The gross vehicle weight – also known as its GVW - is how much your vehicle actually weighs and is not to be confused with its GVWR, or gross vehicle weight rating. Both weights are important when picking the best ATV winch for your vehicle and also to ensure you don’t dangerously overweight the winch when using it.
The GVWR is the maximum operating weight of your vehicle as outlined by its manufacturer, and includes its chassis, body, engine, fuel, accessories, driver, passengers and cargo…but excludes any trailers.  In short, it is the maximum total weight limit for your car or truck to be driven safely and should never be exceeded. You can usually find the GVWR on a label on the inside of your door frame, in your car manual or check online.
A good rule of thumb when it comes to winching your ATV is that your winch needs to be rated to one and a half times the vehicle’s maximum loaded weight.