How large of an RV can your vehicle tow?

August 20th, 2024 by

There is nothing quite like getting away from life’s routine, everyday grind. Dealing with the typical 9-5 grind, traffic, taking and picking up the kids from school, grocery shopping, errands, and so much more can really take a toll on your mental health over time. That’s why so many people love to get in their GMC Sierra, tow their RV to a campsite or park, and relax for a weekend or more. But, what is the most RV you can safely tow?

 

GMC Sierra Towing a Trailer Through a Rocky Desert Front 3/4 View

To Know Is To Safely Tow

The safest way to tow is to calculate all of your weights before you start driving. It may take a little longer to get set up, but it is absolutely vital that drivers know the limits of their vehicle while also understanding how to tow for their own safety and that of others on the road around them. Depending on the trim and options, a Sierra can tow over 13,000 lbs, but does that mean you should? 

 

Vehicle Towing Capacity Chart

Terms to Know

There are some simple terms that you should familiarize yourself with if you are going to be towing semi-regularly, especially if you are towing heavy loads. Those terms are Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR), hitch weight, tongue weight, Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) or axle weight, and payload capacity. 

 

GM Trailering Information Chart

What Do These Terms Mean?

Defining each term is pretty straightforward. However, some of them feel like they are kind of the same thing, but they indeed have their own definition. GVWR is the maximum weight your truck can carry, which includes people and luggage in the cab and the bed. GCWR is the maximum weight you can carry and tow at the same time. The hitch weight is the amount of weight that is pushing down on your hitch from the trailer. Tongue weight is the downward pressure from your trailer onto your hitch ball. The axle weight is the maximum amount of weight that can be placed over each axle on your truck. There are legal limits to this, too, so it’s super important that you know what you are doing here. Finally, payload capacity is the maximum weight your vehicle can carry. 

 

Let’s Break It Down

This is obviously quite a bit of information that may seem like an overload, but you start to know it the more you do it. But let’s start slowly by breaking it down. A travel RV that you tow can vary in weight, but let’s say you are going to tow one that is 5,000 lbs, and your truck is able to tow 9,200 lbs. Seems simple enough. However, you still need to think about your GCWR. The easiest way to put this is to take the maximum weight of everything in your vehicle – people, luggage, fuel, everything, which, let’s say, is 6,300 lbs, including the truck (truck weight of 5,300 lbs for the 5.3-liter V8 plus 1,000 lbs of people, luggage, and gas, etc.). 

 

GMC Sierra Towing a Trailer Through a Rocky Desert Side View

So What Can I Tow?

After you have figured out the total vehicle weight, you subtract that number from your GCWR, which is the combined weight of your gross vehicle weight and your towing capacity, and then you will get the true weight that you will be able to tow. In the case of a 5.3-liter Crew Cab Sierra with a standard-sized bed, the GCWR is 15,000 lbs. If you take away 6,300 lbs of payload from that, you get 8,700, which is the most weight you can safely tow. This means that your 5,000 lb RV will be just fine to tow. 

 

GMC Sierra Towing a Trailer on a Mountain Highway Front 3/4 View

Now You Have The Basics Covered

While there are still other things to consider, like weight distribution when towing, it is vital to understand the basics first. Once you get farther along, there are great resources and companies that offer weight distribution hitches to help keep weight properly centered over the axles for safe driving. You can also check out this website from GMC, which helps break down the various weight ratings for different models. 

 

At Valley GMC, we pride ourselves on offering the best sales and service possible. With dozens of new and used vehicles available, our incredible sales team and finance department can help you find the best car for you and your family. And our fantastic service department will work hard to maintain your vehicle to the highest standards. We look forward to serving you.