How Much Trailer Can My Truck Safely Tow?

In a previous post, we took a deep dive into trailer towing and weight limits. We stressed the importance of understanding and following all weight ratings for both your camper and the tow vehicle you pull it with, as well as how to properly weigh your entire rig. We also introduced the weight and towing calculator we designed that you can use for free to see if your rig is within spec.

But the most common question we received as a result of that post was “I already own a pickup truck, and want to buy a travel trailer to pull behind it. How do I know how heavy a trailer I can consider?“ So, today, we’re covering the details on how to use the ratings/capacities of the tow vehicle you already own (or one you’re planning to buy) to get the maximum weight of a trailer that it can tow. And it involves far more than just staying under the “Towing Capacity,” which is the (extremely misleading) number that truck manufacturers love to promote.

This is such a popular (and important) topic that we’ve just released a brand new RVgeeks YouTube video to accompany this blog post. We know that some people are visual learners (we are!), so we’ve embedded the video below for your convenience. We highly recommend watching it, especially if you’re unsure about the details we’re describing in the post.

How Do I Determine the Size and Weight My Vehicle Can Tow?

An overweight/overloaded tow vehicle is a real safety hazard. In the sections that follow, we’ll show you how to use four numbers from YOUR truck (or any tow vehicle you’re considering buying) to make sure you know the heaviest trailer it can safely tow:

• Payload Capacity
• Towing Capacity
• Gross Combined Weight Rating
• Tongue Weight Limit

Since the tool we created is designed for use on a tow vehicle and trailer weighed together, you obviously can’t use it if you’re still shopping for an RV. So, what can you do if you already own a truck, sport-utility vehicle, or even a passenger car that you want to use to tow a camper? How do you know how heavy a trailer you can consider? Can your 1/2-ton truck pull that 13, 000 lb trailer you’ve got your eye on? (NO! But keep reading to learn why!)

We’re going to provide you with a good starting point to help narrow down your options as you go RV shopping. We’ll help you figure out what’s possible and what amounts to an obvious no-go.

What Are Your Truck’s Capacities?

Keep in mind that we’re using the word “truck” since so many people tow with them. But the same guidelines apply to ANY tow vehicle, whether it’s a pickup truck, sport utility vehicle, or even a regular passenger car. So when we say “truck,” we’re talking about any vehicle you use to tow a camper/travel trailer.

The first things you’ll need so that you can figure out the heaviest trailer your truck can handle are the truck’s capacities. These are listed on a placard on the driver’s-side doorsill and are critical to know before you shop, because you’ll only want to consider campers with a GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) that doesn’t exceed the tow vehicle’s ratings.

One Note: Both tow vehicles and trailers have a GVWR. We’ll do our best to keep the two clear and distinct. But keep in mind that the number refers to the maximum that any vehicle is rated to weigh when fully loaded. Also, “Payload” typically refers to the maximum weight a tow vehicle can carry on board, while “Cargo Carrying Capacity” is the maximum weight a trailer can carry on board. Basically, the same thing for the two different types of vehicles (think “shipment” on a truck, and “cargo” on a ship 😉).

Payload Capacity

Since a truck’s PAYLOAD CAPACITY is the most common limit that RVers are likely to exceed, start by getting that number. It’s typically posted on the placard inside the driver’s door… but, even if it’s not (passenger cars and SUVs likely won’t list it), it’s easy to calculate. By definition, the gross weight of a vehicle is its empty, or “curb” weight, plus its payload. So, subtracting the curb weight from the GVWR equals its payload capacity. Those two numbers are almost always listed on the placard, even in vehicles that weren’t primarily designed for towing or hauling heavy loads.

Our truck has a payload capacity of 1,602 lbs, which is the maximum that everything we put into the truck is allowed to weigh — driver, passengers, and gear. But don’t forget that the downward force of the trailer’s tongue on the hitch ball has to be included as part of its payload.

Payload Capacity = GVWR – Curb Weight

To summarize:

• GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating — the maximum a vehicle can weigh when fully loaded.
• Curb Weight / Tare Weight: The empty weight of the tow vehicle, including full fluids (especially a full tank of fuel). Note: The empty weight of a travel trailer does NOT include water, so the weight of fresh water must be accounted for as part of its cargo.
• Payload: The total weight of all people, pets, gear, and anything else you put into the vehicle, PLUS the downward force of the trailer’s tongue on the hitch ball. “Payload” is used for trucks, while “Cargo” is used for trailers.
• Payload Capacity: Gross Weight minus Curb Weight, or as listed on the doorsill placard… this is the MAXIMUM weight of all passengers and gear that you can carry in the vehicle (inside the cabin as well as in the bed of the truck or trunk of a passenger vehicle).

Calculate How Much of Your Truck’s Payload is Available for Tongue Weight

Adding the weight of all passengers & gear, and subtracting that amount from the truck’s Payload Capacity, leaves you with the remaining Payload Capacity available for the tongue weight of any trailer you plan to purchase.

