Good app, lots of potential…
Response from developer
Thank you for your interesting feedback. I'm not sure what you are explaining. Anyone who enters the app's four required weight information should only be from the tow vehicle's specifications. Once the correct info is entered, app users will see max towing weight results for fifth wheel and conventional trailer towing. The results is based on the user's selected pin or tongue weight percentage. All this is thoroughly explained in the app.
Truly useless
Response from developer
Developing a spreadsheet was the beginning of the app creation. However, to date, I have not seen anyone else publish a spreadsheet as accurate as the RV Tow Check app. Apparently, GM recognized the RV Tow Check app value by creating a Trailering Information label that is tailored to work perfectly with the app. For you to assume that everyone knows all the required formulas to calculate realistic vehicle towing capacity is absurd. If you would like to discuss your pretentious response more, please email me at info@RVtowCheck.com.
Waste of $1.99
Save you money. I lost mine.
Yes - I read the directions and watched to video.
Should be an area to enter your RV specifics.
Response from developer
Sorry to hear about your dissatisfaction with the RV Tow Check app. I would like to help better understand what the app is for and how to correctly use it. I am glad you recognize the app “Does what it says it does.” However, would it not be a bit presumptuous to believe that everyone else knows all four of the calculation methodologies required to achieve a realistic vehicle towing capacity while considering the various pin or tongue weight possibilities? I am glad you know the calculations. If anything, the RV Tow Check app proved your work--is that really a lost investment? There is no need to enter any details about RV specifics when only considering the tow vehicle’s realistic vehicle towing capacity. The important thing is knowing the tow vehicle’s capabilities with various pin or tongue weight percentages selected by the user. Entering RV info does not matter here. I will gladly answer any questions when you email me at info@RVtowCheck.com.
Waste of $1.99
It really didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know from my TV owners manual about maximum trailer weights.
Response from developer
Sorry to hear about your dissatisfaction with the RV Tow Check app. I would like to help better understand what the app is for and how to correctly use it. It is your responsibility to enter a minimum of four required weights: CGWR, GVWR, GVW and the TWR for at least the trailer classification you are considering. The app is not product of CAT Scales nor associated with the RV Tow Check. RV Tow Check's function is only to provide you a realistic vehicle towing capacity of your vehicle. If you were seeking realistic vehicle towing capacity for towing a conventional trailer, it is not uncommon the app results will be the same as the published TWR. However, in cases when the tow vehicles weigh much more than the published curb weight, a realistic TWR will be much less. I will gladly answer any questions when you email me at info@RVtowCheck.com.
If you understand vehicle weights...it works great!
The red doesn’t mean they aren’t safe...it means your trailer may or may not be able to achieve a low tongue weight. Some can some can’t. The yellow means it is more likely you can reach that tongue percent but again, not all trailers can. The green just means it should be possible for any proper trailer to reach that tongue weight percent.
Maybe overly simplified but a pretty good warning to people too.
Thanks for the app.
Response from developer
Thank you for your 5-star rating and feedback. I will consider your excellent comments in the next app upgrade. If you ever have any questions, please contact me at https://rvtowcheck.com/contact_us.html.
The app works
As other reviewers have noted, the app asks for trailer gross weight - which is the safe way of going about the calculation - but not the best way. Many inexperienced RVers don’t know if they’ve overladen their trailer and/or their tow vehicle. My advice for those beginner RVers is to go to the local truck stop and weigh your tow vehicle by itself with a full tank of fuel and nothing else and no one in it. Then weigh the trailer - again with nothing in it except for a full tank of fresh water and propane. Then, load up the tow vehicle and trailer as if actually going on a trip with full fresh water, propane, food, clothes, toiletries, kitchen equipment, etc. Then use this app with the proper ratings found in your tow vehicle and trailer loading stickers and literature.
Before I get blasted by the developer, I acknowledge the app allows for input of variable weights such as passengers and all the camping stuff someone might want to bring with them. However, these numbers can only really be estimated unless you know all of those items’ weights. I’m certainly not going to weight them all individually and add the weights together. I’m going to do what I suggested in the paragraph above and let the scale at the local truck stop do it all at once.
That said, I’m not certain this app is useful for advanced users. Advanced users (people who tow trailers and care about their tow vehicle’s capabilities vs trailer weight), like me, have probably figured out how to calculate these results themselves - if they cared to know. Additionally, a user is likely going to actually use this app perhaps once per tow vehicle/trailer pair.
I can see why beginners have a tough time with the app. It’s not because the app is faulty, because as the developer says: “it’s math.” It’s probably due to the app user’s unfamiliarity with the terms, and/or where to find the required weight data for tow vehicle and trailer, and/or mistakenly inputting the wrong data in the wrong field in the app. This is why the developer’s responses to negative reviews read something along the lines of “the primary reason for the negative review is because the user fails to <<insert either or all of the above reasons>>.” Unfortunately, this acetic response probably doesn’t endear the developer to new users trying to do the right thing by trying to understand how to tow within safe tow margins for their vehicle.
Is this app a waste of money? I suppose it depends on if you’re an advanced user (experienced RVer) or not, or if you tow more than one combination of tow vehicle/trailer frequently to get more than one or two uses out of it. I personally will likely never use it again because it doesn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know about my truck and trailer and their weight relationships.
Three stars for doing what the app says it does (math) and being mostly thorough. If it were useful beyond a handful of individual uses, I’d give it 5 stars.
