Jeep Wrangler Towing Capacities

The Jeep Wrangler is definitely a popular vehicle that has been around for decades and is probably recognized by most people, but I was surprised that they actually had a towing capacity rating attached to them, which makes them even more versatile.

And this article I gathered all the research and compiled it in an organized way that I think a lot of people will find interesting and helpful!

Overview of the Data For the Wranglers:

Engine Choices: There we're not many engine options over the years for the Jeep Wranglers and to be quite honest, the engineer had a quip did not really affect the overall maximum trailer weight rating capacities as much as you would think they did.

Towing Capacity: Over the years, the overall capacity numbers really didn't change all that much, in fact they ranged from 1,000 to 3,500 pounds for almost every model, except for the later model years which typically ranged from 2,000 - 3,500 pounds.

When doing my research, I came across a few different model years that shared the same exact metrics when it came to maximum trailer weight ratings, gross combined weight ratings, etc.

In some cases, I grouped together model years that shared the same information and posted one chart that applied to all model years in that section.

I recommend reading your owner's manual to get familiar with your vehicle and to make sure you have all of the required information you need when it comes to hauling a trailer and other important information.

2021 Models:

The 2021 models had an overall towing capacity of 2,000 - 3,500 lbs. and one of the main determining factors that decided the lower and higher capacity ratings was whether you had a two-door or four-door model, if your Jeep had the 2.0 l or 3.6 L engine equipped.

If you had the 3.0 liter diesel engine equipped, then you had that higher 3,500 lb. rating as well, as there were no two-door models available for that particular engine, at least according to the chart listed below.

2021 Chart

2020-2019 Models:

The 2020-2019 models have the same 2,000 - 3,500 lb. towing capacity that we saw with the 2021 models, but the engine options were a little bit different. If we look at the chart, we can see that there were only the 2.0 liter and 3.6 liter engines available for these specific model years.

Everything else was identical to the 2021 models, if we compare all the other information like the gross combined weight rating, frontal area specifications and maximum trailer tongue weight ratings.

2020-2019 Charts

2018 Models:

For 2018, we can see that there was only one engine offered, but there were many different specs listed too. We still saw the same 2,000 - 3,500 lb. towing capacity rating in the charts below and really what determine the lower and higher capacity rating was what axle ratio you had equipped in your vehicle.

If you had the 3.21 axle ratio equipped, then you had that lower 2,000 pound rating but if you had the 3.73 or 4.10 axle ratio, then you would see the higher 3,500 pound rating.

2018 Chart

2017-2016 Models:

The 2017 and 2016 models were almost identical to the 2018 models when it came to engine choices, or the lack thereof, having only the 3.6 liter engine available with a choice of a manual or automatic transmission. The towing capacity was still the same, ranging from 2,000 pounds on the low end and going all the way up to 3,500 pounds on the high end.

The same was true when it came to what determine the lower and higher capacity ratings oh, and it all boiled down to what axle ratio you had equipped.

2017-2016 Charts

2015-2014 Models:

The 2015 and 2014 models were still the same in many aspects, including the towing capacity which ranged from 2,000 lbs. and went all the way up to 3,500 lbs. but the information in the charts was a little bit different from what we saw in the 2018-2016 models and this is why the 2015 and 2014 models have their own section in this article.

I did notice that the axle ratio you had equipped did not affect the capacity numbers like it did for the later model years, as the lower 2,000 lb. capacity rating was listed for all axle ratios in the chart, not just models that had the 3.21 ratio.

2015-2014 Charts

2013 Models:

The 2013 Jeep Wranglers were very similar to the 2014 and 2015 models when we look at the charts below and that same 2,000 - 3,500 lb. towing capacity was still listed but the majority of the models had the lower 2,000 lb. maximum gross trailer weight rating, instead of the 3,500 pound rating.

All of the other information was very similar to the 2014 and 2015 model years, including the fact that the axle ratio you had equipped did not determine the higher capacity rating, but the charts were a little bit different and is why I included a separate section for the 2013 models alone.

2013 Chart

2012 Models:

The 2012 models are where we start to see a little bit of change, including the overall towing capacity, which ranged from 1,000-3,500 lbs. and was a little bit different than what we were used to seeing.

When looking at the charts below, I can see that the lower 1,000 pound maximum trailer weight ratings were usually associated with vehicles that had a manual transmission equipped, but I also noticed that some manual transmission vehicles also had a 2,000 and 3,500 pound rating, so it is not true for all models.

