Most people know their 4WD’s towing rating. Far fewer know what it can tow with the family, fridge, drawers and a long-range tank already aboard – and those are different numbers.
Pick your vehicle, tell us what goes in it, and our Payload Calculator works out whether you’re within the limits, shows you the sum, and tells you the heaviest trailer you could legally hitch up with that load.
The number most people get wrong
Towing capacity is quoted as a single figure. In practice it’s capped by whichever limit you reach first: the towing rating, GVM (gross vehicle mass), or GCM (gross combination mass). For many touring setups it’s GVM – and because the towball typically takes about 10 per cent of the trailer’s weight onto the vehicle, a heavier van takes its toll (350kg of your payload if you’re towing a 3.5 tonne trailer).
That’s why a dual-cab rated at 3500kg can run out of legal capacity at 2800kg once it’s set up for touring. The calculator names which limit is binding in your case, so you can see what to change.
What counts as accessories
Everything bolted on after you drove it home: bullbar, winch, drawers, canopy, roof rack, long-range tank, dual battery, water – and all the people and their luggage. A moderately kitted-out touring rig is often hauling around 200 to 350kg before anyone gets in. It’s the figure people most often leave out, and the one that most often turns a legal setup into an illegal one.
If your vehicle comes back unverified
Some manufacturers don’t publish a GCM. Where that figure is missing we tell you; that said, we’ve managed to source a GCM for most models in our Calculator. If it’s not there, ask a dealer for the combined mass in writing before you load up.
Then weigh it
Our Calculator crunches the numbers on supplied figures. Kerb weights vary between model variants, accessories can be heavier than their spec sheets claim, and more often than not the gear you want to lug along for the ride weighs more than you think. Use this to find out whether you’re close to the line, then visit a weighbridge for confirmation.
Still choosing a vehicle?
Try the 4WD matcher – it runs the same checks across every 4WD wagon/SUV and ute on sale.
