The Mazda BT-50 GCM is 5950kg on early TF 4x4 models and 6000kg on the MY25 facelift. With a 3500kg braked towing capacity, a loaded BT-50 can only weigh 2450kg to 2500kg while towing the maximum, so towing a big van means giving up most of your payload. Some Lovells GVM kits we fit also raise GCM in NSW and Victoria.
If you’re planning to tow a caravan, boat or camper with a BT-50, GCM is the figure to understand before anything else. Mazda’s own towing advice points owners to GVM, GCM, towing capacity and towball limits together, and the BT50 GCM is usually the one that bites first when the ute and trailer are both loaded. Here’s how it works with real numbers, and where our Mazda BT-50 GVM upgrades can help.
Mazda BT-50 GCM and Towing Figures
|
Current BT-50 4x4 |
Figure |
|
GCM, early TF models such as the 2021 XTR |
5950kg |
|
GCM, MY25 facelift |
6000kg |
|
GVM |
3100kg |
|
Braked towing capacity |
3500kg |
|
Unbraked towing capacity |
750kg |
|
Maximum towball download |
350kg |
GCM covers the loaded ute and loaded trailer together. It sits alongside the other limits, so you need to stay inside every one of them at the same time.
Working Out Your BT-50 Towing Payload
Subtract your trailer’s loaded weight from the Mazda BT50 GCM. The answer is the most your BT-50 can weigh on the road with that trailer hitched
Towing a 3500kg caravan
On a MY25 BT-50 with a 6000kg GCM, a 3500kg van leaves 2500kg for the ute. CarsGuide worked through exactly this on a 2025 XTR cab chassis, finding that towing 3500kg would need a 590kg cut in payload to stay inside GCM. On a heavier dual cab pick-up, the margin left for people, fuel, accessories and the towball load is even thinner.
Towing a 2500kg camper
With a 2500kg trailer, the same BT-50 can weigh up to 3500kg under GCM, which is more than its 3100kg GVM. That means the GVM becomes your limit, and a GVM upgrade adds usable payload straight away.
|
Trailer weight |
Max BT-50 weight under 6000kg GCM |
Limit you hit first |
|
3500kg |
2500kg |
GCM |
|
3200kg |
2800kg |
GC |
|
2900kg |
3100kg |
GCM and GVM together |
|
2500kg |
3500kg |
GVM |
Does a GVM Upgrade Change the BT-50 GCM?
Most GVM kits leave the BT-50 GCM unchanged. The Formula 4x4 3700kg kits for the BT-50 from 2022 raise GVM and axle ratings only, with GCM staying at the factory figure. They’re the right choice when you carry a heavy load and tow a lighter trailer, or don’t tow at all.
The Lovells 3600kg kits we fit for BT-50 models from 2020 are different. The standard Lovells kit includes a 6200kg GCM in NSW and Victoria, and the version with a heavy duty radiator upgrade is listed with a 6900kg GCM in those states. On a post-registration GCM upgrade, the Lovells upper control arm kit is compulsory.
3700kg Formula 4x4 GVM Upgrade Kit
Lovells 3600kg kits
What a Higher GCM Means in Practice
|
BT-50 setup |
Max ute weight towing 3500kg |
|
Factory 6000kg GCM |
2500kg |
|
Lovells kit with 6200kg GCM, NSW and VIC |
2700kg |
That extra 200kg can be the difference between towing your van legally with passengers and gear on board, or not. Keep in mind your braked towing capacity stays at 3500kg and your towball download stays at 350kg, whichever kit you choose.
Getting the Right Advice for Your BT-50
Every towing setup is different, and the only reliable way to know which limit you’re closest to is to weigh the BT-50 and trailer separately, as you’d normally travel. Our GVM & Towing Assessment does this for $90, with a 4 point weight check, a GVM and GCM assessment and a written recommendation.
From there, a Fulcrum specialist can tell you whether a GVM upgrade, a GCM upgrade or a change to your setup is the smartest fix. To see the stock ratings in more detail, read our guide to the Mazda BT-50 GVM, or browse our Mazda BT-50 GVM upgrades. Our Mazda BT-50 payload guide shows how to work out your own figure, and our BT-50 GVM upgrade cost guide lists fitted prices for every kit.
FAQs
Looking for more information about the Mazda BT-50 GCM? Below we answer the most commonly asked questions
What is the GCM of a Mazda BT-50?
How much can a BT-50 carry while towing 3500kg?
Does a GVM upgrade increase the BT-50 GCM?
What is the towball limit on a BT-50?
Is the BT-50 GCM upgrade available in Queensland?
Does the BT-50 GCM upgrade increase towing capacity?
No, braked towing capacity stays at 3500kg, but a higher GCM lets the ute weigh more while towing up to that limit.
Tow and carry legally with the right upgrade from our BT-50 GVM upgrades range, backed by Fulcrum’s national network.
