2012 Chevrolet Colorado
The highest conventional-hitch rating for the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado is 6,000 lb, the top of 19 rows transcribed from Chevrolet’s 2012 Chevrolet Trailering Guide. That row is printed for the 5.3L V8, Extended Cab, 2WD, 3.42 axle, Automatic transmission. Most configurations are rated lower: 11 of the 19 transcribed conventional-hitch chart rows for 2012 are below 6,000 lb. Across 19 manufacturer chart rows for 2012, ratings run conventional 2,900 lb to 6,000 lb; the engine, cab, axle ratio and package on your truck decide its number.
The build table for 2012 is not transcribed. This page will not multiply trims, cabs, and engines into trucks the order guide did not list.
| Hitch | Cited maximum | Configuration | Source grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional | 6,000 lb | 5.3L V8, Extended Cab, 2WD, 3.42 axle, Automatic transmission. | OEM chart |
Highest rows among 19 transcribed chart configurations. Most trucks of this model year are rated lower; find your exact configuration in the table below.
Source: Chevrolet, 2012 Chevrolet Trailering Guide, Trailer weight ratings pages 08-12 (Silverado, Silverado HD, Avalanche, Colorado).
Spec sheet
4 of 25 fields cited; 1 estimate. Field index
Cited fields may cover selected trims or only part of a measurement. Read the configuration and source beside each value; a cited field does not mean every version is researched.
Towing
- Conventional maximum
- 6,000 lb. 5.3L V8, Extended Cab, 2WD, 3.42 axle, Automatic transmission.Chevrolet source
- Gooseneck maximum
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Fifth-wheel maximum
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Tongue or pin load
- 600 lb tongue at the 6,000 lb conventional maximum. Illustration at 10 percent conventional and 15 percent in-bed, not a measured load or recommendation. Follow the trailer and vehicle instructions; actual load may be higher.Estimate
- Weight distribution
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Trailer frontal area
- Not transcribed for this model year.
Weights
- Payload
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- GCWR
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- GVWR
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Front GAWR
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Rear GAWR
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Curb weight
- Not transcribed for this model year.
Body
- Wheelbase
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Bed length
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Bed width and depth
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Cab-to-axle
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Overall length, width, height
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Ground clearance and angles
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Fifth-wheel clearance
- Not transcribed for this model year.
Power
- Engine, horsepower, torque
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Transmission
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Fuel type and tank
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Drivetrain
- 2WD, 4WDChevrolet source
- Axle ratio
- 3.42, 3.73, 4.10Chevrolet source
- Tow package
- Automatic transmissionChevrolet source
Bed, tongue weight, and wheelbase
The trailer rating is one limit. The bed has to fit the load, the tongue or pin has to fit in payload, and the wheelbase is the column the chart uses.
- An illustrative 10 percent of the 6,000 lb conventional maximum is 600 lb of tongue weight. This is not a measured load or recommended percentage; actual load may be higher.
Bed capacity · Tongue and pin weight · Wheelbase · GCWR, GVWR, and GAWR. Wheelbase is not transcribed for this year. GCWR is not transcribed for this year.
Estimate payload margin and bed volume · How these limits work together
Change from 2011
- Conventional: 6,000 lb in 2011, 6,000 lb in 2012 (unchanged maximum, different source or equipment list).
What was different in 2012
- Last year before the Colorado left the U.S. market for 2013 and 2014.
Generation
First generation
2012 is year 9 of this generation (2004–2012). First Colorado, sold in the U.S. through 2012.
2012 towing by engine
Lowest to highest printed rating for each engine across 19 transcribed chart rows. A missing hitch means the chart did not print one for that engine, not that it is zero.
