To a large extent, the weight of a Jon boat depends on its size with its construction material also playing a key role.
The average Jon boat weighs about 500 pounds. Jon boats can weigh between 78 to 1056 pounds (35 kg and 483 kg). The weight is dependant on the boat’s constructional material, length and width. This estimate is dry hull weight. For a real-world example of overall weight, you would have to add the weight of the motor, fuel and gear as well as crew and passengers.
It is also important to note that the above cited estimates do not include your trailer weight, which will need to be considered when ascertaining if you vehicle can safely tow the boat.
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Examples of Jon boat dry hull weight by size and length
The most common Jon boat lengths are 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 feet. So these lengths will be the basis for our examples. Keep in mind that the dry hull weight excludes the engine, fuel, your gear, the trailer, and any modifications made to the boat.
As the vast majority of store-bought Jon boats are made from aluminum this is the construction material used in our examples. Of course Jon boats made from fiberglass and wood will have different weights.
Fiberglass boats are much less common and are difficult to come by. Most wooden Jon boats are homemade and extremely lightweight and if you are interested in building you own we we demonstrated how to that here).
10-foot Jon boat
10-foot aluminum Jon boats have an average dry hull weight of 95 pounds or 43 kgs.
This average was calculated and based on the following models and manufactures.
- 10-foot Waco Jon 1432 series, 78 pounds or 35 kg
- 10-foot Alumacraft 1036, 100 pounds or 45 kg
- 10-foot Lowe L1032 Jon boat, 80 pounds or 36 kg
- 10-foot Tracker Topper 1036 Jon boat, 112 pounds or 51 kg
- 10-foot Smoker Craft 1032 Jon boat, 100 pounds or 45 kg
- 10-foot G3 Jon boat 1036 Jon boat, 100 pounds or 45 kg
12-foot Jon boat
12-foot Jon boats have an average dry hull weight of 111 pounds or 50 kg.
This average was calculated and based on the following models and manufactures.
- 12-foot Waco Jon 1432 series, 88 pounds or 49 kg
- 12-foot Alumacraft 1236 Jon boat, 125 pounds or 57 kg
- 12-foot Lowe L1236 Jon boat, 90 pounds or 41 kg
- 12-foot Tracker Topper 1236 Jon boat, 126 pounds or 57 kg
- 12-foot Smoker Craft 1232, 120 pounds or 54 kg
- 12-foot G3 boats 1236, 144 pounds or 65 kg
- 12-foot Pelican Intruder 12 Jon boat, 127 pounds or 58 kg
- 12-foot Lost Creek Jon boat, 90 pounds or 41 kg
- 12-foot Crestliner 1236 Jon boat, 125 pounds or 57 kg
14-foot Jon boat
14-foot aluminum Jon boats have an average dry hull weight of 167 pounds or 76 kg.
This average was calculated and based on the following models and manufactures.
- 14-foot Waco Jon 1432 series Jon boat, 104 pounds or 47 kg
- 14-foot Alumacraft 1436 Jon boat, 180 pounds or 82 kg
- 14-foot Lowe L1436 Jon boat, 185 pounds or 66 kg
- 14-foot Tracker Topper 1436 Jon boat, 162 pounds or 73 kg
- 14-foot Smoker Craft 1436 Jon boat, 185 pounds or 66 kg
- 14-foot G3 boats (average of 14-foot models), 190 pounds or 86 kg
- 14-foot Lost Creek Jon boat, 145 pounds or 66 kg
- 14-foot Crestliner 1436 Jon boat, 180 pounds or 82 kg
16-foot Jon boat
16-foot aluminum Jon boats have an average dry hull weight of 359 pounds or 163 kg.
This average was calculated and based on the following models and manufactures.
- 16-foot XPresJonon boats 1650 VJ, 341 pounds or 155 kg
- 16-foot Alumacraft 1648 Jon boat, 320 pounds or 145 kg
- 16-foot Lowe L1648 Jon boat, 275 pounds or 125 kg
- 16-foot Tracker Grizzly 1648 Jon boat, 638 pounds or 289 kg
- 16-foot Smoker Craft 1648 Jon boat, 295 pounds or 134 kg
- 16-foot G3 Jon boats (average of 16-foot models), 375 pounds or 170 kg
- 16-foot Crestliner 1648 Jon boat, 265 pounds or 125 kg
18-foot Jon boat
18-foot aluminum Jon boats have an average dry hull weight of 534 pounds or 242 kg.
This average was calculated and based on the following models and manufactures.
- 18-foot Tracker Grizzly 1860 Jon boat, 794 pounds, 360 kg
- 18-foot Crestliner 1800 Jon boat, 475 pounds or 215 kg
- 18-foot Alumacraft 1848 Jon boat, 370 pounds or 168 kg
- 18-foot G3 Jon boats (average of 18-foot models), 500 pounds or 227 kg
20-foot Jon boat
20-foot aluminum Jon boats have an average dry hull weight of 828 pounds or 375 kg.
This average was calculated and based on the following models and manufactures.
