If you have a class A RV, that means you have a beast on the road. These fellas are as large as RVs can get, boasting a 30–40 feet length and an average weight of 15,000 pounds.
Typically, this means they’re capable towers. If you’re wondering about class A towing capacity, these champions can tow cargo as heavy as 20,000 pounds, depending on their size and level of advance.
Larger RVs can tow heavier weights, as well as RVs with more powerful engines.
Here’s everything you need to know about class A towing capacity.
What’s the Class A Towing Capacity?
Class A RVs have the highest ratings on the market when it comes to towing, and they can tow heavier weights than class B vehicles.
The average class A RV can tow around 10,000 pounds, but it all boils down to the engine’s power and whether it can handle the weight. RVs with weak engines will only tow around 5,000 pounds, while some advanced ones will be able to pull a weight of 20,000 pounds without a hitch.
Before trying to tow anything using your RV, you’ll need to make sure its engine can handle it. Some RVs shouldn’t be used for towing at all, especially if they’re fully loaded.
Generally, class A RVs are best used for towing cars. You’ll only need a tow bar, and the RV will do the rest.
Class A Vs Class B Towing Capacity
Compared to class A RVs, Class B ones are weaklings. They’ll only tow a maximum of 5,000 pounds and most of them won’t even reach that. Meanwhile, 5,000-pounds weight is the minimum of a class A RV.
Granted, class B RVs are smaller than their Class A counterparts, so you probably expect them to be less capable of towing heavyweights. They’re not even made for that kind of thing.
Class B RVs can tow motorcycles, snowmobiles, and small boats. That’s as far as it gets.
Class A Vs Class C Towing Capacity
Class C RVs aren’t much different from class A ones when it comes to towing. They, too, have an average towing capacity of 10,000 pounds, depending on the model and engine. They come fully equipped with heavy-duty chassis that help them tow heavy weights easily.
On top of that, they have leverage over class A Rvs because of their shorter length. Class A RVs often run into legal length restrictions, so they can’t tow tall vehicles to prevent exceeding the legal limit. Class C Rvs are shorter, so they don’t have that problem.
Class C owners mostly tow trailers, boats, and similar vehicles.
The Factors That Affect Class A Towing Capacity
The towing capacity of your RV majorly depends on its model and capabilities. So, even if the average towing capacity is 10,000 pounds, your RV may not be able to tow more than 8,000 pounds.
A lot of factors can reduce the towing capacity of your RV. That includes the engine, the gross weight, the cargo weight, and the overall size of your RV.
Here’s an overview of each of these factors and how they affect your RV’s towing capability.
Engine
The engine is probably the most essential factor to consider when determining the towing capacity of your class A RV. As a rule of thumb, RVs that have gasoline engines have a lower towing capacity than RVs with diesel engines.
Diesel engines generally offer higher torque than gasoline engines, so the RVs are more capable of pulling hefty weights without affecting their own performance.
This means the average class A RV with a diesel engine can tow heavier weights than an average class A with a gasoline engine.
Gross Weight
If you don’t know what the gross combined weight rating of a vehicle is, it’s the maximum weight of your vehicle plus its attached trailer. You can also refer to it as GCWR.
The GCWR can significantly affect your RV’s towing capacity because it determines the maximum weight of the RV’s cargo and the weight of the trailer it’s towing.
Needless to say, class A RVs with higher GCWR will have higher towing capacities. It’s simple maths; they have more total maximum weight, so they’re able to pull more weight than their counterparts.
Cargo Load
What most RV owners don’t know is, manufacturers calculate the towing capacity considering it’s minimally loaded. Most people believe that the towing capacity is calculated at the maximum of the RV’s loading capacity, but it’s actually quite the opposite.
That’s why you may notice your RV’s towing capacity affected when it’s fully loaded with cargo or gear. Even if it’s only carrying passengers, if it’s carrying its maximum load, there’s a chance it won’t be able to tow as well as you’d like it to be.
That’s why you’ll want to consider the cargo you’re carrying if you’re planning on towing a vehicle. If your RV is carrying its maximum load, you’ll need to reduce the towed weight.
RV’s Overall Size
This one is easy; it’s simple physics. The heavier your RV is, the more stable it’ll be, the heavier it’ll be able to tow. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that light RVs don’t have the same towing capacity as heavy ones.
That’s simply because larger RVs have more powerful engines. In turn, this means they can produce more power, thereby pulling heavier weights.
Heavier RVs also have overall more robust framers. Their axles, suspensions, and other frame parts are sturdy enough to handle heavyweights.
To Wrap Up
The class A towing capacity ranges from 5,000 pounds to 20,000 pounds, depending on your RV’s engine and overall weight. Compared to class B RVs, that’s a whole lot of weight!
If you want to increase the towing capacity of your RV, you’ll need to create a balance. Take some weight off the cargo, and the RV will be able to pull more weight.