Check your motorhome, travel trailer, fifth wheel, or truck camper against GVWR, CCC, and tongue-weight limits before you hit the road. No sign-up. Instant results.
Enter your numbers below and get instant pass/fail results on all of these.
GVWR
Total loaded weight vs. rating
CCC
Remaining cargo capacity
Tongue / Pin Weight
10–15% rule for trailers
Fluid Weights
Water, gray, black, propane
This tool is in beta. Always double-check your results against your manufacturer specs and a certified scale before every trip.
We'll guide you through the right questions for your rig.
Get there safely — then join the gathering
RVGather gives you a full trip map with Cat Scale locations, dump stations, and fresh-water fill spots — plus reservation tracking, campground alerts, and meetup coordination with other RVers heading to the same parks.
Trip Map & Route Planning
Plan stops, view Cat Scale locations, dump stations, and water fill stations on an interactive map — all tied to your actual trip dates.
Reservation Alerts
Get notified before check-in so you can prep your rig, confirm weight compliance, and hit the road on time.
Gatherings & Meetups
Find and join RV meetups at campgrounds near you. Coordinate with your travel group, share stops, and arrive together.
Campground Reviews
Community-sourced real talk on sites, hookups, and amenities — not the sanitized marketing copy.
Know what every acronym on your door sticker actually means.
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| GVWR | Maximum total weight of your RV when fully loaded — people, water, gear, and all. |
| GAWR | Maximum weight each individual axle can support. You can exceed an axle even when under GVWR. |
| GCWR | Maximum combined weight of tow vehicle + trailer + passengers + everything in both. |
| UVW | Factory dry weight with no passengers, water, propane, or gear. Always lighter than real-world weight. |
| CCC | GVWR minus UVW minus factory-rated full fluids. The actual usable payload for your stuff. |
| Tongue Weight | Downward force a travel trailer puts on your ball mount. Safe range: 10–15% of loaded trailer weight. |
| Pin Weight | Downward force a fifth wheel puts on your truck's bed hitch. Safe range: 18–25% of loaded trailer weight. |
| TARE Weight | Your rig's real measured empty weight from a certified Cat Scale — more accurate than UVW sticker. |
Most RVers make at least one of these. Check all six before every trip.
Trusting the UVW sticker
UVW is the factory dry weight before options are added at the dealer. Your actual empty weight is almost always heavier.
Forgetting full holding tanks
Gray and black tanks stay full while you drive between dump stations. Water weighs 8.3 lb/gal — a 50-gal gray tank is 415 lb.
'My truck can tow it' ≠ payload is fine
Max tow rating and payload capacity are different. A truck rated for 15,000 lb tow may only have 1,200 lb of payload — which tongue weight eats into.
Ignoring tongue / pin weight
Too little tongue weight causes trailer sway. Too much overloads your front axle. Both are dangerous. The sweet spot is 10–15% (travel trailers) or 18–25% (fifth wheels).
Skipping GAWR
You can be under your total GVWR but still overload a single axle. Only a Cat Scale slip shows real per-axle weights.
Packing heavy cargo rearward
Cargo in the rear of the trailer reduces tongue weight and increases sway risk. Pack heavy items forward, over the axles.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is the maximum your RV can weigh fully loaded. Find it on the yellow sticker inside the driver-side door frame, or the Federal placard on the B-pillar.
10–15% of your loaded trailer weight is the industry standard. Below 10% causes fishtail sway; above 15% overloads your tow vehicle's front axle and reduces steering.
This calculator gives you an estimate. A certified Cat Scale slip shows your actual gross, drive, and trailer axle weights — required by many campgrounds for large rigs and by FMCSA for commercial-sized vehicles. It costs about $13 and takes 5 minutes.
Start with the easiest wins: travel with fresh tank 50% full instead of 100%, dump holding tanks before driving, remove items you haven't used in 6 months, and switch to lighter gear (lithium battery, aluminum cookware, etc.).
GVWR is the max weight of your RV alone. GCWR is the max combined weight of your tow vehicle AND trailer together. If either limit is exceeded, you're out of compliance.
Cargo Carrying Capacity is GVWR minus UVW minus factory-rated full fluids (fresh water + propane). Manufacturers use low UVW figures; your real CCC is often 20–30% less than what's advertised.
The calculator got you weight-ready. RVGather handles everything else — maps, alerts, friends, and the gatherings waiting at the other end.
Get started free — RVGather