TRUCK TOWING
COMPARISON Check our data

The plan of the record

Everything a truck page is built to hold.

Towing capacity is one line. The rest of the truck is the bed, the tongue or pin, the wheelbase, the axles, the combination rating, and the sticker in the door. A blank line means that chart is not transcribed yet. It does not mean the truck lacks the part.

Fields on every model year

GroupFieldWhy it is separate
TowingConventional maximumBumper-pull rating for one configuration.
TowingGooseneck maximumIn-bed ball rating. Often a different truck than the conventional maximum.
TowingFifth-wheel maximumCan differ from gooseneck on the same chart.
TowingTongue or pin loadThe part of the trailer the truck carries.
TowingWeight distributionRequired above a threshold on some half-tons.
TowingTrailer frontal areaA tall trailer can be illegal for the rating even when the scale weight is fine.
WeightsPayloadPeople, cargo, and hitch load share this number.
WeightsGCWRTruck, people, cargo, and trailer together.
WeightsGVWRThe most the truck itself may weigh.
WeightsFront GAWRToo much rear load can unload this axle.
WeightsRear GAWRTongue and pin weight land here first.
WeightsCurb weightPayload is GVWR minus this, after options.
BodyWheelbaseTow charts are split into these columns.
BodyBed lengthNamed only when the guide names the box.
BodyBed width and depthVolume and what fits between the wheel wells.
BodyCab-to-axleWhere a gooseneck ball has to sit.
BodyOverall length, width, heightGarage, trailer, and lane fit.
BodyGround clearance and anglesApproach, departure, and breakover for off-road trims.
PowerEngine, horsepower, torqueThe rating is per engine, not per nameplate.
PowerTransmissionCooling and gearing change what the chart allows.
PowerFuel type and tankRange while towing is mostly unpublished, so tank size is the fact we can cite.
PowerDrivetrain2WD, 4WD, and AWD are different rows.
PowerAxle ratioThe top cell is often one ratio and one package.
PowerTow packageThe same truck without it can be thousands of pounds lower.

The truck

  1. How to read a truckA nameplate is not a rating. Year, cab, bed, engine, axle, drivetrain, package, and hitch each change the number.
  2. Trims, packages, and configurationsTrim is a price ladder. Configuration is the combination that earns a cell on the towing chart.

Weights

  1. The door stickerThe certification label on the door jamb overrides the brochure maximum.
  2. The weight stackCurb weight, payload, GVWR, GAWR, tongue or pin weight, trailer weight, and GCWR are separate ceilings.

Towing

  1. Hitch classesThe truck’s chart and the hitch stamped on the receiver are both limits. The lower one wins.
  2. Weight distribution and swayLoad bars move hitch weight forward. They do not raise the door-sticker ratings.
  3. Trailer brakes and controlThe truck’s brakes are sized for the truck. The trailer has to stop its own share.

Body

  1. Cabs and bedsRegular, extended, and crew cabs change seats, doors, wheelbase, and curb weight. Bed length changes what fits and which chart column you are in.
  2. Wheelbase and the rest of the sizeWheelbase is the tow-chart column. Length, width, height, cab-to-axle, and tailgate height decide whether the combination fits the world.
  3. Clearance, angles, and tiresApproach, departure, breakover, and tire load range are capability facts. They also change towing.

Power

  1. Engines and transmissionsHorsepower is the peak. Torque is what moves a trailer from a stop. Both are cited per engine, per year.
  2. Gas, diesel, hybrid, and electricThe fuel changes the weight of the truck, the torque curve, the range, and sometimes whether a hitch type is recommended at all.
  3. Axle ratio, lockers, and drive typeThe numerically higher axle is often the one in the max-tow cell. Four-wheel drive usually costs payload and can cost trailer rating.

Using it

  1. People, cargo, and a trailer at onceEvery occupant, cargo, added hitch hardware and tongue or pin load counts against your truck's door-label payload.
  2. Fuel and range while towingWindow-sticker mpg is unloaded. Tank capacity is the citeable fact. Towing range is not guessed.
  3. Reading a used truckThe model year on the title is the chart you open. The sticker in the door is the truck you are buying.
  4. Licenses, brakes, and the combinationA pickup can cross into commercial-license rules when the ratings get large. The threshold is legal, and it varies.