Towing Capacity

Towing capacity is an important figure to know if you're planning on towing. Every vehicle is not capable of towing but even the ones that are capable have limits. Learn all about towing capacity to make sure that you're using your vehicle safely.

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There's no scarier feeling than getting stuck behind a massive boat being towed by a puny truck. So what happens if the weight is too much for the truck to bear?

By Jennifer Horton

Just like you need extra energy to carry a backpack loaded with textbooks, your car requires extra fuel to tow heavy cargo. So how will this weight affect you at the pumps?

By Jennifer Horton

If road tripping were an Olympic sport, you'd be a gold medalist. You've got your CDs, your maps and an iron stomach to withstand diner food. The only kink in your plan? You're pulling a trailer.

By Molly Edmonds

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The curb weight of your car is simply how much your car weighs. Read more about curb weight and what it means for your car.

By Scott C. Benjamin

Payload is simple; it's anything you're carrying or towing. Knowing how much weight your vehicle can tow isn't so simple. Pay attention -- towing too much weight invites disaster.

By John Fuller

This towing capacity chart displays vehicles' towing capacities by make, model and year. Knowing your vehicle's towing capacity is essential to towing safety, plus it can keep you from damaging your vehicle with the burden an overweight load.

Pickup trucks come in all sorts of sizes and options -- big ones, small ones, short ones and tall ones. Understanding all the choices and lingo can be confusing. So what does half-ton truck really mean?

By Jane McGrath

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Some weights associated with towing are fairly complex, but not every weight connected with towing is hard to calculate. In fact, some are remarkably straightforward -- gross trailer weight (GTW) is a good example.

By Scott C. Benjamin

If you've never had the experience of towing a trailer, then you probably don't know what tongue weight is. Sure, it may sound funny — but to someone hitching up a heavy load, it's very serious.

By Scott C. Benjamin

Do you know your vehicle's gross axle weight rating? That's all right -- not many people do. But if you're planning to tow a trailer, it's a good idea to learn your vehicle's GAWR.

By Scott C. Benjamin

If you ever plan to tow a trailer, it's a good idea to know the tow vehicle's gross combination weight rating. If you don't learn it, you could be in for some serious repair bills.

By Scott C. Benjamin

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It's relatively simple to determine when you've added a little too much weight to your car, truck or SUV. But what if you were loading something much bigger -- perhaps a massive recreational vehicle?

By Scott C. Benjamin

Most people can tell you the fuel economy numbers for their vehicle. Some even know the horsepower and torque in their car or truck. But what about the gross vehicle weight rating? Who knows that?

By Scott C. Benjamin

Cars with an automatic transmission use a device called a torque converter instead of a clutch. So what does a torque converter do?

By Karim Nice & Talon Homer

You find references to force, power, torque and energy all over the HowStuffWorks site. Learn what these terms really mean and how they relate to one another.

By Karim Nice