Trailer rating
The maximum loaded trailer weight allowed for the truck's exact configuration and hitch type.
Bob Howard Chevrolet | 2026 Tow Guide
Tow smarter. Choose with confidence.
Compare the maximum trailer weight ratings for the 2026 Chevrolet Colorado, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500 HD, Silverado 3500 HD and Silverado EV - then use the planning worksheet to account for the people, cargo, hitch and gear that determine what your specific truck can safely handle.
7,700 lbs.Colorado maximum
12,500 lbs.Silverado EV maximum
13,300 lbs.Silverado 1500 maximum
22,050 lbs.Silverado 2500 HD maximum
36,000 lbs.Silverado 3500 HD maximum
The short answer
How much can a 2026 Chevy truck tow?
The 2026 Chevrolet truck lineup spans from a 7,700-lb. maximum trailer weight rating for a properly equipped Colorado to 36,000 lbs. for the highest-rated Silverado 3500 HD gooseneck configuration.
Maximum ratings are configuration-specific. Cab, bed, drivetrain, engine,
axle, wheel, hitch and trailering package can all change the number. Your
truck's labels and Owner's Manual control.
Colorado
7,700lbs. max
Silverado EV
12,500lbs. max
Silverado 1500
13,300lbs. max
Silverado 2500 HD
22,050lbs. max
Silverado 3500 HD
36,000lbs. max
The number behind the number
Tow rating is only one limit
A truck can be under its published trailer rating and still exceed payload, rear-axle, tongue-weight or combined-weight limits. A defensible match clears every applicable rating at the same time.
Payload
The capacity shared by occupants, cab and bed cargo, accessories, hitch hardware and tongue or kingpin weight.
GCWR
Gross Combined Weight Rating: the maximum permitted weight of the loaded truck and loaded trailer together.
GVWR & RGAWR
The truck's total loaded-weight limit and rear-axle limit. Tongue or kingpin load is especially important here.
Hardware limits
The receiver, ball mount, hitch, tires, wheels and trailer components must each be rated for the planned load.
Available payload for tongue weight = payload rating - people - cargo - accessories - hitch hardware
Then verify that the loaded combination also remains within GVWR, RGAWR, GCWR, tire and hitch ratings.
Truck-by-truck guide
Which 2026 Chevy truck fits the job?
Start with your trailer's expected loaded weight, then choose enough configuration-specific capacity for people, cargo and the way you actually travel.
Colorado
7,700 lbs.Maximum trailer rating
The midsize choice for drivers who want everyday maneuverability without giving up meaningful trailering capability.
- The available Trailering Package is the key to the 7,700-lb. maximum.
- Standard Hitch View helps line up the truck and trailer.
- ZR2 has a different 6,000-lb. rating; off-road hardware changes the tow number.
| Colorado configuration | Max rating |
|---|---|
| TurboMax without Trailering Package | 3,500 lbs. |
| TurboMax with Trailering Package | 7,700 lbs. |
| TurboMax ZR2 | 6,000 lbs. |
Silverado 1500
13,300 lbs.Maximum conventional rating
The broadest all-around choice: four available engines, multiple cab and bed combinations, and available camera and trailering technology.
- The 13,300-lb. maximum requires a specific Double Cab, 2WD, Duramax and Max Trailering Package configuration with 20-inch wheels.
- The 6.2L V8 reaches up to 13,200 lbs. in select Crew Cab configurations.
- ZR2 capability is optimized differently and carries a lower trailer rating than the lineup maximum.
| Silverado 1500 engine | Highest listed conventional rating |
|---|---|
| TurboMax | 9,500 lbs. |
| 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 | 11,300 lbs. |
| 6.2L EcoTec3 V8 | 13,200 lbs. |
| Duramax 3.0L I-6 | 13,300 lbs. |
Silverado HD
36,000 lbs.3500 HD maximum
Silverado 2500 HD and 3500 HD step up frame, suspension, axle, braking and hitch capability for the heaviest jobs in this guide.
- Silverado 2500 HD reaches a 22,050-lb. maximum trailer rating in the official guide.
