Free Online Calculators
Check towing vehicle with load & nose weight against its GVW
This calculator checks whether your towing vehicle, with an 80 kg driver, load and the trailer's nose weight, stays within its permissible gross vehicle weight, and shows the trailer payload and total train weight. With the default values the car weighs 1,955 kg against 2,000 kg permitted. It does not check towing capacity, maximum nose weight or licence rules โ compare those yourself.
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Take the manufacturer's gross combined weight rating (GCWR) from your door sticker or owner's manual and subtract the actual loaded weight of the tow vehicle, including passengers, fuel, cargo and hitch hardware. What's left is the maximum trailer weight you may pull, and it must also stay within the hitch and tyre ratings.
GVWR alone doesn't tell you the towing capacity, because it only limits the loaded weight of the vehicle itself. For the trailer limit you need the GCWR and the tongue-weight rating of the hitch, then subtract the vehicle's actual weight from the GCWR.
It means the vehicle may pull a trailer whose fully loaded weight, including cargo, water and gear, stays at or below that figure. It's a light rating typical of compact cars and small crossovers, enough for a small utility or jet-ski trailer but not for a caravan.
A trailer in that weight class normally calls for a heavy-duty three-quarter-ton or one-ton pickup, or a diesel half-ton with the maximum tow package. Check the specific configuration, since cab style, axle ratio and drivetrain change the rating on the same model.
For private, non-commercial towing most jurisdictions don't require a commercial licence, but a special endorsement or higher licence class can apply once the combined rating of truck and trailer crosses the legal threshold. Commercial use is judged on the combined gross weight rating and the trailer rating, so check your state or national rules before you hook up.
Usually yes for personal use, as long as the combined weight rating of vehicle and trailer stays under the commercial threshold in your jurisdiction. If you tow for pay or business, the same weight can bring you into commercial licensing territory.
Before you hitch up a caravan, horsebox or boat trailer, it pays to check the weights. This towing calculator checks whether your towing vehicle, with driver, load and the trailer's nose weight, stays within its permissible gross vehicle weight (GVW). It also shows the trailer payload and the total train weight of the combination.
Enter the kerb weight without a driver โ the calculator adds the 80 kg itself. All figures are in kilograms.
A car with a GVW of 2,000 kg and a kerb weight of 1,400 kg carries 400 kg of load and tows a trailer with a GVW of 1,500 kg, a kerb weight of 600 kg and 75 kg nose weight:
With 500 kg instead of 400 kg of load, the car weighs 2,055 kg and the calculator reports an overload of 55 kg.
In Great Britain the rules depend on when you passed your car driving test:
Northern Ireland and other countries have their own rules. Always check the entitlements on your licence before towing, especially with a hire vehicle.
In the owner's handbook or from the manufacturer, usually as separate figures for braked and unbraked trailers. The calculator does not need these figures, so compare them yourself with the weight of your loaded trailer.
It assumes a driver of 80 kg, so you only enter passengers and luggage as load. If your kerb weight figure already includes a driver, the result is slightly on the safe side.
No โ nose weight is only the downward force on your towball, a small fraction of the total trailer weight. You can measure it with a nose weight gauge at the correct coupling height. The calculator adds it to the weight of the car.
An overloaded car or trailer brakes and handles worse. You could also face a fine, and your insurer may refuse to pay after an accident. If the calculator shows an overload, reduce the load in the car or move it to the trailer, as long as the trailer payload and your towing capacity allow.