cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Quick GVWR help

aliceayers16
Explorer
Explorer
I’m looking to buy my first camper but I’m very limited bc I drive a Honda Pilot

The sticker inside the door says my GVWR is 6096lbs, but when I run my VIN through one of those trailer sites online, it says my car’s limit is 4500lbs.

Should I be going by the sticker on the door?
7 REPLIES 7

slider45
Nomad
Nomad
Definitely try to rent first before getting one.

way2roll
Nomad III
Nomad III
I think Aliceayers has left the building.
2023 FR Sunseeker 2400B MBS

campigloo
Explorer
Explorer
Grit dog is right about the trailer profile. Imagine that a tall square front 8’ wide is actually a big sail. It’s a lot of drag which also means more hp and more strain on the trans. which means more heat. Have you considered popups?

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
Honda Pilot. Keep it to a small 3-4klb max loaded trailer. Rpod type, not high profile, and you will be fine with that provided your vehicle is in good condition and well maintained.
And has an external trans cooler. Idk what they have for cooling and you weren’t specific about the vehicle.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

DrewE
Explorer
Explorer
There are several ratings you (may) need to consider:

Tow rating--the maximum weight of something you tow (4500 lbs apparently).

Trailer hitch rating--it may be less than the vehicle's tow rating, in which case the hitch may need to be upgraded.

Trailer hitch tongue weight rating--trailer tongue weight must be less than this. Often a trailer hitch will have a tongue weight rating that's 10% of its towed weight rating.

GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) of the tow vehicle--the maximum for the combined weights of the vehicle, the occupants and cargo, and the tongue weight of the trailer.

GCWR (gross combined weight rating) of the tow vehicle--the maximum for the combined weights of the vehicle and its contents and the trailer and its contents, or stated another way, the total weight of the entire rig. Note that very often the GCWR is less than the sum of the GVWR and the maximum trailer weight rating for a vehicle, meaning that you cannot simultaneously have a fully-loaded vehicle and a heavy trailer.

GAWR (gross axle weight rating)--the maximum weight on the specified axle. When towing a trailer without a weight distributing hitch, the tongue weight is applied to the rear axle--and indeed causes more or less weight shift from the front to the rear as well depending on how far in back of the rear axle the tow ball is. A weight distributing hitch is designed to apply a torque such that the tongue weight is more evenly applied to both tow vehicle axles.

Tire weight ratings--similar to GAWRs, but sometimes they're a limiting factor rather than the axle weight rating, especially if the tires have been changed from the factory size or type.

Some vehicles also have a trailer frontal area limit specified.

It's usually wise to avoid picking the absolute biggest RV you can tow with your tow vehicle for a couple reasons. First, towing when you're not right at the limits is easier and safer and more comfortable, and with an RV you'll generally be going a good bit farther than across town to the dump or whatever. And second, travel trailers have a lot of frontal area and hence air resistance, and so are harder to pull at speed than many other commonly-towed things.

I suspect you'll be most limited by the GVWR or rear GAWR and the tongue weight of a trailer, doubly so if you'll be going as a family or other group of people rather than a single person or couple.

Lwiddis
Explorer
Explorer
Rent a trailer before you buy. Make sure you are happy with pulling and carrying the weight with your Pilot.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

Dutch_12078
Explorer
Explorer
The GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is the fully loaded capacity of your Pilot including a full fuel tank, passengers, cargo, and trailer tongue weight if towing. The 4500 lbs is the trailer GVWR your model is rated to tow.
Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F53 chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
Bigfoot Automatic Leveling System
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/Blue Ox baseplate