I have always admired the Jeep Wrangler. I like how tough and fresh it looks. I feel like if I ever own one, it can take me anywhere up in the mountains or across the rivers. I’ve seen Jeep Wranglers towing a camper, another car, among others. So I wonder, just how much can this amazing car tow? Will it be able to take a boat? It would be amazing to know, wouldn’t it? Let’s find the answer together.
Can you pull a boat with a Jeep Wrangler? Yes a Jeep Wrangler’s average towing capacity is about 3,500 pounds, with the highest being the 2019 Unlimited Variant Model that can tow approximately up to 5500 pounds.According to our research, a typical motorboat can weigh between 2,500 and 5,000 pounds.
This example is just a rough average and will vary depending on many other factors. Of course, it varies depending on the model and the year of your Wrangler. Based on this data, we can conclude that, yes, a Jeep Wrangler can pull a boat, given, of course, that it is within it’s towing capacity.
As we have concluded in the above paragraph, we will be able to pull a boat with our Jeep Wrangler. However, we should still consider if the one that we have is up for the task. With the Jeep Wrangler, there are two types of towing capacity, the brake and the unbraked. Unbraked towing capacity is the capacity of your vehicle to tow a vehicle or trailer without a braking system. Whereas, braked towing capacity is the towing capacity of a vehicle to tow another car or camper with a braking system of its own. As time goes by, Jeep Wranglers become more and more powerful each release, but just how powerful is your Jeep Wrangler?
Average Towing Capacity of a Jeep Wrangler per Year Model
| Year | Towing Capacity Non-braked Trailer | Towing Capacity Braked Trailer |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈2,000 lbs |
| 1997 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈2,000 lbs |
| 1998 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈2,000 lbs |
| 1999 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈2,000 lbs |
| 2000 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈2,000 lbs |
| 2001 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈2,000 lbs |
| 2002 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈2,000 lbs |
| 2003 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈2,000 lbs |
| 2004 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈2,000 lbs |
| 2005 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈2,000 lbs |
| 2006 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈2,000 lbs |
| 2007 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈2,000 lbsJK Variants ≈3,500 lbsUnlimited Variants ≈5,000 lbs |
| 2008 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈3,500 lbsUnlimited Variants ≈5,000 lbs |
| 2009 | ≈1,600 lbs | JK Variants ≈3,500 lbsUnlimited Variants ≈5,000 lbs |
| 2010 | ≈1,600 lbs | JK Variants ≈3,500 lbsUnlimited Variants ≈5,000 lbs |
| 2011 | ≈1,600 lbs | JK Variants ≈3,500 lbsUnlimited Variants ≈5,000 lbs |
| 2012 | ≈1,600 lbs | JK Variants ≈3,500 lbsUnlimited Variants ≈5,000 lbs |
| 2013 | ≈1,600 lbs | JK Variants ≈3,500 lbsUnlimited Variants ≈5,000 lbs |
| 2014 | ≈1,600 lbs | JK Variants ≈3,500 lbsUnlimited Variants ≈5,000 lbs |
| 2015 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈3,500 lbsUnlimited Variants ≈5,000 lbs |
| 2016 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈3,500 lbsUnlimited Variants ≈5,000 lbs |
| 2017 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈3,500 lbsUnlimited Variants ≈5,000 lbs |
| 2018 | ≈1,600 lbs | ≈3,500 lbsUnlimited Variants ≈5,000 lbs |
| 2015 | ≈1,600 lbs | JL Variants ≈3,300 lbsJK Variants ≈3,500 lbsUnlimited Variants ≈5,000-5,500 lbs |
If you have a pontoon boat that typically weighs 2,500 pounds and a boat trailer that is around 1,500 pounds, you would need a Jeep Wrangler with at least a towing capacity above 4,500 pounds. Consider going for the unlimited models of the Jeep Wranglers, which is the most powerful among its variants.
While many vehicles can tow more weight than the ones stated in the manual, you need to be careful of overworking your Wrangler more than it’s capacity. Going a little over a hundred will not cause much of a concern, but a few hundred more may cause a severe issue with your car. How your Jeep Wrangler handles may suffer significant damage if it tows anything way over its capacity.
