The Best Chevy Trucks for Towing

Let’s face it: Chevrolet offers some of the industry’s best trucks and performance. With that in mind, you might wonder what the best Chevy for towing is, plus which trucks can tow 20, 30, or even 35,000+ pounds without you needing to worry. Our team in Derry, NH, here at Betley Chevrolet, wants to get you going with a pickup truck that matches your lifestyle, needs, and budget. We’re always here to help with a test drive, trim walkthrough, or assistance with financing your new truck. Whether it’s the Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, or a Colorado, let us guide you to the best Chevy for towing.

• The Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD is the best truck for towing.
• Chevy trucks offer towing capacities from as little as 6,700–7,000 pounds to 36,000 pounds.
• Even Chevy SUVs like the Suburban and Tahoe have a max towing capacity of 8,000+ pounds.

Which Chevy Is Best for Towing?

The best Chevy for towing depends on vehicle class, size, and design. Chevrolet has been making America’s favorite pickups for decades, with vehicles towing anywhere from <10,000 pounds to nearly 40,000. The Chevy truck and SUV lineup is large, with everything from the Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 to the Colorado. You have lower towing with lighter-duty vehicles and higher towing capacity with heavier, more capable models. There’s plenty to learn here at Betley Chevrolet when truck shopping. Diesel engine trucks also tend to have superior towing capacities, which is yet another thing our friendly local sales team in Derry, NH, can help you with while you browse, test drive, and buy.

Chevy Silverado 1500

If you’re wondering about the best Chevy for towing, the Silverado 1500 is a great place to start. With this particular truck, you have upwards of 13,300 pounds of max towing when properly equipped. At a base level and without the 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel, you can expect standard towing to be 9,500 pounds to 11,300 pounds.

• 2.7L TurboMax (Base): Up to 9,500 pounds
• 5.3L EcoTec3 V8: Up to 11,300 pounds
• 6.2L EcoTec3 V8: Up to 13,200 pounds
• 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel: Up to 13,300 pounds

Chevy Silverado 2500 HD

If you want to go a step beyond the Chevy Silverado 1500 and prefer better towing, the Chevy Silverado 2500 HD is a great option. With an impressive base 6.6L V8 gas engine and 16,000 to 18,700 pounds of towing capacity, you already outperform the 1500 pickup. Additionally, you can opt for the 6.6L Duramax V8 Turbo-Diesel that gives you up to 22,420 pounds of towing capacity.

• 6.6L Gas V8: Up to 16,000 pounds (Standard conventional setup)
• 6.6L Duramax Turbo-Diesel V8: Up to 22,070 pounds (2WD configurations)

Note: Maximum limits increase to 22,420 pounds for the Diesel and 18,700 pounds for the Gas V8 when using a fifth-wheel/gooseneck hitch configuration.

Chevy Silverado 3500 HD

Another step toward maximum towing is the Chevy Silverado 3500 HD. What makes this model shine is that it’s the best Chevy for towing overall, and it achieves up to 19,080/19,090 pounds with its standard 6.6L V8 gas engine. At its maximum towing capacity, the Silverado 3500 HD can handle upwards of 36,000 pounds with a fifth-wheel/gooseneck configuration.

• 6.6L Gas V8: Up to 16,000 pounds (Standard conventional bumper-pull)
• 6.6L Duramax Turbo-Diesel V8: Up to 20,000 pounds (Standard conventional bumper-pull)

Note: Maximum limits increase to 36,000 pounds for the Diesel and 19,090 pounds for the Gas V8 when using a fifth-wheel/gooseneck hitch configuration on a Dual Rear Wheel model.

Chevy Suburban

The Chevy Suburban is another Chevrolet model with great towing capacity. Of course, this isn’t a pickup truck, but with the Suburban, you get base towing of 7,300 pounds to a maximum towing capacity of 8,200 pounds when properly equipped.

• 5.3L EcoTec3 V8: Up to 8,200 pounds (2WD) / 8,000 pounds (4WD)
• 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel I6: Up to 8,100 pounds (2WD) / 7,900 pounds (4WD)
• 6.2L EcoTec3 V8: Up to 8,000 pounds (2WD) / 7,800 pounds (4WD)

Chevy Tahoe

Next, the Chevy Tahoe earns another honorary mention as the best Chevy for towing. This SUV is high-performance in many ways, including its standard and maximum towing capacity. For example, at a standard level, this SUV tows up to 8,400 pounds, slightly outperforming the Chevy Suburban. If you’re looking for something that doesn’t disappoint but also has plenty of space for riders, the Tahoe is a perfect compromise.

