Manufacturing Factors

• Factors that help increase towing capacity include horsepower, brake size, frame design, torque, engine configuration and the axle ratio.
  
  

Hitches

• The type of towing hitch a truck is fitted with also influences its towing capacity. With a class III hitch, mid-sized pickups can tow up to 5,000 lbs., while full-sized trucks with a class IV hitch for can tow up to 12,000 lbs. A full-sized pickup with a gooseneck hitch can tow 25,000 pounds.
  
  

Expert Insight

• According to Autotropolism, a low RPM torque -- not horsepower -- determines the towing capacity of pickups. The ease with which a pickup can climb a 7 percent grade -- the highest grade on most U.S. highways -- determines its towing capacity, according to the website.