Use this RV towing capacity calculator to check whether your truck or SUV can tow your trailer. Enter your tow rating and your trailer’s weight, pick a limit, and see how much of your capacity you use before you buy, rent, or hitch up.
How to Use the Calculator
Enter your vehicle’s towing capacity and your trailer’s weight in pounds, then pick a limit. The limit starts at 80 percent of your rating, the most cautious setting, and you can switch it to 90 or 100 percent if you want to see the maximum.
The result is one of three verdicts. Within Limit means the trailer is at or under your chosen limit. Over Your Limit means it is heavier than your limit but under the rating. Over the Rating means it is too heavy for your vehicle.
Where to Find Your Towing Capacity
Your owner’s manual lists it, and Kelley Blue Book says it is often on a label on the driver’s door jamb too. Manuals often list several ratings by engine, axle ratio, and equipment, so find the one that matches your vehicle. Some manufacturers also offer a VIN-based towing calculator that accounts for your exact equipment.
Which Trailer Weight Should You Enter?
Enter the trailer’s GVWR, its maximum loaded weight, and not the dry weight from the brochure. Jalopnik points out that dry weight understates the load, because water, food, and gear add up quickly once you start packing.
Once the trailer is loaded the way you travel, weigh it on a public scale. A weighed number is more accurate than the GVWR, but if you do not know it yet, stick with the GVWR to stay on the safe side of your limit, especially for a first purchase.
The 80% Rule for Towing
Many RVers keep the trailer at or below 80 percent of their tow rating. Jalopnik calls it a guideline and not a written manufacturer rule, and says it leaves a margin for crosswinds, steep grades, an aging vehicle, and a loaded cabin. Kelley Blue Book describes the same idea as avoiding getting within 20 percent of the maximum.
The math is simple. A 7,500 lb rating gives you 6,000 lb at 80 percent and 6,750 lb at 90 percent. A 9,000 lb rating gives you 7,200 lb at 80 percent, and a 12,000 lb rating gives you 9,600 lb at 80 percent, so a bigger rating buys you a much bigger trailer.
What a Tow Rating Assumes
A tow rating is a maximum, not a target. Jalopnik notes that manufacturers measure it under ideal conditions with a new vehicle, and Kelley Blue Book says ratings usually assume only a driver is aboard. Passengers, cargo, and your hitch all add weight to the vehicle, so a full vehicle can safely tow less than its rating.
Kelley Blue Book gives the basic formula as gross combined weight rating (GCWR) minus the sum of the vehicle’s curb weight and payload. You do not need to run that math, because the manufacturer publishes the result as the tow rating.
If Your Result Says Over
Take weight out first. Carry less water and leave heavy gear at home. If you are over your limit but under the rating, this alone can fix it.
Weigh the trailer loaded. A scale reading can show you are lighter than the GVWR, or heavier than you assumed. Use the number, not the guess.
Check the right rating. Make sure you are using the tow rating for your exact engine and equipment, since ratings differ within one model.
Choose a lighter trailer. If you are over the rating, the trailer is too heavy for the vehicle, and no trick changes that. A lighter trailer or a vehicle with a higher rating is the fix.
Towing Capacity Is Not the Only Limit
Tow ratings are set with a lightly loaded vehicle. Every extra person and bag uses payload, and so does the trailer’s tongue weight, the downward force on your hitch. Payload can run out before your towing capacity does, so check it with our payload calculator and your hitch load with our tongue weight calculator.
Also remember that a heavier rig can need more room to stop. Our stopping distance calculator shows how many feet you need at your speed, and our beginner’s guide explains terms like GCWR in plain English, in case any of this is new.
Your Next Step
Look up your tow rating, find your trailer’s GVWR, and run both numbers through the calculator before you shop or sign anything. If the verdict is Within Limit at 80 percent, move on to payload and tongue weight, which are the next two checks.