2012 Chart

2011 Models:

The 2011 models had a 3.8 L engine, instead of the 3.6 L engine that we saw for many of the later model years, but still had the same 1,000 - 3,500 lb. towing capacity, so the engine had no effect on the overall maximum trailer weight ratings.

Again, there was no pattern I noticed when it came to the lower capacity numbers versus the higher ones, you will just have to look at the chart and match up your pertinent information accordingly to get your accurate maximum gross trailer weight rating.

2011 Chart

2010-2009 Models:

We still had the same a 3.8 L engine that we had for the 2011 models and even the same towing capacity range of between 1,000-3,500 pounds, but the charts were a bit different for the 2010 and 2009 models, so I wanted to post their particular charts in a separate section.

All of the other information is nearly identical when it comes to the trailer tongue weight ratings, the gross combined weight ratings and the axle ratios, just a little bit different information as far as the charts go.

2010-2009 Charts

2008 Models:

The 2008 models had that same 1,000-3,500 pound towing capacity range that we saw with the 2011-2009 models and the same 3.8 L engine, but the charts were arranged differently, yet again, so I had to post a separate section for the 2008 models in order to eliminate confusion.

2008 Chart

2007 Models:

For the 2007 Jeep Wranglers, we still saw the same 1,000 - 3,500 lb. towing capacity range that we saw with 2011-2008 models and the same 3.8 liter engine, which was first introduced in 2007, as there are different engine options for 2006 and 2005 models.

There is no need to go into too much detail about the charts below for the 2007 models because most of the information is still going to be relatively close, just a little bit different orientation in the charts and is why I posted another separate section for these model years.

2007 Chart

2006-2005 Models:

The 2006 and 2005 model Wranglers still had the same towing capacity numbers that we saw with the 2011-2007 models, ranging from 1,000 - 3,500 lbs. overall but with different engine choices.

There were two different engine choices for these specific model years, and this was either a 2.4 L or 4.0 L engine. The chart below is very simple to read and there are only three weights specified.

We can see that the 2.4 L engine had the lowest capacity rating, while the 4.0 L engine equipped in the Unlimited Wrangler submodel had the highest capacity rating.

2006 Chart

2005 Chart

How Do I Find My Axle Ratio?

There was no easy way to determine the axle ratio on the Jeep Wranglers via a code, like you might find on a Ford or Chevy vehicle, but it is pretty simple to identify nonetheless and there are a couple of ways to go about doing this.

1) The first and most simple way, in my opinion, would be to climb under the vehicle (in the rear) and look for a tag on the rear axle somewhere and on that tag should be stamped a number that will state your axle ratio. The picture below is a good example I found online of what one of these tags may look like.

Jeep Wrangler Axle Ratio Tag Example (wranglertjforum.com)

2) The second method would be to spin your tire around 1 full revolution and watch the rear axle at the same time and count how many times the axle turns in contrast to the rear tire, and that should give you an idea of your axle ratio.

This can be kind of confusing, so if you want to go this route there is a good article I found on a forum that goes into more detail about the process and explains more ways to find your particular axle ratio.

GVWR, GCWR and GAWR Specs...

The GVWR and GAWR specifications were not found anywhere in the owner's manuals that I looked at, but instead can be found on the certification label, which is located on the driver side door or pillar.

This label will contain a bunch of important information for your vehicle including the gross vehicle weight rating and gross axle weight ratings for both the front and rear axles.

Mopar's GVWR and GAWR

The gross combined weight rating specifications were actually listed in the owner's manuals and conveniently located in the towing charts that I have posted above for each of the specific model years.

A Note On Trailer Brakes...

All of Mopar's vehicles have the same warning when it comes to trailer brakes, which I took a screenshot of and posted below. Mopar recommends having trailer brakes installed on your trailer (that are independent of your vehicle's brake system) if your trailer weighs between 1,000 and 2,000 lbs. If your trailer weighs more than 2,000 lbs., then it is required to have trailer brakes installed not just a recommendation.

You always want to be sure you check with your local vehicle codes to see if their requirements are different than Mopar's requirements.

Mopar's GVWR and GAWR

Resources I Used For This Post:

I found that the owner's manuals for the Wranglers was the most helpful tool when it came to gather in my research for the article and it had all of the important information I was looking for, including the charts I took screenshots of and posted above.

Feel free to click on any of the links below that will take you directly to that specific model years owners manual.