What’s The Towing Capacity Of A Jeep Wrangler?

The Jeep Wrangler’s rugged endurance and off-roading ability make it a hugely popular vehicle, especially for those who love to get off the beaten path. But, what if you want to bring more stuff with you than fits in the Jeep? What is the Jeep Wrangler’s towing capacity?

Obviously, no one looks to a Wrangler to tow a fifth wheel. That’s a given. But what size travel trailer can a Wrangler enthusiast hook up and take camping? (And as an aside, will it tow your boat or utility trailer?) Is the Wrangler a good choice for those who want to tow?

In this post, we’re going to find out.

Why Is the Jeep Wrangler so Popular?

The Jeep Wrangler has long been a popular contender in the new vehicle market, and it’s also one of the most popular used vehicles in the United States. Its iconic looks and respectable off-road capabilities have been the cornerstones of its undeniable popularity in many markets since its introduction in 1987.

Fast-forward to the most recent year-end data (2025), and not only is it still one of the most popular new and used cars out there, but the Jeep Wrangler 4xe happens to be the best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle in all of Canada, having beat out even the Toyota RAV4 Prime and the Prius Prime! In fact, as we write this, the Jeep Wrangler has been recognized as one of the most popular vehicles in 2026, winning the Adventure Vehicle of the Year award and topping compact SUV rankings for its off-road capability and value retention.

Despite its comparatively poor fuel economy and rougher on-road ride, the Wrangler corners several markets with its exceptionally loyal fan base. Why so popular? Market experts attribute the Wrangler’s popularity to several factors, including its iconic appearance and undeniable off-road capability. Its heritage as a former WWII vehicle (Willys MB) used by the U.S. Army (mostly because it was heavy-duty, cheap, and capable of driving over any terrain) was the seed for its now-longstanding reputation as an exceptional off-road vehicle.

Not only does four-wheel-drive come standard with every Jeep Wrangler model, but the Wrangler’s reputation as an off-road vehicle is pretty much unmatched by any other common vehicle on the market. Indeed, it’s the off-road prowess of almost any Wrangler model that begs the question of its towing capabilities for campers.

What Is the Tow Capacity of a Jeep Wrangler?

This seemingly simple question can’t be answered with a single number. That’s because the “Jeep Wrangler” is a series of 4WD SUVs that spanned several decades. Each Wrangler model is a bit different. So, perhaps the wisest thing to remember when considering a Jeep Wrangler as a towing vehicle is that all Wranglers are classified as SUVs.

Depending on the particular model, it could be a compact SUV or a mid-sized SUV, but a Jeep Wrangler is an SUV, no matter how you slice it. So, the towing capacity of ANY Jeep Wrangler isn’t likely to be significant. In fact, the 2-door models can only tow up to 2,000 lbs.

If you buy a used Wrangler, your best bet is to research the exact tow capacity of that particular year & model and compare that with the weight of what you want to tow. If you’re buying new at the time of the writing of this post, you’ll be looking at the 2026 model of the Jeep Wrangler.

Tow Capacity of a 2026 Jeep Wrangler

Depending on the model and specific configuration, a 2026 Wrangler can tow between 2,000 and 5,000 pounds. That’s a bit of a difference across models/trims. So, here again, you’ll need to research the particular trim level of the Wrangler you’re interested in carefully to ensure it’s capable of towing whatever you want.

But here’s the generalized bottom line to keep in mind:

Most Jeep Wrangler 2-door models will tow up to 2,000 lbs, and the 4-door models will have a maximum tow capacity of 3,500-5,000 lbs. when properly equipped.

Note that 2,000 lbs. isn’t a lot of weight, especially when considering the camper’s weight PLUS that of the gear you need to bring along, including everything inside the Jeep and the camper AND the trailer’s tongue weight (check out our latest post to see how to figure out how heavy of a trailer your vehicle can ACTUALLY tow: How Much Trailer Can My Truck Safely Tow?).

Let’s use a teardrop trailer as an example since these are some of the smallest, lightest campers out there.

The weight of a teardrop camper runs the gamut from 500 lbs. to 3,000 lbs. or so, with the average teardrop coming in at around 1,500 lbs. Even that would be a close call for a 2-door Wrangler to tow, although many teardrops can be towed by a 4-door model. But here again, you’d need to be sure to investigate the weight of the teardrop. Some of these tiny camper trailers have a GVWR of as much as 4,000 pounds.

The newest model Jeep Wrangler (at the time of the writing of this post) is the 2026 Wrangler. According to the manufacturer (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, part of the Stellantis Group that owns 16 automotive brands, including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Fiat), the 2026 Jeep Wrangler can now tow between 2,000 lbs. and 5,000 pounds when properly equipped (i.e., depending on the powertrain and model).

To get the maximum towing capacity of 5,000 out of your 2026 Wrangler, it’ll need to be a 4-door Rubicon or Rubicon X model with the 2.0L I-4 engine, automatic transmission, and a 4.10 axle ratio.

