How to Find Your Exact Towing Capacity (Not Just the Brochure Number)

The "up to" number in the ads is for the best-equipped version. Your truck or SUV may be rated lower. Here's how to find your actual number.

1. Know your configuration

Towing ratings change with engine, drivetrain (2WD or 4WD), cab and bed size, axle ratio, and whether the vehicle has the factory tow package. Write these down first. They're on the original window sticker, and a dealer can pull the build sheet from your VIN.

2. Check the owner's manual

Look for a section called Towing or Trailer Towing. It lists the ratings and any equipment required, like a weight-distributing hitch above a certain trailer weight or a limit on trailer frontal area.

3. Use the manufacturer's towing guide

Many automakers publish a towing guide or chart every model year, for example Ford's RV and Trailer Towing Guide and Chevrolet's Trailering Guide. Find the row that matches your configuration exactly. This is where our numbers come from.

4. Read the door-jamb stickers

• Tire and Loading Information (usually yellow): your payload. "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed" this number.
• Certification label: GVWR and axle ratings (GAWR).

GM trucks also have a Service Parts Identification label, usually in the glove box or center console, that lists option codes, including the axle ratio.

5. What a VIN can and can't tell you

A free VIN decoder, like the one from NHTSA, confirms the year, engine, drivetrain, and body. It usually won't give you a towing number on its own. Use it to confirm your configuration, then look that up in the towing guide.

6. Equipment matters

A factory tow package often adds a receiver hitch, trailer wiring, extra cooling, and sometimes a brake controller. Without it, many vehicles are rated much lower. Your hitch also has its own rating, stamped on the receiver and the ball mount. The lowest rating in the chain is your limit.