Start by adding your weight to the weight of any passengers who typically go camping with you (including pets). Using ourselves as an example: together, the two of us weigh 350 lbs. So right off the bat, we’ve used up 350lbs of our 1,602lb payload capacity, leaving us with 1,252 lbs remaining.

Then, if you typically carry specific gear in your truck (either in the cab, in the bed, or both), like a generator and a can of gasoline for it, a pair of heavy e-bikes, or a fire pit and a spare propane tank, add up the weight of all that gear, since that also eats into your truck’s payload capacity. In our case, we travel with minimal extra gear, having prioritized our truck’s available payload (and our trailer’s cargo-carrying capacity) to install a large solar and battery system for boondocking.

We also installed a BAKflip tonneau cover and carry a Dometic portable refrigerator/freezer, a Jackery power station, a Viair air compressor, and some other miscellaneous gear in the bed of our truck. When we weighed all that gear, it added up to 152 lbs. Subtracting that from our remaining 1,252 lbs of available payload capacity left us with 1,100 lbs.

The reason that the remaining available payload number is so important is that it’s the maximum amount of tongue weight you can place onto the hitch ball. This is where the tongue weight PERCENTAGE of the trailer comes into play. If you saw our towing video, we stressed the importance of balancing your rig correctly by ensuring that between 10% and 15% of the trailer’s total weight is on the tongue, leaving 85-90% on the axle or axles. This is crucial, as it’s an important deterrent to trailer sway, which can cause a catastrophic accident.

Now that we know we have 1,100 lbs of our payload capacity available, all we need to do is use a little math to figure out what a trailer weighs if 15% of its weight equals 1,100 lbs. That’s easy to calculate by dividing 1,100 by .15, which equals 7,333. So, in our case, shopping for a trailer with a GVWR of 7,333 lbs or less means our truck should have no problem safely towing it.

Max. Tongue Weight = 15% x Max. Trailer Weight
– SO ALGEBRA SAYS –
Max. Trailer Weight (GVWR) = Max. Tongue Weight ÷ 15%

Let’s summarize how to figure this out using another example:

Let’s say you own a truck with a payload capacity of 2,000 lbs. You weigh 175, and your passenger weighs 150. In the bed of the truck, you carry two e-bikes that each weigh 75 lbs, a 50 lb generator, and a 50 lb can of gasoline for that generator. That’s a total of 575 lbs of people and gear (175 + 150 + (2 x 75) + 50 + 50), leaving you with 1,425 lbs of additional payload capacity.

Since 1,425 lbs is the most the tongue of any trailer you’re pulling can weigh, and 15% of the trailer’s weight is the most you can put onto the hitch, simply divide 1,425 by 15% (0.15), leaving you with a result of 9,500 lbs.

1,425 lbs ÷ 0.15 =9,500 lbs

Now that you’ve figured out that your truck’s payload can handle a 9,500 lb trailer, there are three other limits to keep in mind before you actually start shopping for RVs — Towing Capacity, Gross Combined Weight Rating, and the maximum rated tongue weight for the truck/hitch.

NOTE: We didn’t mention above, or in the video below, that the hitch itself should be included in the truck’s payload. The reason is that most people who don’t own a travel trailer are unlikely to own a weight distribution hitch. And until you know what trailer you’re getting, you won’t know if you need one at all (smaller trailers often don’t).

If your DO already own a hitch, you should include its weight in the truck’s payload calculation, along with people and gear. If you don’t own a hitch, you can include an estimated weight for one in the truck’s payload (figure about 100 lbs for any trailer heavy enough to need one).

The good news is that whether you figure in weight for a hitch or not, you’ll still be weighing and balancing the entire rig after you buy it and set it up. At that time, you’ll be able to adjust cargo as needed to ensure you don’t exceed the tongue weight limit or percentage.

Towing Capacity

Towing Capacity is probably the easiest number to deal with. That’s because it’s usually listed on the truck’s placard, and because it’s not the most common weight limit that people usually exceed. Since the payload capacity of our example truck can handle a 9,500-lb trailer, you’re also in the clear if its towing capacity is 9,500 lbs or more.

Obviously, if your tow vehicle (in our example) has a towing capacity below 9,500 lbs, that would be a limiting factor, reducing your maximum allowable trailer weight. But again, that’s less often the limiting factor than payload capacity is.

GCWR – Gross Combined Weight Rating

As the name implies, GCWR is the total weight limit of EVERYTHING combined — both the truck and trailer, fully loaded with everything you carry in both vehicles. Again, it’s usually listed on the door jamb placard. But if it’s not, simply subtract the truck’s GVWR from its GCWR to get the maximum allowable GVWR of any trailer you’re considering.

Let’s say our example truck has a GCWR of 20,000 lbs, and its GVWR is 8,000 lbs. That leaves 12,000 lbs available for a trailer. But since the available payload capacity of the truck in our example already limited us to 9,500 lbs, it obviously can’t tow 12,000 lbs. But in the unlikely event that the GCWR of our example truck was under 9,500 lbs, GCWR would become the limiting factor.

