Home › Calculator

Tow Capacity Calculator

Tow ratings on stickers are best-case. This factors in real-world cargo, passengers, and tongue weight.

Why it's complicated

Max tow rating assumes a 150 lb driver, no passengers, empty truck. Add a family + a tank of water and you can lose 1,000+ lbs of capacity fast.
Tongue weight rides on the rear axle and counts against payload, not just tow capacity.
Travel trailers run 10–15% tongue weight; fifth-wheels run 20–25% (called pin weight).
GCWR is the real ceiling: combined truck + trailer + everything in both.
Always leave 10%+ headroom for hills, headwinds, and aging tow vehicles.