Pontoon Boat Weight: Can You Tow Them? (75+ Examples)

Pontoon boats are massive, so not every car will be able to tow them properly. To find out if you can pull one, you will need to calculate the boat’s weight, and you’ll also need to calculate the trailer’s weight. I’ve labeled many specifics later in the article; however, here are the averages:

On average, pontoon boats weigh between 1,600-2,400 pounds (726-1,089 kg), including the motor. However, some weigh up to 5,000 pounds (2268 kg). Pontoon boat trailers weigh between 1,000-1,700 (454-771 kg) pounds on average. Other weight factors to consider include gas, passengers, and gear.

I recommend you empty your gas tank before towing to reduce a lot of weight. A full gas tank weighs 200 pounds (91 kg) on average.

Related Article: How Much Do Boats Weigh? (Ultimate Data Chart)

Pontoon boat weight formula

A general rule of thumb to calculate pontoon boat weight by the boat’s length is to consider a 16-foot pontoon to weigh 1,150 lbs and add 125 lbs for every foot longer from there. So a 17-foot pontoon would weigh 1,275 lbs and so on.

These answers are still quite vague, so I’ve listed estimates of how much pontoon boats and their trailers weigh based on their length by using 75+ examples below. This number will be very close to whatever pontoon you may have, but if you want to see exact numbers for your make/model, scroll down further to that sub-heading.

Pontoon boat and trailer weight based on length

Length is the largest factor when determining pontoon boat weight so these numbers will be very close to your specific make/model. However, I found that pontoon boats from Godfrey and Bennington weighed 300-500 more pounds on average (see exact weights for makes/models lower in the article).

After gathering 75+ different pontoon boat weights, here are the averages I found based on length:

Pontoon LOA (Length)Average Dry WeightAverage Weight With TrailerAverage Min. Horsepower Needed To Pull
16′1,150 lbs2,100 lbs175 hp
17′1,250 lbs2,250 lbs175 hp
18′1,350 lbs2,400 lbs200 hp
19′1,550 lbs2,700 lbs225 hp
20′1,650 lbs2,900 lbs250 hp
21′1,800 lbs3,200 lbs250 hp
22′1,950 lbs3,550 lbs275 hp
23′2,100 lbs3,750 lbs300 hp
24′2,225 lbs3,950 lbs325 hp
25′2,350 lbs4,100 lbs350 hp
26′2,450 lbs4,300 lbs350 hp
27′2,650 lbs4,550 lbs350 hp

Average weight with trailer is what you will need to know for towing as it includes the weight of your trailer and your boat but nothing else. A full tank of gas for a pontoon boat weighs around 200 lbs on average (assuming a 33 lbs tank), so make sure to consider that if you have gas in the tank.

Pontoon boat weight based on make/model

In the table below table, I included some of the most popular pontoon boat brands that I could find information about. Here are the brands I used (there labeled from A-Z on the table):

