The Chevy Silverado 2500 was introduced into Chevrolet’s lineup as a full-size heavy-duty pickup truck in 1999 and is still made today. The Silverado 2500 is one of the best-selling heavy duty trucks in the USA and has many features consumers expect from today’s trucks, including towing. But what is the towing capacity of a 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500?
A 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 has a towing capacity of 14,500 pounds to 18,510 pounds.
The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 tow capacity can vary based on a few different factors such as engine size, drivetrain, and others which we’ll cover in this guide.
There’s a bit more to know about the 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 tow capacity which we’ll cover in today’s guide.
How Much Can The 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 Tow?
The 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 has a maximum towing capacity of 18,510 pounds.
The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 tow capacity is affected by other factors like engine type, drivetrain, the weight of cargo and passengers, and whether your vehicle has a towing package equipped or not.
You can always reach out to your local Chevy dealership for details to confirm how much your Silverado 2500 can tow.
You can also read our guide on what makes a vehicle towing capacity to learn all the aspects that go into it.
2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 Engine And Drivetrain
There are two engine options for the 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500: a 6.6L V8 engine that produces 401 horsepower and 464 lb-ft of torque, and a 6.6L Duramax Turbo-Diesel V8 engine that produces 470 horsepower and 975 lb-ft of torque.
2021 Silverado HD 6.6L V8 Engine Towing Capacity: 17,370 pounds
2021 Silverado HD Duramax Engine Towing Capacity: 18,510 pounds
2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Towing Capacity Chart
The max tow cap of the 2021 Silverado 2500 varies by the cab configuration, bed length, trim level, wheel size, engine size, and installed towing equipment. Take a look at the charts below to determine yours.
2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Tow Capacity By Trim Level
There are nine total trim levels for the 2021 Silverado 2500, and some engines are not available on certain trims, so they’ll each have different max towing limits.
Here’s the max tow capacity broken down for each trim level on the 2021 Silverado 2500:
2021 Silverado 2500 HD WT: 17,370 pounds
2021 Silverado 2500 HD Custom: 17,370 pounds
2021 Silverado 2500 HD LT: 18,150 pounds
2021 Silverado 2500 HD LTZ: 18,500 pounds
2021 Silverado 2500 HD High Country: 18,500 pounds
2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 Payload Capacity
The payload capacity of the 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 is 2,047 pounds to 3,979 pounds.
Please note, the payload capacity will vary based on factors such as engine type, drivetrain and whether or not your vehicle is equipped with a towing package that includes other features like an engine oil cooler or transmission oil cooler.
2021 Silverado 2500 WT Max Payload: 3,857 lbs
2021 Silverado 2500 Custom Max Payload: 3,791 lbs
2021 Silverado 2500 LT Max Payload: 3,833 lbs
2021 Silverado 2500 LTZ Max Payload: 3,756 lbs
2021 Silverado 2500 High Country Max Payload: 3,715 lbs
If you are unsure of your vehicle’s payload capacity, please contact your local dealership for details.
2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 Tow Packages
The 2021 Silverado 2500 comes with some great towing features standard, and many advanced features available as an add-on.
Standard Towing Features:
- Trailering Package: Includes a 2.5-inch receiver, 2-inch insert, 7-pin wiring connector, and Hitch Guidance.
- Vertical Trailering Mirrors: Standard across all trims.
- StabiliTrak with Electronic Trailer Sway Control and Hill Start Assist
- Tow/Haul Mode and Auto Grade Braking
- Hitch Guidance
- Integrated BedSteps for easy access even with a trailer.
- Trailering Information Label provides vehicle-specific towing details on the driver-side door.
- Rear Vision Camera comes standard, with options to upgrade to an HD Rear Vision Camera depending on the trim.
2021 Silverado HD Advanced Trailering System
The 2021 Silverado 2500 Advanced Trailering System is available on LT, standard on LTZ and High Country, and includes a trailering checklist, trailer maintenance reminders, trailer security alerts, trailer mileage, Tow/Haul mode reminder, and trailer electrical diagnostics.
2021 Silverado HD Advanced Trailering Package
The Advanced Trailering Package is available on the LT trim only, as the higher trims already have many of these features standard on them. This package includes hitch guidance with hitch view, trailering app, hd color touch-screen, and HD rear vision camera.
2021 Silverado HD Gooseneck/5th Wheel Prep Package
This package is designed to get your truck mostly ready to accept a 5th wheel or gooseneck hitch. It’s available on all trims besides the High Country and includes a hitch platform to accept gooseneck or 5th-wheel hitch; includes hitch platform with tray to accept ball, stamped bed holes with removable caps installed and bed-mounted 7-pin trailer harness. The WT, Custom, LT and LTZ require the
Gooseneck/5th Wheel Package as well.
2021 Silverado HD Gooseneck/5th Wheel Package
The Gooseneck and 5th Wheel prep package is available on all trims and includes all the features in the Gooseneck/5th Wheel Prep Package. The WT and Custom trims include integrated trailer brake controller and Chevytec spray-on bedliner. LT includes Chevytec spray-on bedliner with Chevrolet bowtie logo. LTZ includes Chevytec spray-on bedliner with Chevrolet bowtie logo and Bed View Camera. The Regular Cab WT requires available WT Convenience Package as well.
2021 Silverado 2500 Towing Tech and Features
There are some really cool tech options for the 2500 HD for towing this year:
- Vertical Trailering Mirrors (Standard): Improves rear visibility when towing wide trailers.
- Hitch Guidance (Standard): Helps align the hitch using rearview camera guidelines.
- StabiliTrak with Trailer Sway Control (Standard): Stabilizes vehicle and reduces trailer sway.
- Tow/Haul Mode and Auto Grade Braking (Standard): Optimizes performance for towing on hilly terrain.
- Integrated BedSteps (Standard): Provides easy access to the bed even when towing.
- Rear Vision Camera with Hitch View (Available): Assists with precision when aligning the hitch.
- Advanced Trailering System (Available): Offers tools for managing and monitoring trailers.
- Gooseneck/5th Wheel Prep Package (Available): Preps the truck for heavy-duty towing setups.
- Integrated Trailer Brake Controller (Available): Provides in-dash control of trailer brakes for better handling.
2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 Towing Capacity Vs Competitors
The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 has a maximum towing capacity of 18,510 pounds, which makes it capable of doing some heavy duty trailer towing. This number is similar to its main competitors, the 2021 Ford F-250 and the 2021 Ram 2500.
Here are some similar vehicles to the Chevy Silverado 2500 and their towing capacities below:
2021 Ford F250 Towing Capacity: 22,000 pounds
2021 Ram 2500 Towing Capacity: 20,000 pounds
2021 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Towing Capacity: 18,510 pounds
2021 Chevy Trucks Towing Capacity Chart
| Model | Towing Capacity |
| 2021 Chevy Silverado 3500 | 36,000 lbs |
| 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 | 18,510 lbs |
| 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 | 13,300 lbs |
| 2021 Chevy Colorado | 7,700 lbs |
Data Accuracy
We’ve gathered all data represented here from the official 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 Owner’s Manual on Chevy’s website and have checked all data thoroughly for accuracy.
Having said that, we still recommend you refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual yourself before towing with your Chevy Silverado 2500.