Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Towing Capacity

Your vehicle’s towing capacity is the maximum amount of weight it can safely pull, which changes based on how it’s configured, how much weight it’s already carrying, and how you distribute and control the load you need to tow.

There is a single number that automakers use to best estimate towing capacity. Still, it doesn’t give you a hard rule that works in every situation. Calculating it requires knowing several things about both your tow vehicle and the trailer you plan to tow.

While manufacturers will publish a towing capacity for each vehicle they build, it’s important to note that calculations assume that the tow vehicle is carrying only a driver. If you plan to tow a travel trailer and bring along your family and all the associated gear they’ll need for a weekend away, the manufacturer’s calculations will not be accurate for your load.

To calculate your vehicle’s towing capacity, you’ll need to know the full GCWR, or the gross combined weight rating, of the vehicle you plan to tow with and the trailer you plan to tow, together with all the cargo each will carry, from people to wiper fluid.

Then you’ll need to know your tow vehicle’s curb weight – the weight of the tow vehicle itself when filled with gas and all the other fluids it consumes while driving.

Subtracting the curb weight from the GCWR gives you the vehicle’s towing capacity. Manufacturers will stress that you should never exceed your car or truck’s towing capacity. We would add that, for safety reasons, it’s best to never come within 10% of that total.

Loads shift. People miscalculate. And, cars brake suddenly. For many reasons, driving a vehicle that strains at the absolute limits of its capability isn’t a good thing.

Towing comes with its own lingo, which can be intimidating at first. But all the terms boil down to simple measurements, and there’s no need to memorize them. You can always look them up again here.

Braked vs. Unbraked Towing Capacity

Some trailers come equipped with their own brakes, connected electrically to the tow vehicle so that stepping on the vehicle’s brake pedal activates the tow vehicle’s brakes and the trailer’s brakes at the same time. A vehicle can tow a much heavier load under control if the trailer operates with its own brakes.

Thus, braked towing capacity, or the amount your tow vehicle can tow if the trailer has its own brakes, is higher than unbraked towing capacity, or the amount your tow vehicle can tow if the trailer does not have brakes.

Curb Weight

Curb weight is the total weight of a vehicle and all the fluids it requires to function (including a full tank of gas) but with no people or cargo inside it. The measurement differs from GVWR, which is a measurement of how much a vehicle can carry.

Where Do I Find the Weight of My Vehicle?

You can find your vehicle’s curb weight listed in the owner’s manual, and in most cases, on a sticker in the driver’s door jamb.

Dry Weight

Dry weight is a measurement of how much a vehicle weighs with no cargo and none of the fluids it requires to function. Your tow vehicle’s dry weight is its weight when empty, without gasoline, oil, wiper fluid, or any other consumable. You don’t need to know your vehicle’s dry weight in most towing calculations.

GAWR

GAWR stands for gross axle weight rating and means the maximum amount of weight one axle can support. This number will almost always show differences between the front and rear axles. The two can be different materials or diameters, and few cars have a perfect 50-50 weight balance between the two axles.

GCWR

The gross combined weight rating, also known as gross combined vehicle weight rating, is the maximum weight your tow vehicle is rated to handle when fully loaded with a trailer and all cargo.

GTW

Gross trailer weight is the total weight of your trailer and its cargo. If you were to place the fully loaded trailer on a vehicle scale, the resulting measurement would be the GTW. If your GTW exceeds your vehicle’s towing capacity, you cannot move it safely. It is crucial that you never even attempt to tow a GTW higher than your towing capacity. While it might be technically possible to carry the load, you’re likely to damage the tow vehicle, the trailer, or both and be unable to control the vehicle properly.

GVWR

As mentioned above, gross vehicle weight rating is the maximum amount of weight a vehicle can hold and includes the weight of the vehicle itself. It takes into account the strength of the frame, suspension, axles, and wheels. Your tow vehicle and the trailer you are using to tow will each have their own GVWR. It’s possible to overload each one separately.

Payload

Once you know the various weights and capacities of your tow vehicle and trailer, you’re not done. The next step is to understand the device that connects them. Tow hitches operate with their own physical limits.

Trailer hitches are divided into five classes. Read on to find out more.

Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find the towing capacity of some vehicles. The amount of weight a vehicle can pull can be affected by its engine, transmission, and suspension. Most vehicles powerful enough to be used for towing heavy loads are offered a selection of each of those components. Truck manufacturers also offer towing packages that can change axle ratios and tire types and include factory-installed hitches.

