01 Payload is checked first
Passengers and gear come out of the same number the trailer tongue does. A half-ton truck usually runs out of payload thousands of pounds before it runs out of tow rating.
US and Canada · Pounds or kilograms
Find out what you can actually tow.
Most towing calculators answer the wrong question. They check your trailer against the tow rating and stop there, when the limit you hit first is almost always payload. These check everything at once and tell you which one binds.
Payload checked first Every figure sourced
Your whole setup. Every limit. LB / KG
01 / Vehicle Payload
02 / Connection Tongue weight
03 / Combined GCWR
Three limits. One complete picture.
Three things this site does differently
02 Every figure names its source
Regulations are quoted with their section and linked. Where a number is manufacturer guidance rather than law, the page says so instead of dressing it up as a rule.
03 Canada is not an afterthought
Results come in pounds and kilograms together, because the compliance label carries both. Reference pages are written by province as well as by state.
Know your numbers
The calculators
Free, sourced and built for the US and Canada. Pick the question you need answered.
Showing all 21 calculators & guides
Available
Capacity Can I tow this?
Checks payload, tongue weight and GCWR together, and tells you which limit you hit first.
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Capacity Payload calculator
What is left on your sticker after people, gear and the trailer tongue.
Available
Capacity Towing capacity by VIN
What a VIN really tells you about weight, and why the tow rating is not in it.
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Capacity CDL thresholds and towing licences
The weight at which you need a CDL in the US, and a different class in Canada.
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Hitch & tongue Tongue weight calculator
Target tongue weight for your trailer, and whether your hitch can carry it.
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Hitch & tongue Hitch class finder
Which hitch class your trailer needs.
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Hitch & tongue Trailer ball size and drop hitch calculator
Ball diameter, shank size, and the rise or drop that levels your trailer.
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Hitch & tongue Weight distribution hitch: do I need one?
When a weight distribution hitch becomes necessary, and what bar rating to buy.
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Hitch & tongue Fifth wheel pin weight calculator
Pin weight for a fifth wheel or gooseneck, and what it leaves you in the bed.
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Trailers Trailer weight by length
Typical empty weight and GVWR by trailer length, so you can plan before you shop.
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Trailers Boat trailer weight calculator
Hull, motor, fuel, trailer and gear, added up the way the scale will.
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Trailers Utility, dump and enclosed trailer weights
Typical empty weight and GVWR by trailer type and size.
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Trailers Motorhome, camper van and truck camper weights
Class A, B and C, truck campers, caps and toy haulers from makers' spec pages, plus payload and GCWR checks.
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Brakes & tires Do I need trailer brakes?
The weight at which brakes become mandatory, by province and by state.
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Brakes & tires Trailer tire load range and axle capacity
What your trailer tires and axles can carry, and the pressure they need.
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Setup & safety Safety chains and breakaway requirements
Chain rating, how to cross them, and where a breakaway cable is mandatory.
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Vehicle EV and hybrid towing range loss
What towing does to an electric vehicle's range, and how far between charges.
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Vehicle Axle ratio and tow rating
Why two identical trucks tow different amounts, and how to read yours.
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Vehicle Flat tow vs tow dolly vs trailer
Three ways to tow a car behind a motorhome, and what each one costs you.
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Ratings GVWR, GCWR, GAWR and curb weight explained
Every towing acronym, in the regulator's own words, for the US and Canada.
Available
Ratings How to read your door sticker and trailer plate
The certification label, the tire and loading placard and the trailer plate, decoded line by line.
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The rules where you tow
Rules by province and state
Trailer law is written per jurisdiction, and almost nobody has put it in one table. These pages are the reason this site exists as much as the calculators are. Every row cites the statute it comes from.
CanadaUnited States
Double towing by province and state
Where towing two trailers is legal, and the length limits that come with it.
Trailer registration and plates by province and state
Whether a trailer needs plates, the weight that decides it, and whether the plate is one-time or renewed.
Trailer brake requirements by province
The trailer weight at which brakes become mandatory in each province.
Licence class by trailer weight, by province
What you can tow on an ordinary licence, province by province.
Trailer brake requirements by state
The trailer weight at which brakes become mandatory in each state.
Towing speed limits by state
States that set a lower speed limit while you are towing.