Index · GMC · Sierra 3500HD
2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD
GMC lists a maximum of 36,000 lb on a gooseneck hitch for the 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD in its 2026 Sierra 3500 trailering charts. That rating requires the Regular Cab long bed, 2WD, dual rear wheels, Duramax 6.6L, 43,900 lb GCWR and Max Trailering Package. See page 2, footnotes 6 and 8. Other cited maximums for the 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD are 20,000 lb on a conventional hitch and 32,000 lb on a fifth-wheel hitch. Across 3 manufacturer chart rows for 2026, ratings run conventional 20,000 lb; fifth-wheel 32,000 lb; gooseneck 36,000 lb; the engine, cab, axle ratio and package on your truck decide its number.
The build table for 2026 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 | 20,000 lb | Duramax 6.6L; several page-1 configurations reach 20,000 lb. One is Crew Cab standard bed 2WD at 30,000 lb GCWR. | OEM chart |
| Fifth-wheel | 32,000 lb | Regular Cab long bed, 2WD, dual rear wheels, Duramax 6.6L. Page 2 limits fifth-wheel to 32,000 lb in footnote 7. | OEM chart |
| Gooseneck | 36,000 lb | Regular Cab long bed, 2WD, dual rear wheels, Duramax 6.6L, 43,900 lb GCWR and Max Trailering Package. Page 2, footnotes 6 and 8. | OEM chart |
The 36,000 lb figure is gooseneck. It must not be displayed as a 36,000 lb fifth-wheel rating.
Source: GMC, 2026 Sierra 3500 trailering charts, Pages 1–2, conventional and fifth-wheel/gooseneck tables and footnotes. Selected cells visually checked against the original PDF. This is not a complete transcription of all rows. Bed, wheel, hitch and package distinctions are retained.
Spec sheet
12 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
- 20,000 lb. Duramax 6.6L; several page-1 configurations reach 20,000 lb. One is Crew Cab standard bed 2WD at 30,000 lb GCWR.GMC source
- Gooseneck maximum
- 36,000 lb. Regular Cab long bed, 2WD, dual rear wheels, Duramax 6.6L, 43,900 lb GCWR and Max Trailering Package. Page 2, footnotes 6 and 8.GMC source
- Fifth-wheel maximum
- 32,000 lb. Regular Cab long bed, 2WD, dual rear wheels, Duramax 6.6L. Page 2 limits fifth-wheel to 32,000 lb in footnote 7.GMC source
- Tongue or pin load
- 2,000 lb tongue at the 20,000 lb conventional maximum. 4,800 lb pin at the 32,000 lb fifth-wheel maximum. 5,400 lb pin at the 36,000 lb gooseneck 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
- Detailed cab table: up to 7,290 lb, Regular Cab 2WD DRW long box with 6.6L gas V8. Other DRW rows: Regular 4WD 6,947; Double 2WD / 4WD 6,820 / 6,513; Crew 2WD / 4WD 6,658 / 6,378 lb. The overview instead prints 7,237 lb; use the vehicle load label.General Motors source — PDF page 133: Payload
- GCWR
- 43,900 lb (Regular Cab, Long, axle n/a)GMC source
- GVWR
- SRW cab/drive maxima: 11,500–12,250 lb. DRW rows: up to 14,000 lb. Use the truck's certification label.General Motors source — PDF page 133: GVWR
- 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
- Rounded fleet-guide values: Regular Cab long box 142 in; Double Cab standard/long 149 / 162; Crew Cab standard/long 159 / 172. Check cab/box availability for 2500 versus 3500.General Motors source — PDF pages 131–133: Wheelbase
- Bed length
- Nominal 6-ft 9-in or 8-ft box, depending on cab and series. Exact inside floor lengths are not supplied in this table.General Motors source — PDF pages 131–133: Bed length
- 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
- 6.6L gasoline V8: 401 hp / 464 lb-ft. 6.6L Duramax turbo diesel V8: 470 hp / 975 lb-ft.General Motors source — PDF pages 131–133: Engine, horsepower, torque
- Transmission
- 10-speed automatic.General Motors source — PDF pages 131–133: Transmission
- Fuel type and tank
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Drivetrain
- 2WD and 4WD; availability varies by trim. 3500 offers single or dual rear wheels; these are distinct configurations.General Motors source — PDF pages 131–133: Drivetrain
- Axle ratio
- Not transcribed for this model year.
