Knowing the amount of weight your trailer can carry, and the weight of your trailer itself can keep you from overloading it and your vehicle—which can lead to costly damage, dangers on the road, and lots of time and money wasted.
Unfortunately, some manufacturers and suppliers make it hard to find the trailer weight capacity on their products. To keep you, your trailer, and your vehicle safe, High Desert Trailers has created a guide to the weight and weight capacity of the most common trailers.
Trailer Weight v. Towing Capacity
Before we dive in, it's important to understand the difference between some of the more confusing terms used when discussing trailer specs.
Trailer Weight
Trailer weight, as you might have guessed, is the weight of a trailer when empty. You might be able to find this in the manufacturer details or by looking up the VIN number of your trailer, usually located near the trailer’s tongue.
Trailer Weight Capacity
Trailer weight capacity, also known as payload capacity, is the total weight a trailer can safely hold. The trailer weight itself is not included in this number.
Gross Trailer Weight
Gross trailer weight is the total weight of your trailer itself and the cargo it is carrying. Your maximum gross trailer weight should be the weight of your trailer plus the trailer weight capacity.
Towing Capacity
Towing capacity refers to the vehicle towing the trailer and is the maximum weight your vehicle can safely tow.
Your gross trailer weight is the number you want to look at when making sure you haven’t exceeded yourtrailer's towing capacity. Say your truck has a towing capacity of 7,000 pounds. If your trailer weight is 4,000 pounds, and your cargo is 2,000 pounds, that means your gross trailer weight is 6,000 pounds—which would be safe for you to carry as it is less than your vehicle's towing capacity.
GVWR and GCWR
How do you know that you’re not overloading your vehicle or trailer? By paying attention to the GVWR and GCWR.
Your GVWR refers to the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, which is the maximum weight of your vehicle. This is the weight of the car or truck itself, plus the passengers and cargo inside. Subtracting the weight of your truck from the GVWR will give you the maximum passenger and payload weight capacity. For an in-depth guide on calculating your trailer's GVWR, you canview our article here.
GCWR is the number you want to look at if you have a trailer attached to your vehicle. This is the gross combined weight rating, which means it is the maximum recommended weight of both your vehicle and trailer together. You can find this by adding your GVWR to your gross trailer weight rating.
The actual weight of your vehicle, passengers, trailer, and cargo combined should never exceed your GCWR.
Trailer Weight Capacity of Common Trailers
When using a trailer, it’s best to know the weight of that trailer itself along with its weight capacity. This way, you can be sure you are not putting extra stress on the trailer by overloading it, and you can know exactly how much cargo you can carry behind your vehicle.
ATV/Motorcycle Trailer Weight Capacity
The average weight of an ATV or motorcycle trailer is between 600 and 1,500 pounds. The maximum cargo capacity is typically around 3,000 pounds.
ATVs themselves typically weigh between 400 and 800 pounds. A motorcycle usually weighs between 300 and 500 pounds.
Gooseneck Trailer Weight Capacity
Agooseneck trailercan be identified by the “neck” that extends over the bed of the towing vehicle. These vary greatly in size and materials, with a range of 2,500 to 7,000 pounds.
Gooseneck trailer weight capacity ranges greatly as well, with an average of around 16,000 pounds.
Enclosed Car Trailer Weight Capacity
Anenclosed trailerwill be much heavier than an open trailer, due to the added weight of the walls and roof. On average, an enclosed car trailer weighs between 2,500 and 2,800 pounds.
The weight capacity of an enclosed trailer can be anywhere from 4,500 to 7,000 pounds. Keep in mind that a car weighs, on average, around 5,000 pounds, so a higher weight capacity is preferable.
Single and Double Axle Weight Capacity
You can also estimate the weight capacity of a trailer using the size and number of axles.
Single Axle Trailer Weight Capacity
Single axle trailers come in many different sizes as well, so their weight and weight capacity cover a wide range. While a standard single-axle trailer might measure 6’ x 4’, others might be as big as 77” x 12’.
To find the weight capacity of a single-axle trailer, look at its diameter.
Here is a quick guide to the payload capacity of an axle according to diameter.
1.5-inch diameter axle: 1000 lbs
1.75-inch diameter axle: 2,000 lbs.
2.375-inch diameter: 3,500 lbs
3-inch diameter: 6,000 lbs
3.5-inch diameter: 8,000 lbs
4-inch diameter: 9,000 lbs
5-inch diameter: 10,000 lbs
You can use this guide to find the weight capacity of a double-axle trailer as well—more on that below!
Double Axle Trailer Weight Capacity
Double-axle trailer weight, much like single-axle trailer weight, depends on the size of the trailer. One of the most popular sizes is 16’ x 6’10”, but they may be as long as 18’ to 20’.
To estimate the weight capacity of a double-axle trailer, find the diameter of one axle. Then, use the guide above to determine its payload capacity. Once you have that, multiply that payload capacity by the number of axles. Some tandem axle trailers can haul as much as 34,000 pounds.
16 ft Tandem Axle Trailer Weight Capacity
16-ft tandem axle trailers are among the most commonly used, so it’s important to know just how much weight they can carry.
On average, these trailers weigh around 1,525 pounds on their own. Their weight capacity, on the other hand, may vary slightly.
To find the exact weight capacity of your 16-ft tandem axle trailer, find the diameter of one axle, use the guide to determine the weight capacity, then multiply by two.
For instance, if you find that the diameter of one axle is 4 inches, you know that one axle can carry 9,000 pounds. Multiply 9,000 by two to find the weight that both axles together can support 18,000 pounds.
6x12 Utility Trailer Weight Capacity
One of the other most frequently-used trailers are 6x12 single-axle utility trailers. On average, these weigh around 900 pounds on their own but are capable of carrying around 2,000 pounds.
Contact High Desert Trailers Today for Your New Trailer
You need to be sure your trailer can hold up under the weight you need it to carry. AtHigh Desert Trailers, our towing and trailer experts in Phoenix, AZ can help you find the right one for your needs, and answer any questions you might have.
Our vast inventoryis the perfect place to find anything from small, lightweight trailers, to heavy-duty enclosed trailers, and everything in between.
Visit our Phoenix, Arizona trailer sales facility today, orview our inventory online.You're sure to find the perfect trailer for your needs!