  • Avalon Pontoons
  • Bennington (click here to see weights)
  • Godfrey
  • Manitou (click here to see weights)
  • Sun Chaser
  • Sun Tracker
Pontoon Make/ModelDry WeightEstimated Weight With TrailerAverage Min. Vehicle Horsepower Needed To Pull
Avalon Catalina Quad Lounger 21 ft1,850 lbs3,250 lbs250 hp
Avalon Catalina Quad Lounger 23 ft2,150 lbs3,800 lbs300 hp
Avalon Catalina Quad Lounger 25 ft2,450 lbs4,200 lbs350 hp
Avalon Catalina Platinum Quad Lounger 25 ft2,450 lbs4,200 lbs350 hp
Avalon Catalina Platinum Quad Lounger 27 ft2,650 lbs4,550 lbs350 hp
Avalon GS Cruise 19 ft1,650 lbs2,800 lbs225 hp
Avalon GS Cruise 21 ft1,850 lbs3,250 lbs250 hp
Avalon GS Cruise 23 ft2,150 lbs3,800 lbs300 hp
Avalon GS Cruise 25 ft2,450 lbs4,200 lbs350 hp
Avalon LSZ Cruise 20 ft1,650 lbs2,900 lbs250 hp
Avalon LSZ Cruise 22 ft1,800 lbs3,400 lbs275 hp
Avalon LSZ Cruise 24 ft2,050 lbs3,775 lbs300 hp
Avalon LSZ Cruise 26 ft2,250 lbs4,100 lbs350 hp
Avalon LSZ Quad Lounger 22 ft1,800 lbs3,400 lbs275 hp
Avalon LSZ Quad Lounger 24 ft2,050 lbs3,775 lbs300 hp
Avalon LSZ Quad Lounger 26 ft2,250 lbs4,100 lbs350 hp
Bennington (All Models)Click here to view PDFNANA
Godfrey AquaPatio 2353,000 lbs4,725 lbs375 hp
Godfrey AquaPatio 235 ULW3,115 lbs4,840 lbs375 hp
Godfrey AquaPatio 235 DFLC3,270 lbs4,995 lbs375 hp
Godfrey AquaPatio 2553,200 lbs5,050 lbs400 hp
Godfrey AquaPatio 256 Twin4,013 lbs5,863 lbs425 hp
Godfrey AquaPatio 2754,185 lbs6,085 lbs425 hp
Godfrey Monaco 2352,506 lbs4,231 lbs350 hp
Godfrey Monaco 2552,600 lbs4,450 lbs350 hp
Godfrey Sanpan 2300 ULC3,000 lbs4,650 lbs350 hp
Godfrey Sanpan 25003,200 lbs4,950 lbs375 hp
Godfrey Sanpan 27004,185 lbs6,085 lbs425 hp
Godfrey Sanpan 2700 Twin4,970 lbs6,870 lbs450 hp
Godfrey Sweetwater 2286 SFL2,080 lbs3,730 lbs300 hp
Godfrey Sweetwater 2486 SFL2,200 lbs3,925 lbs325 hp
Manitou (All Models)Click here to view PDFNANA
Sun Chaser Geneva Cruise 201,850 lbs3,100 lbs250 hp
Sun Chaser Geneva Cruise 222,061 lbs3,661 lbs300 hp
Sun Chaser Geneva Cruise 242,425 lbs4,150 lbs350 hp
Sun Chaser Eclipse 8525 SSB3,445 lbs5,345 lbs400 hp
Sun Chaser Vista 181,425 lbs2,475 lbs200 hp
Sun Chaser Vista 201,875 lbs3,125 lbs250 hp
Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 XL Select1,310 lbs2,160 lbs175 hp
Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 18 DLX1,470 lbs2,520 lbs200 hp
Sun Tracker Fishin Barge 20 DLX1,940 lbs3,190 lbs250 hp
Sun Tracker Fishin Barge 22 DLX2,040 lbs3,640 lbs300 hp
Sun Tracker Fishin Barge 22 XP32,880 lbs4,480 lbs350 hp
Sun Tracker Fishin Barge 24 DLX2,180 lbs3,905 lbs325 hp
Sun Tracker Sportfish 22 DLX2,380 lbs3,980 lbs325 hp
Sun Tracker Sportfish 22 XP33,250 lbs4,850 lbs375 hp
Sun Tracker Party Barge 18 DLX1,450 lbs2,500 lbs200 hp
Sun Tracker Party Barge 20 DLX2,080 lbs3,330 lbs250 hp
Sun Tracker Party Barge 22 DLX2,080 lbs3,680 lbs300 hp
Sun Tracker Party Barge 22 XP32,980 lbs4,580 lbs350 hp
Sun Tracker Party Barge 22 RF DLX2,300 lbs3,900 lbs325 hp
Sun Tracker Party Barge 22 RF XP34,970 lbs6,570 lbs450 hp
Sun Tracker Party Barge 24 DLX2,320 lbs4,045 lbs325 hp

