How to Choose the Right GVWR
GVWR is the single most important number on a trailer. Here is how it is set, how it relates to axle ratings, and how to pick one that leaves you room to work.
What GVWR actually means
GVWR stands for Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. On a trailer it is the maximum the trailer is allowed to weigh fully loaded: the empty trailer, everything sitting on it, and anything strapped to it. The manufacturer sets the number and prints it on the VIN plate, usually riveted to the tongue or the front curbside corner of the frame.
GVWR is a rating, not a measurement. It does not change when you swap tires or add a toolbox. It is a ceiling the manufacturer engineered the frame, axles, hubs, tires and coupler to live under.
GVWR versus GAWR
The second number on the plate is GAWR, the Gross Axle Weight Rating, listed per axle. Two 5,200 lb axles give 10,400 lb of axle capacity, and most single- and tandem-axle trailers are rated at or very close to the sum of their GAWRs. Some builders rate the trailer slightly below the axle total because the coupler, tires or frame are the limiting component, so always read the plate rather than adding up the axles yourself.
A quick reference for the axle packages you will see on our lot:
| Axle package | Typical GVWR | Common trailer types |
|---|---|---|
| Single 3,500 lb | 2,990 lb or 3,500 lb | 5x8 to 6x12 cargo, small utility |
| Tandem 3,500 lb | 7,000 lb | 7x14 to 7x16 cargo, 16 ft car haulers |
| Tandem 5,200 lb | 9,990 lb or 10,400 lb | Enclosed car haulers, 7x14 dumps |
| Tandem 7,000 lb | 14,000 lb | Dumps, equipment trailers, 20 ft to 24 ft car haulers |
| Tandem 8,000 lb | 16,000 lb | Heavier equipment trailers |
| Tandem 10,000 lb or 12,000 lb | 20,000 lb to 24,000 lb | Gooseneck equipment trailers |
You will notice oddities like 2,990 lb and 9,990 lb. Those ratings are chosen so the trailer falls just under a threshold where many states require brakes or different registration. The axle underneath may be the same part. The plate rating is what governs.
Start from what you haul, not from the trailer
The working method is simple:
- Write down the heaviest single load you realistically expect to carry. A skid steer, a pallet of pavers, a stacked load of hardwood, a car with a tank of fuel and tools in the trunk.
- Add the items that ride along every time: ramps, chains, binders, fuel cans, a toolbox, spare tire.
- Look up the trailer's empty weight, sometimes called curb weight or unladen weight, which we list on every unit.
- Add them together and compare to GVWR. If the total lands above about 85 to 90 percent of GVWR, step up a class.
Running a trailer at its ceiling every trip is hard on bearings, springs and tires, and it leaves no margin for wet lumber, mud in a dump bed or the second attachment you forgot to count. Buying one axle class up is usually cheaper than replacing a trailer in two years.
The trailer is only half the equation
GVWR tells you what the trailer can carry. It says nothing about what your truck or SUV can pull. Tow capacity, tongue weight limits and the combined rating (GCWR) are set by the vehicle manufacturer and printed on the driver door-jamb label and in the owner's manual. Those vehicle numbers also drop as you add passengers, cargo in the bed and a heavier hitch.
We do not tell customers what their vehicle can tow, and you should be cautious of anyone who does without looking at the vehicle's own label. Read the door-jamb sticker, read the manual, and if the loaded trailer weight plus your payload in the truck is close to any of those numbers, the honest answer is to size down the trailer or size up the vehicle.
Brakes, tires and the rest of the package
GVWR also decides what else comes on the trailer:
- Trailers over 3,000 lb GVWR almost always ship with electric brakes on at least one axle, and tandem units usually have brakes on both. You need a brake controller in the tow vehicle to use them.
- Tire load range must support the GAWR. A 14,000 lb trailer typically runs ST235/80R16 load range E tires; a 7,000 lb trailer runs ST205/75R15 load range C or D. Check the sidewall rating times the number of tires against the GAWR.
- Coupler size follows GVWR. Most 7,000 lb trailers use a 2 in. ball; 10,000 lb and up use a 2-5/16 in. ball or a gooseneck.
- The 7-way RV plug is standard on braked trailers because it carries the brake circuit and the charge line for the breakaway battery.
Registration and licensing
Many states use GVWR to set registration class, inspection rules and whether a driver needs more than a standard license once the combined rating of truck and trailer passes 26,001 lb. Check your state's rules before choosing the top of a class.
Summary
Pick the GVWR from the load, add a margin, confirm your vehicle's own ratings on its door jamb, and let the axle package, brakes, tires and coupler follow from there.
Shop by class in /trailers/cargo-trailers, /trailers/dump-trailers, /trailers/equipment-trailers and /trailers/open-car-trailers, or answer a few questions in /find-my-trailer.
Questions
Is GVWR the same as how much I can load on the trailer?
No. GVWR includes the trailer's own empty weight. Subtract the empty weight from the GVWR to get payload, which is what you can actually put on it.
Can I raise the GVWR by installing heavier axles?
Not legally in most jurisdictions. The GVWR on the VIN plate is set by the manufacturer at build time. Swapping axles may increase physical strength but it does not change the certified rating, and the frame, coupler and tires were engineered around the original number.
Why is a trailer rated 9,990 lb instead of 10,400 lb when it has two 5,200 lb axles?
Builders sometimes de-rate slightly to keep the trailer under a state licensing or inspection threshold. The plate rating governs what you may legally load, regardless of the axle part number.
Does a higher GVWR mean I can tow more with my truck?
No. Tow capacity, tongue weight and combined weight limits come from the vehicle manufacturer and are on the door-jamb label and in the owner's manual. A trailer's GVWR has no effect on those numbers.