Road trip vehicle load calculator
List the people, luggage, roof and hitch loads for a trip and compare the estimated totals with the ratings for your vehicle. Add a trailer to include its tongue weight.
One load per line, up to 200 rows and 100,000 characters; weights above 0 and up to 10,000 kg each, written without thousands separators, quantity 1 to 100; occupant and cargo capacity up to 20,000 kg, roof limit up to 1,000 kg, tongue weight rating up to 5,000 kg, trailer and towing capacity up to 50,000 kg, tongue share 0 to 50%. Calculated on your device; download a JSON report and a CSV of results. One load per line. Type is occupant, cargo, roof or hitch; quantity is optional. Write weights without thousands separators. Up to 100,000 characters. Review the settings before running.
Your result
How to use Road trip vehicle load calculator
- Enter the occupant and cargo capacity from the tire and loading placard on the door pillar.
- List each load on its own line: item, type (occupant, cargo, roof or hitch), weight and an optional quantity.
- Add the roof load limit and tongue weight rating, and the trailer weight and towing capacity if you tow.
- Review the capacity left for each rating, then download the JSON report or CSV.
Useful next steps
Occupant and cargo capacity
US vehicles carry a placard stating that the combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed a figure. The steps in 49 CFR 575.6(a)(5) (checked 16 October 2026) subtract the driver and passengers from that figure to find what is left for cargo and luggage: 1,400 lb minus five 150 lb passengers leaves 650 lb. This tool follows the same arithmetic and adds roof and hitch loads.
Roof, hitch and trailer
Roof rows count against the roof load limit and include the rack or box itself. Hitch rows, such as a bike carrier, and the trailer tongue weight count against the tongue weight rating. The same regulation notes that trailer load transfers to the vehicle, so tongue weight also uses occupant and cargo capacity. Tongue weight is either measured or a share of the loaded trailer weight; use the figure from your trailer and vehicle manuals.
Limits
Up to 200 load rows and 100,000 characters, single weights up to 10,000 kg, quantities up to 100 and ratings up to 20,000 kg for the placard, 1,000 kg for the roof, 5,000 kg for the hitch and 50,000 kg for towing. This is an arithmetic estimate, not a weighing or a safety check: axle ratings, gross combined weight and local rules are not checked. Weigh the loaded vehicle at a public scale to confirm. Unit conversions use NIST SP 811 factors.