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Tow Rating Guide

  • Understanding your vehicle’s tow rating capacity is critical to choosing the right RV for you and your family.

  • Towing your next RV safely down the road will depend on having the right tow vehicle and RV combination.



Find My Vehicle's Towing Capacity
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Attention: Your vehicle's max towing capacity includes passenger weight, added accessories, any current liquids in tanks, and any cargo you've added such as food, clothes, chairs, grills, games, tools, etc.. For purposes of Find an RV I can Tow, we've allowed 1000 lbs for RVs over 8000 lbs, 750 lbs for RVs under 8000 lbs, and 500 lbs for RVs under 5000 lbs for average Cargo Weight. Always confirm your specific tow vehicles towing capacity directly from your vehicle's manufacturer before purchasing or towing an RV. You are responsible for the decision to operate your vehicle and any RV you may tow. If your specific vehicle is not listed, please contact us for assistance.

Terms & Definitions

  • Dry Weight/Shipped Weight - The weight of the RV as shipped from the manufacturer without any passengers, cargo, liquids, or additional accessories or dealer installed options.
  • Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) - The current combined weight of the RV (dry weight) plus passengers, cargo, and liquids.
  • Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) - The maximum allowed weight of an Vehicle/RV, including passengers, cargo, fluids, etc..
  • Cargo Weight - The total weight of all passengers, food, clothing, liquids, accessories, etc.. that you might put into your RV.
  • Tongue/Hitch Weight - The weight/pressure applied from the trailer tongue/coupler to the conventional/bumper hitch on your vehicle.
  • Pin Weight - This is often referred to as the weight/pressure applied from fifth wheel king pin to the hitch in the bed of your truck.
  • Payload Capacity - For Trucks the amount of weight you can safely add to the bed of the truck. Your Fifth Wheels Hitch Weight or Pin Weight plus the actual weight of hitch plus any other accessories you have in the bed of the truck must not exceed the Payload Capacity amount. Confirm Payload Capacity with your vehicle’s manufacturer.
  • Max Towing Capacity - The maximum weight limit that can safely be towed by your specific vehicle. This weight is calculated by adding the RV’s GVW with weight of all passengers, cargo, and liquids in your tow vehicle.

RV Tow Vehicle Guide

Knowing your vehicle's towing capacity is crucial to ensure a safe journey. Before towing a trailer or RV, you should consider a few things, so we've compiled this quick guide to help you learn about towing.

What Is Towing Capacity?

Towing capacity is the maximum weight your vehicle can safely tow. Knowing this limit is crucial because exceeding it can strain your vehicle's engine, suspension and braking system, and potentially lead to accidents or damage. Determining your towing capacity involves several calculations and considerations, and it's not as simple as a single number.

How Do I Know What I Can Tow?

To determine your vehicle's towing capacity, understand the gross combined vehicle weight rating, or GCVWR, of the towing vehicle, trailer and all the items you plan to load. You also need to know the curb weight of the tow vehicle, which is its weight when filled with gas and other liquids necessary for the vehicle's correct operation. Subtracting the curb weight from the GCVWR gives you the vehicle's towing capacity. To help prevent accidents and problems, avoid exceeding the towing capacity recommended by the manufacturer. It's advisable to stay 10% below the towing capacity limit.

To accurately determine your towing capacity, consult your vehicle's manufacturer for specific details and to confirm the payload capacity.

The towing capacity provided by the manufacturer only accounts for a single driver. If you plan to bring passengers and additional cargo, you should adjust your calculations.

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