{
  "slug": "towing-capacity",
  "title": "Towing Capacity Calculator",
  "heading": "Towing Capacity & Payload Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/towing-capacity",
  "summary": "Check trailer weight, tongue weight, and payload against your limits.",
  "description": "Payload, not tow rating, is what most people exceed first — tongue weight lands on the truck's rear axle and eats into the same payload as passengers and cargo.",
  "formula": "Available payload = GVWR − curb weight − passengers − cargo − tongue weight.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=towing-capacity",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "gvwr",
      "label": "Vehicle GVWR (lb)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 7000,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "curb",
      "label": "Curb weight (lb)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5400,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "gcwr",
      "label": "GCWR (lb)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 16000,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "passengers",
      "label": "Passengers + gear (lb)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 600,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "trailer",
      "label": "Loaded trailer weight (lb)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 7500,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "tonguePct",
      "label": "Tongue weight",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 12,
      "unit": "% of trailer",
      "min": 5,
      "max": 25
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "payloadLeft",
      "label": "Payload remaining (lb)",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "tongue",
      "label": "Tongue weight (lb)",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "payloadCap",
      "label": "Total payload capacity (lb)",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "maxTow",
      "label": "Maximum trailer weight (lb)",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "towMargin",
      "label": "Margin vs your trailer (lb)",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "utilization",
      "label": "Payload used",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Vehicle GVWR (lb): 7000",
      "Curb weight (lb): 5400",
      "GCWR (lb): 16000",
      "Passengers + gear (lb): 600",
      "Loaded trailer weight (lb): 7500",
      "Tongue weight: 12 % of trailer"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Payload remaining (lb): 100",
      "Tongue weight (lb): 900",
      "Total payload capacity (lb): 1,600",
      "Maximum trailer weight (lb): 10,000",
      "Margin vs your trailer (lb): 2,500",
      "Payload used: 93.8%"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter vehicle gvwr (lb).",
      "Enter curb weight (lb).",
      "Enter gcwr (lb).",
      "Enter passengers + gear (lb).",
      "Enter loaded trailer weight (lb).",
      "Enter tongue weight (% of trailer).",
      "Read your payload remaining (lb) on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "gvwr": 4200,
        "curb": 3200,
        "gcwr": 9500,
        "passengers": 350,
        "trailer": 4500,
        "tonguePct": 7
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "gvwr": 7000,
        "curb": 5400,
        "gcwr": 16000,
        "passengers": 600,
        "trailer": 7500,
        "tonguePct": 12
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "gvwr": 11200,
        "curb": 8600,
        "gcwr": 25500,
        "passengers": 950,
        "trailer": 12000,
        "tonguePct": 19
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the towing capacity & payload calculator work?",
      "a": "Payload, not tow rating, is what most people exceed first — tongue weight lands on the truck's rear axle and eats into the same payload as passengers and cargo. The underlying maths is: Available payload = GVWR − curb weight − passengers − cargo − tongue weight."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "6 values: vehicle gvwr (lb), curb weight (lb), gcwr (lb), passengers + gear (lb), loaded trailer weight (lb), and tongue weight. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the payload remaining (lb) result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a whole number and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone doing everyday planning maths — a quick estimate that would otherwise need four browser tabs and a calculator app."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/tire-size-comparison",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-per-mile"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Towing Capacity Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/towing-capacity)"
}