RV Tow Match Calculator
Run one towing setup through several independent limits instead of relying on the advertised tow rating alone. Enter ratings from your exact tow vehicle, hitch and tires, plus loaded or scale weights where available.
1. Trailer and hitch load
2. Payload check
3. Combined-weight and component checks
Why a tow match needs several limits
Maximum tow rating is only one constraint. Payload can be exhausted by people, cargo, hitch hardware and tongue or pin weight before the trailer reaches the advertised tow maximum. GVWR controls the loaded tow vehicle, while GCWR limits the combined mass of the loaded tow vehicle and trailer. The receiver, rear axle and tires can each impose a lower limit still.
How the payload check works
The calculator subtracts occupants, cargo/accessories, hitch hardware and tongue or pin load from the payload rating you enter. For a travel trailer, tongue load is often estimated as a percentage of loaded trailer weight during early planning. Fifth-wheel pin load is typically a larger share. Those percentages are estimates only; use a measured hitch load when available.
How GVWR and GCWR are checked
GVWR is checked only when you enter a measured hitched tow-vehicle weight, because weight distribution and hitch geometry make a final coupled vehicle weight more useful than a guess. For GCWR, the tool adds the loaded tow-vehicle weight measured without the trailer to the trailer's loaded weight. Vertical hitch load transfers weight between the two units but does not create additional combined mass.
Rear axle and tires require measured weight
The tool deliberately does not guess final rear-axle load. Weight distribution, wheelbase, hitch geometry and cargo placement can change axle loading. If you enter a measured rear-axle weight while hitched, the calculator compares it with RAWR and with the combined load capacity of the two rear tires. Also verify wheel ratings and tire pressure requirements separately.
What counts as a useful result
A positive margin means the numbers you entered do not exceed that particular rating. It does not prove the setup is safe or compliant because an omitted limit may still control. A negative margin is simpler: based on the entered values, that rating is exceeded and the setup needs to be changed or the inputs rechecked before towing.
Best workflow before towing
Start with the exact certification labels and manuals. Load the tow vehicle and trailer as they will travel, including passengers, water, propane, batteries and gear. Obtain individual axle weights at a certified scale. Compare those measurements with GVWR, GAWR, GCWR, hitch and tire/wheel ratings, and follow the tow-vehicle and hitch manufacturers' instructions for weight distribution and setup.