What Can I Tow With 1,000 lbs Capacity? (With 6 Examples)

Have you ever wondered what you can tow with 1,000 lbs. capacity?

Having the ability to tow with your vehicle can open dozens of doors. It gives you the chance to take more meaningful vacations and get more work done.

Large vehicles often have substantive towing capacities that let you haul campers, boats, utility trailers, and more.

However, what if you only have a towing capacity of 1,000 pounds? Some people will tell you that towing capacity will not let you tow anything.

That is not true. 1,000 pounds is not a huge towing capacity, and your options will be somewhat limited, but there are still plenty of valuable, useful items you can haul.

You may tow light trailers, ultra-light travel trailers, and various sporting wares such as canoes, bicycles, or an ATV with a 1,000lbs tow capacity. You should always ensure that you carefully calculate your actual towing capacity as it may be less than the towing capacity stated in your car user manual.

So, what can you tow with 1,000 lbs. capacity? With a 1,000-pound towing capacity, you can generally tow:

A canoe
Kayaks
A scooter
Two dirt bikes
A small utility trailer
An ATV
A jet ski
A small pop-up camper
A small aluminum fishing boat
A rowboat

Table of Contents

What Exactly Does Towing Capacity Mean?

Towing capacity refers to exactly how much weight your SUV/sedan/truck may safely pull while towing and is typically expressed in pounds or kilograms.

When it comes to sedans and light trucks, towing involves a trailer hitch, which also has its own towing limitations, such as tongue weight and trailer weight.

You may find your towing capacity on the driver’s door jamb area near the tire pressure specifications.

Otherwise, you may find your towing capacity via manufacturer’s specifications via your VIN, or you may find your towing capacity by calculating it yourself.

Typically 1000lbs tow capacity does not require an independent brake system as most US states only require trailers 3000lbs and above to have brakes.

Why is Towing Capacity so Important?

Understanding and adhering to proper towing capacity limits protect not only yourself but your vehicle passengers and other vehicles on the road.

Not only that, accidents involving drivers towing over manufacturers’ towing capacity limits may open legal consequences.

Exceeding your safe capacity is a form of negligence that may leave you open to litigation even if the accident was not your fault.

Other potential hazards for an improperly calculated tow weight include:
The strain on your car engine
Damage to your drive train
Air pressure problems with your vehicle tires that may lead to blowouts
Decreased stability on the road leading to accidents, injury, or even fatalities.

What Can You Tow With 1,000 lbs. Capacity?

Safely staying within the towing capacity of your vehicle will protect your engine and transmission. Remember when towing that you are not only towing the trailer, but you are also towing anything that you put on the trailer.

That can include fuel, life jackets, water, linens, helmets, food, and more. To save room for those items, you should stay safely under 1,000 pounds.

This table quickly shows many items that you can safely tow with a 1,000-pound towing capacity and the average weight of those items.

Types	Average Weight (lbs.)
A Sea-Doo Spark and Trailer	700 lbs.
A Canoe and Trailer	250 lbs.
A SylvanSport Go	840 lbs.
Two Dirt Bikes	730 lbs.
A Rowboat	300 lbs.
A Small Aluminum fishing boat	600 lbs.

A Sea-Doo Spark and Trailer

In general, you can tow one jet ski with a 1,000-pound towing capacity. However, that does not mean that every jet ski will fit within that weight limit.

It is always important to look at the gross weight of the jet ski you want before planning on towing it with your vehicle.

One jet ski that you can tow with a 1,000-pound towing capacity is the Sea-Doo Spark. The Sea-Doo Spark is a smaller, lighter jet ski. It is great for quickly cruising around a lake for an hour or two.

The Sea-Doo Spark weighs around 410 pounds without fuel. If you tow it with a trailer weighing around 200 pounds and bring fuel, you will be towing around 700 pounds, which is safely within your vehicle’s capacity.

A Canoe and Trailer

Canoeing is a fantastic way to connect with nature. It is fun to do with friends and family of all ages.

Canoes are also light, so you can easily tow them behind vehicles with limited towing capacities and bring the fun on the road with you.

The average canoe weighs around 50 to 100 pounds. If the trailer weighs between 100 and 150 pounds, you are looking at towing a maximum of 250 pounds. This also opens up opportunities to tow multiple canoes on a trailer that can handle more than one.

It is safe to tow canoes with a vehicle that can manage 1,000 pounds, so you can bring canoes and hit the river, lake, or ocean with your friends and family.

