Towing capacity calculator
Your truck’s advertised towing capacity assumes an empty cab. Enter your ratings and load to see what you can really tow, and which limit you hit first.
Your vehicle’s ratings
What you’re hauling
You can safely tow up to
10,000 lb
Limited by payload: the tongue weight plus what’s in the vehicle.
Good to tow: 70% of the maximum
Comfortably within all three limits.
The black line is your trailer.
- Tongue weight
- 840 lb
- Payload left
- 360 lb
- Combined weight
- 12,600 lb of 16,800 lb
How towing capacity is calculated
A trailer has to fit under three limits at once. The calculator takes the lowest:
- Towing rating: the maximum trailer weight the maker allows for your exact configuration.
- Combined weight (GCWR): GCWR − curb weight − people and cargo = the heaviest trailer the combination allows.
- Payload: (payload − people and cargo) ÷ tongue weight share. At 12%, every 120 lb of payload you use costs 1,000 lb of trailer.
Example: a pickup rated for 11,000 lb, with a 16,800 lb GCWR, a 5,000 lb curb weight and 1,800 lb of payload, carrying 600 lb of people and gear. GCWR allows 11,200 lb, but payload allows only (1,800 − 600) ÷ 0.12 = 10,000 lb, so payload is the real limit.
Towing terms
| Term | What it means | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Towing capacity | Maximum trailer weight | Owner’s manual, towing guide |
| GVWR | Most the loaded vehicle may weigh | Door jamb sticker |
| GCWR | Most the loaded vehicle and trailer may weigh together | Owner’s manual, towing guide |
| Payload | People, cargo and tongue weight the vehicle can carry | Yellow tire and loading sticker |
| Curb weight | Empty vehicle with a full tank | Spec sheet, or weigh it at a CAT scale |
| Tongue weight | Trailer weight pressing down on the hitch | 10–15% of the trailer, or a tongue scale |
Towing capacity by vehicle
Maximum ratings from each maker for the current model year. Your configuration may be rated lower.
| Vehicle | Max towing |
|---|---|
| 2026 Toyota Tacoma | 6,500 lb |
| 2026 Toyota Tundra | 12,000 lb |
| 2026 Ford F-150 | 13,500 lb |
| 2026 Ford F-250 Super Duty | 23,000 lb |
| 2026 Ram 1500 | 11,610 lb |
| 2026 Ram 2500 | 20,000 lb |
| 2026 Chevy Silverado 1500 | 13,300 lb |
| 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 | 13,300 lb |
| 2026 Toyota RAV4 | 3,500 lb |
| 2026 Toyota Highlander | 5,000 lb |
| 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander | 5,000 lb |
| 2026 Toyota 4Runner | 6,000 lb |
| 2026 Toyota Sienna | 3,500 lb |
| 2026 Jeep Wrangler | 5,000 lb |
| 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 6,200 lb |
| 2026 Ford Explorer | 5,000 lb |
| 2026 Ford Ranger | 7,500 lb |
| 2026 Chevy Colorado | 7,700 lb |
| 2026 Nissan Frontier | 7,150 lb |
| 2026 Ford Maverick | 4,000 lb |
| 2026 Honda Pilot | 5,000 lb |
| 2026 Subaru Outback | 3,500 lb |
| 2026 Tesla Model Y | 3,500 lb |
| 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe | 4,500 lb |
Before you hitch up
- Weigh the loaded trailer at a truck stop scale; the empty weight on the trailer’s sticker leaves out everything you pack.
- Hitch makers recommend a weight-distributing hitch for heavy trailers, often above 5,000 lb or half the vehicle’s weight. Most states require trailer brakes well below that.
- Check the hitch’s own rating: the receiver, ball mount and ball each have a maximum.
- Towing can cut fuel economy by a third or more; budget the trip with the gas calculator.
Questions
How do I calculate towing capacity?
Take the lowest of three limits: the maker’s towing rating; GCWR minus the vehicle’s curb weight and everything in it; and the payload left after passengers and cargo, divided by the tongue weight share (about 12%). The calculator does all three.
Where do I find my vehicle’s towing capacity?
In the owner’s manual or the maker’s towing guide for your model year, which lists it by engine, cab, bed, drive and axle ratio. Payload is on the yellow tire and loading sticker on the driver’s door jamb.
What is the 80% rule for towing?
A common guideline to keep the loaded trailer at or below 80% of the maximum towing capacity. The margin helps on hills, in crosswinds and when braking. It isn’t a legal limit.
How much tongue weight should a trailer have?
About 10–15% of the loaded trailer weight for a conventional bumper-pull trailer, and 15–25% for a fifth wheel or gooseneck. Too little tongue weight makes a trailer sway.
Does tongue weight count against payload?
Yes. The tongue weight sits on the hitch, so it uses payload like a passenger would. That’s why a full cab and bed can cut how heavy a trailer you can pull.
