4WD.ai

Towing, payload and tongue weight

Towing calculator

A 2027 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X Crew Cab 4x4 SWB rated to tow 6,270 lb runs out of payload first: with a 5,000 lb trailer (600 lb on the hitch), two adults and 250 lb of gear it has 10 lb left, against 1,270 lb of towing capacity. Pick your truck and your trailer.

Tow check for

Nissan Frontier · 2027 PRO-4X Crew Cab 4x4 SWB

Set your load

Your input
lb

Everything on the trailer: the trailer itself, its gear, water and fuel.

600 lb
%

The trailer's weight on the hitch. 10–15% for a conventional trailer; measure yours.

lb

Driver and passengers.

lb

In the cab and bed, hitch included.

Tow check · what is left

Math on your numbers

Inside every limit we can check. Payload runs out first: 10 lb to spare (99% used).

  • Max towing

    1,270 lb

    To spare
    • trailer

    trailer 5,000 of 6,270 lb

  • Tongue weight

    68 lb

    To spare
    • tongue weight

    12% of 5,000 lb = 600 lb of 668 lb

  • Payload

    10 lb

    Close: 99% used
    • people
    • cargo
    • tongue weight

    people 360 + cargo 250 + tongue weight 600 = 1,210 of 1,220 lb

  • GVWR

    39 lb

    Close: 99% used
    • truck
    • people
    • cargo
    • tongue weight

    truck 4,763 + people 360 + cargo 250 + tongue weight 600 = 5,973 of 6,012 lb

  • GCWR

    1,587 lb

    To spare
    • truck
    • people
    • cargo
    • trailer

    truck 4,763 + people 360 + cargo 250 + trailer 5,000 = 10,373 of 11,960 lb

Weigh your rig.Math on your inputs and the ratings above, not a weighbridge. Options and accessories add to curb weight; your door label has the numbers that count. Not engineering or legal advice.

Nissan Frontier: every configuration →

Rated by Nissan

Maker
Max towing
6,270 lb
Maker
Max tongue weight
668 lb
Maker
Max payload
1,220 lb
Maker
GVWR
6,012 lb
Maker
GCWR
11,960 lb
Maker
Curb weight
4,763 lb
Maker

For 2027 PRO-4X Crew Cab 4x4 SWB only. “Up to” and “from” figures cover several configurations, so they don’t count as this one’s limit; “door label” means Nissan prints it only on each truck’s certification label.

Source:2027 Nissan Frontier Press Kit (specifications and pricing) (opens in a new tab)

Where in the documents
  • Max towing: 2027 press kit › Crew Cab › Towing (pounds) › Maximum capacity › SWB › PRO-4X
  • Max tongue weight: 2027 press kit › Crew Cab › Towing (pounds) › Tongue load › SWB › PRO-4X
  • Max payload: 2027 press kit › Crew Cab › Weights (pounds) › Max payload › SWB › PRO-4X
  • GVWR: 2027 press kit › Crew Cab › Weights (pounds) › GVWR › all
  • GCWR: 2027 press kit › Crew Cab › Towing (pounds) › GCWR (vehicle plus trailer maximum) › all
  • Curb weight: 2027 press kit › Crew Cab › Weights (pounds) › Curb weight › SWB › PRO-4X
Type your door-label numbers

Your truck’s certification label (driver’s door) and the tire and loading label carry its own GVWR and payload; the towing guide has max towing and GCWR for its axle ratio. A number typed here replaces the maker’s figure in the checks.

lb

The heaviest trailer, loaded.

lb

The most the hitch may carry.

lb

People, cargo and tongue weight, together.

lb

The most the truck may weigh, loaded.

lb

Truck and trailer together.

lb

The truck empty, with fluids.

Formulas

How we calculate

Five limits, each the maker's, each checked against what you're loading. A limit the maker doesn't publish for your configuration isn't guessed: its check is skipped until you type your truck's own number.

Tongue weight

trailer × tongue %

e.g. 5,000 lb × 12% = 600 lb

Max towing

trailer ≤ max towing

e.g. 5,000 lb of 6,270 lb: 1,270 lb to spare

Tongue rating

tongue weight ≤ max tongue weight

e.g. 600 lb of 668 lb: 68 lb to spare

Payload

people + cargo + tongue weight ≤ payload (published; else GVWR − curb weight)

e.g. 360 lb + 250 lb + 600 lb = 1,210 lb of 1,220 lb

GVWR

curb weight + people + cargo + tongue weight ≤ GVWR

e.g. 5,973 lb of 6,012 lb

GCWR

curb weight + people + cargo + trailer ≤ GCWR

e.g. 10,373 lb of 11,960 lb

“Close” means 90% of a limit or more. Tongue weight starts at 12% of the trailer; most conventional trailers want 10–15%, so measure yours and type it.

Ratings are the maker’s exact figures for the configuration you pick, each linked to its document and the place in it. An “up to” figure covers several configurations, so we show it but never use it as your limit. Curb weight is the maker’s; options and accessories add to it, which is why your door label wins.

FAQ

Questions people ask

How much can my truck really tow?

Less than the headline number once it’s loaded. Max towing assumes a truck with a driver and little else; people, cargo and the tongue weight all come out of payload and GCWR. A 2027 Frontier PRO-4X Crew Cab 4x4 SWB is rated to tow 6,270 lb, but with two adults and 250 lb of gear a 5,000 lb trailer already uses 99% of its payload.

How much tongue weight should a trailer have?

10–15% of the loaded trailer for a conventional hitch: 500 lb to 750 lb on a 5,000 lb trailer. Too little and the trailer can sway; too much overloads the hitch and the rear axle. Fifth-wheel and gooseneck hitches carry more. A tongue scale or a truck scale tells you yours.

Does tongue weight count against payload?

Yes. The tongue sits on the truck, so a 600 lb tongue uses 600 lb of payload, the same as 600 lb of cargo in the bed. That’s why payload often runs out before the towing rating does.

What is the difference between GVWR, GCWR and payload?

GVWR is the most the truck may weigh, loaded. Payload is what you can add to it: roughly GVWR minus curb weight. GCWR is the most the truck and trailer may weigh together. Max towing is the heaviest trailer; the tongue rating, the most the hitch may carry.

Why does my door label say something different?

The label is for your truck as built, with its options; the maker’s spec sheet is for the configuration. When they differ, the label wins: type its numbers into the calculator and they replace ours in every check.

Is it OK to tow right at the limit?

A rating is a maximum, not a target. Loaded trailers usually weigh more than their brochure’s dry weight, so weigh the whole rig on a truck scale before you trust a small margin. Not engineering or legal advice.

Data

Towing ratings we have

Max towing and payload for each model as its own page leads with them, from the lowest configuration as it comes to the best one (a factory package it needs is named), and GCWR across its configurations, from the makers' own documents. An “up to” figure is the maker's ceiling for a group of configurations.

Show the other 90 vehicles

Tools

More calculators