Towing Capacity Calculator
Work out what you can actually tow once people, cargo and tongue weight are aboard — and which rating runs out first.
The Towing Capacity Calculator runs entirely in your browser. Your vehicle figures stay on your device.
Open the Braking Distance Calculator
Towing Capacity Calculator について
Brochure towing figures assume an empty vehicle with a driver and nothing else. Load four people and a full bed and the real number drops, because tongue weight — the 10 to 15% of the trailer that presses straight down on the hitch — comes out of the same payload budget as everything you put inside. A tow vehicle is limited by three ratings at once: the combined weight rating for vehicle plus trailer, the vehicle's own gross weight rating, and what the hitch is rated to carry on the ball. This calculator works all three and reports the lowest, which is the one that actually applies, then checks the trailer you have in mind against it.
機能
- Solves the GCWR, payload and hitch limits together
- Names which rating is binding, not just the number
- Tongue weight at your chosen percentage, with the 10-15% window
- Payload headroom after passengers and cargo
- Pass or fail check for a specific trailer
- Pounds or kilograms, converted as you switch
- Copyable summary for a dealer or a hire desk
- Everything computes on your device
Towing Capacity Calculator の使い方
- Read GCWR, GVWR and curb weight from the door placard and handbook
- Add the weight of passengers and everything in the vehicle
- Enter the hitch tongue rating if you know it
- Read the maximum trailer weight and the rating that limits it
例
入力
GCWR 17,000 lb · GVWR 7,000 lb · curb 5,500 lb · 400 lb people · 200 lb cargo · 12% tongue
出力
Maximum trailer 7,500 lb — limited by payload, not GCWR
GCWR alone would allow 10,900 lb
900 lb of payload left at 12% tongue weight caps the trailer well below the combined rating.
よくあるエラーとトラブルシューティング
- The figure is far below the towing capacity advertised for the model. — Advertised figures are for a base vehicle with one occupant. Every pound of people and gear reduces payload, and tongue weight competes for the same allowance — which is why a fully loaded family truck often tows thousands of pounds less than the headline.
- The limit is set by payload even though GCWR looks generous. — That is the usual outcome on half-ton trucks and SUVs. Adding a weight-distributing hitch improves handling but does not raise GVWR; the only fix is to carry less in the vehicle or move to a vehicle with more payload.
- The trailer sways badly at speed even though the weights check out. — Sway is nearly always too little tongue weight. Aim for 10-15% of the loaded trailer weight on the ball by moving cargo forward of the trailer axle, and confirm the hitch is rated for that load.
よくある質問
- What is the difference between GVWR and GCWR?
- GVWR is the maximum weight of the tow vehicle alone, fully loaded, including tongue weight. GCWR is the maximum of the vehicle and the trailer together. You have to stay under both, and they run out at different times.
- Does tongue weight count against payload?
- Yes, and it is the detail most often missed. The weight pressing down on the ball sits on the vehicle's rear axle, so it uses up the same GVWR allowance as passengers and cargo.
- What percentage of trailer weight should be on the tongue?
- For a conventional bumper-pull trailer, 10 to 15% of the loaded weight. Below 10% the trailer starts to sway; above 15% the rear axle overloads and the steering goes light.
- Can a weight-distributing hitch increase towing capacity?
- It redistributes tongue weight across the axles and restores level ride height, which improves control and often raises the manufacturer's permitted trailer weight. It does not raise GVWR or GCWR — those are structural limits.
- Where do I find my vehicle's ratings?
- GVWR and axle ratings are on the placard in the driver's door jamb. GCWR and the towing tables are in the owner's handbook and vary by cab, drivetrain and axle ratio, so use the figures for your exact build rather than a generic table.
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