Enrichment · Passion Projects

Under the rating
is only the first check.

Towing safely means staying under four limits at the same time, and the one people miss is usually payload: family, gear and tongue weight eat it quickly. Enter the numbers from the manual, the door sticker and a scale. The checklist does the arithmetic, shows how close each limit is and walks through the hitch-up.

Check a setupWhat you get

Your setups

The worked example is made up: a midsize SUV with a camper near three limits and a light tongue, and a pickup with a utility trailer and no brakes. Saved on this device only.

Loading the setup form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Enrichment · Passion ProjectsFree

What you finish with
A record per vehicle and trailer: towing rating, GCWR, payload, weight with people and cargo, the trailer’s loaded and tongue weights, hitch rating, type and brakes, and eight pre-trip checks. Works out tongue share, the trailer as a share of the rating, payload used and left, combined weight and room under the GCWR; flags limits exceeded or close, tongue share out of range, a hitch too small and a heavy trailer without brakes.
Who it is for
Families towing a camper or boat for the first time, new drivers learning to tow and anyone renting a trailer.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per setup. Prints one setup, every setup in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Passion Projects space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Copy the ratings from the manual and the door sticker.
  2. Weigh the loaded vehicle and trailer, or add up the weights.
  3. Enter the tongue weight and the hitch rating.
  4. Fix any limit that is over or close.
  5. Run the pre-trip checks at every hitch-up.

Check a setup

Three ratings and a hitch

Three ratings, all at onceTowing ratingThe trailer’s loadedweightFrom the manual, foryour exact modelPayloadPeople + cargo + tongueweightFrom the door stickerGCWRVehicle + trailer, bothloadedThe whole rig, rollingThree ratings, all at onceTowing ratingThe trailer’s loaded weightFrom the manual, for your exact modelPayloadPeople + cargo + tongue weightFrom the door stickerGCWRVehicle + trailer, both loadedThe whole rig, rolling
A rig can be under the towing rating and still over payload: a family of four, luggage and a 500 lb tongue add up fast. The hitch, ball and mount each have their own rating too.

Measuring tongue weight

A tongue weight scale reads it directly. Without one, weigh the vehicle alone and then with the trailer hitched (front and rear axles separately at a public truck scale); the increase is close to the tongue weight.

Why the numbers differ

The towing rating in an ad is usually for the best-equipped version. Your vehicle’s rating depends on engine, axle ratio, cab and drive; the owner’s manual or the manufacturer’s towing guide gives it for your exact configuration.

Sources

  1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Towing a Trailer: Being Equipped for Safety (nhtsa.gov).
  2. SAE International. J2807: Performance requirements for determining tow-vehicle gross combination weight rating and trailer weight rating.
  3. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Trailer coupling and safety chain basics (fmcsa.dot.gov).
  4. Your vehicle’s owner’s manual and tire and loading information placard (49 CFR 575.105).

The worked examples are made up. Ratings come from your vehicle’s manual and labels, not from this page; when the two differ, the manufacturer’s numbers govern. Trailer brake and equipment laws differ by state. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.