Second generation (TJ)

2005 Jeep Wrangler towing capacity

Max towing, 20053,500 lb

Maker1,588 kg

The 2005 Jeep Wrangler tows up to 3,500 lb (Unlimited Long wheelbase (103.4 in), Unlimited 4.0L Power Tech I-6 gasoline D478 6-speed manual, per the 2005 Jeep Wrangler web brochure).

Three more configurations are rated the same.

The lowest rating is 1,000 lb, for the SE Standard wheelbase (93.4 in) 2.4L Power Tech I-4 gasoline D478 6-speed manual.

2005 Jeep Wrangler web brochure (jeep.com/pdf/wrangler/complete.pdf)

Configurations: 12
GCWR: 5,350–7,800 lb
Tongue: 300 lb

2005 Wrangler Rubicon 4.0L 6-speed manual, drawn to scale from its published dimensions.

01 / Ratings

Every 2005 Wrangler configuration

12 configurations Jeep sells, each with the ratings Jeep publishes for it. A package that changes a rating gets its own row.

2005 Jeep Wrangler

Makerin pounds

2005 Jeep Wrangler towing capacity, GCWR, payload and tongue weight by configuration, in pounds
Configuration	Max towing lb	Max tongue lb	GCWR lb	GVWR lb	Axle ratio	Tow check
2.4L Power Tech I-4 gasoline
SEStandard wheelbase (93.4 in) · D478 6-speed manual	1,000	300	5,350	4,450	3.73	Check load →
4.0L Power Tech I-6 gasoline
Sport · XStandard wheelbase (93.4 in) · D478 6-speed manual	2,000	300	6,250	4,450	3.07	Check load →
Sport · X · SEStandard wheelbase (93.4 in) · 4-speed automatic	2,000	300	6,250	4,450	3.73	Check load →
RubiconStandard wheelbase (93.4 in) · D478 6-speed manual	2,000	300	6,250	4,600	4.11	Check load →
RubiconStandard wheelbase (93.4 in) · 4-speed automatic	2,000	300	6,250	4,600	4.11	Check load →
Unlimited MostLong wheelbase (103.4 in), Unlimited · D478 6-speed manual	3,500	300	7,800	4,600	3.73	Check load →
Unlimited MostLong wheelbase (103.4 in), Unlimited · 4-speed automatic	3,500	300	7,800	4,600	3.73	Check load →
Unlimited Rubicon MostLong wheelbase (103.4 in), Unlimited · D478 6-speed manual	3,500	300	7,800	4,600	4.11	Check load →
Unlimited Rubicon MostLong wheelbase (103.4 in), Unlimited · 4-speed automatic	3,500	300	7,800	4,600	4.11	Check load →

“Not published”: the maker doesn’t print it. —: not in the documents we hold yet. Scroll the table sideways for every rating.

SourceMakerEvery figure above is Jeep’s, from this document.

2005 Jeep Wrangler web brochure (jeep.com/pdf/wrangler/complete.pdf) · FCA US LLC (formerly DaimlerChrysler Corporation / Chrysler Group)

How Jeep rates towing: maximum loaded trailer weight (the table doesn't split braked and unbraked); trailer frontal area limit 25 sq ft.

Documents last checked Oct 9, 2026. How we read them and what the marks mean: how we source the numbers. A figure doesn’t match its document? Report a wrong number.

2005 Jeep Wrangler specs: payload, dimensions, ground clearance and weight beside the towing ratings.

The 2005 Wrangler belongs to this generation; every configuration, its clearance, angles and weights are on its page.

Jeep Wrangler TJ (1997–2006): full specs

02 / Why

Which one tows the most, and why

Each figure below is the gap between two of Jeep’s own ratings for configurations that differ in one thing only.

What moves the rating

Maker

Tows the most: 3,500 lb

Unlimited Long wheelbase (103.4 in), Unlimited 4.0L Power Tech I-6 gasoline D478 6-speed manual; three more configurations are rated the same.

Best rating by engine

4.0L Power Tech I-6 gasoline3,500 lb
2.4L Power Tech I-4 gasoline1,000 lb

The line is the highest rating on this page. Each bar is that engine’s best configuration.

03 / By year

Wrangler towing by model year

The highest rating each model year, from that year’s documents. Years rated the same in every configuration share one page.

04 / Next

Check it against your load

Towing calculatorPut your trailer and cargo against a 2005 Wrangler’s ratings and see what’s left.Check my load GVWR, GCWR & payloadWhat each rating limits, and why the trailer number alone isn’t the answer.Read the guide Wrangler specsClearance, angles, weights and the rig builder for every configuration.Open the spec plate Wrangler tire sizesStock tire and wheel sizes by trim, and what bigger tires change.See tire sizes All towing capacitiesEvery truck and SUV we cover, side by side, sortable.Compare vehicles

05 / FAQ

Questions people ask

Which 2005 Wrangler configuration tows the most?

The Unlimited Long wheelbase (103.4 in), Unlimited 4.0L Power Tech I-6 gasoline D478 6-speed manual, at 3,500 lb; three more configurations are rated the same.

What is the max tongue weight of the 2005 Jeep Wrangler?

300 lb for every configuration that publishes it. Tongue weight is the trailer’s downward push on the hitch; it counts against payload.

What is the GCWR of the 2005 Jeep Wrangler?

5,350–7,800 lb by configuration; the most is 7,800 lb, for the Unlimited Long wheelbase (103.4 in), Unlimited 4.0L Power Tech I-6 gasoline D478 6-speed manual. GCWR is the most the loaded vehicle and its loaded trailer may weigh together.

Has the Jeep Wrangler’s towing capacity changed by year?

Highest rating by model year: 2026, 5,000 lb; 2025, 5,000 lb; 2024, 5,000 lb; 2023, 3,500 lb; 2022, 3,500 lb; 2021, 3,500 lb; 2020, 3,500 lb; 2019, 3,500 lb; 2018, 3,500 lb; 2017, 3,500 lb; 2016, 3,500 lb; 2015, 3,500 lb; 2014, 3,500 lb; 2013, 3,500 lb; 2012, 3,500 lb; 2011, 3,500 lb; 2010, 3,500 lb; 2009, 3,500 lb; 2008, 3,500 lb; 2007, 3,500 lb; 2005, 3,500 lb; 2001, 2,000 lb; 1999, 2,000 lb.

Does the engine change the 2005 Wrangler’s towing capacity?

Yes. Best rating by engine: 4.0L Power Tech I-6 gasoline, 3,500 lb; 2.4L Power Tech I-4 gasoline, 1,000 lb.

Which 2005 Wrangler configuration tows the least?

The SE Standard wheelbase (93.4 in) 2.4L Power Tech I-4 gasoline D478 6-speed manual, at 1,000 lb.

These are Jeep’s published ratings, not a weighbridge. Your own vehicle’s GVWR and axle ratings are on its certification label, and only a scale tells you what your loaded rig weighs. Found a figure that doesn’t match the document? Tell us.