Index · Chevrolet · Silverado 1500
2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
The highest conventional-hitch rating for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is 13,300 lb, the top of 86 rows transcribed from Chevrolet’s 2021 Chevrolet Trailering & Towing Guide. That row is printed for the 6.2L V8, Double Cab, Standard Bed bed, 4WD, RST with Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels. Most configurations are rated lower: 85 of the 86 transcribed conventional-hitch chart rows for 2021 are below 13,300 lb. The other cited maximum for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is 13,300 lb on a fifth-wheel hitch. Across 172 manufacturer chart rows for 2021, ratings run conventional 7,200 lb to 13,300 lb; fifth-wheel 7,100 lb to 13,300 lb; the engine, cab, axle ratio and package on your truck decide its number.
The build table for 2021 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 | 13,300 lb | 6.2L V8, Double Cab, Standard Bed bed, 4WD, RST with Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels. | OEM chart |
| Fifth-wheel | 13,300 lb | 6.2L V8, Double Cab, Standard Bed bed, 4WD, RST with Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels. | OEM chart |
Highest rows among 172 transcribed chart configurations. Most trucks of this model year are rated lower; find your exact configuration in the table below.
Source: Chevrolet, 2021 Chevrolet Trailering & Towing Guide, Silverado 1500 conventional pp28-29, gooseneck/5th-wheel pp30-32; Silverado 2500 HD pp33-36; 3500 HD pp37-39; Colorado p40. chevrolet.com copy not located.
Spec sheet
6 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
- 13,300 lb. 6.2L V8, Double Cab, Standard Bed bed, 4WD, RST with Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels.Chevrolet source
- Gooseneck maximum
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Fifth-wheel maximum
- 13,300 lb. 6.2L V8, Double Cab, Standard Bed bed, 4WD, RST with Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels.Chevrolet source
- Tongue or pin load
- 1,330 lb tongue at the 13,300 lb conventional maximum. 1,995 lb pin at the 13,300 lb fifth-wheel 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
- 12,800–19,100 lb across 172 chart rows that print a GCWR (each row's GCWR is in the chart table and explorer)Chevrolet source
- 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
- Standard Bed, Short Bed, Long BedChevrolet source
- 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
- 4WD, 2WDChevrolet source
- Axle ratio
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Tow package
- RST with Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels; Max Trailering Package; Custom with Custom Max Trailering Package; Trail BossChevrolet 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 13,300 lb conventional maximum is 1,330 lb of tongue weight. This is not a measured load or recommended percentage; actual load may be higher.
- An illustrative 15 percent of the 13,300 lb fifth-wheel maximum is 1,995 lb of pin 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. See the spec sheet for the sourced GCWR and its configuration.
Estimate payload margin and bed volume · How these limits work together
Change from 2020
- Conventional: 13,400 lb in 2020, 13,300 lb in 2021 (-100 lb).
- Fifth-wheel: 11,500 lb in 2020, 13,300 lb in 2021 (+1,800 lb).
Generation
T1XX
2021 is year 3 of this generation (2019–2026). Current Silverado 1500 generation, updated since the 2019 redesign. The 2026 Chevrolet trailering chart is cited cell by cell. Each model year keeps its own chart; 2026 figures are not copied onto 2025.
2021 towing by engine
Lowest to highest printed rating for each engine across 172 transcribed chart rows. A missing hitch means the chart did not print one for that engine, not that it is zero.
| Engine | Conventional | Fifth-wheel | Chart rows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2L V8 | 9,100–13,300 lb | 7,500–13,300 lb | 20 |
| 5.3L V8 (L84) with 8-speed | 9,300–11,500 lb | 8,900–11,500 lb | 24 |
| 5.3L V8 (L84/YK9) with 8-speed | 9,300–11,500 lb | 8,900–11,500 lb | 24 |
| 5.3L V8 (L82) with 6-speed | 9,300–10,900 lb | 7,900–9,900 lb | 24 |
| 5.3L V8 (L82/YK9) with 6-speed | 9,300–10,900 lb | 7,900–9,900 lb | 24 |
| 2.7L Turbo | 9,000–9,600 lb | 8,900–9,500 lb | 16 |
| Duramax 3.0L I-6 | 9,000–9,500 lb | 7,600–9,500 lb | 10 |
| 5.3L V8 (L84) with 10-speed | 9,100–9,300 lb | 7,700–9,200 lb | 8 |
| 4.3L V6 | 7,200–7,900 lb | 7,100–7,800 lb | 22 |
Highest-rated configurations
| Trailer | Engine | Cab / bed | Drive | Axle / package | GCWR | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13,300 lb Conventional | 6.2L V8 | Double Cab, Standard Bed | 4WD | RST with Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels | 19,100 lb | Page 28, Silverado 1500 conventional trailer weight ratings, DOUBLE CAB (CONTINUED) / Standard Bed RST 4x4 with Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels / 6.2L V8 |
