Payload & hitch weight calculator
A truck can have the tow rating for a trailer and still run out of payload. Add up passengers, cargo, the hitch and the trailer’s tongue or pin weight to see how much payload you have left.
Enter your truck’s payload capacity to see what’s left.
How this is calculated
Payload used = passengers + cargo in the truck + hitch hardware + the trailer’s loaded tongue or pin weight. When you pick an RV with a published GVWR, the loaded tongue weight is estimated at 13% of GVWR for bumper-pull trailers (typical range 10–15%) and the pin weight at 20% of GVWR for fifth wheels (typical 15–25%). That’s the weight at a full load; yours may be lower. Without a GVWR, the manufacturer’s published (unloaded) hitch weight is filled in, and loading the trailer will raise it. Hitch hardware weights are typical values. Replace any number with your own; a truck scale gives the real figures. Also stay within your truck’s tow rating, GCWR and rear axle rating.
Common questions
What is payload capacity?
Payload is the total weight your truck or SUV can carry: everyone in the cab, everything in the bed and cab, the hitch itself and the trailer’s tongue or pin weight. It’s printed on the yellow Tire and Loading Information sticker on the driver’s door jamb (“The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX lbs”).
How much tongue weight does a travel trailer put on a truck?
Typically 10–15% of the trailer’s loaded weight. Fifth wheels put about 15–25% of their loaded weight on the truck as pin weight, which is why payload is often the first limit for fifth wheels.
Is the published hitch weight what my truck will carry?
Usually not. Manufacturers publish the hitch weight of the empty trailer. Once you load gear, water and propane, the tongue or pin weight goes up. The most accurate number comes from weighing your loaded setup at a truck scale.