- Tow package
- Dual rear wheels, Max Trailering PackageGMC 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 20,000 lb conventional maximum is 2,000 lb of tongue weight. This is not a measured load or recommended percentage; actual load may be higher.
- An illustrative 15 percent of the 32,000 lb fifth-wheel maximum is 4,800 lb of pin weight. This is not a measured load or recommended percentage; actual load may be higher.
- An illustrative 15 percent of the 36,000 lb gooseneck maximum is 5,400 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. The spec sheet above lists the sourced wheelbase information 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 2024
- Conventional: 20,000 lb in 2024, 20,000 lb in 2026 (unchanged maximum, different source or equipment list).
- Fifth-wheel: 32,000 lb in 2024, 32,000 lb in 2026 (unchanged maximum, different source or equipment list).
- Gooseneck: 36,000 lb in 2024, 36,000 lb in 2026 (unchanged maximum, different source or equipment list).
Generation
T1XX HD
2026 is year 7 of this generation (2020–2026). Current Sierra 3500HD, including dual-rear-wheel trucks. The 2025 page holds the cited conventional and gooseneck maxima.
2026 towing by engine
Lowest to highest printed rating for each engine across 3 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 | Gooseneck | Chart rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6L Duramax V8 | 20,000 lb | 32,000 lb | 36,000 lb | 3 |
Highest-rated configurations
| Trailer | Engine | Cab / bed | Drive | Axle / package | GCWR | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36,000 lb Gooseneck | 6.6L Duramax V8 | Regular Cab, Long | 2WD | Dual rear wheels, Max Trailering Package | 43,900 lb | Page 2, 43,900 GCWR / Regular Cab 2WD DRW, footnotes 6 and 8 |
| 32,000 lb Fifth-wheel | 6.6L Duramax V8 | Regular Cab, Long | 2WD | Dual rear wheels, Max Trailering Package | 43,900 lb | Page 2, 43,900 GCWR / Regular Cab 2WD DRW, footnotes 6–7 |
| 20,000 lb Conventional | 6.6L Duramax V8 | Regular Cab, Long | 2WD | Dual rear wheels, Max Trailering Package | 43,900 lb | Page 1, 43,900 GCWR / Regular Cab 2WD DRW, footnote 3 |
Chart source: GMC, 2026 Sierra 3500 trailering charts. The evidence column gives each row’s page and table.
Find your exact configuration (3 rows) →Download 2026 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 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD tow?
- GMC lists a maximum of 36,000 lb on a gooseneck hitch for the 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD in its 2026 Sierra 3500 trailering charts. That rating requires the Regular Cab long bed, 2WD, dual rear wheels, Duramax 6.6L, 43,900 lb GCWR and Max Trailering Package. See page 2, footnotes 6 and 8. Other cited maximums for the 2026 GMC Sierra 3500HD are 20,000 lb on a conventional hitch and 32,000 lb on a fifth-wheel hitch.
- Did Sierra 3500HD towing change for 2026?
- Compare the cited 2026 figures on this page with the 2024 record. They are stored separately.
- Which configuration hits the maximum?
- The 36,000 lb gooseneck maximum requires the Regular Cab long bed, 2WD, dual rear wheels, Duramax 6.6L, 43,900 lb GCWR and Max Trailering Package. See page 2, footnotes 6 and 8.
- What tongue weight should I plan for a 2026 Sierra 3500HD?
- At the cited 20,000 lb conventional maximum, an illustrative 10% assumption produces 2,000 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 32,000 lb fifth-wheel maximum, an illustrative 15% assumption produces 4,800 lb of pin weight. This is not a recommended percentage or a measurement; follow your trailer and vehicle instructions and measure the actual load. At the cited 36,000 lb gooseneck maximum, an illustrative 15% assumption produces 5,400 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.