Forum Discussion

Bill_and_Marie_'s avatar
Aug 08, 2015

GVWR vs GCWR. What is included?

We have a 2015 Thor Chateau 26A on a Ford E350 chassis. The listed GVWR is 12500#. And the GCWR is 18500#. Does the GCWR include the standard equipment or is that the "dry" weight of the MH? Do I need to go weigh it to find out the actual weight? Is that enough room to tow a light toad (it has an 8k hitch)? Thanks!

11 Replies

  • Those are weight ratings, not actual weights.

    GVWR is maximum permitted weight for the vehicle, whatever is installed or loaded into it.

    GCWR is maximum permitted weight for the vehicle plus anything it is towing.

    To find out the actual weight of any vehicle, you have to weigh it.

    GCWR - GVWR = 6000 pounds, so if fully loaded you could theoretically tow that much. It is certainly enough for a light towed vehicle, providing you pay attention to Ford's limit of 1500 pounds for tows that do not have their own braking.

    The RV manufacturer may have put a lower "maximum tow rating" on the RV, and has likely also put a maximum vertical load limit (sometimes called tongue weight) on the hitch as installed. These could be lower than the rating of the hitch itself, because the hitch is likely installed on an extension to the E-350 frame.