Maximum Tongue Weight Rating

Your truck’s hitch receiver has a maximum tongue weight rating (the maximum amount of weight a trailer’s hitch can put on the receiver), which should again be listed on the placard. In our example, we figured out that you can accommodate 1,425 lbs of tongue weight without exceeding your truck’s payload capacity. So as long as your truck’s hitch receiver is rated to carry at least 1,425 lbs of tongue weight, you’re still good to go with a 9,500 lb trailer.

But what if the receiver is only rated to carry 1,350 lbs maximum tongue weight? In that case, you’d need to recalculate the maximum trailer weight you can tow using the truck receiver’s maximum tongue weight rating: divide 1,350 by 0.15, which equals 9,000 lbs. This would then become your limiting factor.

If your planned tow vehicle doesn’t have a maximum tongue weight listed on the driver’s door placard (maybe you’re planning to use a sport-utility or passenger car that wasn’t primarily designed for towing), you should still be able to find something in the owner’s manual, or in the specifications of any trailer hitch you’ve installed.

What Is the Most Important Number to Consider When Shopping For a Travel Trailer?

Since a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, the lowest of the numbers we’ve calculated above is the one to use when you go RV shopping. You’ll compare that to the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the trailer(s) you’re looking at. Since that number is posted on the outside of every towable, usually at the front corner on the driver’s side, it’s easy to find on any RV you’re considering.

So, this is the number to use as you start shopping for an RV. In our example, if you limit your search to trailers with a GVWR of 9,500 lbs or less, you’ve got the right idea (or 9,000 lbs in our 1,350 lb maximum-tongue-weight scenario).

If you owned the truck we used in our example and had your heart set on a camper with a GVWR of 13,000 lbs, you’d have to switch gears, because that truck simply won’t be able to safely tow it.

Important Note:

Keep in mind that it isn’t possible to precisely calculate the exact weight and balance (i.e., the ACTUAL tongue weight percentage) of any rig until it’s fully loaded for travel. The goal is to get an idea of the heaviest trailer you should be shopping for based on the truck you already own, or are considering buying. But there are some factors you simply can’t figure out in advance. For example, you still need to keep your axle weights within their rated limits. But there’s no way to accurately measure those without the truck and trailer fully loaded, connected, and ready for travel.

The good news is that if you use your truck’s payload capacity (which is the limit you’re most likely to exceed) as the primary gauge to limit the heaviest trailer you’re shopping for, most other weights should fall into place, too. But it’s important to check the other three limits (towing capacity, GCWR, and tongue weight limit) just to be sure.

After you buy your dream RV, be sure to set it up, load it up, and properly weigh the entire loaded rig before hitting the road. See our post on Towing Capacity and the video below for complete details.

Some Exceptions May Allow You To Buy a Slightly Heavier Camper

Keep in mind that we recommend using the GVWR of any trailer you’re considering, so you know the most it might weigh… and then use 15% of that number, since that’s the most its tongue should weigh. That’s because it’s safer to have too much truck capability than too little. If a tow vehicle can handle a 9,500-lb GVWR trailer, it can also handle the same trailer if/when it isn’t fully loaded.

But again, this is the starting point for finding a camper that your truck can safely tow, and not an absolute limit. There are definitely ways to load your rig that will allow you to tow a somewhat heavier trailer.

By using the maximum that both the trailer and the tongue might weigh, you’ll be leaving yourself some room for error and for any needed adjustments, like moving, adding, or removing gear from your rig. That’s how we were able to buy the 8,250-lb GVWR Outdoors RV Creekside 19MKS Titanium Series we had our eye on, despite our initial calculation indicating we should limit ourselves to a 7,333-lb rig.

Here’s a hint about how we did that, which may give you some ideas about how you might achieve the same thing by controlling loading and weight placement in both the truck and the trailer:

You may recall that after adding the weight of ourselves and the gear we carry, we had 1,100 lbs of our truck’s payload capacity remaining for the trailer’s tongue weight. Well, a 12.5% percentage is still solidly within the 10-15% requirement to reduce the potential for trailer sway. So if we divide that 1,100 lbs by 0.125 (12.5%) instead of 0.15 (15%), that equals 8,800 lbs instead of 7,333. So by storing more of our gear toward the rear of our trailer (thus reducing the tongue weight percentage), we can reduce the weight on the tongue… which, of course, also lowers the payload in the truck.

But we recommend that you start out by assuming the trailer you buy will be loaded to its GVWR, and that 15% of that weight will be on the tongue. This leaves room for error and helps avoid buying a trailer that your truck can’t handle. After all, a truck with more capability than you need is never a problem!

Watch The Video!

Even though we’ve provided fairly straightforward calculations, we know it can get a little confusing. So we created the YouTube video below to provide a clearer picture of the situation, especially for the visual learners among us. If you already own a pickup truck or other tow vehicle (or are shopping for one), and you want to buy a travel trailer to pull behind it, here’s how to determine how large and heavy a trailer you should limit yourself to shopping for:

We hope this helps you get started on finding the RV of your dreams and towing it safely on lots of great camping adventures. And, again, once you have your new trailer, be sure to refer to our weight and towing calculator post to get your rig properly weighed and balanced.

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