What Boats Can a Chevy Equinox Tow? [16 examples]

As an owner of a Chevy Equinox, you’re probably already highly impressed by what your vehicle is capable of doing. However, if you also consider yourself an avid boater or fisherman, you might be even more surprised to learn about just how efficient your Equinox is when it comes to towing boats and watercraft.

How Much Weight Can a Chevy Equinox Tow?

The Chevy Equinox is a highly-regarded sport utility vehicle that’s capable of towing between 1,500 and 3,500 pounds depending on the model you own. Though its towing capacity isn’t as great as some other SUVs, it does permit you to tow many types of boats and watercraft.

Now that you know just about how much your Chevy Equinox can tow, you have a general guideline when it comes to the weight of the boat you eventually decide to purchase.

However, only knowing your vehicle’s towing capacity doesn’t provide much assistance when the market is saturated with so many types and models of boats. You also need a general understanding of the types of boats your vehicle can tow to help you simplify the buying process.

What Types of Boats can a Chevy Equinox Tow?

Because the Chevy Equinox has a towing capacity ranging from 1,500 to 3,500 pounds, you are somewhat more limited when it comes to the type of boat that your Equinox can tow (as compared to other vehicles with greater towing capacities).

When viewing the list below and taking note of the average weight for each type of boat mentioned, keep in mind that you need to consider the weight of your trailer as well.

In the case of a Chevy Equinox with a hypothetical towing capacity of 3,500 pounds, you can’t expect your Equinox to be able to tow a 3,300-pound boat when your trailer weighs 600 pounds alone.

In this example, you would be loading your vehicle with an additional weight that’s 400 pounds over your vehicle’s towing capacity. This has the ability to destroy your vehicle engine and performance.

Given this basic information, here are some types of boats that your Chevy Equinox is able to tow entirely based on the average dry weight for each type of boat.

• Jon Boats – 450 pounds
• Personal Watercraft – 750 pounds
• Bass Boats – 1,700 pounds
• Dinghy – 1,700 pounds
• Jet Boats – 2,300 pounds
• Deck Boats – 3,100 pounds

The list above includes approximate values of each type of boat your Equinox should be able to tow.

However, you should remember that these are only averages and it’s entirely possible that some models have a dry weight that is much higher or lower than the average provided.

With that said, here are some brief overviews of the types of boats your Chevy Equinox can tow and specific models within your vehicle’s towing capacity.

Jon Boats

When it comes to manually-propelled fishing boats, this type of boat is what most people first think of. Generally speaking, these boats are made of lightweight material like aluminum or wood and are constructed to have several benches within the boat for seating purposes.

These boats are most commonly used in freshwater environments like lakes and reservoirs. Given the extraordinarily small size and low dry weight, these boats are extremely easy to tow for almost any vehicle.

• Waco Jon 1432 Series 14 Foot – 104 pounds
• Crestliner 1600 – 275 pounds
• Lowe Roughneck 2070 – 710 pounds
• G3 Boats Gator Tough – 1,065 pounds

Personal Watercraft

Most commonly known as Jet Skis or PWCs, personal watercraft are available in two different designs: Sit-down and stand-up.

In a driving method that’s similar to that of motorcycles, you can propel yourself across the water’s surface at a decent rate of speed while having an exhilarating experience.

Extremely lightweight, your vehicle can tow nearly any model of Jet Ski that’s on the market.

• Yamaha EX Deluxe – 600 pounds
• Sea-Doo GTR 230 – 807 pounds
• Kawasaki ULTRA 310LX – 1074 pounds

Bass Boats

Bass boats are basically small versions of fishing boats that are built solely for freshwater fishing.

These are much easier to transport than regular fishing boats while still providing you with legitimate fishing experiences. These are great for fishing at your local park or reservoir, not for the ocean.

• 2018 Tracker Pro 170 – 878 pounds
• Alumacraft Pro 185 – 1,100 pounds
• Ranger Z518C – 1,550 pounds
• Skeeter FX211 LE – 2,175 pounds

Dinghy

Dinghies are substantially less common than other types of boats because they’re usually intended as rescue boats for big ships.

However, there are small dinghy models that are rowboat-style or motorized and can be easily used on the lake for the purposes of relaxation or even fishing.

Jet Boats

As the name suggests, these boats are capable of accelerating quickly along the surface of the water.

The construction of the boat allows the boat to propel water from its rear to accelerate (and quickly). There are many different types of jet boats that range dramatically in size, purpose, and weight.

• Yamaha SX190 – 2,377 pounds
• Yamaha AR195 – 2,500 pounds
• Vortex 203 VRX – 2,600 pounds

Deck Boats

Deck boats are the most common boat choice for large gatherings and parties. With a longer and flatter design than other types of boats, you can seat sometimes up to a dozen people.

What makes these boats unique is that some are also able to be used for activities like fishing and water tubing. Given all of its abilities, this type of boat is perfect for long days on the water with friends and family.

• NauticStar 193 SC – 2,100 pounds
• Stingray 186CC – 2,300 pounds

Other Important Information

Before you even think about taking your Chevy Equinox and boat trailer on the road, you need to make sure that you set your vehicle and trailer up properly.

Failure to do so may be detrimental to the safety and the performance of your vehicle or boat.

Setting Up a Hitch

Properly setting up your hitch can be the difference between successfully transporting your boat to the lake and having your trailer detach from your vehicle while en route.

When selecting a hitch for your vehicle, you need to examine the hitch’s towing and tongue capacity and compare these values to that of your Equinox. Hitches are categorized in different classes depending on this data.

• Class 1 – Supports up to 2,000 pounds
• Class 2 – Supports up to 3,500 pounds
• Class 3 – Supports up to 8,000 pounds
• Class 4 – Supports up to 10,000 pounds

Given the brief list above and comparing it to your Equinox’s maximum towing capacity, your vehicle would be compatible with a Class 1 or Class 2 hitch. The actual hitch you decide to purchase will depend on the dry weight of the boat you’re looking at.

For example, if you’re looking at a 400 pound Jet Ski with a trailer weighing 200 pounds, there would be no logical need to get a Class 2 that supports up to 3,500 pounds

Things to Remember

When you’re driving your Equinox with an attached boat trailer, your entire driving experience will be drastically affected.

There are many things that you need to remember while driving with a trailer to promote the greatest amount of safety for yourself and those around you as well as protect your vehicle and boat.

Here are some tips that you should consider.

• The added length to your vehicle will affect your ability to turn. Therefore, you need to make sure that you leave room for wide turns to guarantee you won’t hit the curb or other vehicles in traffic.
• Crosswind has the ability to affect the towing process. If you have a larger boat and there’s a sudden gust of wind, your vehicle will jolt or swerve as a result. Have both hands on the wheel to adjust your alignment when this occurs.
• Keep a safe following distance from those around you. When merging onto a highway or stopping suddenly, remember that it’ll take your vehicle much longer to fully accelerate or come to a complete stop.

Closing Thoughts

Though not the most impressive vehicle when it comes to towing capacity, the Equinox is entirely supportive of some types of boating.

You have quite a few options for boats your Chevy Equinox can tow regardless of what your goal is when it comes to boating.

If you’re only here because you’re researching vehicles that would be supportive of towing your current boat, there are plenty of other vehicle options that can tow your boat and also provide a solid driving experience.

You should consider checking out our entire library on vehicle towing capacity!

What Boats Can a Chevy Equinox Tow? [16 Examples]