estimated from build volume and production span — not a count of live listings.

THE READ

Front-bath plan, triple slide.

OTHER BIGHORN FLOORPLANS
3120RK · 16,500 lb · sleeps 43160EL · 15,500 lb · sleeps 431RL · 16,000 lb · sleeps 43215RL · 16,000 lb · sleeps 43300DL · 16,000 lb · sleeps 4331RL · 16,895 lb · sleeps 63375SS · 16,000 lb · sleeps 43575EL · 16,000 lb · sleeps 436RK · 17,300 lb · sleeps 43700RL · 16,500 lb · sleeps 43776RL · 16,845 lb · sleeps 437MD · 18,100 lb · sleeps 83870FB · 16,250 lb · sleeps 43880MD · 16,925 lb · sleeps 4the whole line →
Is the 3970FB 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 and watch the whole market re-rank around them. Nothing gets hidden, everything gets explained.

Rank it against your setup →

Data compiled from manufacturer spec sheets, retrieved 2026-07.