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2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 towing capacity

The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 tows 7,200 lbs to 13,300 lbs depending on how it's built. The top number needs the 6.2L V8 (L87) or 6.2L V8 (L87/NSS), Double Cab Standard Bed, RST, 4x4.

✓ From 2021 Chevrolet Trailering Guide, p. 28 ↗Checked 2026-09-272026202520242023202220212020

Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Photo: TaurusEmerald, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
13,300
Max towing, lbs
7,200
Lowest rating, lbs
99
Configurations
13,300
5th-wheel max, lbs

Try it

Will it pull your trailer?

Use the trailer's GVWR (on its VIN sticker) if you don't know what it weighs loaded — the dry weight leaves out water, propane and gear.

Only 98 of 99 configurations

It takes the 2.7L Turbo or 4.3L V6 or 5.3L V8 (L82) or 5.3L V8 (L82/YK9) or 5.3L V8 (L84) or 5.3L V8 (L84/YK9) or Duramax 3.0L I-6 or 6.2L V8 (L87) or 6.2L V8 (L87/NSS) or 5.3L V8 (L84/NSS) — pick your configuration below to be sure.

▲ top rating 13,300 lbs

  • Tongue weight ≈ 730 lbs — 10% of the loaded trailer, the figure Ford's towing guide uses (no more than 200 lbs up to 2,000 lbs). It counts against your payload, together with passengers and cargo.
  • ✓ up to 90% of the rating · ! 90–100% (little room for cargo, hills, wind — common advice, not a Chevrolet rule) · ✕ over the rating.

Read this before you buy

Why the numbers differ

  • Engine choice moves the top rating from 7,900 lbs (4.3L V6) to 13,300 lbs (6.2L V8 (L87)).

  • With the tow package the 6.2L V8 (L87) goes from 9,300 lbs to 13,300 lbs — with Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels. p. 28 ↗

  • The body style counts too: Regular Cab Long Bed is rated 400 lbs higher than Crew Cab Standard Bed with everything else the same (2.7L Turbo · Regular Cab Long Bed · 2WD). p. 28 ↗

  • The drivetrain counts too: 2WD is rated 500 lbs higher than 4x4 with everything else the same (Duramax 3.0L I-6 · Crew Cab Short Bed · 2WD). p. 29 ↗

  • Down 100 lbs from the 2020 model's top rating of 13,400 lbs.

In real life

What 13,300 lbs means in trailers

Ford's towing guide sorts trailers into four weight classes; the classes describe the trailer, so they apply to any tow vehicle. With the right configuration the Silverado 1500 reaches:

  1. Class I✓ Yes

    up to 2,000 lbs

    Small folding camping trailers and trailers for small boats, motorcycles and snowmobiles.

    2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 4 ↗

  2. Class II✓ Yes

    2,001–3,500 lbs

    Large folding camping trailers, single-axle, small- to medium-length (up to 18-ft.) trailers.

    2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 4 ↗

  3. Class III✓ Yes

    3,501–5,000 lbs

    Dual-axle or large single-axle travel trailers.

    2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 4 ↗

  4. Class IVUp to 13,300

    over 5,000 lbs

    Largest travel and 5th-wheel trailers made for recreation.

    2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 4 ↗

Real trailers

Can the Silverado 1500 pull these?

Weights are what each trailer maker publishes (retrieved 2026-09-27). We compare the trailer's GVWR — the most it may weigh loaded — with each Silverado 1500 configuration's rating, and never a dry weight when a GVWR exists.

Compare

Towing capacity by engine

6.2L V8 (L87)9,100 – 13,300 lbs

10 configurations

6.2L V8 (L87/NSS)9,100 – 13,300 lbs

9 configurations

5.3L V8 (L84)9,100 – 11,500 lbs

16 configurations

5.3L V8 (L84/YK9)9,300 – 11,500 lbs

12 configurations

5.3L V8 (L82)9,300 – 10,900 lbs

12 configurations

5.3L V8 (L82/YK9)9,300 – 10,900 lbs

12 configurations

2.7L Turbo9,000 – 9,600 lbs

8 configurations

Duramax 3.0L I-69,000 – 9,500 lbs

5 configurations

5.3L V8 (L84/NSS)9,100 – 9,300 lbs

4 configurations

4.3L V67,200 – 7,900 lbs

11 configurations

Orange = the range across that engine's configurations. Bars start at zero.

Fine print, made plain

What the rating assumes

Every rating assumes a 150-lb driver and passenger and no other cargo. Add people, gear or accessories and the trailer you can tow goes down by the same amount.

New to towing?

The five weights, in one picture

Tongue weightLoaded trailer weightPayloadGVWR: the loaded truckGCWR: truck + trailer together
Loaded trailer weight — must stay under the towing rating
The rating “It assumes a towing vehicle with any mandatory options, no cargo, tongue load of 10% (conventional trailer) or king pin weight of 15% (5th-wheel trailer), and driver and passenger (150 lbs. each).” Weight of additional options, passengers, cargo and hitch must be deducted from this weight. p. 7 ↗
Tongue weight — the part of the trailer pressing on the hitch
“For trailers up to 2,000 lbs., tongue load not to exceed 200 lbs. For conventional trailers over 2,000 lbs., tongue load is 10% of loaded trailer weight. For 5th-wheel trailers, king pin weight is 15% of loaded trailer weight.” p. 7 ↗
Payload — people and cargo the truck can carry
“Payload is the combined maximum allowable weight of cargo and passengers that the vehicle is designed to carry. It is the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating minus the Base Curb Weight.” And: “When towing, trailer tongue load or king pin weight is also part of the Cargo Weight.” p. 6 ↗
GVWR and GCWR — the two ceilings
“Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the maximum allowable weight of the fully-loaded vehicle (including passengers and cargo).” “Gross Vehicle Weight PLUS Loaded Trailer Weight EQUALS Gross Combination Weight (GCW) GCW must not exceed GCWR.” Your GVWR is on the label on the driver's door jamb. p. 6 ↗

Towing it behind a motorhome?

