Best Vehicle for Towing a Car Hauler: Do the Math First
The best vehicle for towing a car hauler, especially an enclosed one, is usually a properly equipped half-ton pickup at minimum, and a heavy-duty pickup when the loaded trailer approaches 8,000 lb or more. An enclosed trailer can weigh as much as a small car before you load one, so the combined weight lands well above what midsize SUVs, crossovers and minivans are rated for. Add the trailer, the car and your gear, then pick a class that keeps margin. Ratings vary by configuration, so confirm yours on the door-jamb label and in the owner's manual.
Towing capacity is not a suggestion. It is a safety limit.
Why an Enclosed Car Hauler Is a Heavy Tow
An open car trailer and an enclosed one can carry the same car, but they do not weigh the same. The enclosed version adds walls, a roof, a ramp door, often a V-nose, and sometimes cabinets, lighting and a winch.
To give a sense of scale, one 8.5 x 24 ft enclosed car trailer listed by USA Cargo Trailer, which we read on September 27, 2026, shows an empty weight of 3,600 lb on two 5,200 lb spring axles with electric brakes on both. That is one listing, not an industry average, but it makes the point: the box can weigh more than 3,000 lb empty, before a car goes in.
Then comes the car. Its curb weight is printed in its own owner's manual and often on its door-jamb label, and it varies widely. A light track car and a full-size classic sedan can differ by well over a thousand pounds. Add jacks, tools, spare wheels, fuel cans and any equipment stored in the trailer.
The trailer's GVWR, printed on its VIN plate, caps all of it. Two 5,200 lb axles add up to 10,400 lb of axle rating, but the GVWR on the plate may be lower because tires, frame or coupler set their own limits. The plate governs, not the axle arithmetic.
Best Vehicle for Towing a Car Hauler: Do the Math First
Here is a worked example with round numbers. Swap in your own figures from the trailer's VIN plate and your car's manual.
| Item | Example weight |
|---|---|
| Empty enclosed trailer | 3,600 lb |
| Car inside | 3,500 lb |
| Tools, spares, fuel cans, equipment | 300 lb |
| Loaded trailer | 7,400 lb |
Now apply margin. Many towers keep the loaded trailer at or below 80 percent of the vehicle's tow rating. It is a planning habit, not a manufacturer requirement. For 7,400 lb, that means a tow rating of at least 9,250 lb. Here is the same math across a range of loaded weights:
| Loaded car hauler | Tow rating needed at 80 percent | Class that usually fits |
|---|---|---|
| 6,000 lb | 7,500 lb | Midsize pickup with tow package, full-size SUV (lower end only) |
| 7,500 lb | 9,375 lb | Full-size SUV with heavy-duty tow package, half-ton pickup |
| 9,000 lb | 11,250 lb | Half-ton in a high-rated configuration |
| 10,000 lb | 12,500 lb | Top-configuration half-ton, or heavy-duty pickup |
| Above 10,000 lb | Above 12,500 lb | Heavy-duty pickup |
Midsize SUVs, crossovers and minivans drop out of this table early. Many carry ratings of 5,000 lb or less, which a loaded enclosed car hauler can exceed by itself.
What Each Class Can Realistically Do
Full-size SUV
Configuration decides everything here. Ford's 2027 Expedition page lists up to 6,000 lb for 4×2 models when properly equipped, and up to 9,600 lb for select 4×4 models with the Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow Package. The first cannot carry the example above. The second can, at about 77 percent of its rating, if payload also works with a full cabin.
Half-ton pickup
This is the most common choice for a single-car enclosed hauler. Ford's 2026 F-150 page, read on September 27, 2026, lists a best-in-class maximum available towing figure of 13,500 lb and a maximum available payload of 2,440 lb. Those are top-configuration figures, not every F-150. A half-ton in a lower-rated configuration may be rated thousands of pounds below that, so check the exact engine, axle ratio, cab and bed. Our half-ton vs 3/4-ton vs 1-ton guide explains how the classes differ beyond the headline.
Heavy-duty pickup
If you haul a heavy car, tow long distances, cross mountains or tow often, a heavy-duty pickup gives margin on every rating at once. Be careful with its headline number. Ford's 2027 Super Duty page, read on September 27, 2026, lists 40,000 lb of maximum towing when paired with the High-Capacity Gooseneck Tow Package. That is a gooseneck figure. An enclosed car hauler on a bumper-pull coupler uses the conventional rating, which is lower. Look up the conventional figure for the exact truck.
