Skip to Content

Nissan Juke Towing Capacity: Can It Tow a Camper Trailer, Boat, or Jet Ski?

Nissan Juke Towing Capacity: Can It Tow a Camper Trailer, Boat, or Jet Ski?

Nissan Juke is an affordable Japanese mini SUV with a decent track record of performance and operational capacity. But there have been some worries regarding the towing capacity of this car. In this article, we investigate this matter and discuss other details in this regard. Let’s start by answering the central question of towing capacity provided by this car:

Nissan does not provide any official numbers regarding the towing capacity of this car. However, through market research, we identified that the 2011 – 2017 model years of this car sold in the United States have a braked towing capacity of 2,755 pounds and an unbraked towing capacity of 1,377 pounds.

In this article, we’ll identify the towing capacity of this car and find out if it has improved over the years. We’ll then discuss whether it is sufficient to tow several types of trailers or not. Lastly, we’ll examine its competition and analyze our findings.

nissan juke towing camper
Image courtesy

Maximum Towing Capacity By Year

The following table is derived from the general market consensus on the safe towing limits. Nissan neither provides official details in this regard nor recommends this mini SUV for towing purposes in the United States market. In fact, any such activity will result in the cessation of your car’s warranty.

However, this generation of the Nissan Juke was also sold in the United Kingdom and Europe, and on these continents, the car was rated for towing. Since this Juke was identical to the one sold in the United States, it’s safe to assume that the car can tow and that it’s more of a legal issue.

In the table below, we’ve compiled the unbraked and braked towing capacities for the Juke as stated in the UK owners manual. In the United States, the Juke was only sold with a 1.6 engine. Again, the car is still not recommended for towing, which will void any warranty.

YearEngineUnbraked Towing Capacity (Lbs.)Braked Towing Capacity (Lbs.)
20171.61,3772,755
20161.61,3772,755
20151.61,3772,755
20141.61,3772,755
20131.61,3772,755
20121.61,3772,755
20111.61,3772,755

Can It Tow a Trailer, Boat, or Jet Ski?

Trailers come in all shapes and sizes. Therefore, we have done extensive research to identify the weighing limits of different types of trailers. We have then matched these weight limits against the towing capacity of the Nissan Juke to figure out if it is capable of safe towing or not.

All model years of the Nissan Juke sold in the USA can tow small and medium-sized trailers with a maximum weight limit of 2,755 pounds. We recommend that you only tow light-loaded trailers.

These include canoe/kayak, jet ski, teardrop, and small open utility trailers. Also, we suggest you do not test the maximum towing limits, especially if your car has a claimable warranty. It may not only result in damaging the engine but may also invalidate the warranty.