Highest-rated configurations
| Trailer | Engine | Cab / bed | Drive | Axle / package | GCWR | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,000 lb Conventional | 5.3L V8 | Extended Cab | 2WD | 3.42 · Automatic transmissionnote 1 | — | Page 12, Colorado trailer weight ratings, row 'Extended Cab 2WD', column 5.3l V8, axle 3.42 |
| 6,000 lb Conventional | 5.3L V8 | Extended Cab | 2WD | 3.73 · Automatic transmissionnote 1 | — | Page 12, Colorado trailer weight ratings, row 'Extended Cab 2WD', column 5.3l V8, axle 3.73 |
| 6,000 lb Conventional | 5.3L V8 | Extended Cab | 4WD | 3.42 · Automatic transmissionnote 2 | — | Page 12, Colorado trailer weight ratings, row 'Extended Cab 4WD', column 5.3l V8, axle 3.42 |
| 6,000 lb Conventional | 5.3L V8 | Extended Cab | 4WD | 4.10 · Automatic transmissionnote 2 | — | Page 12, Colorado trailer weight ratings, row 'Extended Cab 4WD', column 5.3l V8, axle 4.10 |
| 6,000 lb Conventional | 5.3L V8 | Crew Cab | 2WD | 3.42 · Automatic transmissionnote 3 | — | Page 12, Colorado trailer weight ratings, row 'Crew Cab 2WD', column 5.3l V8, axle 3.42 |
| 6,000 lb Conventional | 5.3L V8 | Crew Cab | 2WD | 3.73 · Automatic transmissionnote 3 | — | Page 12, Colorado trailer weight ratings, row 'Crew Cab 2WD', column 5.3l V8, axle 3.73 |
| 6,000 lb Conventional | 5.3L V8 | Crew Cab | 4WD | 3.42 · Automatic transmissionnote 4 | — | Page 12, Colorado trailer weight ratings, row 'Crew Cab 4WD When using a distributing hitch and sway noTes on coloraDo: Trailer to achieve the rating, plus weight your vehicle can tow. 15% of total loaded trailer Rear Gross Axle Weight', column 5.3l V8, axle 3.42 |
| 6,000 lb Conventional | 5.3L V8 | Crew Cab | 4WD | 4.10 · Automatic transmissionnote 4 | — | Page 12, Colorado trailer weight ratings, row 'Crew Cab 4WD When using a distributing hitch and sway noTes on coloraDo: Trailer to achieve the rating, plus weight your vehicle can tow. 15% of total loaded trailer Rear Gross Axle Weight', column 5.3l V8, axle 4.10 |
| 5,500 lb Conventional | 3.7L I5 | Extended Cab | 2WD | 3.73 · Automatic transmissionnote 5 | — | Page 12, Colorado trailer weight ratings, row 'Extended Cab 2WD', column 3.7l I-5 VVT, axle 3.73 |
| 5,500 lb Conventional | 3.7L I5 | Extended Cab | 4WD | 3.73 · Automatic transmissionnote 6 | — | Page 12, Colorado trailer weight ratings, row 'Extended Cab 4WD', column 3.7l I-5 VVT, axle 3.73 |
| 5,500 lb Conventional | 3.7L I5 | Crew Cab | 2WD | 3.73 · Automatic transmissionnote 7 | — | Page 12, Colorado trailer weight ratings, row 'Crew Cab 2WD', column 3.7l I-5 VVT, axle 3.73 |
| 5,500 lb Conventional | 3.7L I5 | Crew Cab | 4WD | 3.73 · Automatic transmissionnote 8 | — | Page 12, Colorado trailer weight ratings, row 'Crew Cab 4WD When using a distributing hitch and sway noTes on coloraDo: Trailer to achieve the rating, plus weight your vehicle can tow. 15% of total loaded trailer Rear Gross Axle Weight', column 3.7l I-5 VVT, axle 3.73 |
- Chart row label: 'Extended Cab 2WD'. Chart engine column: 5.3l V8.
- Chart row label: 'Extended Cab 4WD'. Chart engine column: 5.3l V8.
- Chart row label: 'Crew Cab 2WD'. Chart engine column: 5.3l V8.
- Chart row label: 'Crew Cab 4WD When using a distributing hitch and sway noTes on coloraDo: Trailer to achieve the rating, plus weight your vehicle can tow. 15% of total loaded trailer Rear Gross Axle Weight'. Chart engine column: 5.3l V8.
- Chart row label: 'Extended Cab 2WD'. Chart engine column: 3.7l I-5 VVT.
- Chart row label: 'Extended Cab 4WD'. Chart engine column: 3.7l I-5 VVT.
- Chart row label: 'Crew Cab 2WD'. Chart engine column: 3.7l I-5 VVT.
- Chart row label: 'Crew Cab 4WD When using a distributing hitch and sway noTes on coloraDo: Trailer to achieve the rating, plus weight your vehicle can tow. 15% of total loaded trailer Rear Gross Axle Weight'. Chart engine column: 3.7l I-5 VVT.
Chart source: Chevrolet, 2012 Chevrolet Trailering Guide. The evidence column gives each row’s page and table.
Find your exact configuration (19 rows) →Download 2012 rows as CSV ↓
What changes the number
- Engine and transmission
- Cab, bed, and wheelbase
- Two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive
- Axle ratio and tow package
- Conventional hitch versus fifth-wheel versus gooseneck
- People, options, and cargo, which spend payload the chart assumed was empty
Questions
- How much can a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado tow?
- The highest conventional-hitch rating for the 2012 Chevrolet Colorado is 6,000 lb, the top of 19 rows transcribed from Chevrolet’s 2012 Chevrolet Trailering Guide. That row is printed for the 5.3L V8, Extended Cab, 2WD, 3.42 axle, Automatic transmission. Most configurations are rated lower: 11 of the 19 transcribed conventional-hitch chart rows for 2012 are below 6,000 lb.
- Did Colorado towing change for 2012?
- Last year before the Colorado left the U.S. market for 2013 and 2014.
- Which configuration hits the maximum?
- The 6,000 lb conventional maximum is printed for the 5.3L V8, Extended Cab, 2WD, 3.42 axle, Automatic transmission.
- What tongue weight should I plan for a 2012 Colorado?
- At the cited 6,000 lb conventional maximum, an illustrative 10% assumption produces 600 lb of tongue weight. This is not a recommended percentage or a measurement; follow your trailer and vehicle instructions and measure the actual load. That load counts against payload and the rear axle rating.