Payload Is Where Car Haulers Catch Half-Tons
A car hauler puts a lot of weight on the hitch, and it all comes out of payload. At the commonly planned 10 to 15 percent, the 7,400 lb example above puts 740 to 1,110 lb on the ball.
Add two adults in the cab, tools in the bed and the weight of a weight distribution hitch, and a half-ton can reach its payload before it reaches its tow rating. Read the Tire and Loading Information placard in the driver's door jamb for the maximum combined weight of occupants and cargo. Subtract tongue weight, passengers, cargo and hitch hardware. If the result is negative, the truck is overloaded no matter what the tow rating says. Our explainer on payload vs towing capacity walks through the full calculation.
This is the most common reason people move from a half-ton to a heavy-duty pickup for car hauling. It is rarely the tow rating. It is the payload.
Loading the Car: Where the Weight Goes Matters
Where you park the car inside the trailer changes tongue weight, and tongue weight changes stability. A car loaded too far back takes weight off the tongue and can make the trailer prone to sway. A car loaded too far forward can overload the tow vehicle's rear axle and payload.
Most people load the car so its heavier end, usually the engine, sits slightly ahead of the trailer axles. Then weigh the setup at a scale, including tongue weight, rather than guessing. Hardware can dampen sway, but it cannot correct a trailer loaded tail-heavy; our guide to trailer sway control explains why.
An enclosed trailer is also a tall, flat-sided box. It catches crosswinds and the wake of passing trucks more than an open trailer does, and it adds aerodynamic drag, which works the engine and transmission harder. A longer, heavier tow vehicle generally handles that better.
Equipment That Comes With the Job
- Trailer brakes and a controller. A loaded enclosed hauler is far above the weight at which states typically require trailer brakes. The listing above shows electric brakes on both axles. The tow vehicle needs a brake controller to run them; our guide to trailer brake controller types covers proportional and time-delay units.
- Correct hitch rating. The receiver, ball mount, ball and coupler each carry a rating. The lowest one sets the limit for the whole rig.
- Weight distribution. Many manufacturers require or recommend a weight distributing hitch above a stated trailer or tongue weight. Your owner's manual gives the threshold.
- Trailer tires. Check the load range and inflation on the trailer tires against the loaded weight.
- GCWR. The loaded truck plus loaded trailer must stay under the gross combined weight rating.
How to Choose Without Getting Hurt
- Read the trailer's VIN plate for its GVWR and empty weight.
- Look up the car's curb weight in its manual or on its door-jamb label.
- Add gear and weigh the loaded rig at a scale when you can.
- Find the rating you need from the 80 percent table above.
- Pick the exact configuration and confirm its conventional tow rating for that model year.
- Check payload against tongue weight plus people, cargo and hitch.
- Check GCWR and every hitch component rating.
Never exceed any rating in the chain. If the numbers are close, step up a class, or use a lighter trailer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best vehicle for towing a car hauler?
For a loaded enclosed car hauler, a properly equipped half-ton pickup is usually the minimum, and a heavy-duty pickup when the loaded trailer approaches or exceeds about 8,000 lb or you tow often. Add trailer, car and gear, then keep the total at or below 80 percent of the tow rating and within payload.
How much does an enclosed car hauler weigh empty?
It varies by size, build and options. One 8.5 x 24 ft enclosed car trailer listed by USA Cargo Trailer shows 3,600 lb empty. Read the VIN plate and build sheet for your trailer.
Can a half-ton tow an enclosed car hauler?
Many configurations can, if the tow rating, payload and GCWR all clear the loaded weight. Payload is the usual sticking point, because 10 to 15 percent of a 7,000 lb or heavier trailer sits on the hitch.
Can I use a full-size SUV to tow a car hauler?
Only in the right configuration and at the right weight. Ford lists the 2027 Expedition at up to 6,000 lb in 4×2 form and up to 9,600 lb for select 4×4 models with the Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow Package. Check payload with a full cabin too.
Is the gooseneck rating the same as the bumper-pull rating?
No. Many heavy-duty trucks publish a much higher gooseneck or fifth-wheel figure. A bumper-pull car hauler uses the conventional towing rating, which is lower.