- Silverado 3500 HD reaches 36,000 lbs. with the highest-rated gooseneck setup.
- Available Duramax diesel exhaust braking and HD camera views add control and visibility; they do not replace attentive driving.
| Silverado HD benchmark | Maximum listed rating |
|---|---|
| 2500 HD maximum trailer rating | 22,050 lbs. |
| 3500 HD maximum conventional rating | 20,000 lbs. |
| 3500 HD maximum 5th-wheel rating | 35,500 lbs. |
| 3500 HD maximum gooseneck rating | 36,000 lbs. |
The 36,000-lb. rating requires a Silverado 3500 HD Regular Cab Long Bed
WT 2WD DRW with the available Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8, Max
Trailering Package and gooseneck hitch.
Silverado EV
12,500 lbs.Maximum conventional rating
Electric torque and serious conventional-hitch capability, with a tow plan that must account for configuration, charging and route conditions.
- Extended Range LT and Extended Range Trail Boss list the 12,500-lb. maximum.
- Battery-range naming does not automatically mean a higher tow rating; Max Range LT is listed at 7,000 lbs.
- Towing can reduce driving range. Plan charging stops with the trailer attached whenever possible.
| Silverado EV configuration | Max conventional rating |
|---|---|
| Standard Range LT | 8,500 lbs. |
| Extended Range LT | 12,500 lbs. |
| Extended Range Trail Boss | 12,500 lbs. |
| Max Range LT | 7,000 lbs. |
| Max Range Trail Boss | 10,200 lbs. |
Chevrolet advises limiting initial battery charge to 80% or less before
descending long, steep grades so regenerative braking has room to operate.
Review the Owner's Manual before the trip.
Loaded trailer weight
Find the Chevy configurations that reach your weight band
Use the trailer's expected loaded weight - not an empty "dry" number - to identify which truck families have configurations rated for the range.
| Expected loaded trailer | Chevy configurations reaching this band | What to verify next |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 3,500 lbs. | Colorado, Silverado 1500, Silverado EV and Silverado HD configurations | Exact hitch rating, tongue weight, payload and any trailer-brake requirements. |
| 3,501-6,000 lbs. | Colorado ZR2 or Colorado with Trailering Package; appropriately configured Silverado models | Colorado configuration and door-label payload, especially with passengers and bed cargo. |
| 6,001-7,700 lbs. | Colorado with Trailering Package; appropriately configured Silverado models | Loaded tongue weight and payload. Do not assume every Colorado is rated to 7,700 lbs. |
| 7,701-12,500 lbs. | Select Silverado EV, Silverado 1500 and Silverado HD configurations | Engine or propulsion, cab, bed, drivetrain, trailering package, payload and route plan. |
| 12,501-13,300 lbs. | Highest-rated Silverado 1500 configurations or Silverado HD | Specific Max Trailering Package configuration and remaining payload for tongue weight. |
| 13,301-22,050 lbs. | Select Silverado 2500 HD and Silverado 3500 HD configurations | Conventional vs. gooseneck/5th-wheel rating, hitch installation, kingpin load and rear-axle capacity. |
| 22,051-36,000 lbs. | Select Silverado 3500 HD dual-rear-wheel gooseneck configurations | The exact 3500 HD build, Max Trailering Package, gooseneck hardware, GCWR and loaded kingpin weight. |
This is a screening tool, not a tow approval. Being inside a weight band does not establish that a specific truck is suitable. Verify the truck, trailer, hitch, tires, weight distribution and all applicable ratings before towing.
Interactive planning tool
Estimate the load before you choose the truck
This worksheet converts dry trailer weight into a more realistic planning estimate and shows how people, cargo and hitch hardware consume payload. It does not replace weighing the loaded combination or checking the labels.
From shopping to hitching
A four-step tow-confidence process
The right truck is not the one with the biggest brochure number. It is the one whose exact configuration clears your real load with every limit checked.
Define the loaded trailer
Add cargo, water, batteries, propane, tools and installed equipment to dry weight. A scale is stronger evidence than an estimate.
Build the real truck load
Count every occupant, cab item, bed item, accessory and the hitch itself before reserving payload for tongue or kingpin weight.
