Towing Capacity Calculator
Compare the van's loaded weight against your car's braked towing capacity
The figure to compare is the caravan's ATM, the Aggregate Trailer Mass, which is the most it may weigh loaded.Enter your car's braked towing capacity and this lists the caravans that fit under it.
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Towing safety
We suggest working to 80% or less of your maximum braked towing capacity, which leaves room for passengers, fuel, water and gear. Check your car's GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) and the GCM (Gross Combination Mass) for the car and van together.
How to find and read your compliance plate →Enter your vehicle details
Vehicle Lookup
Search Australian braked towing ratings by make and model.
Found on your vehicle's compliance plate or owner's manual
Usually 10% of towing capacity. Leave blank if unknown.
We rate vans against 80% of your car's braked towing capacity.
Enter your towing capacity
Select a vehicle or enter your towing capacity to see compatible caravans.
Understanding towing weights
ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass)
The most your caravan is allowed to weigh fully loaded and standing on its own wheels, unhitched from the car. This is what you compare against your car's braked towing capacity. Hitch it up and the weight left on the van's own axles is its GTM (Gross Trailer Mass), a lower figure.
Ball weight (the weight on the towball)
The downward force on your tow ball when hitched. Typically 8-12% of ATM. Your vehicle has a maximum ball weight it can handle.
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Towing capacity questions, answered
How do I work out my car's towing capacity?
Start from the manufacturer's published braked towing capacity for your exact variant and year, then check it against the compliance plate on the car itself, because a bull bar, a winch or a suspension change alters what the car is rated to do. The plate is the figure that counts. Enter that capacity above and this page shows you the caravans whose published ATM fits under it.
What caravan weight do I compare against my towing capacity?
ATM, the Aggregate Trailer Mass. It is the most the caravan is allowed to weigh fully loaded and not hitched to a car, and it is the number to put next to your braked towing capacity. Tare is the van as the maker specifies it before you put anything in it, so tare is not the figure to compare against your towing capacity.
How do I work out a caravan's payload?
Payload is the van's ATM less its tare weight. That figure is everything you are allowed to put in and on the van: water in the tanks, gas, food, clothes, tools, an awning, extra batteries and anything bolted on after it left the factory. It is worth checking that figure before you settle on a layout.
What is ball weight and where do I find my limit?
Ball weight is the downward force the caravan puts on your car's tow ball when it is hitched. Your car has its own maximum ball weight in the manufacturer's specifications, and it is a separate limit from the towing capacity, so a van can sit under your towing capacity and still be over your ball weight limit. Compare the van's published ball weight against your car's published maximum, and check the towbar and the hitch have ratings of their own that clear both.
Should I tow at my car's maximum towing capacity?
We suggest working to 80% or less of your maximum braked towing capacity. That leaves room for passengers, fuel, water and gear, all of which are weight your car is carrying rather than towing. It is also worth checking your car's GVM and the GCM for the whole combination, because those two limits catch setups that pass the towing-capacity test on its own.
The terms in full are in the caravan glossary, and caravan weights explained walks through the same figures at length.