The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is a well known and popular truck that has always been capable of towing some pretty significant loads but looking through all of the data, I was intrigued to see how much capacity the 1500 has gained over the years.
This was an interesting and informative article that I think you will find useful. Hope it helps!
Overview of the Data For the Chevrolet Silverado 1500:
Engine Choices: There were a number of different engine options over the years from 2011-2020 for these trucks and the engine that was equipped did have a significant impact on the overall capacity numbers.
Configurations/Variations: There were many different configurations for the 1500's made between 2011-2020 which affected the numbers like cab style, manual or automatic transmission, axle ratio, engine equipped and whether or not you had additional/upgraded options installed on the truck from the factory.
Towing Capacity: From 2011-2020, the Silverado had quite the range when it came to the numbers and looking at those 10 model years, the range was as low as 4,100 lbs. and went up to a staggering 13,500 lbs.!
I could not pull all of the data for the 1500's from Chevy's Trailering Guides because I could not find all of them online. I did use a combination of the trailering guides, owner's manuals and guide sheets and is the reason why some of the data presentation looks different, but is still accurate.
I would recommend reading the owner's manual for all of the tow related info, so you are more informed of what Chevy recommends and what your limits are.
2020 Models:
The towing capacity for the 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500's had quite the range, just like other model years but for 2020 models that range was between 6,600 pounds and 13,400 pounds.
The 2020 models had five different engine options and four of those were gas powered and one diesel option.
I did notice a couple of different anomalies like the fact that 2WD models had roughly 200 pounds more capacity than 4WD models and regular cab models had 200-300 pounds more capacity over double and crew cab models.
Capacity ranges for 2020 models based on the engine equipped was another thing I think people should look at too. The capacity ranges based on engine configurations were as follows for these model year trucks:
- 2.7L: 6,600-7,100 lbs.
- 3.0L: 7,100-9,300 lbs.
- 4.3L: 7,200-7,900 lbs.
- 5.3L: 8,000-11,600 lbs.
- 6.2L: 7,700-13,400 lbs.
2020 Chart
2019 Models:
The 2019 Silverado 1500's had an overall towing capacity range of 6,700 pounds, minimum and went up to 12,200 pounds, according to the chart in the 2019 Trailering Guide.
There was only a conventional chart for the 2019 models and no specs for 5th wheel/gooseneck hitches, like there were for the 2020 models.
If we look at the engines used in the 2019 Silverado's, we can see that models that used the 2.7L engine ranged in capacity from 6,700-7,000 lbs., the 4.3L engine ranged from 7,300-7,900 lbs., the 5.3L models differences were between 9,400-11,600 lbs. and the 6.2L engines had a fluctuation of 9,200-12,200 lbs.
2019 Chart
2018 Models:
The 2018 Silverado 1500's had different engine choices (same options) than later model years which included the 4.3L, 5.3L and 6.2L engines that came with an overall towing capacity range of 5,200-12,500 pounds.
The average capacity stated above was for conventional and 5th wheel/gooseneck setups combined.
The range for the 2018 models by engine displacement were as follows: models equipped with the 4.3L engines had a range of 5,200-7,600 pounds, the 5.3L models saw a fluctuation of 6,000-11,100 pounds and the 6.2L engines had the best capacities overall, ranging from 8,000 lbs., going all the way up to 12,500 lbs.
2018 Chart
2017 Models:
The 2017 Chevy Silverado 1500's had slightly different specs than later model years, yet again and ranged in towing capacity for 5,500 pounds on the lower end and went up to 12,500 pounds.
There were only the three engines to choose from for the 2017 models: the 4.3L engine, the 5.3L engine and the 6.2L engine.
The specs range for the three different engine options are as follows: the 4.3L engine had a range of 5,500-7,600 pounds, the 5.3L models had a range of 6,100-11,000 lbs. and last on the list, the 6.2L engine which varied from 8,200-12,500 lbs.
2017 Chart
2016 Models:
Like the 2019 models, the 2016 models didn't have a chart for 5th wheel/gooseneck specs and only had the conventional chart.
For conventional towing, the 2016 Silverado 1500's ranged from 5,500 pounds and went up to 12,000 pounds.