Match the exact configuration
Verify engine, cab, bed, drivetrain, axle, wheels, trailering package and hitch type against the official guide and truck labels.
Weigh and recheck
Confirm loaded truck, axle, trailer and combined weights. Recheck tire pressure, lights, brakes, chains, breakaway switch and load security.
Bring this when you shop
- Trailer year, make and model
- Expected loaded trailer weight
- Expected loaded tongue or kingpin weight
- Conventional, weight-distributing, 5th-wheel or gooseneck hitch
- People, cargo and accessories normally carried in the truck
- Typical terrain, distance and charging needs for an EV
Check before every tow
- Hitch, ball, coupler and hardware are correctly rated and secured
- Safety chains, electrical connector and breakaway switch are connected
- Truck and trailer tires are inspected and set to specified pressures
- Trailer lights and brakes are tested
- Mirrors and available camera views are set before moving
- Cargo is secured and distributed for the trailer manufacturer's target tongue weight
Oklahoma City truck support
Bring us the trailer. We'll help narrow the truck.
Tell the Bob Howard Chevrolet team what you tow, how it is loaded and who rides with you. We can help compare available Colorado, Silverado 1500, Silverado HD and Silverado EV inventory by the equipment that matters - before you fall in love with the wrong configuration.
2026 Chevy towing FAQs
Straight answers before you hitch up
How much can a 2026 Chevy Colorado tow?
A properly equipped 2026 Chevrolet Colorado with the available Trailering
Package has a maximum trailer weight rating of 7,700 lbs. A Colorado
without that package is listed at 3,500 lbs., while Colorado ZR2 is listed
at 6,000 lbs. Verify the exact truck's equipment and labels.
What is the 2026 Chevy Silverado 1500 maximum towing capacity?
The highest conventional trailer weight rating in the 2026 guide is 13,300
lbs. That rating requires a specific Double Cab, Standard Bed, 2WD
configuration with the Duramax 3.0L I-6, Max Trailering Package and
20-inch wheels. Other Silverado 1500 configurations are rated lower.
How much can a 2026 Silverado 2500 HD or 3500 HD tow?
The 2026 Chevrolet Trailering Guide lists maximum trailer weight ratings of
22,050 lbs. for Silverado 2500 HD and 36,000 lbs. for Silverado 3500 HD.
The 36,000-lb. figure is a gooseneck rating that requires a Silverado 3500
HD Regular Cab Long Bed WT 2WD dual-rear-wheel truck with the available
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8 and Max Trailering Package.
How much can the 2026 Silverado EV tow?
The maximum conventional trailer weight rating is 12,500 lbs. for Extended
Range LT and Extended Range Trail Boss configurations. Silverado EV ratings
vary by battery-range configuration and equipment, ranging from 7,000 lbs.
to 12,500 lbs. in the official guide.
Does payload reduce how much I can tow?
Payload does not simply subtract pound-for-pound from the published trailer
rating, but it can become the limiting factor. Occupants, truck cargo,
accessories, hitch hardware and trailer tongue or kingpin weight all use
payload. The loaded truck must remain within GVWR and rear-axle limits, and
the loaded combination must remain within GCWR.
What is the difference between tow rating and GCWR?
Tow rating is the maximum loaded trailer weight permitted for a specific
vehicle configuration. Gross Combined Weight Rating, or GCWR, is the
maximum permitted total of the loaded tow vehicle and loaded trailer.
Both limits apply at the same time.
How much tongue weight should a trailer have?
Chevrolet's 2026 guide says conventional trailer tongue weight should
generally be 10%-15% of loaded trailer weight, while gooseneck or
fifth-wheel kingpin weight should generally be 15%-25%. Some trailer types
fall outside those ranges, so follow the trailer Owner's Manual and never
exceed the truck's payload, axle, GVWR or tongue-load limits.
Where do I find the exact towing capacity for a truck on the lot?
Start with the trailering information and certification labels on the
driver-side door or door jamb, then review the Trailering section of the
Owner's Manual and the truck's installed equipment. Bob Howard Chevrolet
can help you compare that information with your trailer and planned load.
