Towing Capacity Calculator
Check your real towing headroom against GVWR, GCWR, payload, and tongue weight limits.
Your details
Maximum weight of truck plus trailer, from the owner's manual
Found on the driver's door jamb sticker
Load
Trailer
This calculator runs entirely on your device. Nothing you enter is uploaded, stored, or sold. How this works
Maximum trailer you can tow
6,800 lb
Limiting factor: Manufacturer tow rating
Includes your inputs, the full breakdown, and every row of the table.
Payload capacity
1,600 lb
GVWR minus curb weight
Payload remaining
190 lb
Available
Tongue / pin weight
660 lb
12% of trailer weight
Combined weight
11,450 lb
GCWR 14,000 lb
- Vehicle curb weight
- 5,200 lb
- Passengers
- 350 lb
- Cargo
- 300 lb
- Accessories & hitch
- 100 lb
- Tongue weight on the vehicle
- 660 lb
- Total payload used
- 1,410 lb of 1,600 lb
- Trailer weight
- 5,500 lb
- Combined vehicle + trailer
- 11,450 lb of 14,000 lb GCWR
What this means
- This configuration is within all three limits, with 190 lb of payload and 1,300 lb of trailer capacity to spare.
- Payload is what stops most half-ton trucks long before the advertised tow rating does. Tongue weight sits on the rear axle and eats payload dollar for dollar.
- Advertised maximum tow ratings assume a stripped base vehicle with a 150 lb driver and nothing else. Your real capacity is always lower.
How the towing capacity calculation works
Towing capacity is not one number, it is the smallest of several. GCWR caps the combined weight of vehicle and trailer. GVWR caps the vehicle itself, including everything in it and the tongue weight pressing down on the hitch. And the manufacturer publishes a maximum tow rating that assumes an otherwise empty vehicle.
In practice, payload is what limits most modern trucks and SUVs. A crew cab half-ton advertising 11,000 pounds of towing often has only 1,400-1,700 pounds of payload, which a family, gear, and a 15% tongue weight consume long before the tow rating comes into play.
Frequently asked questions
What is tongue weight and why does it matter?
The downward force the trailer exerts on the hitch — typically 10-15% of trailer weight for conventional trailers and 15-25% for fifth wheels. Too little causes dangerous sway; too much overloads the rear axle. It counts against payload, not tow rating.
Where do I find my actual ratings?
GVWR and axle ratings are on the driver's door jamb sticker, along with a payload figure specific to your exact build. GCWR and tow rating are in the owner's manual or towing guide for your configuration.
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Disclaimer. This calculator is provided for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, legal, medical, or engineering advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs you provide and the assumptions described above. Confirm any figure with a qualified professional before acting on it.