A SylvanSport Go

Camper trailers are great for making a camping vacation more comfortable. They give you somewhere warm and dry to sleep. Many have small bathrooms or kitchenettes.

As trailers, you can also park them at a campsite and explore nearby cities with your towing vehicle. This makes driving a lot easier.

However, many campers are too heavy for a vehicle that can only tow 1,000 pounds. Luckily, small pop-up campers weigh under 1,000 pounds that you can still use even after adding some bedding and gear.

Pop-up campers fold down to be more aerodynamic while driving. Then, they have tent-like roofs and walls that “pop up” while you are camped to give you more headspace.

The SylvanSport Go is a prime example of one of those pop-up campers. The camper only weighs 840 pounds. That means you can bring 160 pounds of gear, food, and bedding in the trailer.

Two Dirt Bikes

Dirt biking is a fantastic way to get an adrenaline high and enjoy time with friends. You can explore jumps, mud, and some forest trails on a dirt bike. Luckily, you can tow two dirt bikes even if you have a limited towing capacity for your vehicle.

The average weight of a dirt bike is 215 pounds. If you are towing two dirt bikes, that will give you a total of 430 pounds without the trailer.

Many dirt bike trailers weigh as much as 300 pounds. That means towing two dirt bikes and a trailer that can hold them will give you a total of 730 pounds.

The extra 270 pounds gives you extra capacity for helmets and fuel for your dirt bikes. This means even with a smaller vehicle, you can enjoy a fun day of dirt biking.

A Rowboat

Rowboats are exceptional, small boats that give you a chance to get out under the water without dealing with a heavy boat. You can enjoy a romantic lunch on a rowboat. You can catch fish. You can sightsee.

Bringing a rowboat gives you plenty of fun activities to enjoy.

The average rowboat weighs 100 pounds. This is enough that often two people can carry the boat from the trailer to the water, eliminating the need for a boat launch.

If the trailer weighs 200 pounds, you are looking at towing only 300 pounds. This is incredibly safe for your vehicle with a 1,000-pound towing capacity.

You can use the other 700 pounds to bring life jackets, a lunch, a cooler, a radio, and any other gear you need to help you have fun on the water.

A Small Aluminum Fishing Boat

Fishing is a fun way to spend a day. It can be enjoyed alone or with loved ones.

You will not be able to tow a massive fishing boat equipped for deep sea fishing if you only have a 1,000-pound towing capacity.

However, you can still tow a small aluminum fishing boat that is great for enjoying a lake, pond, or river.

Small aluminum fishing boats can weigh as little as 400 pounds. With a 200-pound trailer, you can still tow the boat with a total capacity of only 600 pounds.

Which Vehicles Can Tow 1,000 lbs.?

Many different cars can tow 1,000 pounds. Some are small SUVs and others are the size of sedans.

The following table lists several vehicles that can tow around 1,000 pounds and their towing capacities:

Vehicle	Towing Capacity
Dodge Challenger	1,000 pounds
Toyota Camry	925-1,100 pounds
Volkswagen Passat	1,000 pounds

Dodge Challenger

The Dodge Challenger is a popular car that can tow up to 1,000 pounds. The vehicle is aerodynamic to help you go faster and save fuel.

The Dodge Challenger is not a vehicle typically used for towing, but most models and years can tow at least 1,000 pounds. You may need to see if your vehicle already has a hitch or if you will need to have one installed.

Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry is one of the most popular vehicles in America. It is versatile and safe to drive.

Many people do not know this, but the Toyota Camry is also equipped to tow between 925 and 1,100 pounds.

That variation is depending on which model of Camry you drive. If you are unsure how much your particular Toyota Camry can tow, consult the owner’s manual.

Volkswagen Passat

The Volkswagen Passat is comfortable to drive even on roads with speed bumps and potholes. This makes it a popular mid-sized sedan.

The Volkswagen Passat also has a towing capacity of 1,000 pounds, which lets you take some of your favorite weekend activities on the road.

Trailer Weight vs Towing Capacity

If you want to know more about the Trailer Weight vs Towing Capacity, just click the link to How to Measure Towing Capacity, GVWR, GCWR, Truck, Trailer

Conclusion

A1,000 lbs towing capacity might not be much to work with, but for smaller trailers and accessories, it’s handy to have.

Rather than risk harming your vehicle (or yourself and others), instead hire a pick-up if you plan to move out of your towing weight class.

Otherwise, you can enjoy a day on the river, or cycling, or put your luggage in a light trailer and enjoy the space.