These days, golf cart owners call upon their vehicles for more than just weekly transportation around the links. While it may be surprising to some, a high percentage of golf cart owners do not even play golf. In turn, it is becoming increasingly popular for golf cart owners to utilize their golf carts when they need assistance with a variety of jobs around their property.
If an individual has a large amount of land, or even wants to transport kayaks, paddleboards, a small boat, etc… it would not be uncommon for them to own a golf cart to help them transport materials and other items across the acreage or down the road if you live in a golf cart community. If you are a golf cart owner who is looking to utilize your cart to transport various items, you may be wondering how much weight your golf cart can realistically carry.
Most golf carts can carry between 500-1200 pounds. This may be in addition to an additional 300 pounds if equipped with a bed as well as up to 1000 pounds of towing capacity. There are heavy duty springs available to increase your carrying capacity.
How Much Weight Can a Golf Cart Carry?
The limits on how much a golf cart can carry typically account for passengers and cargo. Exceeding these limits is not recommended as it could make operating your golf cart more challenging or even lead to significant problems with your cart. If you were to overload your golf cart consistently you could also expect the life of your golf cart to decrease dramatically, especially suspension and driveline parts.
Most golf carts will account for up to 200 pounds per passenger. The amount of weight allocated for passengers depends upon how many passengers your cart is meant to carry. For example, if your cart is a two-person cart, typically 400 pounds will be allocated for passenger transport. On top of this 400 pounds, about another 150 to 200 pounds is normally allocated for cargo transport. To properly calculate the carrying weight of a golf cart, you will need to know how much the golf cart manufacturer has allocated for each passenger and for cargo. Listed below are general carrying weights for a variety of golf cart sizes:
| GOLF CART CARRYING WEIGHTS | |
| EZ GO RXV | 500-800 LBS |
| EZ GO TXT | 500-800 LBS |
| EZ GO Express S2 | 500 LBS |
| EZ GO Express S4 | 800 LBS |
| EZ GO Express S6 | 1200 LBS |
| EZ GO Express L6 | 1200 LBS |
| EZ GO Valor | 800 LBS |
| Yamaha Golf Carts | Yamaha does not list capacity limits. |
| Club Car | Club does not list individual capacity limits. |
The figures listed in the table above are estimated values typical of carts their respective size. To determine the actual carrying capacity of your golf cart you can look for the figure in your user manual, research the figure online, or contact your golf cart’s manufacturer. If you choose to abide by the figures in the chart above, you should be good to go. However, if you are loading your cart up with excess weight and you notice it getting significantly slower or harder to navigate you should unload some of the weight and make multiple trips to your destination.
If you need a greater carrying capacity, you can install heavy duty springs such as these which I put on my cart. They help add capacity and smooth the ride if you are carrying lots of weight or add a rear seat.
How Much Does a Golf Cart Weigh?
The typical golf cart normally weighs between 800 and 1100 pounds. This weight varies from cart to cart and fluctuates depending upon a large list of factors. The most common factors that may affect the weight of a golf cart are the golf cart’s size, battery weight, if it is an electric or gas powered cart, and the various accessories the golf cart is outfitted with.
In general, gas powered golf carts weigh much less than electric powered golf carts. Gas powered golf carts are typically lighter because they do not have to carry the same amount of batteries an electric cart is required to carry in order to function properly. The addition of one battery can cause a golf cart’s total weight to increase as much as 100 pounds.
When determining the weight of a golf cart, you may come across two different numbers. The first number you might come across is the cart’s dry weight, which displays how much the golf cart weighs before it is equipped with batteries and extra accessories. The next number you will come across is the vehicle’s curb weight. The curb weight is how much the vehicle supposedly weighs in its completed state with all batteries and accessories installed. While it is challenging to put a specific weight on a golf cart if you don’t have a vehicle scale, you can search for the vehicle’s weight in your user manual or attempt to contact the vehicle’s manufacturer.
How Much Weight Can a Golf Cart Tow?
In addition to being curious about how much your golf cart weighs and how much your golf cart can carry, you may also be interested to find out how much weight your golf cart can tow. In general, the average golf cart can tow around 1,000 pounds if equipped with the proper towing package. Tongue weight will be very little. However, some utility models may be able to tow significantly more.
Using your golf cart to tow small cargo is a great way to transport items without having to call upon your full size pickup truck such as sand, dirt, rocks, or even a jet ski or rowboat. In general, golf cart owners can realistically tow items such as jet skis, small boats, small trailers, cargo carts, and another golf cart that needs repairs. Of course, like the figures assigned to the carrying weights and general weight of a golf cart, you will want to research the specific weight your cart can tow before taking on an excessive towing load. This figure can also usually be found alongside the cart’s carrying capacity in the user manual.
Summary: Weight, Carrying Capacity, Towing Capacity
In summary, the three numbers every golf cart owner should be familiar with are their golf cart’s weight, its carrying capacity, and the cart’s towing capacity. As previously stated, the specific weights for all three of these figures should be jotted down somewhere in your cart’s user manual. If you no longer have the user manual for your cart, you can always contact the cart’s manufacturer to ask questions. Once you are aware of the various weights your golf cart is accustomed to, you should do your best to not exceed these weights. Operating your golf cart under the restrictions of these figures will prolong the life of your vehicle.
