How Much Can My Car Tow?
Find your vehicle below to get its manufacturer-published maximum tow rating, then plan around 80% of that figure. The published maximum assumes a properly equipped vehicle with a 150 lb driver and nothing else on board — every passenger, every pound of cargo and the trailer's tongue weight comes out of it.
Read the number correctly
- Max tow is a single configuration. It is usually the lightest cab, the longest bed, the optional axle ratio and the tow package. Change any one and the rating drops, often by 1,500–3,000 lb.
- Trailer dry weight is not trailer weight. Add fluids, batteries, propane and cargo — 800 to 1,500 lb on a typical travel trailer.
- Payload runs out before tow rating. A half-ton truck rated at 11,000 lb frequently has 1,600 lb of payload, and a 10,000 lb trailer puts 1,000–1,500 lb of that on the hitch before anyone gets in.
- Altitude derates the engine. Naturally aspirated engines lose roughly 3% of power per 1,000 ft. Turbocharged and diesel engines lose far less, which is why they dominate mountain towing.
Browse every rating on the towing capacity chart.
How much can my car tow?
Find your vehicle below to get its manufacturer-published maximum tow rating, then plan around 80% of that figure. The published maximum assumes a properly equipped vehicle with a 150 lb driver and nothing else on board — every passenger, every pound of cargo and the trailer's tongue weight comes out of it.
Why use 80% of the rated capacity?
The published maximum is a peak figure measured on a properly equipped vehicle at sea level with one occupant. Loaded with passengers, gear and tongue weight, and on a grade in summer heat, transmission and coolant temperatures climb fast at the limit. 80% is the working figure most towing guides and RV dealers use for repeated, loaded towing.
Does tongue weight count against payload or towing?
Payload. Tongue weight is 10–15% of trailer weight for a conventional hitch and 15–25% for a fifth wheel, and it sits on the vehicle's axles — so a 7,000 lb trailer puts roughly 700–1,050 lb into the bed or hitch before you load a single passenger. Payload, not tow rating, is what most trucks run out of first.
Is the tow rating the same for every trim?
No. Cab style, bed length, axle ratio, engine and the presence of a factory tow package all move the number, often by thousands of pounds within one model year. The figure shown here is the highest published rating for that model; the model page lists the configuration each rating applies to.
Can I tow more with a weight-distributing hitch?
Sometimes — many manufacturers publish a lower rating for a dead-weight hitch and a higher one with weight distribution, commonly capping dead-weight towing around 5,000 lb. A weight-distributing hitch does not raise the vehicle's maximum; it lets you reach it safely by restoring front-axle load.