Cart Towing Capacity: How Much Weight Can a Golf Cart Tow?
Golf carts are not usually designed to tow anything. That is because they are designed to haul you and your golf clubs around the golf course. But it is possible to use the golf cart to tow certain items when you have no other options.
How Much Weight Can a Golf Cart Tow? The answer to this will depend on the brand and construction of your golf cart. But one brand of golf cart can haul 3,000 pounds with ease and that is about 3 carts towed behind one. Another golf cart brand was able to tow up to 9600 pounds.
Your results may vary depending on the quality of your golf cart. To find out more about golf cart towing capacity, just continue to read our article. It has the information you need if you are considering towing some weight with your little vehicle.
How Much Weight Can a Golf Cart Tow?
Usual Golf Cart Towing Capacity
You may not think of a golf cart as a towing vehicle but there are small projects or items you need to haul from one place to another. That is where the golf cart comes in handy. It is small and can handle those smaller towing tasks better than a larger vehicle.
The usual towing capacity of a golf cart is about 1,000 pounds. But some makes and models can tow 3000, 4000, and 5000 pounds with ease. Others are able to tow up to 3 fellow golf carts at one time in a single line, which puts them in the 3000 range.
What you need to do to find out the exact towing weight your golf cart has is to look the subject up in your owner’s manual. You should be able to find it there. If not, call your local golf cart dealer and give him the specs and he should be able to tell you how much weight you can tow.
How Much Can a Gas Golf Cart Tow
Gas golf carts may have more power but they may not be able to pull a lot more weight than an electric one. You will be looking at towing between 3 to 5,000 pounds at any given time.
Some exceptions would be those carts that are designed to tow heavier items and have the equipment and traction o handle heavier weight. These exceptions can tow under 10,000 pounds without breaking a sweat.
The difference between the gas and the electric models will be the power of the engine. Some electric golf carts come only with a 4.4 HP engine while the gas models come with 13 1/2 hp and can go up to 19 1/2 mph.
How many pounds your gas golf cart can tow should be listed in the owner’s manual and it will not always be the same amount from cart to cart.
Club Car Precedent Towing Capacity
This is a difficult question to answer as the owner’s manual does not state how much weight you can tow with this type of golf cart. What is said in the manual is that you can only tow one Club Car behind another one and you are to use the Club Car tow bar only as well.
If we use the dry weight of the Club Car to give us an indication of how much weight it can tow then you can only tow about 500 pounds at one time. You may tow a little bit heavier depending on the weight capacity of the Club Car which varies between 2 and 4 seat models.
Also, you are not to go faster than about 5 mph when towing.
Can a Golf Cart Pull a Trailer
Yes, you can tow a trailer with a golf cart. The size and weight you can pull will depend on the specs of the golf cart. However, you cannot use just any hitch to do the job.
A standard RV framer trailer hitch is too large to use. There is some good news though. There are smaller hitches out there you can install on your golf cart to haul single axle trailers that fit your towing guidelines.
The hitch you use will also depend on the tongue or frame hole. If it is a 5/8 inch size hole, then you have more options at your disposal. Or you can just make one or have one made specifically for your golf cart.
As you know, what kind of trailer you tow with your cart will depend on how much weight your golf cart can handle at one time. A 48 volt battery or series of batteries is also the best size of voltage you should use.
Golf Cart Towing Boat
There are many examples of a golf cart towing a boat. These boats are not that huge though but some are large enough to hold at least 6 people comfortably. Plus, those boats ranged in construction material from steel, aluminum and fiberglass.
The weight of the boat will fluctuate and golf carts can easily tow 1200 pounds but not all models can do it.Make sure you have the right hitch and that your golf cart will accommodate that hitch.
Another key will be in the electronics installed in your golf cart. Lesser batteries may not handle a lot of weight behind it
Can a Golf Cart Tow a Jet Ski
If the weight capacity is at or under the total tow weight of the golf cart, then yes a golf cart can tow a jet ski. But since the jet ski doe snot come with its own wheels, you have to figure in the weight of the trailer before you hook up and start off.
Some golf carts can handle up to 3000 pounds as a standard towing weight. That means you should not have trouble getting your jet ski to and from the water. Your only concern will be the surface grades you have to go up or down. Too steep and you may not have the power to make it up.
Also, if the down grade is too steep, your brakes may not have the stopping power. So check things out before you set up to tow your jet ski.
Golf Cart Trailer with a Tow Dolly
What tow dollies can do for you is make it easier to tow both your regular vehicle and your golf cart. Tow dollies can lift your cart into the air leaving you room to attach your car to your RV.
These dollies come in a variety of sizes and at variable prices. The cost you pay will depend on which model and style you want to us. Also, most tow dollies are not made to attach to your golf cart and tow other objects. You can do some modifications to get them to work together.
The only issue will be how much weight you need to tow at the time. There are what is called a golf tram and this attach to your golf cart. The good thing about them is that when you slow down, the tram’s brakes automatically engage.
Golf Cart Towing Hitch
The good news here is that there are companies out there that make and sell universal trailer hitches for golf carts. That means you do not have to make a lot of modifications to tow your boats and other items to where you want them to go.
By universal, that means these hitches can attach to any golf cart no matter their age.
That gives you a lot of flexibility when you have small items you do not want to use your larger vehicle to tow.
Your toughest problem will be selecting the hitch you want. There are a lot of them out there and your choice will not be easy
Will my Golf Cart Charge in Tow Mode
The best way to charge your golf cart is in the run mode. The tow mode should only be used when you are going to store it long term or you are removing the battery. Then golf batteries are not overly large.
They are usually a series of smaller voltage batteries and they do not take a long time to get to their full power. Some batteries may be charged in as little as 1 to 3 hours. Your results will depend on the size of your battery, its voltage capacity, and its model.
Some Final Words
It is great to have towing options. Sometimes, your larger vehicle is just too big or too powerful to handle your towing needs at the time. With a good golf cart, you can meet those situations with ease.
Each golf cart is designed to tow some weight and you can get the right towing accessories from the dealer. So towing with your golf cart is not a big deal and it takes place a lot throughout the world.
Just find the right golf cart that has the towing capacity you need and want.