The same 4.3L, 5.3L and 6.2L engines were also used for the 2016 model year and the specs for each engine were: 5,500-7,600 lbs. for the 4.3L engines, 6,100-11,100 lbs. for the 5.3L and 9,100-12,000 lbs. for the 6.2L engines.
2016 Chart
2015 Models:
The 2015 trucks had a little bit different layout than other model years because of the source I pulled the information from, but the data is still accurate.
The 2015 1500's had a towing capacity range of 5,500-12,000 pounds, according to the three charts below.
The three charts for these model year trucks were divided up into 2WD and 4WD models with cab configurations and bed length on the left-hand side of the charts and capacities, engine options and axle ratios on the right-hand side.
2015 Chart
2014 Models:
The 2014 Silverado 1500's were again slightly different from any later model years I looked at, ranging in maximum towing capacity of 5,800 to 12,000 lbs., one of the largest gaps we have seen so far.
The same three engines are still used for 2014 models, the 4.3L, 5.3L and 6.2L engines.
If we break down the numbers by engine then we can see that the 4.3L engine ranges from 5,800-10,200 pounds, the 5.3L varying from 6,500-11,500 lbs. and the 6.2L engines having a range of between 9,400-12,000 lbs. It is also worth noting that the 4.3L engine did not have stats for gooseneck/5th wheel hitch specs.
2014 Chart
2013 Models:
For the 2013 Silverado models, I gathered the data from the owner's manual and is why it looks different than the stats from the trailering guides but I think they are more thorough, just harder to read.
The 2013 Silverado 1500's had a towing capacity range (overall) of 4,100 to 10,700 lbs.
The charts from the 2013 owner's manuals were laid out by cab configuration and bed length and then divided by many different elements like: engine equipped, transmission type, etc.
2013 Chart
2012 Models:
For 2012 models there were four different engine options and these were the 4.3L, 4.8L, 5.3L and the 6.2L engines.
The overall towing capacity range among all 2012 Silverado 1500s was between 4,100 pounds on the low end and 10,600 pounds on the higher end, according to the charts.
Again, the way that the charts were setup in the owner's manuals, it was hard to make a comparison of the different weights for each individual engine that was an option, but it is easy to figure out your capacity limits using the cab configuration, transmission type, axle ratio, etc. to pinpoint exactly what your limits are.
2012 Chart
2011 Models:
For 2011, the same chart layout was used because of where I pulled the information from... the owner's manual.
The towing capacity for the 2011 Silverado 1500's fluctuated from 4,100 pounds and going all the way up to 10,700 pounds.
On a side note, the lowest rating in the chart came from a 1500 that had a 4.3L engine equipped and it was paired with a manual transmission, while the highest rating came from a model equipped with a 6.2L engine that had the Max Trailer Tow package equipped.
2011 Chart
Do I Have Any Optional Equipment Installed?
Some model years stated (in the charts) that the specified weight limit is XXXX pounds if you have a tow package installed or something else that allows the truck to get that capacity specification.
You will need to get the information from your 1500 in order to determine if you have these optional accessories equipped. Chevy uses "RPO codes" that are used in order to tell you what your vehicle had installed at the factory and more specifically, if you had the required options equipped.
Where Can I Find The Codes?
The RPO codes can be found in the glove box, and it will have many different number/letter combinations listed. These codes are three digits long and each three-letter code has a specific meaning. These will have to be deciphered in order to know what the codes mean and something to keep in mind is that these codes can apply to many aspects of the vehicle, not just tow information.
The image you see is an example of what you will see when looking for your codes. Notice how all of the codes are three digits in length and use letters and numbers that specify what they are and what is equipped.
For instance, the RPO code in the image of "AG1" indicates: (AG1 : ADJUSTER, FRT ST, POWER, 6 WAY DRIVER, SPLIT BENCH).
Silverado 1500 RPO Codes Example (newgmparts.com)
Decipher The Codes: In order to find out what the codes mean, you will need to decipher them using a legend. There is a really great website that has all of the codes listed and what they mean, so I suggest you check that out.
Where I Found Info On The Chevy Silverado 1500s:
I used a number of different sources to get the required information on the 2011-2020 Chevy 1500's. I really would have liked to use just one source like the owner's manuals or the Trailering Guides but I could not find consistent sources for either so I had to use both sources to gather the information.
Last updated on August 3rd, 2022 at 09:59 pm
