Payload-first touring

Find out what your ute can actually carry — before you build the back of it.

Brochure payload is only the start. Passengers, water, fuel, fridge, batteries, canopy, drawers, recovery gear, awning, rooftop tent — all of it comes out of the same allowance.

Pick your ute below, choose your build, add your gear. We'll show you what's left and what changes if you go with a Rainger canopy camper instead of a heavier tray + canopy build.

Start the calculator Best & worst payloads Compare all utes

Payload calculator

Pick your ute, choose your build style, add your touring gear. Watch the numbers in real time.

Step 1

Select your ute

Brand

Generation

Variant

Step 2

What's on the back of your ute?

This is the single biggest payload decision. The same touring gear loaded into three different builds gives very different remaining payload.

Factory tub has been removed Auto-ticks for tray builds. Returns tub weight (~85–130 kg) to your payload.

Step 3

Are you towing?

Yes, I'm towing a trailer or caravan Adds tow ball download to your payload and checks GCM headroom.

Trailer ATM (kg)Aggregate Trailer Mass — total trailer mass standing alone

Tow ball download %Standard is 10% of ATM. Heavy-tail caravans run higher.

Tow ball download (kg)Calculated. Subtracted from payload.

Trailer typeAffects loading dynamics but not the math.

Step 4

People, water and fuel

Passengers total (kg)Default 2 adults @ 90kg each

Water (litres)1 litre = 1 kg

Extra fuel (litres)Jerry cans / long-range. Diesel ≈ 0.85 kg/L

Loose gear / clothes (kg)Bags, food, kids' stuff

Step 5

Touring accessories

Tick what's fitted to your ute. Default weights are based on verified manufacturer figures — override them to match your actual setup.

Payload remaining — of —kg factory payload

GCM headroom — of —kg GCM (with trailer)

Vehicle on road — kerb + accessories + load

Your build — —

Payload used—

Pick a ute to begin

Pick your ute, build type and gear to see results.

This calculator is an estimate. Confirm actual loaded weights at a weighbridge and verify legal compliance with a qualified engineer or your state's transport authority. Tub weights, accessory weights and PHEV battery weights are best-available figures — flagged as estimates where manufacturers don't publish them. Rainger Supply Co does not provide engineering certification through this calculator.

Why payload disappears faster than people expect

Three things to know before you build a touring rig.

Payload includes everything

Passengers, water, fuel above test condition, food, fridge, batteries, awning, rooftop tent, canopy, drawers — every kilo of it comes out of the same allowance.

Tow rating is not the same as GCM

A 3500 kg tow rating doesn't mean you can tow 3500 kg and carry a full load. GCM caps the combined total. Once you're towing, the math gets tighter than the brochure suggests.

Build choice dominates the math

A factory tub + canopy camper is around 120 kg added. A tray + alloy canopy is 300–450 kg added. Choose the build first; everything else fits around it.

Important: a 3500 kg tow rating, a 1000 kg+ payload and a 3500 kg GVM can't all be used at once. The calculator above checks GCM and flags the constraint that bites first.

Highest and lowest payload — current generation

At-a-glance ranking of new-on-sale dual-cab utes. Both lists exclude the Ranger Super Duty (a new class of its own — see below).

Highest payload (current-gen)

Best base-trim payload winners. The platform-shared Triton-Navara D27 and the D-Max/BT-50 RG/TF pair dominate the top — all with payload over 1000 kg.

#	Ute	Payload
1	Mazda BT-50 TF XT	1095 kg
2	Mitsubishi Triton MV GLX	1075 kg
3	Isuzu D-Max RG SX	1065 kg
4	Nissan Navara D27 SL (new MV-shared)	1064 kg
5	Nissan Navara D27 ST	1054 kg

Lowest payload (current-gen)

Lifestyle and PHEV variants. Heavy factory equipment, batteries and performance suspension consume payload before you load anything.

