Quick Guide for Understanding Towing Capacity in Joliet, IL
Whether you're dreaming of hauling a boat throughout Joliet or hitting Route 6 with a camper in tow, understanding your vehicle's towing capacity is one of the most important things you can do before you hitch up and head out. To help you understand your vehicle’s towing capabilities, we at Thomas Nissan have crafted the helpful guide below!
Start With the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
Every vehicle has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, or GVWR. This is the maximum allowable weight of your vehicle when fully loaded, which includes the weight of the vehicle itself, all passengers, cargo, fluids, and anything else on board. You'll find this number on the sticker inside your driver's side door jamb or in your Owner's Manual. If you’re still having trouble finding your vehicle’s GVWR, ask a technician at our dealership for professional assistance. This number matters because it sets the foundation for every towing calculation that follows. If you exceed it, you can put stress on your brakes, suspension, and drivetrain in ways that can lead to serious accidents.
Understand Your Tow Rating
It’s incredibly important to abide by your Nissan Pathfinder, Frontier, or Armada’s manufacturer-specified maximum tow rating rating. However, real-world towing capacity depends on how your specific vehicle is configured and loaded on any given day.
Calculate Your Payload First
A step that most people forget is calculating payload. Payload is the weight your truck or SUV can carry in the cab and bed before you even think about what's behind it. Your vehicle’s payload can be calculated by subtracting your curb weight, which is how much your vehicle weighs fully fueled but empty of passengers and cargo, from your GVWR. Every person in the vehicle, every bag in the bed, and every pound on your tongue weight eats into that number.
Factor In Tongue Weight
Tongue weight is the downward force the trailer exerts on your hitch ball. A general rule of thumb is that tongue weight should be 10 to 15 percent of your trailer's total loaded weight. So if your camper weighs 5,000 lb., expect roughly 500 to 750 lb. of tongue weight pressing down on the hitch. That tongue weight counts against your payload. If your payload is only 1,200 lb. and you have 600 lb. of passenger weight plus 200 lb. of gear, you've only got 400 lb. of payload left, which means you're limited to a trailer with no more than about 2,700 to 4,000 lb. of total weight. Towing at 95 percent of your maximum capacity on a hot summer day or when climbing mountain grades is a very different experience than towing on a flat highway in mild weather, so it's always best to stay under your maximum towing capacity before heading off to places like the Pilcher Park Nature Center.
Come Talk to Us Before You Tow
Every Nissan is engineered with towing capability in mind, but getting the right setup makes all the difference. Before you invest in a trailer or camper, come visit our Service Department. We'll pull up the exact specs for your model, trim, and tow package, and make sure you leave with confidence!
Our New Vehicles Can Tow Heavy Objects!
Dealership Information
Testimonials
“ Was very friendly and knowledgeable, no pressure was a two way conversation. Experience was good ”
“ Zach was great, Helped me with my kia k5 on getting on he was very helpful and always making sure I understood what was he was saying ”
“ We had a wonderful experience with Zach. He was very informative and patient. The process was smooth and quick. Definitely recommend this dealership. Very happy with the service here! ”
“ Excellent service. Zachary took great care of us, explained all of our questions clearly, and supported us throughout the entire process. He got us an excellent deal. ”
“ (Translated by Google) Buying my new car was very easy thanks to Crystal, who gave me great advice throughout the entire process! (Original) La compra de mi nuevo auto fue muy sencillo gracias a Crystal que me asesoró muy bien en todo el proceso!! ”
“ Great service!!! My salesperson was Zach, he was professional, HONEST, patient and kind—highly recommend him!!! ”
“ Ms. Rose at Thomas Nissan in Joliet was a dream!!! One of the best, seamless car buying experiences I’ve had. I’ve leased for 11 years so I’ve dealt with quite a few salespeople. I’ve been on a search for a 3rd vehicle for months now and nothing was adding up when I have a pretty good credit score. Having 2 vehicles already made the 3rd one not a necessity so price was the most important factor. Ms. Rose was the closest to what me and my husband wanted to pay. I walked in at 1pm and walked out with my Rock Creek Pathfinder at 2:30!!!!! Thank you so much Ms. Rose!!!!! ”
“ Zachary Goss was our sales rep and did and awesome work on getting us to walk out with a chevy Trax. Thank you! ”
“ Rose was amazing. She was super easy to work with, if you’re looking for a new or used vehicle this is definitely the place to shop at! ”
“ Vai was very professional and answered all of my questions. He was very honest and friendly. Definitely recommend!! ”
