Please advise - determining max tow capacity

rk911 wrote:

john, 400-lbs is a bit close for my personal comfort but as long as you’re under the GVWR (actually the GAWR for each axle), your hitch and tow bar are rated for the load and you’re under the GCWR you should be good to go.

One needs to check that it's under both the GVWR and the GAWR for each axle, in general, not one or the other. There are plenty of vehicles where being under the GAWR for each axle doesn't necessarily mean you're under the GVWR, i.e. the GVWR is lower than the sum of the axle weight ratings. That's a nice situation to have as it gives rather more flexibility in loading the vehicle.

I don't know offhand if the Ford motorhome chassis is like that or not. The E series chassis, as I recall, has the two coincide so that maximum loading requires careful weight distribution.