Can you flat tow a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500? Some versions

Chevrolet allows it for: 4x4/4WD.

Steps and conditions →

From the maker's table

All 199 configurations

Conventional towing:
EngineBodyTrimDriveTrans.Max trailerGCWRSource
6.2L V8 (L87)Double Cab Standard BedRST4x4—13,300519,100p. 28 ↗
6.2L V8 (L87/NSS)Double Cab Standard BedRST4x4—13,3004519,100p. 28 ↗
6.2L V8 (L87)Double Cab Standard Bed—4x4—12,100317,800p. 28 ↗
6.2L V8 (L87/NSS)Double Cab Standard Bed—4x4—12,1004317,800p. 28 ↗
6.2L V8 (L87)Crew Cab Short Bed—4x4—11,900317,800p. 30 ↗
6.2L V8 (L87)Crew Cab Standard Bed—4x4—11,900317,800p. 30 ↗
6.2L V8 (L87/NSS)Crew Cab Standard Bed—4x4—11,9004317,800p. 30 ↗
5.3L V8 (L84)Double Cab Standard Bed—2WD8-speed11,500316,800p. 28 ↗
5.3L V8 (L84/YK9)Double Cab Standard Bed—2WD8-speed11,5002316,800p. 28 ↗
5.3L V8 (L84)Crew Cab Short Bed—2WD8-speed11,500316,800p. 29 ↗
5.3L V8 (L84/YK9)Crew Cab Short Bed—2WD8-speed11,5002316,800p. 29 ↗
5.3L V8 (L84)Crew Cab Standard Bed—2WD8-speed11,400316,800p. 29 ↗
  1. Effective March 2021, the 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 (L82) engine with YK9 is not equipped with Active Fuel Management.
  2. On certain 2021 model year vehicles, the 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 (L84) engine with YK9 is not equipped with Dynamic Fuel Management.
  3. With Max Trailering Package.
  4. Most vehicles built on or after 6/7/21 equipped with a V8 engine and 10-speed automatic transmission are not equipped with Automatic Stop/Start and its content. Contact a dealer for details on a specific vehicle.
  5. With Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels.
  6. With Custom Max Trailering Package.

Weights in lbs. “Not listed” means the maker printed no GCWR for that configuration — we don't estimate one.

5th-wheel / gooseneck:
EngineBodyTrimDriveTrans.Max trailerGCWRSource
6.2L V8 (L87)Double Cab Standard BedRST4x4—13,300519,100p. 31 ↗
6.2L V8 (L87/NSS)Double Cab Standard BedRST4x4—13,3004519,100p. 31 ↗
6.2L V8 (L87)Double Cab Standard Bed—4x4—12,100317,800p. 31 ↗
6.2L V8 (L87/NSS)Double Cab Standard Bed—4x4—12,1004317,800p. 31 ↗
5.3L V8 (L84)Double Cab Standard Bed—2WD8-speed11,500316,800p. 31 ↗
5.3L V8 (L84/YK9)Double Cab Standard Bed—2WD8-speed11,5002316,800p. 31 ↗
5.3L V8 (L84)Crew Cab Short Bed—2WD8-speed11,500316,800p. 32 ↗
5.3L V8 (L84/YK9)Crew Cab Short Bed—2WD8-speed11,5002316,800p. 32 ↗
5.3L V8 (L84)Crew Cab Standard Bed—2WD8-speed11,400316,800p. 32 ↗
5.3L V8 (L84/YK9)Crew Cab Standard Bed—2WD8-speed11,4002316,800p. 32 ↗
5.3L V8 (L84)Double Cab Standard Bed—4x48-speed11,100316,800p. 31 ↗
5.3L V8 (L84/YK9)Double Cab Standard Bed—4x48-speed11,1002316,800p. 31 ↗
  1. Effective March 2021, the 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 (L82) engine with YK9 is not equipped with Active Fuel Management.
  2. On certain 2021 model year vehicles, the 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 (L84) engine with YK9 is not equipped with Dynamic Fuel Management.
  3. With Max Trailering Package.
  4. Most vehicles built on or after 6/7/21 equipped with a V8 engine and 10-speed automatic transmission are not equipped with Automatic Stop/Start and its content. Contact a dealer for details on a specific vehicle.
  5. With Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels.
  6. With Custom Max Trailering Package.

Weights in lbs. “Not listed” means the maker printed no GCWR for that configuration — we don't estimate one.

More Chevrolet towing capacities

Questions people ask

What is the towing capacity of the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

From 7,200 lbs to 13,300 lbs, depending on engine, axle ratio, body and drive. The 13,300 lbs top rating is for the 6.2L V8 (L87) · Double Cab Standard Bed · RST · 4x4 (With Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels).

Does the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 need a tow package?

Chevrolet's guide lists no separate package requirement for this model.

How much tongue weight can the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 handle?

Not listed in the maker's guide.

Can you flat tow a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

Only some versions: 4x4/4WD.

Citing these numbers?

Can Tow That. "2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Towing Capacity." From 2021 Chevrolet Trailering Guide, PDF modified 2021-06-21. https://cantowthat.com/chevrolet/silverado-1500/2021

Source: 2021 Chevrolet Trailering Guide (General Motors (Chevrolet), PDF modified 2021-06-21; retrieved 2026-09-27). Page links open the PDF at the page each number is printed on.

199 ratings checked against the PDFHow we verify