How much can a Honda CR-V tow? 1,500 lb gas, 1,000 lb hybrid

Sources checked October 16, 2026: 2027 CR-V specifications, gasoline manual, pp. 327–331, and hybrid manual, pp. 451–455.

In September 2026, a 2026 TrailSport Hybrid owner asked about a 1,200 lb pop-up after towing an ATV on a utility trailer. The hitch was already on. Honda's 2026 rating still puts that pop-up 200 lb over the hybrid's maximum.

How much can a Honda CR-V tow?

It comes down to the powertrain: the US 2027 CR-V is rated at 1,500 lb of loaded trailer with the gasoline engine and 1,000 lb as a hybrid. Both ratings assume Honda's required accessory towing equipment.

TrailSport and Sport Touring hybrids are AWD, and they stay in the 1,000 lb hybrid group. The figures come from Honda's 2027 specification table; the 2026 table shows the same split, TrailSport Hybrid included.

A US-market CR-V goes by Honda's US rating, whatever other markets publish. The US towing capacity chart compares manufacturer ratings across vehicles.

Does adding a hitch raise my TrailSport's limit?

No. The 2027 TrailSport Hybrid's 1,000 lb rating already assumes Honda's required towing equipment is fitted. A receiver is one piece of that; the wiring and the rest of the setup need to be in place too. A hybrid buyer in November 2025 asked what a dealer tow package adds over an online hitch, so whichever way you go, ask exactly what's in the kit.

The 2027 hybrid manual, pp. 454–455, calls for a suitable approved-type hitch attached to the underbody, safety chains, and properly installed towing equipment. Honda recommends dealer installation of its wiring harness and converter, with any wiring work done by a qualified technician.

Ask the installer for the hitch and coupling ratings and the electrical connection your trailer needs. A bigger number stamped on the receiver is the hitch's limit; the CR-V Hybrid stays at 1,000 lb.

Could a lightweight camper fit behind a CR-V Hybrid?

A light one can, if its loaded weight stays under 1,000 lb and the vehicle, hitch and axle limits also work out. Here's one example rig: a 2027 CR-V TrailSport Hybrid AWD with a base SylvanSport GO. The trailer figures are published; the gear and tongue weights are assumptions, so swap in your own.

SylvanSport's current GO specifications, checked October 16, 2026, list 840 lb dry weight, 85 lb dry tongue weight and a 1,650 lb Trailer GVWR, the most the trailer may weigh loaded.

At 950 lb, the trailer sits 50 lb under the hybrid's towing maximum. It's also 700 lb under the GO's own rating, but behind this CR-V you can't use most of that spare trailer capacity.

Honda asks for a tongue load of around 10% of the fully loaded trailer in the 2027 hybrid manual, p. 453. The example's 95 lb fits that guidance, but it's an assumed number, so weigh yours. The published 85 lb dry tongue figure won't tell you where a packed trailer lands.

Where do passengers and luggage count?

Against the CR-V's own load limit, along with accessories and the trailer's tongue weight. Both current manuals publish an 850 lb maximum load and point you to the Tire and Loading Information label on the driver's doorjamb: see the gasoline manual, pp. 327–328, and hybrid manual, pp. 451–452.

For the same TrailSport and GO, assume 340 lb of people, 115 lb of gear in the vehicle and 40 lb for the hitch and other added accessories. Add the 95 lb tongue weight:

340 + 115 + 40 + 95 = 590 lb carried; 850 − 590 = 260 lb left against Honda's published maximum load.

That 260 lb and the trailer's 50 lb are separate budgets. Moving gear from the car into the trailer spends the trailer's 50 lb. The payload versus towing capacity guide explains the difference in more detail.

The example skips GVWR (the most the loaded vehicle may weigh), GAWR (the limit for each axle), GCWR (loaded vehicle and trailer together), real axle readings and the installed hitch limits. Read GVWR and the axle ratings off your certification label and check the rest before you call the pairing good.

What else should I check before the first tow?

Your manual sets driving conditions for towing as well as weight limits. Honda's 2027 gasoline towing instructions, pp. 329–333, and hybrid instructions, pp. 453–457, say to avoid towing for the first 600 miles. They cap towing speed at 62 mph, or 55 mph with a fixed-sided trailer such as a camper, and any lower road limit still applies.

The base GO product FAQ says it comes without trailer brakes. When a trailer has brakes, Honda specifies electronically actuated ones. Check what your trailer and route need before you choose.

Honda tells owners to get loaded weights at a public scale. The what can I tow guide brings the separate ratings together for a full rig check.

What happens when I add 60 lb for the next trip?

Put another 60 lb into the example's 950 lb trailer and it weighs 1,010 lb, 10 lb over the TrailSport Hybrid's towing maximum. The GO would still be 640 lb under its own 1,650 lb rating, which is how one more item can look easy when the CR-V can't take it. Weigh the tongue again too; the 95 lb figure no longer applies.

With 50 lb to spare, a record of what went into the trailer makes the next packing call easier. In loadmate, recorded load changes keep each item's weight and location history and flag related checks for refresh at the next Rig-tab review. Entered scale readings and linked loads give those later changes their baseline.

Before the next item goes into the GO, explore loadmate for your next packing change.

Related guides

• What can I tow?: bring the vehicle, trailer and coupling checks together.
• US towing capacity chart: compare manufacturer ratings by vehicle.
• Payload versus towing capacity: separate the weight carried from the trailer being pulled.
• Tongue weight versus payload: account for the load the trailer places on the vehicle.