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Need To Know How Much You Can Tow?

Check your vehicle's tow rating now.

Understanding your vehicle’s tow rating capacity is critical to choosing the right RV for you and your family. Our Murphy RV towing guide is here to help you tow your next RV safely down the road, which depends on finding the right tow vehicle and RV combination. Whether you’re staying around Melbourne, FL or traveling much farther away, our dealership is determined to ensure that you are properly prepared.

Fill out your RV’s year, make and model/trim below to get started, and reference our Terms and Definitions section for more clarity on certain aspects of RV towing. All of the new and used RVs we have in our inventories are incredibly capable, but it is important to be properly equipped and to tow within your vehicle’s towing capacity. If you have any questions about a specific model’s towing capacity or RV towing in general, be sure to contact us at our Melbourne dealership, Murphy RV. 



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Attention: Your vehicle's max towing capacity includes passenger weight, added accessories, any current liquids in tanks, and any cargo you've added such as food, clothes, chairs, grills, games, tools, etc.. For purposes of Find an RV I can Tow, we've allowed 1000 lbs for RVs over 8000 lbs, 750 lbs for RVs under 8000 lbs, and 500 lbs for RVs under 5000 lbs for average Cargo Weight. Always confirm your specific tow vehicles towing capacity directly from your vehicle's manufacturer before purchasing or towing an RV. You are responsible for the decision to operate your vehicle and any RV you may tow. If your specific vehicle is not listed, please contact us for assistance.

Terms & Definitions

  • Dry Weight/Shipped Weight - The weight of the RV as shipped from the manufacturer without any passengers, cargo, liquids, or additional accessories or dealer installed options.
  • Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) - The current combined weight of the RV (dry weight) plus passengers, cargo, and liquids.
  • Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) - The maximum allowed weight of an Vehicle/RV, including passengers, cargo, fluids, etc..
  • Cargo Weight - The total weight of all passengers, food, clothing, liquids, accessories, etc.. that you might put into your RV.
  • Tongue/Hitch Weight - The weight/pressure applied from the trailer tongue/coupler to the conventional/bumper hitch on your vehicle.
  • Pin Weight - This is often referred to as the weight/pressure applied from fifth wheel king pin to the hitch in the bed of your truck.
  • Payload Capacity - For Trucks the amount of weight you can safely add to the bed of the truck. Your Fifth Wheels Hitch Weight or Pin Weight plus the actual weight of hitch plus any other accessories you have in the bed of the truck must not exceed the Payload Capacity amount. Confirm Payload Capacity with your vehicle’s manufacturer.
  • Max Towing Capacity - The maximum weight limit that can safely be towed by your specific vehicle. This weight is calculated by adding the RV’s GVW with weight of all passengers, cargo, and liquids in your tow vehicle.

Understanding Your Vehicle's Towing Capacity: The Foundation of Safe RV Adventures

Before choosing a travel trailer, fifth wheel, or toy-hauler RV for your Florida adventures, it's essential to know your vehicle's towing capacity. If your towing vehicle doesn't have the maximum towing capacity for hauling the RV, people, water, supplies, and accessories, you risk damaging the RV and vehicle. This can result in costly repairs or endanger others on the road or off-road trail. The easiest way to learn your specific vehicle's towing specifications and capacity, matched to your RV, is to fill out Murphy RV Sales of Melbourne, Florida's towing guide above, to learn how much your vehicle can tow.

How to Find Your Vehicle's Official Towing Capacity

Knowing your pickup truck or SUV's towing capacity will help you find the right type of RV suited to your vehicle. Here are some recommendations for finding your towing capacity.

Locating the Trailering Sticker (2019+ Vehicles)

Most vehicles have a sticker on the inside jamb of the driver's side door with vital towing information. It's important to understand the terminology of towing (which we'll cover below) so you can get accurate information about your vehicle's towing capacity.  

Owner's Manual and Manufacturer Specifications

All vehicles come with an owner's manual. You'll find detailed specifications about your specific vehicle, including a towing capacity chart. If you don't have your original owner's manual, contact the dealer you bought your vehicle from to get a replacement, or see if you can find it online.

