RV Interactive Calculators

Welcome to Changing Gears Calculators!

All calculators are interactive visual calculators where you can adjust weights and capacities on the fly and watch how your answers vary!

And just as always, it’s completely free.

Not sure where to start? Please scroll below the menu for simple, easy-to-follow instructions.

Weight Calculators

Want to know how much you can tow with a travel trailer? Or how much cargo you can safely carry? Find out here!

Want to know how much you can tow with a fifth-wheel trailer? Or how much cargo you can safely carry? Find out here!

Use this calculator when you know the vehicle’s GVWR and GCVWR, but need to estimate total weight with a different towable/cargo configuration. 

Want to know how large of a truck is required to tow your camper? Or want to play around with cargo configurations? Find out here!

Get quick answers on how much your fuel and water tanks weigh when full. Checks water, gasoline, diesel, propane.

This calculator does a quick n’ dirty check on a combination of tow vehicle and towable RV. It is an alternative to the Travel Trailer/5th Wheel towing weight calculators.

Financial Calculators

Curious how much the RV lifestyle costs? Need to track your expenses? Check out the RV Cost of Living calculator, and see if you can afford life on the road.

Figure out the size of a loan you can afford when financing an RV. Find out your monthly payments, total interest, and more!

Other Calculators

Curious how long your RV propane will last? Use your calculator to find out how long you’ll survive in the cold!

Curious how long you can survive while boondocking or dry camping? Answer a handful of easy questions and find out how many hours we think your house batteries will last!

... Not Sure Where to Start?

Towing RVs causes a lot of confusion. Unfortunately, there are very few simple answers.

Our weight calculators make it easier!

Chances are, you have one of the following questions. Scroll down to find your question, and then we’ll recommend the best calculator for you.

If You Own Neither Truck Nor Trailer:

Just playin’ around? Not sure which came first, the chicken or the egg? Check out our EZ Towing Weight Calculator!

This calculator requires basic information about your possible tow vehicle + trailer combination. Usually, this information can be easily obtained online. 

We strictly advise against making purchasing or safety decisions based on the EZ calculator. It does not run enough calculations to consider all primary variables. It is purely for educational estimation purposes.

If You Own a Truck, But No Trailer:

If you already own a tow vehicle and want to confirm that it can safely tow your future towable RV, please use either:

  • The Travel Trailer Towing Weight Calculator. This calculator will tell you how large of a conventional travel trailer you can tow with your existing tow vehicle. It requires a significant amount of information about your tow vehicle, including GVWR, GCVWR, RGAWR, and other inputs. This information can be read from the door jamb stickers and Owners Manual of your tow vehicle.
  • The Fifth Wheel Towing Weight Calculator. This calculator will tell you how large of a 5th wheel trailer you can tow with your existing tow vehicle. It requires a significant amount of information about your tow vehicle, including GVWR, GCVWR, RGAWR, and other inputs. This information can be read from the door jamb stickers and Owners Manual of your tow vehicle.

We highly, HIGHLY recommend using one of these two advanced calculators! They do require more information, but the results will be far more accurate and credible.

If you are only searching for a rough estimate of towing capability, you can use our EZ Towing Weight CalculatorHowever, we strictly advise against making purchasing or safety decisions based on the EZ calculator. It is purely for educational estimation purposes.

If you Own a Trailer, But Not a Truck:

If you already own a towable RV such as a travel trailer or 5th wheel, and you are searching for a reliable tow vehicle, then please use the Cargo and Truck Selector.

This calculator answers two questions:

  • How large of a truck do I need to tow my trailer?
  • How does my trailer cargo affect tow vehicle requirements?

If You Want to Calculate Loaded Weight Based on Known Weight and Added Cargo:

If you have a known weight, usually from a certified scale, for your tow vehicle or camper, and you want to estimate the final loaded weight after adding cargo, please use our Adjust GVW Calculator.

This calculator works for either tow vehicle, RV or camper. You can add or subtract pounds. For instance, if your scale weight included a full waste water tank, you can subtract that amount.

Even if you don’t have the scale weight, you can still use this calculator if you just have the factory empty weight. 

If You Want to Estimate Empty Weight from Scale Weight:

If you want to know the actual empty weight of your RV or vehicle, but you only have the scale weight when fully loaded, please use our Adjust GVW Calculator.

This calculator works for either tow vehicle, RV or camper. You can add or subtract pounds. For instance, if your scale weight included a full waste water tank, you can subtract that amount.

If You Want to Know the Weight of Full Tanks:

If you simply want to know the added weight of full water, fuel or propane tanks, please use our Liquid Weight Calculator.

This calculator is suitable for both tow vehicles and RVs.

This calculator also helps you calculate the total system capacities of your RV or camper for water and propane.