- 20-foot Lowe Roughneck 2070 Jon boat, 710 pounds or 322 kg
- 20-foot Crestliner 2070 Retriever Jon boat, 710 pounds or 322 kg
- 20-foot G3 boat gator tough – an average of 20-foot models, 1056 pounds or 483 kg
Other factors that affect the total weight of a Jon boat
Motor
Your outboard motor will have a significant impact on the weight of your boat so ensure you include it in your calculations if you want to determine your boats towing weight and its weight while in the water.
Always be sure your Jon boat is fitted with the correct sized motor.
Fuel
Fuel can drastically affect the towing weight of your Jon boat and its weight in the water so it is important that you are aware of it.
Diesel weighs approximately 7.1 pounds/gallon while gasoline weighs approximately 6.1 pounds/gallon. So you should factor in fuel weight based upon whether your outboard motor is diesel or gas powered.
The common sizes of fuel containers for Jon boats hold either 3 or 6 gallons of fuel depending on the size of the boat. Therefore the weight of fuel based on tank size are given below.
3 gallon tank:
Diesel:
7.1 x 3 = 21.3 pounds
Gasoline:
6.1 x 3 = 18.3 pounds
6 gallon tank:
Diesel:
7.1 x 6 = 42.6 pounds
Gasoline:
6.1 x 6 = 36.6 pounds
Note that this is for a full tank of fuel. Obviously if you have a half tank or a quarter tank you will need to alter the above formulas appropriately. However, it is unlikely you will be using a Jon boat without a full tank of fuel.
If you have a different size of fuel tank then it is just a matter of multiplying the maximum capacity of the tank with the number shown above for either diesel or gasoline.
Gear
When estimating the overall total weight of your Jon boat it is vital to take into account the weight of your gear, especially if you have extensive hunting or fishing equipment onboard.
Gear also includes things like oars, paddles, and personal items.
Gear can weigh more than you think. Even just the essential items on a hunting Jon boat can easily add up to 200 pounds or more.
Crew weight
If you want to estimate the weight of your Jon boat when it is in the water then don’t overlook the added weight of crew members.
It is all too easy to overload a Jon boat by simply forgetting to calculate the weight of gear and crew. A Jon boat that sits too low in the water runs the risk of sinking no matter how shallow the waterways are.
How to calculate the overall weight of your Jon boat in the water
To work out the weight of your boat in the water simply add all the weights you calculated above together.
This gives you the equation:
Dry hull weight + Motor weight + Fuel weight + Gear weight + crew weight = Weight of boat on the water.
Just as it is important to know the over weight of your Jon boat it is equally important to know how much weight your Jon boat can hold. We covered this subject in detail here where we give Jon boat weight capacities as examples. I suggest you review that article after reading this one.
How to calculate the overall towing weight of your Jon boat
The towing weight of your Jon boat will be different than the weight of the boat in and out of the water.
Just as dry hull weight is different from a fully laden boat weight, fully laden boat weight is also different from its towing weight. This is due to the added weight of the trailer.
Trailer weight
Jon boat trailers weigh about 200 – 600 pounds or 91 kg to 272 kg depending on size and construction material.
Some materials used to make trailers weigh more than others as there are some fantastically sturdy yet lightweight Jon boat trailers on the market these days. Usually though, the longer the trailer, the more it weighs.
Simply follow the guidelines given above to determine the weight of each of the following:
- The boat itself.
- Motor.
- Fuel.
- Gear.
- Trailer.
Then add these weights together to get the overall towing weight of the vehicle.
Here is a simple example:
- Jon Boat – 400 lbs
- Outboard trolling motor – 22 lbs
- Fuel – 17 lbs
- Gear – 200 lbs
- Trailer – 500 lbs
Overall total towing weight = 1139 pounds
For a reliable estimate of overall total towing weight, it is extremely important that you get the trailer, boat, gear, motor and fuel weights as close to the specs as possible. However, be aware that whatever weights you come up with will be estimates only.
Understanding the towing capacity of your vehicle
One of the first things you have to check before you buy a Jon boat is how much weight your vehicle can handle when towing.
SUVs and trucks are the most popular tow vehicles and they should have no problem towing any size of Jon boat. However, there are smaller cars that can handle towing smaller Jon boats but which may struggle with larger boats that are fully loaded.
You will find that the inside of your vehicle door has a label of the total weight your vehicle can pull.
Although Jon boats are reasonably lightweight if you try pulling a 3000-pound fully laden Jon boat with a small car that cannot handle the weight you are bound to face serious mechanical problems. What’s more, you would be risking damage to your boat and gear and even putting your own safety at risk.
Towing capacities for popular vehicles
Below are few estimated Towing Capacities for some popular trucks.
- Chevy Silverado 1500, about 12,500 pounds
- Dodge Ram, about 10,600 pounds
- Chevy Colorado, about 7700 pounds
- Toyota Tacoma, about 6500 to 6800 pounds
- GMC Sierra, about 12,000 pounds
- Nissan Titan, about 9000 pounds
- Ford F150, about 12,000 pounds
Understanding Jon boat weights is essential before you purchase one because there is nothing worse than buying a Jon boat too heavy for your vehicle to tow.
You may also want to learn how to measure a Jon boat, especially the beam.
