What Can I Tow?

"What can I tow?" and "Can I tow that?" are two of the most common questions that people have. A slightly worse question is, "I've bought this trailer, will my truck tow it?" because then you're a little more stuck. But, let's go with the optimists route:

• You have a SUV, truck or van

• You are just starting your RV search

• You want to be safe and stay within your limits

More times than not, the single most important limiting factor is your truck's available payload. Payload is the difference between the maximum your truck can carry minus the weight of the truck. Generally the payload plans for a 150 pound driver and a full tank of fuel. The "rest" of your driver, all passengers and everything you carry eats into this payload number. Whatever is left over is what you can use for tongue weight for bumper-pull trailers or pin weight for fifth wheels. We'll talk more about all of these things later.

Calculating Payload

There are 2 ways to approach the "What can I tow?" question and both revolve around the weight of your truck and the things in it. For trucks about 2005 and newer, you should have 2 different stickers on the truck - usually on a doorjamb. See below for my stickers from my 2012 Dodge Ram 3500 with dual rear wheels:

Approach #1 - Weight Ratings and Getting Weighed

The first sticker showing the Weight Ratings is used by combining that with actually having your truck weighed at a scale of some sort (via a truck stop/CAT Scale or by going to a quarry, dump, etc.). To prepare for this weighing, you should load the truck as if you were going for camping with your usual supplies:

• Your driver

• Your passengers (with infant/child seats, booster seats, etc.)

• Any food, snacks and drinks

• Any games, toys, activities and diaper bags for the kids

• Guides, maps, travel directories

• Firewood, generators, camping chairs, tables, and other supplies

• And, of course- your hitch

Read more about What Can I Tow? on LearnToRV.blogspot.com.