• 5.3L V8: Up to 8,400 pounds (2WD) / 8,200 pounds (4WD)
• 6.2L V8: Up to 8,300 pounds (2WD) / 8,100 pounds (4WD)
• 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel: Up to 8,200 pounds (2WD) / 8,000 pounds (4WD)

Chevy Colorado

Last but not least, we have the Chevy Colorado pickup truck. This is a fan favorite for endless reasons, and it also has impressive standard and maximum towing capacity. Thanks to its 2.7L TurboMax I4 engine and trailering package, the maximum towing sits at 7,700 pounds when properly equipped. Without the towing package, you see closer to 3,500 pounds of towing.

• 2.7L TurboMax™ 4-Cylinder: Up to 7,700 pounds (WT, LT, Trail Boss, Z71) / 6,000 pounds (ZR2) / 5,500 pounds (ZR2 Bison)

Is the 5.3 or 6.2 Better for Towing?

Between the 5.3L V8 and the 6.2L V8, you can generally expect better towing performance from the 6.2L V8 (around 13,300 pounds of towing). With the 5.3L V8 engine, you can bet on 9,300 pounds in standard setups, with up to 11,300–11,600 pounds at its peak. For the 6.2L V8 engine, towing starts closer to 9,100–9,300 pounds in standard configurations, scaling up to 13,100–13,300 pounds at peak towing capacity.

Which Is Better for Towing, Chevy or GMC?

One popular question our local sales team gets at Betley Chevrolet in Derry, NH, is whether Chevy is better than GMC for towing. Both brands offer high-towing trucks, but overall, you’ll get better results across the Chevrolet lineup. Our experts are here to walk you through truck towing and SUV towing on-site in Derry, and we’re ready to get you a set of keys for a test drive.

Note: The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra share almost identical frames and engines, so you can expect nearly the same towing capacities and performance (13,300 pounds).

Key Trailering Technology Features

Trailering packages can make or break your Chevy truck’s towing capacity. You will see this phrase a lot during your truck hunting process, and it’s good to know all the key trailering technology features that make a vehicle tow thousands, if not tens of thousands, of pounds without fail. Highlights of Chevrolet’s trailering tech include up to 14 specialized camera views (such as Transparent Trailer), the In-Vehicle Trailering App with custom profiles, and hands-free towing capability via Super Cruise.

Trailer Tow Camera System

One of the many cool Chevrolet trailering features you get to enjoy in select trims of trucks from the brand is the Trailer Tow Camera System. With this, you can enjoy 14 distinct camera views, including Hitch View, Inside Trailer View, and Transparent Trailer View. It essentially eliminates the blind spot fear most truck drivers have when towing trailers and equipment on the road and highway.

Integrated Trailer Brake Controller

Another nice feature of modern Chevrolet trucks is the Integrated Trailer Brake Controller. With this, you can safely manage electric trailer brakes using a dash-mounted panel with gain adjustment buttons (plus/minus) and a manual override squeeze/slide lever.

Advanced Trailering System

The Advanced Trailering System is another way Chevrolet helps keep drivers safe when towing. This all-encompassing suite of trailering technology includes up to 14 camera views (such as Transparent Trailer and Hitch View), an in-vehicle smartphone-linked app, pre-departure checklists, trailer tire pressure/temperature monitoring, and customizable trailer profiles.

How to Choose the Right Chevy for Your Towing Needs

Here at Betley Chevy in Derry, NH, finding the right Chevrolet model for your towing needs always starts with research.

Matching Truck to Trailer Weight

When you’re finding a truck to buy, you always want to make sure its towing capacity exceeds that of the trailer or equipment you want to tow using it. We recommend keeping about 1,000 pounds of leeway for the weight of trailers towed.

Other areas to match and check:

• Payload Capacity
• Tongue Weight
• GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating)

Considering Cab and Bed Configurations

Always make sure your truck of choice can hold everything it needs to. Beyond towing, your Chevrolet bed and cab need to fit your workload, lifestyle, and long-term needs.

Gas vs. Diesel Decision Factors

Diesel vs. gas engines have different towing capacities and benchmarks. As we covered before, diesel engines often give you superior towing with a Chevrolet model, which is something to keep in mind when shopping for a new pickup truck.

Why Get Your Towing Chevrolet at Betley Chevrolet

You want to get the best Chevy for towing at Betley Chevrolet in Derry, NH, because we’re the A-team. From pages of 5-star client reviews to state-of-the-art facilities and Chevrolet manufacturing training, our team is a trusted source for all things Chevy buying, selling, and maintenance here in New Hampshire. Come see us soon, and we promise to get you into the truck of your dreams!

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