Towing capacity calculator for Australian vehicles.
We've partnered with Know My Tow — Australia's #1 towing, RV & vehicle platform — so you can confirm GVM, GCM, payload and braked capacity before you test drive. Verified against manufacturer data for 100k+ Australian vehicles.
What a tow check actually tells you
Braked towing capacity is the headline number, but it's rarely the one that limits you. These four figures decide whether your van, boat or trailer is legal behind the vehicle you're considering — we check them against manufacturer data before you commit to a test drive.
Braked towing capacity
The maximum trailer weight the vehicle is rated to pull with its own brakes engaged — typically 2,500kg to 3,500kg on a modern ute.
GVM — Gross Vehicle Mass
The most the loaded vehicle itself may weigh. Passengers, canopy, bull bar, tools and towball download all count against it.
GCM — Gross Combination Mass
The ceiling for vehicle and trailer combined. This is where most setups fail: many utes can't carry a full payload and tow their maximum at once.
Payload & towball download
What's left for people and gear once the towball download (usually around 10% of trailer weight) is subtracted.
Run your exact vehicle and trailer combination through the full calculator at knowmytow.com.au/calculator, then come back and we'll arrange a test drive in the variant that clears your numbers.
GVM calculator: what your vehicle may legally weigh
Gross Vehicle Mass is the maximum the loaded vehicle itself may weigh — kerb weight plus everything you add. To work out your position, take the GVM from the compliance plate and subtract the kerb weight, the weight of every passenger, any accessories fitted after delivery (bull bar, canopy, drawers, roof rack, long-range tank, second battery) and the towball download from your trailer.
Accessories are where most utes and 4×4s quietly go over. A steel bull bar, canopy and drawer system can account for 250–350 kg before a single passenger gets in — on a dual cab with 950 kg of nominal payload, that is already a third of it gone.
Run a GVM calculation on your exact build against verified manufacturer figures, or read the plain-English breakdown at knowmytow.com.au/weights.
Payload calculator: what's left for people and gear
Payload is simply GVM minus kerb weight — and it is the number that decides whether a family of five plus camping gear plus a caravan's towball download actually fits. Towball download alone is usually around 10% of the trailer's loaded weight, so a 2,500 kg van takes roughly 250 kg out of your payload before you load anything else.
The trap is that payload, braked towing capacity and GCM interact. Plenty of 3,500 kg-rated utes cannot tow 3,500 kg and carry a full payload at the same time, because the combined figure exceeds GCM. The tow rating is a ceiling, not a promise.
Check the payload and GCM headroom for the variant you are considering at knowmytow.com.au/vehicles, then tell us which variants clear your numbers and we will arrange the test drives.
About the partnership
Book a Test Drive matches you to the right ute, 4×4 or SUV, and Know My Tow makes sure it can legally pull what you need. Once your numbers stack up in the calculator, we'll line up a test drive with a local dealer — no obligation, no cost.
- ✓ Verified tow specs from knowmytow.com.au/vehicles
- ✓ Understand the numbers on knowmytow.com.au/weights
- ✓ Dealers & brokers: see knowmytow.com.au/enterprise
Know what to tow — then find the vehicle to do it.
Tell us your load and lifestyle. Our independent brokers shortlist tow-capable utes and SUVs, arrange finance and deliver nationwide.