Trailer TypeAverage Empty Weight (lbs.)Average Total Loaded Weight (lbs.)Can A Nissan Juke Tow It?
Canoe / Kayak Trailer200400Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers.
Jet Ski Trailer300                                              1,800Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers.
Motorcycle Trailer500                                              2,400Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers.
Teardrop Trailer1,700                                              2,400Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers.
Small Open Utility Trailer700                                              2,500Yes, it can tow both empty and filled trailers.
A-Frame Camper1,700                                              2,900It can only tow an empty trailer of this category.
Small Enclosed Utility Trailer1,000                                              3,200It can only tow an empty trailer of this category.
Fishing Boat Trailer600                                              3,300It can only tow an empty trailer of this category.
Pop Up Camper2,300                                              3,400It can only tow an empty trailer of this category.
Small Travel Trailer2,800                                              3,600No.
Tow Dolly600                                              4,000It can only tow an empty trailer of this category.
Large Enclosed Utility Trailer2,700                                              7,100It can only tow an empty trailer of this category.
Small Horse Trailer2,900                                              7,200No.
Large Travel Trailer6,700                                              8,300No.
Car Trailer1,900                                              9,000It can only tow an empty trailer of this category.
Large Flatbed Trailer3,000                                            10,400No.
Large Boat Trailer2,200                                            13,600It can only tow an empty trailer of this category.
Dump Trailer4,500                                            16,900No.
Toy Hauler7,600                                            17,900No.
Large Livestock Trailer7,300                                            18,700No.
5th Wheel Camper12,700                                            18,700No.
Gooseneck Flatbed Trailer7,200                                            23,200No.
  • Kayak: All Nissan Juke models will be able to tow a kayak trailer. On average, an empty kayak trailer will weigh 200 pounds. A loaded kayak trailer will weigh an average of 400 pounds with a maximum of 800 pounds which is well within the range of the Nissan Juke.
  • Jet Ski Trailer: All Nissan Juke models will be able to tow an empty jet ski trailer. On average, an empty jet ski trailer will weigh 300 pounds. A loaded jet ski trailer will weigh an average of 1,800 pounds with a maximum of 3,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Nissan Juke.
  • Motorcycle Trailer: All Nissan Juke models will be able to tow an empty motorcycle trailer. On average, an empty motorcycle trailer will weigh 500 pounds. A loaded motorcycle trailer will weigh an average of 2,400 pounds with a maximum of 3,500, outside of the range of the Nissan Juke.
  • Teardrop Trailer: All Nissan Juke models will be able to tow a teardrop trailer. On average, an empty teardrop trailer will weigh 1,700 pounds. A loaded teardrop trailer will weigh an average of 2,400 pounds which is within the range of the  Nissan Juke. Some teardrop trailers will weigh a maximum of 6,000 pounds, outside of the limits of the  Nissan Juke.
  • Small Open Utility Trailer: All Nissan Juke models will be able to tow an empty small open utility trailer. On average, an empty small open utility trailer will weigh 700 pounds. A loaded small open utility trailer will weigh an average of 2,500 pounds with a maximum of 3,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Nissan Juke.
  • A-Frame Camper: All Nissan Juke models will be able to tow an empty a-frame camper. On average, an empty a-frame camper weighs 1,700 pounds. A loaded a-frame camper will weigh an average of 2,900 pounds with a maximum of 3,600 pounds, outside of the range of the Nissan Juke.
  • Small Enclosed Utility Trailer: All Nissan Juke models will be able to tow an empty small enclosed utility trailer. On average, an empty small enclosed utility trailer weighs 1,000 pounds. A loaded small enclosed utility trailer will weigh an average of 3,200 pounds with a maximum of 7,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Nissan Juke.
  • Fishing Boat Trailer: All Nissan Juke models will be able to tow an empty fishing boat trailer. On average, an empty fishing boat trailer weighs 600 pounds. A loaded fishing boat trailer will weigh an average of 3,300 pounds with a maximum of 6,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Nissan Juke.
  • Pop-Up Camper: All Nissan Juke models will be able to tow an empty pop-up camper. On average, an empty pop-up camper weighs 2,300 pounds. A loaded pop-up camper will weigh an average of 3,400 pounds with a maximum of 4,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Nissan Juke.
  • Small Travel Trailer: No Nissan Juke model will be able to tow a small travel trailer. On average, an empty small travel trailer weighs 2,800 pounds. A loaded small travel trailer will weigh an average of 3,600 pounds with a maximum of 4,500 pounds, outside of the range of the  Nissan Juke.
  • Tow Dolly: All Nissan Juke models will be able to tow an empty tow dolly. On average, an empty tow dolly weighs 600 pounds. A loaded tow dolly will weigh an average of 4,000 pounds with a maximum of 5,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Nissan Juke.
  • Large Enclosed Utility Trailer: All  Nissan Juke models will be able to tow an empty large enclosed utility trailer. On average, an empty large enclosed utility trailer weighs 2,700 pounds. A loaded large enclosed utility trailer weighs an average of 7,100 pounds with a maximum of 10,000 pounds, outside of the range of the  Nissan Juke.
  • Small Horse Trailer: No Nissan Juke model will be able to tow a small horse trailer. On average, an empty small horse trailer weighs 2,900 pounds. A loaded small horse trailer weighs an average of 7,200 pounds with a maximum of 8,000 pounds, outside of the range of the  Nissan Juke.
  • Car Trailer: All Nissan Juke models will be able to tow an empty car trailer. On average, an empty car trailer weighs 1,900 pounds. A loaded car trailer weighs an average of 9,000 pounds with a maximum of 15,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Nissan Juke.
  • Large Flatbed Trailer: No Nissan Juke model will be able to tow a large flatbed trailer. On average, an empty large flatbed trailer weighs 3,000 pounds. A loaded large flatbed trailer weighs an average of 10,400 pounds with a maximum of 26,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Nissan Juke.
  • Large Boat Trailer: All Nissan Juke models will be able to tow a large boat trailer. On average, an empty large boat trailer weighs 2,200 pounds. A loaded large boat trailer weighs an average of 13,600 pounds with a maximum of 34,000 pounds, outside of the range of the Nissan Juke.

Can You Install A Hitch On A Nissan Juke?

From the factory, Nissan Juke do not come with a trailer hitch. However, you can install an aftermarket class 1 hitch on your Juke. Class 1 hitches are rated for a maximum towing weight of 2,000 pounds and a maximum tongue weight of 200 pounds.

Therefore, they can carry a little less than what the Juke could theoretically be capable of. Expect to pay around $150 – $200 for a class 1 hitch.

How Well Can It Tow Compared to its Competitors?

Nissan Juke has healthy competition in its mini SUV category. Several manufacturers are continually trying to increase the operational capacity of their products. Towing capacity is an important feature that can be a deciding factor behind the purchase decision for a particular group of interested customers.

Nissan is thoughtful of this matter, and although they have not provided official numbers for this car, they have still manufactured a competent vehicle for towing purposes. The following table mentions the towing capacities of several cars competing with the Nissan Juke. Only the 2020 Dacia Duster has a higher towing capacity of 3,306 pounds.

Year / Make / ModelMax. Towing Capacity (lbs.)
2020  Jeep Renegade2,000
2020 Skoda Kamiq2,755
2020 Dacia Duster3,306
2020 Seat Arona2,425
2020 Mazda CX32,000

Have More Questions? Join Our Facebook Group!

Do you have any more questions that weren´t answered in this blog post? Join our free Facebook group and ask your question there. We promise you you´ll get an answer from one of our team members. Join the group here!