“ Had a great experience working with Vai and Zach at the dealership. Both were professional, helpful, and easy to work with throughout the entire process. They answered all my questions, made everything smooth, and never made me feel pressured. Excellent customer service and communication from start to finish. Definitely recommend asking for Vai and Zach if you’re looking for a great car-buying experience!” ”
“ Thomas Nissan of Joliet!!!! Came in feeling sad came out with a big smile. ROSE, Vince’s, And Bo help me with everything and wasn’t letting me leave with out a smile on my face thank you guys for everything and thank you for the opportunity to share this amazing opportunity with you guys. Thank you for my new ride ❤️ ”
Rose my sales lady was wondering and so was the manager
“ Rose my sales lady was wondering and so was the manager I've bought at least six cars from here and two were from rose I was in and out fast with exactly what I wanted they kept everything in my budget and affordable with warranty included i couldn't be happier with my experience with Rose and Bo and Aaron ”
“ Bought a brand new Nissan Versa from Zachary G. And had a wonderful experience! He made the process easy. Worked with Bo on financing and coverage options and he got me a great deal, even took off the travel deductible :) ”
“ Crystal P. Is the associate that we dealt with . We bought a new 2026 Nissan Murano . Crystal was very professional and courteous . If we were buying another vehicle , we would be honored to deal with her . She made the car buying an easy situation . ”
“ Great service center, Always in and out! Melissa is Amazing, very helpful and knowledgeable! ”
“ Zac helped me so much even tho I didn’t have any credit score he will get you right 😁😁 ”
“ Good price and salespersons. Zachary Gross was great to work with ”
“ Terrific experience with these guys. Product specialist Zack took us through the process with honesty and integrity, answered all of our questions and went out of his way to make sure we were happy. We ended up with a great deal. Highly recommend Thomas Nissan. ”
“ Its a nice place. And helpful, my bad, I'm giving 5 stars the car runs great and has a good color ”
“ Zachary goss Zachary was great picking me up and greeting me sole me a car and he was professional with me I appreciate him ”
“ I have purchased from here a few times. Today I had a sales man named Elliot, he went the extra mile today on my purchase for a Rouge SV. Very happy with the service and purchase made. ”
“ Crystal Ponce, who was the one that helped my husband, was really helpful, and nice. She is very professional, helped him decide the best car for him,and she worked quick. We are very thankful😊 ”
“ On 4/26 I stopped at Thomas Nissan just to look at a vehicle and I met Zachary. He showed me several vehicles and I chose the one that I liked. He made my experience very simple and easy. I would highly recommend Zach to anyone looking for a vehicle! I would definitely send anyone to Zach that is looking for a vehicle! Well done. ”
“ Just purchased a new car with Zach and he was so nice and helped me a lot ! Very friendly place and I would definitely recommend him! I left very happy! ”
“ Rose was awesome she had lots of information about the vehicle and she also got me a great payment as well. ”
“ Rose was so kind and worked with us with no pressure . If you’re looking for a car, stop and see her. ”
“ (Translated by Google) Crystal Ponce provided excellent customer service and helped me a lot with my questions, as it was my first time buying a car. (Original) Crystal ponce excelente atención al cliente me ayudo mucho con mis dudas siendo mi primera vez comprando un carro. ”
“ Had a great experience purchasing a car here fantastic customer service crystal is a great sales person ”
“ Come see rose tell her Xavier recommended you ”
“ Zachary was great to work with, he explained the whole process and made our experience very smooth. Would definitely recommend! 🙂 ”
“ Had a great experience buying a new vehicle today. Zach and Steve were able to work with me to find the truck I wanted. The deals on Nissan vehicles make it a wonderful time to buy. Bo was able to walk me through all of my financing options and was able to find me a fantastic rate that worked for me. Everyone was wonderful to work with. Additional items were suggested but no pressure to buy things that I was not interested in purchasing. ”
“ Highly recomend Rose, she helped mi a lot to get an awesome deal. ”
“ Rose is awesome! I buy all my cars from her!! ”
“ Thank you for hospitality, I love working with Ms Rose at Nissan in Joliet ”
“ Crystal ponce is very professional and attentive.Answered all questions and concerns we had about the car. ”
“ 4.5 Stars! Eliot was great in helping us get a used Rav4. The reason my rating lost half a star is because the inside was not detailed clean when we left after being there for almost 4 hours. Staining on the ceiling mostly. Other than that and how long we had to be there, they worked with us on pricing and other things we needed to get the deal done. They checked in with us the day after to see if we had concerns. They definitely want to make their customers happy! I wouldn't buy a Nissan personally but they will work with you on other used vehicles. Nice dealership. ”
“ Friendly dealership. Elliot was a pleasure to work with! Happy with my purchase. ”