About Us – The Story Behind HitchCalc
Making towing easier, safer and more accessible
HitchCalc started with a simple idea: towing shouldn’t have to be complicated.
Whether you’re planning your first camping trip with a travel trailer, hauling equipment with a utility trailer, or preparing your vehicle for a weekend adventure, understanding towing capacity and weight limits is essential. Yet finding the right information and making all the necessary calculations can often be confusing.
We created HitchCalc to make that process easier. Our goal is to provide practical, easy-to-use tools that help drivers understand towing weights, payload limits, tongue weight, hitch capacity and other important towing measurements. Instead of spending time searching through complicated formulas and technical specifications, you can get clear calculations and useful information in just a few clicks.
Who is behind HitchCalc
HitchCalc is created and maintained by Raul Vaquerizo. Raul builds and tests every calculator, writes thetowing guides and reviews every correction sent in by readers. You can reach him directly athello@hitchcalc.com.
Built for people who love the road
We believe the journey should be about the adventure, not the confusion of figuring out whether your vehicle can safely tow your trailer. That’s why HitchCalc focuses on simplicity, accuracy and accessibility. Whether you’re an experienced RV owner or just getting started with towing, our tools are designed to help you make more informed decisions.
Today the site offers:
- 30 calculators, each answering one question with a clear verdict: OK, at the limit, or exceeds.
- The formula behind every result, with a worked example, a reference table and the most common mistakes.
- 8 in-depth towing guides that explain the ratings, the checks and the techniques in plain English.
- Imperial and metric units on every calculator, for drivers in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and elsewhere.
Our mission
Our mission is simple: to make towing calculations understandable for everyone. We’re constantly working to improve our tools, expand our calculators and provide helpful resources for the towing and RV community.
How the calculators are built
Every calculator uses fixed physical constants and widely accepted formulas: the lever rule for axle loads, the road-load equation for climbing power, standard densities for water, propane and fuel, and the rules of thumb used across the towing industry, such as 10–15% tongue weight. The methodology page lists every formula and constant in one place, with the industry standards behind the ratings you enter.
The math is kept separate from the web pages and checked by an automated test suite that runs every formula against hand-worked examples and edge cases: zero, negative and empty values, and the same problem in imperial and metric units. The worked examples on each page are recalculated with the same code that powers the calculator.
Our editorial principles
- Your ratings, not ours. We deliberately don’t publish vehicle databases or “model X can tow Y” lists. Ratings change with engine, cab, axle ratio and options, so the only correct numbers are the ones on your labels and in your manual.
- Evergreen and neutral. No prices, no sponsored recommendations, no brand rankings. Where a topic depends on local law, such as trailer brake requirements, we say so and point you to the rules where you drive.
- Conservative by default. When an input is unknown, calculators assume the less favorable case, for example the upper end of the tongue weight range for payload checks.
- Transparent limits. Each page says what the calculation can and cannot tell you. Estimates are a starting point; a certified scale is the final word.
- Corrections. If you find an error, tell us. Every report is checked against the formula and the tests, and confirmed problems are fixed on every affected page.
Privacy and funding
All calculations run in your browser. There are no accounts and nothing you type is sent to us; details are in theprivacy policy. HitchCalc is free and supported by advertising. Ads are clearly labeled, never appear inside a calculator form and never influence a result or a recommendation.
HitchCalc – Know Your Numbers. Tow With Confidence.
Please remember that our calculators are educational tools. Always verify your vehicle and trailer specifications against the manufacturer’s documentation and follow applicable towing regulations. Read the full disclaimer.
Questions, corrections or ideas for a new calculator? Contact us.