Towing Weight Glossary
- GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
- Max a vehicle (truck or trailer) may weigh fully loaded.
- GCWR: Gross Combined Weight Rating
- Max the loaded truck plus loaded trailer may weigh together.
- GAWR: Gross Axle Weight Rating
- Max weight on a single axle (front and rear listed separately).
- UVW: Unloaded Vehicle Weight
- An RV's "dry" weight as built, without water or cargo.
- CCC: Cargo Carrying Capacity
- GVWR − UVW: how much you can load into an RV.
- Curb weight
- The truck with full fluids and fuel, no people or cargo.
- Payload
- GVWR − curb weight: people, cargo, hitch and tongue/pin weight the truck may carry.
- Tongue weight
- Downward force of a bumper-pull trailer on the hitch, typically 10–15% of trailer weight.
- Pin weight
- Fifth-wheel equivalent, typically 15–25%.
- Towing capacity
- Max trailer weight the manufacturer rates the truck to pull, for a specific configuration.
- GTW: Gross Trailer Weight
- Actual loaded trailer weight, including the tongue weight.
Safety note: These are planning estimates, not a guarantee your setup is safe or legal. Always verify with your truck's door-jamb sticker, the manufacturer's towing guide for your exact configuration, the trailer's VIN sticker, and a real weigh at a CAT scale. Never exceed any rating.
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Last reviewed October 2026 by Jim Frith.