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RV glossary · Weights & towing limits

GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating)

Also called: Gross Combined Weight Rating

The maximum allowed weight of a tow vehicle and its trailer together, both fully loaded. It’s set by the vehicle manufacturer and is often the hidden limit when towing heavy trailers.

GCWR covers the whole rig: the truck, everyone and everything in it, the hitch, and the trailer. Your truck’s tow rating is usually calculated as GCWR minus the truck’s curb weight with a driver, so a loaded truck has less towing headroom than the brochure tow rating suggests.

Example: a truck with a 17,000 lb GCWR that weighs 6,500 lb loaded can pull at most 10,500 lb of loaded trailer, even if the advertised tow rating is higher for a lighter configuration.

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Related terms

Tow rating
The maximum trailer weight a vehicle is rated to pull, as published by its manufacturer. It depends on engine, axle ratio, cab, bed, drivetrain and tow package, so the same model can have very different ratings.
GVWR
The maximum an RV (or a truck) is allowed to weigh when fully loaded, including everything inside it: cargo, water, propane, batteries and, for motorhomes, passengers. It is set by the manufacturer and printed on the weight label.
Payload capacity
How much weight a truck or SUV can carry: its GVWR minus its curb weight. Passengers, cargo, the hitch itself and the trailer’s tongue or pin weight all count against payload.
Curb weight
What a vehicle weighs with standard equipment and full fluids but no passengers or cargo. GVWR minus curb weight equals payload.

More weights & towing limits terms

UVW · Dry weight · CCC · OCCC · GAWR · GVW · Hitch weight · Pin weight

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