2021 Chevrolet Silverado HD Towing Capacity Upped to 36,000 Pounds

Thanks to its new maximum towing capacity, the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500 allows you to hit the open road with approximately 10 mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8s along for the ride. Chevrolet’s engineering team coaxed another 500 pounds of towing capacity from the Silverado heavy-duty pickup trucks, bringing the total to an even 36,000 pounds. Changes to the suspension and available wheel packages helped uncork this additional 500 pounds.

In case you’re a number-crunching kind of truck buyer — one with lots of heavy stuff to lug around — this places the 2021 Silverado HD about 1,000 pounds short of the Ford Super Duty’s max tow rating of 37,000 pounds and 900 pounds more than the Ram HD’s 35,100-pound max rating.

To be clear, the Chevy’s 36,000-pound maximum applies to one specific model in the Silverado HD lineup: the regular-cab Silverado 3500 Work Truck with dual rear wheels and rear-wheel drive. You’ll also require the 445-horsepower, 6.6-liter Duramax diesel making 910 pounds-feet of torque paired to the 10-speed Allison transmission, along with the optional Max Tow Package. Yeah, catch your brief for a moment, we know that’s a lot to take in.

Let’s also be clear, few truck buyers routinely take their vehicles to the uppermost limit of their capabilities. However, these big-time towing figures matter to truck buyers who don’t want to worry about whether their vehicle can safely and comfortably handle something like a hefty recreational vehicle or large horse trailer. With this in mind, Chevrolet wants to make towing challenges simpler and safer thanks to a variety of new and improved features.

This includes jack-knife alert, which warns the driver if the angle between the truck and trailer indicates a jack-knife situation could occur. Cargo bed view enhancement and rear side view enhancement make it easier to either hook up a gooseneck trailer, or use a split-view monitor to expertly position whatever it is you’re hauling. Previously, rear side view could only be used while in Drive; for the 2021 model year it operates while the truck is in Reverse, too.

Other notable towing-related additions include rear trailer view and trailer-angle indicator, which use a variety of camera angles and reverse guidelines to help back up a trailer and judge the angle between it and the truck. Last but not least, trailer length indicator makes changing lanes safer by displaying a red overlay that’s twice the length of what you’re towing. This system springs to action once the turn signal is used and allows a rapid visual reference for determining whether it’s safe to make a lane change.

Chevrolet has also used the 2021 model year to reshuffle safety and comfort touches across Silverado HD trim levels. For example, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking can now be added to the Work Truck and Custom trims as part of the Safety Confidence Package. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections are available on the LT trim and standard on the upmarket LTZ and High Country. Two new exterior colors have also been added: Mosaic Black Metallic and Cherry Red Tintcoat.

Silverado HD buyers interested in adding standout style to their hard-working trucks can opt for several new special editions. These include the Carhartt Special Edition, with unique 20-inch wheels, exterior badging, a two-tone black and brown leather interior, and a roll-up cargo bed tonneau with the Carhartt logo. The Midnight Edition offers a blacked-out exterior trim, including black-painted 18- or 20-inch alloys. Finally, the Z71 Sport Edition and Z71 Chrome Sport Edition offer everything from special colors with monochrome exterior detailing to unique hood vents, along with chrome accents on the door handles, front grille and skid plates.  

Production of the new and improved Chevrolet Silverado HD lineup started in September, so the new pickups will roll into Chevy dealerships throughout the fall and winter.

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