Note that the 2026 Wrangler also offers a maximum payload capacity of 1,381 pounds for passengers, interior cargo-hauling, and tongue weight of the trailer you’re towing (including the hitch).

It’s also important to note that all vehicles have different towing capacities based on whether or not you’re towing a trailer that has trailer brakes installed. Trailer brakes allow the trailer to stop faster than using only the towing vehicle’s brakes. This allows the vehicle to tow more weight, so the braked towing capacity will always be higher than the unbraked towing capacity.

So, again – the bottom line regarding the Jeep Wrangler’s towing capacity boils down to the year, model, and trim you buy and whether or not you’ve got trailer brakes.

What Can I Tow With a Jeep Wrangler?

As we’ve seen, generally speaking, many Wranglers can’t tow all that much weight. Depending on its weight and your setup, you might be able to tow your boat or a utility trailer. But can you tow your RV? Maybe…if it’s a small one.

Clearly, with most Jeep Wranglers, you’ll be limited to campers like smaller travel trailers, pop-ups, teardrops, and maybe the lightest hybrid campers unless you’ve got a 2026 4-door Rubicon or Rubicon X model with the 2.0L I-4 engine, automatic transmission, and a 4.10 axle ratio, and even that’ll only give you 5,000 lbs of towing capacity.

With lower-capacity Wranglers, if you plan to go off-road, you might want to check out our post on the lightweight-but-durable TAXA Trailers. They’re very small, made to go off-road, and light enough to be towed by many SUVs.

And as we mentioned in our post on the benefits of smaller RVs, little campers like pop-ups and teardrops are perfect for some travelers, with several light enough to be towed by a 2-door Jeep Wrangler (rated at 2,000-lb tow capacity).

If you’re into going off-road with your Jeep Wrangler, you’re probably a camper who enjoys getting out to some fairly remote areas. This makes the smallest, lightest, most nimble travel trailers a good match for most Jeep Wranglers!

Things to Be Aware of When Towing an RV With a Jeep Wrangler

There are a couple of things we want to mention about Jeeps in particular.

“Death Wobble”

This is the potential for the violent shaking commonly called the “Jeep death wobble.” You can read our post on Jeep death wobble for more information, but it’s good to be aware of the potential for this issue to develop under the right circumstances. In short, while any Jeep can become susceptible to the aptly described “death wobble,” the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator are the two Jeep models with which this phenomenon has been described most frequently.

Does that mean that the “death wobble” is likely to be experienced by Jeep Wrangler drivers? Absolutely not. But the Wrangler is a vehicle about which this complaint has frequently been made. With that noted, worn components such as control arms and suspension parts, tire inflation and balance issues, wheel alignment, and modifications (like suspension lifts, bigger tires, etc) increase the likelihood that one will experience death wobble in a Jeep.

And remember – a vehicle that’s made for going off-road could conceivably have components that wear (or loosen) sooner than vehicles that stick to the pavement.

Towing a Trailer

The second thing we want to mention is that whenever you tow any type of trailer, you can be subject to the potentially dangerous issue of trailer sway. This is a situation where side forces on the trailer get transmitted to the towing vehicle, potentially resulting in loss of control of both vehicles. And since the Wrangler is a smaller, lighter, shorter wheelbase vehicle, it can be more susceptible to sway when towing a trailer.

However, there are very specific ways to mitigate the potential for trailer sway, and it’s important for anyone who tows any type of trailer to know how to do so. We suggest looking at our post on trailer sway control for these important details.

Is the Jeep Wrangler a Good Option for You?

As you can clearly see, it is if you only plan to tow a fairly small RV with it. But that’s likely fine for the type of rugged, off-road camping a Jeep Wrangler owner is likely interested in.

We’d love to hear from you if you tow a little RV with a Jeep Wrangler. Which year/model/trim of the Wrangler do you have, and what are you towing with it? Do you head off into the wild unknown, or are you a camper who enjoys commercial campgrounds?

Drop us a comment below!

UPDATE! TRAILER TOWING & WEIGHT LIMIT POST, VIDEO & CALCULATOR!

We’ve released a video and blog post all about Trailer Towing & Weight Limits, including a FREE towing and weight calculator designed to do all the math for you, ensuring your rig is properly balanced and within all weight limits. Don’t let a sagging trailer alert everyone in the campground that you’re overweight, and don’t let the dreaded trailer sway ruin your trip (or worse)!

Free RVing Tips, Tricks, Reviews & Giveaways

As 20-year full-timers, we share everything we’ve learned about RVing over the years. Join our online community to receive a wealth of great RVing knowledge delivered daily to your inbox.

Whether you’re a new RVer or a seasoned full-timer, you’ll love the wide range of RVing topics we cover. Don’t miss a single article or any of our famous Giveaways. Subscribe to our newsletter today!

We'd Love It If You Shared This!