U-Haul Towing Capacity Calculator: Matching Your Car to the Actual Trailer Weight
Booking a U-Haul trailer is the easy part. Figuring out whether your car can genuinely handle it once it's loaded is where people get caught out, especially with an auto transport that outweighs plenty of the sedans people try to hook it to. This calculator covers the major vehicle brands worldwide and pairs your certified numbers against the real weight of the U-Haul equipment you're actually renting.
U-Haul towing capacity calculator
Set Up Your Vehicle
Identify your vehicle
Type your VIN below, or pick your brand and model, whichever is faster. Both fill the same result, no tabs to switch between.
Your Result
Identify your vehicle and equipment to begin
Use the VIN field or the brand and model pickers, choose your U-Haul equipment above, then hit Check My Match.
The six checks behind your score
Standards used
- Tow rating:
SAE J2807 - Hitch class:
SAE J684 - Coupling:
ISO 1103 - Trailer electrics:
ISO 11992,ISO 1724 - VIN structure:
ISO 3779
The auto transport is heavier than half the cars trying to tow it
Owners after a figure specific to their exact vehicle rather than a generic answer should use the towing capacity by VIN feature in the identify panel above, since engine and drivetrain choice genuinely shift the certified number across most truck and SUV lineups. Full-size trucks and body-on-frame SUVs handle every piece of U-Haul equipment including the auto transport comfortably, mid-size trucks and crossovers cover the utility trailer, cargo trailer and tow dolly without much drama, and most sedans and compact hatchbacks are honestly limited to the smaller utility trailer at best, which this calculator states plainly rather than assuming every vehicle can handle every piece of equipment.
The heaviest by far
About 7,000 lb GVWR loaded, genuinely needs a truck or full-size SUV.
Much lighter
About 2,660 lb GVWR loaded, within reach of many more vehicles.
Solid middle ground
About 2,990 lb GVWR, a genuinely useful moving trailer size.
The lightest option
About 2,200 lb GVWR, within most vehicles' rated capacity.
Genuine U-Haul equipment weights
These are the real specs behind each piece of U-Haul equipment this calculator uses. Always confirm the exact figures with U-Haul directly at booking, since specs can vary slightly by trailer age and location.
| Equipment | Empty weight | GVWR loaded |
|---|
The worldwide vehicle towing chart used in this calculator
| Brand / model | Tow rating | GVWR | Payload | Curb weight |
|---|
Frequently asked questions
Can my car tow a U-Haul auto transport?
Only if your vehicle's tow rating and payload cover the auto transport's own weight plus the car being hauled. The GVWR is about 7,000 lb, so most sedans will need a genuinely rated truck or SUV instead.
How much does a U-Haul tow dolly weigh?
An empty tow dolly weighs around 630 lb, with a GVWR of about 2,660 lb once a front-wheel-drive car is loaded onto it.
What is the U-Haul 6x12 cargo trailer's GVWR?
Roughly 2,990 lb, with an empty weight around 1,700 lb, leaving about 1,290 lb of genuine cargo capacity.
Do I need a special hitch for U-Haul equipment?
U-Haul rents Class I through Class IV hitches to match your vehicle and equipment, and the hitch class needs to cover the loaded weight of whatever you're towing.
More towing math worth checking before your move
Towing ratio and margin calculator
A deeper look at how much of your rated capacity you're actually using, expressed as a simple ratio.
Fuel cost while towing a trailer
A dedicated gas cost breakdown for your specific trailer weight and trip distance.
The 80/20 towing rule explained
Why staying under 80 percent of your rated tow capacity leaves genuine safety margin for wind, grade and emergencies.
MPG while towing calculator
See how much fuel economy drops once a trailer is actually behind you.
Fuel consumption breakdown for towing
A more detailed consumption breakdown for longer moving trips.
Towing mileage and range estimator
Estimate how many miles you can cover on a tank once towing is factored in, useful for planning fuel stops on a long move.
Payload and towing capacity together
A dedicated tool for weighing payload and tow rating side by side rather than one at a time.
U-Haul capacity calculator for the USA specifically
A US-focused version of this same equipment matching tool, useful if you want figures scoped to American vehicle trims only.