Determining Towing Capacity from Online listings

[Tulecreeper]

I’m late to this party but I’ll throw this out there. Call the dealership with the vehicle you’re interested in and have a sales person text you a picture of the sticker on the driver’s door frame with the weights for that particular vehicle. Then, you have accurate information to make your decision. Yes, you’re going to have to deal with multiple sales reps but, I’d rather do that than buy the wrong truck and not be able to tow what I needed to safely.

The only weights you're going to get from the door pillar are the truck's GVWR, the GAWR, and the cargo capacity. None of those will tell you what the towing capacity is.

 

[Jerrybob]

My 2019 Tradesman crew cab with a short bed is rated to tow 11,500lbs. 5.7 Hemi.....3.92 rear....tow package....8 spreed trans....MDS. I have towed a light travel trailer all over the western states without any weight distribution.....truck doesn't know anything is back there.....I average 16 to 18 mpg depending on terrain. I also tow a 17ft car trailer....have had cars, tractors and carriages on it at various time.....the truck handles it all well.

 

[KeithP]

The only weights you're going to get from the door pillar are the truck's GVWR, the GAWR, and the cargo capacity. None of those will tell you what the towing capacity is.

True, but every one of these trucks run out of payload capacity long before reaching advertised tow capacity. As long as you’re not over payload you’re going to be under towing capacity. I wouldn’t pay any attention to advertised tow capacity.

 

[Tulecreeper]

True, but every one of these trucks run out of payload capacity long before reaching advertised tow capacity.

True...most of the time.

As long as you’re not over payload you’re going to be under towing capacity. I wouldn’t pay any attention to advertised tow capacity.

Not true. My truck weighs 6100#, my cargo cap is 3900, my GVWR is 10,000#, my towing cap is 15,500#, and my GCVWR is 22,000#. If I load my truck up with 2000# of cargo and only bring it to 8000# (2000# below my GVWR, and 1900# below my cargo cap) I no longer have a 15,000# tow cap, I now only have 14,000# because no matter what all the other numbers are, 22,000# is my max GCVWR.

So, even though you will almost always run out of cargo cap before you hit your towing cap, you still can be well below your cargo capacity and still be over your towing capacity if you go above your GCVWR.