Related Questions
Is It Possible To Increase a Jeep Wrangler’s Towing Capacity?
A vehicle towing capacity indicates how much-added weight it can handle while still being capable of moving and stopping. Often, a vehicle’s towing capacity indicated by manufacturers is actually below its real towing capacity. Hence, the stories of vehicle owners being able to tow more than the stated towing capacity. If your Jeep Wrangler is only capable of pulling around 3,500 pounds of added weight, you might not need to buy a newer, more powerful Jeep Wrangler to tow your boat trailer with your boat on it that can weigh up to 4,500 pounds. It is possible to increase your Wrangler’s towing capacity.
A Wrangler towing something with a more substantial weight than itself may create a dangerous situation as the vehicle can be pushed around by its load. With that, you can opt to install wider tires to help add weight to your Jeep Wrangler. Getting a more heavy-duty tow bar can also help your Jeep Wrangler to handle more load. Acquire an equalizing hitch receiver that can help distribute weight to increase your towing capacity. Frame reinforcement is also a big help to so your Wrangler can tow more. Lastly, the most important thing to do is to install a high-performance braking system. The most crucial part of towing is the ability of your vehicle to stop safely while pulling a load behind it.
Be advised that though it is possible to increase the towing capability of your vehicle it still might be best to stick with what the manufacturer advice you to do so. User manuals and vehicle guides are there so we can utilize the vehicle to the best of its ability without compromising its health.
What Is A Hitch And What Role Does It Play In Towing?
A hitch is a device attached or incorporated into a vehicle’s chassis used for towing. The capability of our tow hitch plays a crucial role in how much our cars can pull. You can have a sturdy Jeep Wrangler that can tow up to 5,500 pounds, but that does not guarantee that you can tow that much without the proper hitch to handle that weight. You need to identify how much tongue weight your hitch can handle.
What is tongue weight? It is the downward force applied to the hitched by the tongue of a trailer or a car the vehicle is towing. It determines how much vertical weight your vehicle can handle without tipping over. Often, the tongue weight capacity will be stated on the user’s manual if your car comes with a factory-installed hitch. If you only have it installed after purchase where there will be two stated tongue weight capacity for the vehicle itself and the hitch installed, always take the lowest one as your best reference.
You can also calculate your hitch’s tongue weight capacity if not stated. Just take 10% of the gross weight of the vehicle or trailer that you will tow, so if your car and hitch can tow a camper or a car that weighs around 3,500 pounds, the tongue weight capacity will be about 350 pounds. This calculation is probably the safest weight reference you can have. If you want to go over that, yes, it is possible as well because there are other references that state you can tow approximately 9-15% of the vehicle’s gross towing capacity. But like I said, 10% is probably the safest way to calculate it.
There are four classifications of hitches, depending on how much is their tongue capacity and towing capacity.
| Class | Towing Capacity | Tongue Weight Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Up to 2,000 lbs | ≈ 200 lbs |
| 2 | Up to 3,500 lbs | ≈ 350 lbs |
| 3 | Up to 3,500 – 6,000 lbs | ≈ 350 – 600 lbs |
| 4 | Up to 6,000 – 10,000 lbs | ≈ 600 – 1,000 lbs |
| 5 | Up to 10,000+ lbs | ≈ 1,000+ lbs |
Installing a hitch with a higher tongue weight capacity than your vehicle does not equate to increasing the tongue weight capacity of the car itself. As previously stated, you will still consider the lower tongue weight capacity as your overall tongue weight capacity.
Most JK Jeep Wrangler has a Class 3 hitch with a tongue weight capacity of 350 lbs. Another misconception about hitch classification is that having a wider receiver opening equates to higher hitch class.
This comprehension is not entirely accurate as some manufacturers will create a Class 1 or 2 hitches with a 2-inch receiver opening, which only has 200 – 300 lbs tongue weight capacity. Widening the receiver opening does not mean increasing the tongue weight capacity; it made to accommodate a wide variety of accessories.