Towing capacity across covered ATVs and UTVs
Covered ATV and UTV towing figures, braked-trailer and hitch conditions, and the separate tongue-load calculation.
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An ATV or UTV towing rating limits the trailer load under the manufacturer’s stated conditions. It does not replace the hitch’s tongue-load limit, vehicle payload, bed or rack limits, or terrain restrictions. The comparison includes only covered model records carrying a numeric towing rating; it does not infer a capacity for another trim.
| Vehicle class | Rated records | Lowest | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATVs | 27 | 331 lb | 1,350 lb | 2,475 lb |
| UTVs | 30 | 1,000 lb | 2,000 lb | 3,500 lb |
Read the conditions with the number
| Model | Stated towing capacity |
|---|---|
| Can-Am Outlander DPS 700 | 1,830 lb (braked trailer) |
| Can-Am Outlander PRO XT | 1,830 lb (braked trailer) |
| Kawasaki Mule SX 4x4 XC | 1,100 lb (requires optional hitch) |
A rating stated for a braked trailer is not permission to pull the same load without trailer brakes. An optional-hitch condition also matters: the pictured accessory and the base specification are not necessarily the same configuration. Use the approved hitch, tire pressures and loading instructions belonging to the actual vehicle.
A tongue-load calculation can reveal a separate limit
If a particular trailer maker specifies a 10% tongue target, a hypothetical 1,200 lb loaded trailer would put 120 lb on the hitch. If the tow machine’s permitted tongue load were 100 lb, that setup would exceed the hitch limit even if a separate towing figure looked sufficient. These are assumed example values, not specifications for a named ATV.
Do not substitute the rack capacity for the hitch’s tongue limit. They are different mounting points with different ratings.
Occupants, cargo, accessories and hitch load also affect the vehicle’s total loading and handling; the manufacturer’s instructions determine how they combine. A high towing number does not authorize riding with passengers in a cargo box or on a single-rider ATV.
Hauling the ATV behind a truck is a separate calculation from having the ATV pull its own trailer. In the first case, the truck carries the trailer tongue load and the ATV is cargo. The trailer-weight guide and load calculator address that road-hauling combination.
27 ATV and 30 UTV named records carry numerical towing ratings; the manufacturer’s conditions remain part of each rating. Reviewed October 18, 2026.
- Blog · Hauling
- Towing capacity across 100 ATVs and UTVs, and what the number leaves out; 59 of 100 pages list a rating. It is one limit among several.
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59 of the 100 current ATVs and UTVs list a towing capacity. The median ATV is rated for 1,350 pounds, across a range of 331 to 2,475. The median UTV is rated for 2,000 pounds, from 1,000 to 3,500. The rating is a manufacturer's maximum for the trailer, set under its own test conditions. It is not the only limit.
The hitch has a tongue weight limit of its own, the racks or bed have load limits, and the tow vehicle in a combination has a payload that tongue weight eats into. Use the number as one input, and check each of the others before you hitch up.
Published September 19, 2026.
What the rating is
A towing capacity is the most trailer weight a manufacturer rates the machine to pull; the manufacturer sets it under its own test conditions, with a properly hitched trailer. It is not a promise about your terrain, your hitch or your load.
Some makers attach a condition to the figure. 2 ratings are stated for a braked trailer: 2027 Can-Am Outlander DPS 700 and 2027 Can-Am Outlander PRO XT.
1 needs an optional hitch: 2027 Kawasaki Mule SX 4x4 XC.
The lowest ATV rating is the 2027 Arctic Cat Alterra 300 at 331 pounds; the highest is the 2027 Can-Am Outlander 6x6 at 2,475. Among UTVs the lowest is the 2026 Honda Pioneer 520 at 1,000 and the highest is the 2027 Polaris Ranger XD 1500 NorthStar at 3,500.
Set against the machine's own weight, the median ATV is rated to pull about 1.7 times its curb weight; the median UTV is rated for about 1.1 times. A UTV is heavier, so the same rating is a smaller multiple of it.
Brand by brand
Suzuki ATVs list no towing capacity on any model page in the set; that is a statement about the page, not the machine. The owner's manual is the place to look.
The limits the rating does not cover
Start with the hitch. A hitch has its own tongue weight limit, separate from the towing rating. On a slope, the tongue limit is usually the one you reach first.
Then the racks. The median ATV carries 180 pounds on its rear rack; tongue weight is not carried on the rack, but a loaded trailer and a loaded rack are two loads on one machine, and each has its own limit.
Finally, the tow vehicle. When an ATV or UTV rides on a trailer behind a truck, the truck's payload takes the tongue weight. That is a different question from the ATV's own towing capacity, and the weight and tongue load page covers it.
A worked example
Take the median ATV rating, 1,350 pounds; trailer makers publish 10 to 15 percent of the loaded trailer weight as the tongue target for a bumper pull. At 1,350 pounds that is 135 to 203 pounds on the hitch.
Compare that with the hitch's own limit, which the machine's manual lists; if the hitch limit is lower than the tongue weight the trailer would put on it, the trailer is too heavy for that hitch, whatever the towing capacity says.
The trailer load match calculator works the same arithmetic for your own trailer, and shows the tongue weight that lands on the tow vehicle.
Towing capacity across 100 ATVs and UTVs questions
What is the median towing capacity of a current ATV?
- 1,350 pounds, across 27 ATVs that list one
- The range is 331 to 2,475 pounds, and each figure is the manufacturer's own rating.
What is the median towing capacity of a current UTV?
2,000 pounds across 32 UTVs that list one, with a range of 1,000 to 3,500 pounds; it is the manufacturer's maximum under its own test conditions.
Which current ATV has the highest towing rating here?
The 2027 Can-Am Outlander 6x6, at 2,475 pounds; the lowest is the 2027 Arctic Cat Alterra 300 at 331. Both are as each manufacturer lists them.
Which current UTV has the highest towing rating here?
The 2027 Polaris Ranger XD 1500 NorthStar, at 3,500 pounds; the lowest is the 2026 Honda Pioneer 520 at 1,000 pounds. Check the model page for any condition attached to the figure.
How many ATVs and UTVs list no towing capacity?
- 41 of 100: 24 ATVs and 17 UTVs
- The owner's manual is the place to check the rating.
Does a towing rating cover the hitch tongue limit?
No. The hitch has its own tongue weight limit, separate from the towing rating. Whichever is lower governs, and on a slope the tongue limit is usually reached first.
Why do some ratings say braked trailer?
Some manufacturers state the rating for a trailer with its own brakes. 2 ratings here carry that condition, and the model page keeps the wording.
How does a UTV rating compare with its own weight?
The median UTV is rated for about 1.1 times its curb weight, against 1.7 times for the median ATV. UTVs are heavier, so the same rating is a smaller multiple.
What tongue weight will a trailer put on the hitch?
Trailer and hitch makers publish 10 to 15 percent of the loaded trailer weight for a bumper pull. At 1,350 pounds that is about 135 to 203 pounds.
Do racks and the bed affect what an ATV or UTV can tow?
They carry their own limits. The median ATV rear rack holds 180 pounds; a loaded rack and a loaded trailer are two loads on one machine, and each limit applies separately.
Where do the ratings come from?
Each comes from the manufacturer's own model page, in the wording it used, as of September 2026; a rating can change between model years, so confirm it with a dealer.
Should I tow up to the rating?
The rating is a maximum under test conditions. Terrain, slope, braking and the hitch all reduce what is sensible; treat the number as a ceiling and check every other limit before you approach it.
Trailer load match calculator; Checks a trailer and a tow vehicle against the ratings.
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