#	Ute	Payload
1	GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra PHEV (Hi4-T)	685 kg
2	Jeep Gladiator Rubicon (V6 petrol)	693 kg
3	Ford Ranger Raptor V6 petrol	708 kg
4	GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra Diesel	760 kg
5	Toyota Hilux Rogue V-Active 48V	764 kg

★ Honourable mention — a class of its own

Ford Ranger Super Duty XLT

Sits above the segment. Not really a comparison — a new class entirely.

GVM 4500 kg GCM 8000 kg Braked tow 4500 kg Payload ~1535 kg Fuel 130 L

Pre-launch: announced Dec 2025, deliveries mid-2026. Engineered to land precisely at 4500 kg GVM — the HVNL light-vehicle threshold — so you keep a standard car licence. Wipes the floor on payload, towing and combined mass, but operates as its own class above every ute in the comparison above. No GVM upgrade pathway: any aftermarket uplift over 4500 kg pushes you into LR truck-licence territory in every state.

Ford Super Duty info

Compare Australian 4×4 dual-cab utes

51 variants across current and previous generations. Sort by clicking a column header. Toggle extra columns. Select up to 4 utes to compare side-by-side.

Extra columns: Show axle limits Show engine Show GCM + tow ball Compare mode

Comparing 0 utes

Highlight meaningful differences

Common payload questions

What does payload actually include?

Everything you add to the vehicle after its kerb weight: passengers, water, fuel above the test condition, food, fridge, batteries, tools, recovery gear, awnings, rooftop tents, canopy campers, drawer systems, dogs, kids, and accessories.

Does water count towards payload?

Yes. One litre of water is roughly one kilogram. A 60 L water tank is 60 kg before you count the tank itself, brackets and plumbing.

Is a 3500 kg tow rating enough for touring?

Not by itself. Tow rating is only one number — payload, GVM, GCM, axle loads and tow ball mass also matter. Most dual-cabs cannot tow at maximum rating AND carry a full touring load at the same time because GCM bites first.

How heavy is a Rainger canopy camper?

Rainger's working figure for canopy camper planning is around 120 kg, pending final production specifications. The calculator uses 120 kg as the default; if you have a specific build quote, override it.

What's the new Nissan Navara D27?

Launched in Australia in March 2026 — Nissan's first ute on the Mitsubishi Triton MV platform (2.4L bi-turbo 4N16 diesel, 6-spd auto, 3130 mm wheelbase, 2040 kg rear axle max). Replaces the D23 entirely. The base SL variant has the highest payload of any base-trim 4×4 DC ute in the database at 1064 kg.

When does the Ford Ranger Super Duty launch?

Announced December 2025, deliveries from mid-2026. As of May 2026 it's order-only — order books are open. Spec: 4500 kg GVM (kept under HVNL threshold to retain car licence), 8000 kg GCM, 4500 kg braked tow, ~1535 kg payload, 130 L fuel tank. V6 diesel detuned to 154 kW for HD use cycle. NB1 light commercial registration. No aftermarket GVM upgrade pathway without crossing into LR truck-licence territory.

What about the Ineos Quartermaster?

BMW B57 inline-6 turbo-diesel (183 kW / 550 Nm), full-time 4WD with F+C+R diff lockers, 8-speed ZF auto. Kerb 2718 kg, GVM 3550 kg, payload 832 kg (diesel). The standout figure is GCM 7000 kg — class-leading. That means the Quartermaster can actually tow 3500 kg AND carry a near-full payload, which most rivals can't do simultaneously. Premium-tier pricing (~$99–105k drive-away). Touring-focused buyers cross-shop it with 79 Series LandCruiser.

What about the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon?

3.6L Pentastar V6 petrol (209 kW / 347 Nm), 8-spd auto, removable doors/roof/windscreen — bought on character more than capability metrics. Lowest tow rating in the segment at 2721 kg (vs 3500 kg class norm) and lowest payload at 693 kg. MY26 update was confirmed for AU in December 2025 ($82,990–$84,990). Real-world fuel use is 13–15 L/100km on the petrol V6 — short 83 L tank gives ~550–600 km touring range.

Planning a touring build?

Tell us your ute, your trip style, and what you want to carry. We'll help you size the build so payload is on your side from day one — not a problem you discover at the weighbridge.

Contact Rainger