Thankfully, many truck and SUV manufacturers today post a sticker on the driver’s door jamb that includes much of the necessary towing information, such as GVWR and GAWR.

See below to locate the vehicle class and some of the typical vehicle towing capacities.

Subcompact SUV/Crossover

Small SUV/Crossover

Midsize SUV/Crossover

Large SUV/Crossover

Midsize Pickup Truck

Full-Size Pickup Truck

Heavy-Duty Pickup Truck

Full-Size Van

You need more towing capacity than the heaviest weight you plan to pull. Your tow vehicle must be capable of hauling its own weight, the weight of everyone and everything inside it, the weight of the trailer it’s pulling, and the weight of everything on the trailer.

It must be capable of pulling all of that weight combined and be equipped with a hitch that can do the same. And that load must be balanced, keeping in mind both the horizontal force required to move the load and the vertical weight that load places on the hitch and the assembly that mounts it to the vehicle’s frame.

Can I Tow a Small Travel Trailer With My Car?

Most likely, yes, depending on the weight of the trailer. Consult the owner’s manual or your manufacturer’s online tools to determine your vehicle’s towing capacity.

There is no single chart that will tell you how much your specific load will weigh. However, we’ll provide a rough guide to the weights, empty and full, of some common loads by trailer type this way:

Can I safely exceed GVWR?

It is never safe to exceed your vehicle’s GVWR. Even if you can get the vehicle moving with a heavier load than posted, you will not control the vehicle safely or stop it at a safe distance. You will be damaging vehicle components with every foot you drive.

While it’s always unsafe, exceeding GVWR might even be illegal. In some states, registering a vehicle includes signing a commitment that you will not exceed its GVWR. In others, there is no explicit law regarding the weight itself. Still, law enforcement can cite you for driving with an improperly secured load. Exceeding your vehicle’s GVWR also violates most insurance contracts, so you won’t be protected if you cause an accident by overloading your vehicle.

If you already own your tow vehicle and need an upgrade to haul more weight, check out these modifications you can make that might increase the load it can pull. But many are costly, change the day-to-day performance of your towing vehicle, and can limit their appeal on the secondhand market when it comes time to sell.

Check out these changes that can increase towing capacity:

1. Upgrading the Hitch

The same vehicle can tow more with a Class III hitch than with a Class II hitch. If your tow vehicle can accommodate the upgrade, stepping up in hitch class may get you the bump you need.

2. Installing a Weight-Distribution Hitch

A weight-distribution hitch uses spring bars to help level the load a trailer places on your tow vehicle and reduce sway. This type of hitch is often the most cost-effective way of improving towing performance. It doesn’t require replacing any moving parts of the vehicle itself.

3. Upgrading the Brakes

Braking power is often the limiting factor on a vehicle’s load. You might be able to step up affordably to larger brake pads and rotors.

4. Replacing the Axles

Some RV shops can replace the standard axles that came with your tow vehicle with beefier versions built specifically for the demanding loads involved in hauling an RV.

5. Adding a Bigger Radiator

Towing is taxing on an engine. Improving your engine’s cooling capacity with a bigger radiator can enable it to pull more weight without causing undue wear and tear to powertrain parts.

Are Six-Wheel Trucks Much Better for Towing?

A so-called “dually” six-wheeled truck can often tow significantly more than the same model of truck with a more conventional four-wheeled layout. The dual-rear-wheel option in the 2024 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD, for instance, can tow 5,500 pounds more than the single-rear-wheel configuration with the same engine and transmission. It’s also more stable in high winds.

However, dually trucks are much harder to maneuver and park if you need to use the vehicle for something other than towing. They’re more expensive to buy and to operate since their fuel economy is much worse. And, of course, replacing the tires means buying six.

Just as you can improve your tow vehicle’s performance under load with a few modifications, you can also reduce it. Be cautious of changes like:

1. Installing Bigger Wheels

Larger aftermarket wheels might look cool or even improve your vehicle’s ground clearance. But they invalidate the manufacturer’s calculations of towing capacity. Larger tires require more engine torque and change the transmission’s shift points. These penalties may not show much when unladen, but they can dramatically lower a vehicle’s towing capacity in towing.

2. Changing the Tires

You are likely to go through several sets of tires over the life of your tow vehicle. Be sure the tire vendor knows they are driving on a tow vehicle. Low-resistance tires that improve gas mileage might sound like a good investment, but they can reduce the amount of weight a vehicle can pull.

What Other Technology Helps You Tow Safely?