In today’s blog post, we’ll answer the following question: How much does my trailer weigh?
We will tell you how you can find and measure your trailer weight and how much the average trailer weighs
We will also discuss other important terms related to the weight of a trailer
How much does my trailer weigh?
If you want to know specifically how much your trailer weighs, look for the VIN under the frame of your trailer
The VIN tag will also specify the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), that is, the empty weight of the trailer
In the table below, you can see how many pounds an average trailer weighs, based on the type of trailer
trailer weights
Trailer TypeAverage Empty Weight (lbs )Empty Weight Range (lbs )GVWR (lbs )Average Payload Capacity (lbs )Canoe/Kayak Trailer200100 to 400200 to 800200Watercraft Trailer300100 to 500800 to 30001500Motorcycle Trailer500300 to 800130 to 3,5001,900Fishing Boat Trailer600200 to 1,100900 to 6,0002,700Tow Dolly600400 to 8003,000 to 5,0003,400Open Small Utility Trailer700300 to 1,1001,000 to 3,0001,800Enclosed Small Utility Trailer1, 000400 to 1,8002,000 to 7,0002,200Teardrop Trailer1,700500 to 3,2002,000 to 4,000700A Frame Camper1,7001,200 to 2,3002,500 to 3,6001,200Car Trailer1 ,9001,500 to 2,8006,000 to 15,0007,100Large Boat Trailer2,2001,100 to 4,4005,400 to 34,40011,400Folding Trailer2,3001,400 to 3,0002,700 to 4,0001 ,100Large Enclosed Utility Trailer2, 700900 to 5,2003,000 to 10,0004,400Small Travel Trailer2,8001,200 to 3,9001,900 to 4,500800Small Horse Trailer2,9002,300 to 3,9007,000 8,0004,300Large Flatbed Trailer3,000500 to 7,7002,900 to 26,0007,400Tipper Trailer4,5001,100 to 10,1003,000 to 30,00012,400Large Travel Trailer6,7004,500 to 8,7006 ,300 to 10,5001,600Gooseneck Flatbed Trailer7 ,2004,700 to 10,40015,900 to 36,00016,000Large Livestock Trailer7,3004,200 to 10,90014,000 to 24,00011,400Toy Hauler7 ,6003,600 to 11,40014,700 to 22,50010, Fifth Wheel Camper 12,7005,000 to 16,00017,000 to 20,0006,000
Important Trailer Weight Terms to Know
For your safety, it is essential to understand your trailer weights and adhere to the rating limits that manufacturers require for towing
Tow vehicle and recreational vehicle weights fall into two categories:
Nominal weights (rating): These are weight limits that must be observed in vehicles or their components and must never be exceeded
We invite you to continue reading to better understand the weights of recreational vehicles for the safety of all:
Dry Weight: Is the weight of the trailer with standard equipment, but without liquids, without cargo, without propane gas and cylinders, without passengers and without optional equipment
Often the battery is an option, so it is not part of the dry weight
Dry weight is the first thing to consider when calculating the weight of the load you want to tow
The empty weight or wet weight: It is the weight of the trailer with standard equipment, all liquids, full tanks, full propane gas and its bottles, but without counting the occupants, their personal effects or cargo
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) – This is the maximum gross weight rating of the fully loaded trailer
It is the absolute permissible total weight on the wheels and the drawbar that the manufacturer requires and that has been determined by weighing
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating or GAWR): This is the maximum authorized weight on the axle or axles of the trailer
Rated Tongue Weight – This is your trailer’s maximum tongue weight or tongue load capacity and is stated on the data sheet
The manufacturer also gives you the information about the weight of the tongue when it leaves the manufacturing plant on the trailer’s identification tag
Tongue or Dry Tongue Weight (TW): This is the actual weight that depends on the trailer hitch and is typically 10-15% of the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
Cargo Capacity (or CCC): The maximum weight of all personal effects such as food, tools, installed accessories and options, etc
CCC is equal to GVWR minus curb weight (not dry weight)
Gross Trailer Weight (GTW): The maximum allowable trailer weight your tow vehicle can tow as specified in the tow vehicle manufacturer’s owner’s manual
You cannot increase this weight by changing the trailer hitch
Gross Combined Weight Rating (GVWC): This is the maximum combined total weight specified by the tow vehicle manufacturer
It is the total weight that the tow vehicle is designed to pull and stop a trailer and the tow vehicle
How do I calculate the weight of my trailer?
The use of a hitch, whose mass is calculated separately from the main body of the vehicle, could be an advice to take into account, without prejudice to the larger dimensions and possible driving difficulties
The difference between 3700 pounds and the weight returned by the detector will tell us how much residual charge margin we have left
Knowing how much your trailer weighs is essential to towing safely
If the actual weight exceeds the GVWR, you first risk a Class 4 ticket, in other words, a $100 fine
If you exceed the GVWR by more than 5%, your vehicle may also be immobilized
Frequently Asked Questions about How much does my trailer weigh?
How much weight do you add to a camper?
A good rule of thumb is to add an average of 1,500 lbs to your camper’s dry weight, that is, the weight of the vehicle without additional gear, cargo, passengers, or equipment
What is the dry weight (tare) of a caravan?
Tare is the “unloaded” weight of the vehicle, that is, the minimum weight of the vehicle, ready to circulate with its authorized fixed equipment: fuel, lubricant, brake fluid, spare parts, tools and other mandatory accessories
What is the MiRO (Mass in Running Order) of a caravan?
This is the same as Weight in running order
It is the Tare plus the weight of a standard driver of 160 lbs
Our personal belongings and/or extras from the camper that we add later are not included in the MiRO calculation
What does MAM (Maximum Permissible Mass) mean?
The Maximum Allowable Mass is also called the Maximum Authorized Weight
In other words, it is very common for the camper’s MMO (Mass in Marching Order) to be only slightly lower than its MAM
A Guide To Trailer Weights By Trailer Type: CURT ManufacturingHow To Determine Your Trailer’s Towing LimitHow To Measure Towing Capacity, GVWR, GCWR: CURT
Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) is easy to calculate and is essential to know when towing a trailer
Gross Trailer Weight is the actual weight of your fully loaded trailer, which includes the weight of the trailer itself along with anything loaded on or in it
Any cargo, passengers, animals, equipment, fluids and everything else contributes to the gross weight of the trailer
It’s also important to know the Gross Vehicle/Trailer Weight Rating (GVWR or GTWR) so you don’t exceed the maximum weight allowance when fully loaded
If your trailer does not have a visible information label indicating dry trailer or curb (unloaded) weight, you will need to weigh it yourself
To determine your dry weight and/or GTW, all you need to do is find a public scale and hop on with your trailer
You will need to disconnect your trailer from your vehicle so that you can determine the weight of the trailer by yourself and not your tow vehicle
Make sure your vehicle is completely off the scale and the entire trailer, including the tongue and all wheels, is on the scale
You can choose whether your trailer is fully loaded, which will give you your exact GTW, or you can weigh it empty and keep track of roughly how much cargo weight you’re putting on the trailer once you start loading it
Once you know your GTW, you can move your load appropriately so that your tongue weight stays within 10-15% of your GTW
Anything less than or more than that 10-15% can cause trailer sway and decrease your vehicle’s towing performance