| 13,300 lb Fifth-wheel | 6.2L V8 | Double Cab, Standard Bed | 4WD | RST with Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheelsnote 1 | 19,100 lb | Page 30, Silverado 1500 gooseneck/5th-wheel trailer weight ratings, DOUBLE CAB (CONTINUED) / Standard Bed RST 4x4 with Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels / 6.2L V8 |
| 12,100 lb Conventional | 6.2L V8 | Double Cab, Standard Bed | 4WD | Max Trailering Package | 17,800 lb | Page 28, Silverado 1500 conventional trailer weight ratings, DOUBLE CAB (CONTINUED) / Standard Bed 4x4 with Max Trailering Package / 6.2L V8 |
| 12,100 lb Fifth-wheel | 6.2L V8 | Double Cab, Standard Bed | 4WD | Max Trailering Packagenote 1 | 17,800 lb | Page 30, Silverado 1500 gooseneck/5th-wheel trailer weight ratings, DOUBLE CAB (CONTINUED) / Standard Bed 4x4 with Max Trailering Package / 6.2L V8 |
| 11,900 lb Conventional | 6.2L V8 | Crew Cab, Short Bed | 4WD | Max Trailering Package | 17,800 lb | Page 29, Silverado 1500 conventional trailer weight ratings, CREW CAB (CONTINUED) / Short Bed 4x4 with Max Trailering Package / 6.2L V8 |
| 11,900 lb Conventional | 6.2L V8 | Crew Cab, Standard Bed | 4WD | Max Trailering Package | 17,800 lb | Page 29, Silverado 1500 conventional trailer weight ratings, CREW CAB (CONTINUED) / Standard Bed 4x4 with Max Trailering Package / 6.2L V8 |
| 11,500 lb Conventional | 5.3L V8 (L84) with 8-speed | Double Cab, Standard Bed | 2WD | Max Trailering Package | 16,800 lb | Page 28, Silverado 1500 conventional trailer weight ratings, DOUBLE CAB / Standard Bed 2WD with Max Trailering Package / 5.3L V8 (L84) with 8-speed |
| 11,500 lb Conventional | 5.3L V8 (L84/YK9) with 8-speed | Double Cab, Standard Bed | 2WD | Max Trailering Package | 16,800 lb | Page 28, Silverado 1500 conventional trailer weight ratings, DOUBLE CAB / Standard Bed 2WD with Max Trailering Package / 5.3L V8 (L84/YK9) with 8-speed |
| 11,500 lb Conventional | 5.3L V8 (L84) with 8-speed | Crew Cab, Short Bed | 2WD | Max Trailering Package | 16,800 lb | Page 29, Silverado 1500 conventional trailer weight ratings, CREW CAB / Short Bed 2WD with Max Trailering Package / 5.3L V8 (L84) with 8-speed |
| 11,500 lb Conventional | 5.3L V8 (L84/YK9) with 8-speed | Crew Cab, Short Bed | 2WD | Max Trailering Package | 16,800 lb | Page 29, Silverado 1500 conventional trailer weight ratings, CREW CAB / Short Bed 2WD with Max Trailering Package / 5.3L V8 (L84/YK9) with 8-speed |
| 11,500 lb Fifth-wheel | 5.3L V8 (L84) with 8-speed | Double Cab, Standard Bed | 2WD | Max Trailering Packagenote 1 | 16,800 lb | Page 30, Silverado 1500 gooseneck/5th-wheel trailer weight ratings, DOUBLE CAB / Standard Bed 2WD with Max Trailering Package / 5.3L V8 (L84) with 8-speed |
| 11,500 lb Fifth-wheel | 5.3L V8 (L84/YK9) with 8-speed | Double Cab, Standard Bed | 2WD | Max Trailering Packagenote 1 | 16,800 lb | Page 30, Silverado 1500 gooseneck/5th-wheel trailer weight ratings, DOUBLE CAB / Standard Bed 2WD with Max Trailering Package / 5.3L V8 (L84/YK9) with 8-speed |
- Chart column: max gooseneck/5th-wheel trailer weight (single rating covering both hitch types).
Chart source: Chevrolet, 2021 Chevrolet Trailering & Towing Guide. The evidence column gives each row’s page and table.
Find your exact configuration (172 rows) →Download 2021 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 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 tow?
- The highest conventional-hitch rating for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is 13,300 lb, the top of 86 rows transcribed from Chevrolet’s 2021 Chevrolet Trailering & Towing Guide. That row is printed for the 6.2L V8, Double Cab, Standard Bed bed, 4WD, RST with Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels. Most configurations are rated lower: 85 of the 86 transcribed conventional-hitch chart rows for 2021 are below 13,300 lb. The other cited maximum for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is 13,300 lb on a fifth-wheel hitch.
- Did Silverado 1500 towing change for 2021?
- Compare the cited 2021 figures on this page with the 2020 record. They are stored separately.
- Which configuration hits the maximum?
- The 13,300 lb conventional maximum is printed for the 6.2L V8, Double Cab, Standard Bed bed, 4WD, RST with Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels.
- What tongue weight should I plan for a 2021 Silverado 1500?
- At the cited 13,300 lb conventional maximum, an illustrative 10% assumption produces 1,330 lb of tongue weight. This is not a recommended percentage or a measurement; follow your trailer and vehicle instructions and measure the actual load. At the cited 13,300 lb fifth-wheel maximum, an illustrative 15% assumption produces 1,995 lb of pin 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.
Compare with
2019 · 2020 · 2022 · 2023 · All Silverado 1500 years