In this blog entry, the professional Chicago area towing team here at Towing Chicago will detail the most important terms and definitions that relate to towing capacity.
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating– Known as GVWR, this rating measures how much downwards force your vehicle can handle. If your vehicle weight surpasses the GVWR your truck can be damaged. Check the GVWR in your vehicle owner’s manual
- Gross Trailer Weight– This refers to the total weight of the load being towed. If it exceeds the vehicle’s towing capacity, it should not be towed, as this can cause vehicle damage
- Curb Weight– This refers to the weight of your vehicle as well as the weight of oil, gas, and other fluids when fully filled
- Dry Weight– this refers to the vehicle’s weight in total isolation, without gas or oil being considered
- Gross Axle Weight Rating– the GAWR refers to how much weight a single vehicle axle can support, which is essential for computing towing capacity. This is very important for large vehicles with many axles, like trucks.
- Gross Combined Weight Rating – This combines the GVWR with the max weight of the towed load, including the highest towable weight. If the total weight of the trailer and truck goes over this, it may not be able to be legally operated depending on your license and region
- Tongue Weight– This describes the amount of pressure pressed on the trailer hitch when a load is being towed
- Standard Towing Capacity– This describes how much weight the vehicle can tow on a daily basis. While the vehicle might be able to tow very heavy loads, regularly doing this can cause extra strain or damage. We recommend staying inside the vehicle’s standard towing capacity the majority of the time
What’s the difference between towing on pavement and towing off-road?
Towing off-road is much more difficult than towing on pavement, due to the terrain possibly being muddy, uneven, or steep. This can potentially limit vehicle strength and towing capacity by forcing it to move into strange positions when it cannot properly leverage its strength.