Additional weight to consider when calculating towing capacity

The weight of your pontoon and trailer aren’t the only things that need to be considered when finding the total towing weight. These include:

  • Fuel weight. An average full pontoon fuel tank weighs about 200 lbs.
  • Passenger weight. Although you don’t tow passengers, they still add weight to your car, lowering the amount you can tow. GCWR is the total weight of what you are carrying, plus your vehicle and anything in the vehicle.
  • Any additional gear. If there’s any gear in your boat or vehicle such as heavy batteries, you will want to add that to the weight count.

How to find out if your car/truck can tow a pontoon boat?

Now that you know the weight of your pontoon, a simple Google search for towing capacity for your car/truck will let you know if you can pull them or not. Or use the table below to see popular vehicles and their towing capacity.

If your car/truck barely has the capacity to tow your pontoon, you may want to limit the number of passengers and/or take out any heavy luggage in your vehicle and boat. You will also want to avoid any poor road conditions. Ideally, you want to have the capacity to tow at least 1,000 more pounds than how much you’re actually towing.

Which vehicles can tow a pontoon boat?

Below are some popular car models and how much they can tow:

VehicleTowing CapacityBest For Towing
Chevrolet Silverado 15008,900-11,000 lbslarge pontoon boats
Ford Explorer5,000-5,600 lbsmedium pontoon boats
Ford F-1505,000-11,000 lbsmedium and large pontoon boats
GMC Sierra 15008,800-9,400 lbslarge pontoon boats
Jeep Grand Cherokee6,200 lbsmedium pontoon boats
Jeep Wrangler2,000-3,500 lbssmall pontoon boats
Mazda CX-52,000 lbssmall pontoon boats
Ram 15006,120-8,280 lbsmedium and large pontoon boats
Subaru Forester1,500-3,000 lbssmall pontoon boats
Subaru Outback2,700-3,500 lbssmall pontoon boats
Tesla Model Y3,500 poundssmall pontoon boats
Tesla Model X5,000 lbsmedium pontoon boats
Toyota 4Runner5,000 lbsmedium pontoon boats
Toyota Highlander5,000 lbsmedium pontoon boats
Toyota Rav41,500-3,500 lbsSmall pontoon boats
Toyota Tacoma3,500-6,800 lbsmedium pontoon boats

What are the best towing vehicles for pontoon boats?

Pontoons are pretty heavy, so your vehicle will need a good tow rating. With light pontoon boats, you may only need an SUV with a decent engine. However, for large pontoon boats, big towing trucks may be necessary. Here are my recommendations:

Best vehicles for towing small pontoon boats (2,000-2,700 lbs)

  • Subaru Outback. Outbacks have a towing capacity of 2,700 to 3,500 lbs depending on the model. They are also very practical getting 26-31 mpg.
  • Jeep Wrangler. Wranglers have a towing capacity of 2,000 to 3,500 lbs while also having pretty good gas mileage. I recommend getting a 4 door model as they can tow more.

Best vehicles for towing medium-sized pontoon boats (2,700-3,750 lbs)

  • Toyota Tacoma. Tacomas are smaller than other popular trucks such as Ford F-150. This allows it to get excellent gas mileage while still being able to tow a decent amount of weight. Towing capacity is 3,500 to 6,800 lbs depending on the model. I recommend going with the V6 model to tow smoothly.
  • Ford Explorer. With a towing capacity of 5,000 to 5,600 lbs, explorers are very powerful for being an SUV.

Best vehicles for towing large pontoon boats (over 3,750 lbs)

  • Ford F-150. F-150s are very powerful while still being very affordable. They can tow 5,000 to 11,300 lbs depending on the model.
  • Dodge Durango. Durangos are known to be powerful SUVs, so it’s no surprise they can tow 6,200 to 8,700 lbs.

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Sam