Will It Tow? Truck and Camper Weight Calculator: Payload, Tow Rating and CAT Scale

The dealer will tell you your truck tows 9,000 lb. He won't bring up payload, and payload is the one that runs out first. The tongue weight, the family, the dog and the cooler all ride on the truck, and most trucks run out of payload long before they get anywhere near the tow rating.

If you're shopping for a camper right now, you know how this goes:

• Every listing shows dry weight. Nobody camps dry.
• The brochure hitch weight is dry too, and it goes up the minute you load the thing.
• The salesman says "you can tow it, no problem." He's not the one towing it home.
• The free calculators check one camper at a time and forget about the kids, the hitch and the firewood.
• And the CAT scale is somebody yelling at you through a scratchy speaker you can't understand.

The first time I ran the numbers on my own rig, my CAT ticket showed the truck's rear axle carrying 4,280 lb. The door sticker says it's rated for 4,300. That's when I learned to watch my payload. Now the extra junk rides in the camper, spread out and close to the axles, and the truck bed stays light. It's a lot like getting back into your stiff winter pants after a summer in gym shorts. Ask me how I know.

So I built a spreadsheet that does this math before you buy. You type your truck's numbers in once, from the door stickers and the owner's manual. Then up to 5 campers, from the sticker or the listing. It loads each one the way you'd actually camp (people, gear, water, the hitch) and tells you which ones tow, which ones don't, and what runs out first.

It can't tell you which floor plan your spouse is going to like. That part's on you.

What you get

• Compare tab. Up to 5 campers side by side, loaded the way you camp, with a plain-English verdict for each one ("Tows it, barely. 19 lb of payload left."), what runs out first, and a rank. It checks payload, tow rating, GCWR, your hitch receiver and the camper's own GVWR.
• My Truck and How I Camp tabs. Your door sticker numbers, tow rating, GCWR and hitch, plus everything you'd pack. Every box starts with a normal number, so you only change what you know.
• Dealer Sheet. Pick a camper and print one page with its numbers and 9 questions to ask the dealer. Take it to the lot.
• CAT Scale tab. After you buy, weigh it three ways and type in the tickets. It gives you your real tongue weight, axle loads and payload left, and tells you whether your spring bars are set right.
• How to use a CAT scale. Step by step, plus what they're asking on the speaker box and what to say back. Or skip the speaker with the app.
• Where to Find It. Real photos of my truck's door stickers, my camper's stickers and my CAT ticket, with the numbers circled.
• Glossary. GVWR, GAWR, GCWR, UVW, CCC and the rest, in plain English.

The boring stuff

• Excel file (.xlsx). Instant download after checkout. Nothing ships.
• You get a blank workbook. The pictures show my truck and camper plus 4 made-up campers.
• Made for Excel. Plain formulas, no macros.
• About 10 minutes to set up, then a minute or two per camper.
• Travel trailers, fifth wheels and bumper pull toy haulers, with a truck or an SUV.
• Tongue weight and loaded weight are estimates until you weigh. Your truck maker's numbers and a scale ticket are what count.
• It's a planning tool. Keep your owner's manual and your hitch instructions handy.
• The formulas are locked so a stray click can't break anything. No password if you want to change something.
• Questions or ideas? Email me at CreativeEntLLC@gmail.com