Gross Combination Weight Calculator

Gross combination weight (GCW) is what the whole rig weighs: the tow vehicle, everything in it, the trailer and its load. Manufacturers set a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) that it must not exceed, alongside the tow vehicle's GVWR and the trailer's own rating. This calculator adds the weights, accounts for tongue or pin weight shifting onto the truck, and flags every rating you are over.

How to use this tool

1. Enter the tow vehicle's curb weight and what you carry in it.
2. Enter the trailer's empty weight and its cargo.
3. Set the tongue or pin weight percentage for your hitch type.
4. Enter the GCWR, GVWR, trailer GVWR and towing capacity from the door sticker and owner's manual, then check the status.

Formula

GCW = curb weight + vehicle load + trailer weight + trailer cargo

Tow vehicle weight = curb + vehicle load + tongue weight

Heaviest trailer = min(tow capacity, trailer GVWR, GCWR − curb − load, (GVWR − curb − load) ÷ tongue fraction)

Tongue weight is part of the trailer's weight that rests on the hitch, so it counts toward the tow vehicle's GVWR and payload but is not added twice in the GCW.

Example

A 5,600 lb pickup carrying 500 lb of people and gear tows a 7,000 lb trailer with 1,500 lb of cargo. GCW is 5,600 + 500 + 8,500 = 14,600 lb, leaving 2,400 lb under a 17,000 lb GCWR. At 12% the tongue puts 1,020 lb on the hitch, so the truck weighs 7,120 lb against a 7,200 lb GVWR — inside, but only 80 lb to spare.