Hauling out some facts and figures
How much towing capability is needed to lug a camper? Two snowmobiles? What about a canoe?
This summer, when my daughter and I headed out on a couple of cross-Canada road trips, we created a hilarious juxtaposition. In July, we towed a 19-foot Airstream single-axle trailer with a Chevrolet Colorado, and in August, we pulled a 16-foot toy-hauler with a Ram 1500.
The relatively diminutive
Colorado made the Airstream look like a bus, while attaching a toy-hauler to a Ram 1500 makes it seem almost non-existent in comparison.
And yet both examples demonstrated that when it comes to towing, there’s a world of possibilities out there.
Here’s a look at the thresholds you’ll most often find on vehicle spec sheets, the types of vehicles that offer them, and just how much stuff you can move with each. The figures provided here are the maximum recommended tow ratings, as supplied by vehicle manufacturers.
Some factors may translate to different real-world capability, such as powertrain choice and whether components are factory or dealer installed. There’s a lot more to planning for safe and effective trailering than what’s outlined here, so consider this a starting point.
1,500 POUNDS
If you’re working with a small load, you might already have a vehicle capable of doing the job. Most compact SUVs can pull 1,500 pounds in base trim configurations, and there’s even a subset of mid-size sedans that can be equipped from the factory to pull up to 1,000 pounds.
A properly equipped Volvo S60 can tow up to 2,000 pounds on a braked trailer. If this is all you really need, it’s worth asking around to find out what you’d have to do to set up your current vehicle before you sink any money into an upgrade.
What weighs 1,500 pounds? A motorcycle or snowmobile, a couple of canoes or a light rowboat on a simple single-axle trailer can all fall within this limit if selected carefully. There are some small pop-up and/or lightweight camping trailers that fit in this category too.
3,500
This is the advertised weight limit for a typical wellequipped compact or midsize SUV. A Toyota RAV4 Trail, a Mitsubishi Outlander GT and most configurations of the Chevrolet Equinox are just a few examples. And all minivans on the market can manage this as well, at least in some trims. What weighs 3,500 pounds? Lots. That little toy-hauler I pulled this summer is roughly 2,000 pounds loaded. If you want to pull a pair of motorbikes or snowmobiles and need a trailer large enough to accommodate both, you’ll be edging close to this number. There’s a wide selection of camping trailers that come in under this weight, which might work for you.
5,000
You can get close to this threshold with a properly equipped Jeep Cherokee, which tops out at 4,500 pounds. To cross this figure, though, we’re moving into larger SUVs, such as a Kia Sorento with the V6 engine and all-wheel drive, a Volkswagen Atlas V6, and plenty of other similarly-sized vehicles. What weighs 5,000 pounds? Many of the more thoroughly equipped single-axle camping trailers that sleep up to four people weigh in below this figure fully loaded, and will have amenities such as on-board plumbing and kitchen appliances. You might even find the odd one with a bathroom.
7,500
Here you’ll find mid-size trucks such as the Ford Ranger (7,500 pounds), and the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon (7,700 pounds each, with the diesel option). The Jeep Gladiator comes in a little lower at 7,000 pounds.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee pulls a max of 7,200 pounds and full-size SUVs, such as the Ford Expedition or Chevrolet Tahoe, clear this mark with a max of at least 8,000 pounds. What weighs 7,500 pounds? A larger boat such as a ski boat. This weight also opens up options for longer, fully-equipped camping trailers that sleep up to eight people.