VIN Lookup and Manufacturer Websites

All vehicles, RVs, and trailers have a unique vehicle identification number (VIN) created by the manufacturer. This 17-character VIN provides information about your vehicle. You can find the VIN on the driver's side dashboard where it meets the windshield of the car, truck, or SUV. You can also find the VIN on the inside driver's side door jamb, in the owner's manual, or on the manufacturer's website.

Once you find your VIN, enter the number into the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) VIN decoder along with the model year, and you'll get information about the vehicle's plant of manufacture and other details.

While finding your vehicle's trailer towing capacity is fairly straightforward, if you need help finding your vehicle's towing capacity, contact Murphy RV Sales' service department.

Factors That Affect Real-World Towing Capacity

Whether you're towing ATVs in your toy hauler for a weekend of adventure at Bone Valley ATV Park near Mulberry, Florida, your fifth-wheel for a road trip, or a travel trailer for a family camping trip at Wickham Park just north of Melbourne, towing rules apply.

Vehicle Configuration and Options

The engine, drivetrain, suspension system, and model of your vehicle affect towing dynamics. In general, a more powerful engine with high torque has a higher towing capacity. All-wheel drive or four-wheel drive greatly enhances towing capacity and safety.

In addition, you need to know the maximum towing capacity of your vehicle for conventional or gooseneck towing. When purchasing your vehicle, consult your dealership about trailer packages for your vehicle's make, model, and year to achieve maximum towing capability. You can also get special trailer equipment, such as extended mirrors, technology features, and specific towing safety features for a safer, more dynamic towing experience.

Altitude and Environmental Conditions

The weather and environmental conditions can affect the towing experience. Wind can cause severe swaying of the RV, which is hazardous to the driver and other motorists. Many modern vehicles have trailer-sway control features for extra safety. While Melbourne, Florida, rarely experiences icy roads, the area often has heavy rain, thunderstorms, and hurricanes, which make driving or towing inadvisable.

If you plan to travel to mountainous regions in the West, elevation can also affect towing conditions. Power to your truck or SUV is reduced at higher altitudes, which lowers towing capacity. Consider choosing a diesel engine for high-altitude RV towing.

Passenger and Cargo Weight

Passengers and cargo weight affect towing capacity and driving dynamics. If you're traveling with a large family, you'll need to include passenger weight when calculating towing capacity. In addition, consider how much water, extra fuel, supplies, and accessories you'll need for your adventure or journey, as they add to the overall weight.

Essential RV and Vehicle Weight Terminology Explained

Numerous towing terms are essential to understand when matching an RV to your vehicle. Main terms include:

Dry weight. This is the weight of the RV shipped from the manufacturer without fuel, water, or additional accessories.

Gross vehicle weight (GVW). GVW is the combination of dry weight plus passengers and cargo.

Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). This is the maximum allowed weight for the vehicle.

Cargo weight. This is the total weight of all passengers, supplies, liquids, and accessories carried inside your RV.

Tongue/hitch weight. This is the downward force on the back of the tow vehicle that helps determine how to load the RV for stability when towing.

Pin weight. This is the pressure applied to the hitch in the back of your pickup truck from a gooseneck hitch.

Payload capacity. This is the maximum amount of weight you can carry in the bed of your truck, including the weight of your fifth-wheel hitch. Payload capacity also includes the passenger and cargo weight carried in the bed of the truck.

Maximum towing capacity. This is the maximum weight your vehicle can tow, including the weight of the RV, passengers, cargo, liquids, and accessories.

RV Weight Classifications

Aside from towing capacity and vehicle weight terminology, RVs have specific terms, including:

Gross cargo carrying capacity (GCCC). This is the maximum cargo-carrying capacity, calculated as the GVWR minus the dry weight.

Resources and Tools for RV Towing Success 

Towing a travel trailer, toy hauler, or fifth wheel can help you explore national parks, local attractions like Sebastian Inlet State Park, or live in your RV at one of the Melbourne area's RV resorts, you need a vehicle to tow it there. Murphy RV Sales is the premier Melbourne RV dealership. We have a state-of-the-art service center and team members who understand the essentials of towing your RV. Contact us to learn more about towing capacity guidelines and RV towing tips. Find us at 174 E. Hibiscus Blvd. in Melbourne, Florida, or call us at 321-727-2847.