Response from developer
Thank you for your thorough review. However, no, the app does not ask for the “trailer gross weight.” The app asks nothing about a trailer to be towed. Your information about weighing the truck and trailer is helpful, but that is not what this app is about. RV Tow Check is all about the tow vehicle only to assist the owner in knowing the realistic vehicle towing capacity. No, the app does not ask the owner to estimate anything. The app encourages the owner to weigh their vehicle. A new vehicle buyer is unlikely to have the opportunity to weigh the vehicle. Therefore, he or she is left only to use the published curb weight. All this is explained in the “Beginner Mode.” What is frustrating for me, is this app was available as a free web-based app for nearly five years. At the end of the last year, it was a free web-based app, I made it into the current mobile app which is identical. In the last year of the web-based app, 84,429 calculations were processed. During the development process and improvements of the web-based app, only a handful of people emailed me for clarification. Before I released the current app, I had a team of 14 volunteers, and they provided valuable feedback. I provide FAQ and an instructional video. Not one of the individuals who wrote reviews at the app stores have contacted me directly and provided any valuable information to help me better understand their negative review. I ask you; did you use the app in “Beginner’s Mode? Did you read through the FAQ or watch the video indexed in the FAQ. Will you email me and provide any suggestions on how I can improve the instructions? (info@rvtowcheck.com) I have no problem in making improvements but if people don’t share precisely what the failure is, there’s not a whole lot I can do about it. Considering the app is approaching 6,500 sales across two platforms, a handful of negative reviews has not made much difference. Would I like to eliminate the negative reviews? Yes. But these reviewers have some responsibility too.
Red, yellow, greens misleading
After reading the developer response I stand by my assertion. Most people take the colors of red, yellow, and green as safety indicators with green being safe and red being unsafe.
The implication of the app is that towing at 15% pin weight an unsafe towing situation. If the tow vehicle’s GVWR is not exceeded by the pin weight and additional cargo and the GCWR and/or the mfg tow rating not exceeded 15% pin weight is safe.
Response from developer
No sir, I am not imply anything like that. If you had read the info shown in beginner's mode you would have read this: "The red, yellow and green zones are safety guidelines for when you do not know the loaded trailer's pin weight (PW) or tongue weight (TW) percentages." Most people have no idea what the real pin weight of a trailer will be before purchase. The app provides max realistic vehicle towing capacity for each percentage selected. Those who wish to ensure their tow vehicle will most likely not be overloaded, they will select a percentage in the green zone and not purchase a trailer with a GVWR greater than the selected percentage on the app. Furthermore, additional info may be read on the app's FAQ page.
Don’t waste time
Want info go to J2809 for a specific vehicle. May not be perfect
But consistent between vehicles.
Response from developer
I'm sorry to read that you feel the app is a waste of money. It would be extremely helpful for you to email me with your concerns and provide expansive detailed information. The vast majority of RVTC app users (more than 200K) disagree with you but I would welcome to read your complaint. BTW: J2809 has nothing to do with weight safety.
Great App
Response from developer
Thank you, Ken, for the positive review. It was a pleasure to assist you to ensure you fully understood the results. If you ever have additional questions, don't hesitate to ask. Best regards, and first and foremost, travel safely. Dave
Complete crap
Response from developer
Well, sir, your assumptions are not founded in truth. I don't know what you entered into the app. You and everyone is encouraged to email me for answers to those things you think are incorrect. Math does not lie. However, people do make entry errors. Did you make an entry error? A factual answer takes just a few minutes as soon as you provide the entry details.
Results are vague
Response from developer
It seems to appear you failed to use the app in beginner mode as strongly suggested for first-time users. Everything you need to know is just a few finger taps away. However, anyone who fails to read and follow the very first app instructions will most likely become frustrated and write negative reviews. Therefore, I do not accept your review being helpful to anyone. After you have taken the time to read and follow instructions, I hope you will delete or rewrite your review.
Doesnt work
Response from developer
Either you did not follow directions or you did not read and comprehend the second paragraph on the RVTC Report page in beginner mode. When no changes occur when selecting different percentages, the towing capacity is limited by the GCWR or the TWR. There's nothing wrong with the app. That's been proven.
So helpful!!!
Response from developer
Thank you for your positive review. If there is ever any question, don't hesitate to email me. First and foremost, travel safely.
RVTC
Response from developer
What is the problem? Did you fail to follow simple instructions?
Danger: bug
Edit: it appears to work if you use the menu button (upper left) to change screens. But if you use a finger drag to go back a screen it appears to confuse the app. Still sticking with 1 star for now
Response from developer
Did you follow the instructions in beginner mode? The app works perfectly fine. The number one issue has always been the user not following directions. The other user you refer to did not follow directions either. Considering that 2,410 iOS apps have been sold as of this date without any negative reviews, a rating of 99.9% of satisfied users is excellent. If you are still having problems, please contact me.
Useless
Response from developer
Your review is vague. Please send an email providing a full description of your app entries and explain how the app appeared useless. There have been over 200,000 successful app uses since the original app.
Does not work
Response from developer
If you followed the detailed instructions and entered the correct required information, there could not possibly be any mistake. This app has successfully processed over 200,000 reports without any error. All known problems to date have been operator headspace (user error). You are welcome to email me for help.
Report doesn't make sense to a newbie
Response from developer
Sorry to read that you are having some difficulty. There is no required entry for trailer information. Only tow vehicle information is required. I recommend you go to the settings page and select FAQ on the menu. I'm sure you will find the answer there, specifically question one and two. In summary, whatever percentage you select is the max towing capacity, just as the headings are written, "Max 5th Wheel Towing" and Max Conventional Towing." If the trailer's GVWR is more than the max towing capacity for the pin or tongue weight percentage you select to use, then you shouldn't be towing that trailer. After learning this, how can I write the current instructions better? Please email me.
