Chevrolet Colorado 2015, Equinox 2015, Silverado 2015, Express 2015, Silverado 2500HD 2015 Trailering Guide
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2015 TRAILERING GUIDE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
02 SELECTING A VEHICLE/MAXIMUM TRAILER WEIGHT RATINGS
03 VEHICLES AND HITCHES
04 TRAILERING BASICS
05 IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRAILERING
06 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU START TRAILERING
08 TRAILERING TECHNOLOGIES
09 SILVERADO CONVENTIONAL TRAILER WEIGHT RATINGS
10 SILVERADO HD CONVENTIONAL TRAILER WEIGHT RATINGS
11 SILVERADO HD FIFTH-WHEEL/GOOSENECK TRAILER
WEIGHT RATINGS
12 COLORADO, TAHOE, SUBURBAN, TRAVERSE AND EQUINOX
TRAILER WEIGHT RATINGS
13 EXPRESS PASSENGER VAN AND EXPRESS CARGO VAN TRAILER
WEIGHT RATINGS
14 DINGHY TOWING
02 SELECTING A VEHICLE/MAXIMUM TRAILER WEIGHT RATINGS (LBS.)
1
The chart below gives you an idea of the maximum amount of weight you can confidently and safely trailer with different Chevrolet models when your vehicle is properly equipped.
When determining the total weight of trailer and cargo, include the weight of any additional passengers and optional equipment (driver weight and base equipment are already included).
See pages 09–15 for maximum trailer weight ratings by specific model.
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
11,000
12,000
13,000
14,000
15,000
16,000
17,000
18,000
19,000
20,000
21,000
22,000
23,000
24,000
Equinox
Traverse
Colorado
Suburban
Tahoe
Express 2500 Passenger Van
Express 3500 Passenger Van
Express 2500/3500 Cargo Van
Silverado 1500
Silverado 2500HD
Silverado 3500HD
3,500
5,200
7,000
8,300
8,600
9,800
10,000
10,000
12,000
17,900
23,200
1 Befo re you buy a vehi cle or use it fo r trailerin g, careful ly review the Trai lering sec tion of the Own er’s Manual . The weight o f passenge rs, cargo an d options or ac cessorie s may reduce the a mount you can t ow.
03 VEHICLES AND HITCHES
Hitch Ball on Step-Bumper Hitch Ball on Draw Bar Weight-Distributing Hitch with Sway CoverGooseneck HitchFifth-Wheel Hitch
SELECTING THE RIGHT HITCH Choosing the right hitch and
making the proper electrical connections affects how your
vehicle handles, corners and brakes, and allows you to alert
other drivers of your intentions. Before selecting a hitch or
trailering package, you should be familiar with the weight
ratings specific to your Chevrolet vehicle, which are detailed on
pages 09–13.
SELECTING TRAILERING EQUIPMENT Most Chevrolet vehicles
offer a variety of standard and available equipment for
enhanced trailering performance. Aside from the equipment
described below, features such as heavy-duty cooling and
extendable trailering mirrors may be available. See your
Chevrolet dealer for more information on the model you’re
interested in.
WEIGHT-CARRYING HITCH This consists of a hitch ball mounted
to a step-bumper or draw bar. Hitch balls are available in a
range of sizes. Make sure that the diameter of your hitch ball
matches your trailer coupler. Also check that the ball meets or
exceeds the gross trailer weight rating.
WEIGHT-DISTRIBUTING HITCH This hitch type distributes the
trailer tongue load by using spring bars to shift some of the
hitch weight forward onto the tow vehicle’s front axle and
rearward to the trailer’s axles.
FIFTH-WHEEL HITCH AND GOOSENECK HITCH These are
designed for heavy trailering. Located in the bed of the truck,
these hitches position the trailer’s kingpin weight over, or
1 Not re quired on Si lverado 250 0HD or 3500H D.
slightly in front of, the truck’s rear axle. Fifth-wheel and
gooseneck hitches are most frequently used with travel
trailers, horse trailers and other large trailers.
HITCHES It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
• If you’ll be towing a trailer that requires a weight- distributing
hitch, be sure to use a frame-mounted, weight-distributing
1
hitch
and sway control of the proper size
• If you have to make any holes in the body of your vehicle
to install a trailer hitch, be sure to seal the holes if you
ever remove the hitch. If they’re not sealed, dirt, water
and deadly carbon monoxide from the exhaust can get
into your vehicle
FIFTH-WHEEL TRAILERING Some Silverado models can be
equipped with a fifth-wheel or gooseneck trailer hitch.
• Follow the manufacturer’s directions for installation, but note
that the hitch must be attached to the truck frame. Do not use
the pickup bed for additional support. For proper kingpin
tongue load distribution and control of the trailer, the hitch
must be mounted so the kingpin load is placed (over or slightly)
ahead of the rear axle centerline
• Fifth-wheel trailer kingpin loads are higher than conventional
trailer tongue loads, so pay careful attention to the truck’s
payload capacity and rear axle weight ratings
• Your Chevrolet dealer can help you calculate the maximum
allowable payload and GVWR required for your fifth-wheel
trailering application. The weight of any additional equipment
and all passengers other than the driver must be subtracted
from the payload weight to determine the maximum kingpin
load available
WIRING HARNESS This allows you to connect the electrical
components of your trailer, such as turn signals and brake
lights, to the trailering vehicle. Select Silverado models and all
Suburban and Tahoe models feature a seven-pin wiring harness
to streamline hookup of trailer lighting and brakes, and a
bussed electrical center makes it easier to connect the
integrated trailer brake controller.
TRAILER BRAKES These are required above a 2,000-lb. trailer
weight on Silverado, Tahoe and Suburban, and above a 1,000-lb.
trailer weight on all other models. The most common trailer
braking systems are surge brakes (found primarily on boat
trailers) and electric brakes (often used on travel trailers, horse
trailers and car haulers). Surge brakes are a self-contained
hydraulic brake system on the trailer, activated during
deceleration as the trailer coupler pushes on the hitch ball. An
electric trailer brake system uses a brake control unit mounted
inside the trailering vehicle; it operates by sensing the vehicle
brakes and then applying the trailer brakes.
SERIES In general, a higher series number in a model indicates
a greater load-carrying capacity. In addition, a vehicle with a
higher series number typically has a stronger frame, stiffer
suspension and higher-capacity brakes, increasing the
vehicle’s ability to trailer heavy loads.
04 TRAILERING BASICS
Towing a trailer involves all major vehicle systems of your
Chevrolet vehicle. Easy and safe trailering requires a properly
equipped vehicle, additional trailering equipment and an
appropriate trailer. It also requires loading both the vehicle and
trailer properly, using safe driving techniques, meeting regional
legal requirements, and following break-in and maintenance
schedules. The vehicle owner is responsible for obtaining the
proper equipment (hitch ball, hitch type of the proper size and
capacity) required to safely tow both the trailer and the load
that will be towed. For more information, consult your Owner’s
Manual or speak to a trailering expert at your Chevrolet dealer.
These charts will assist in determining how to best equip your
Chevrolet vehicle for trailering. To help you understand the
charts, consider these trailering factors:
RGAWR AND GVWR Addition of trailer hitch weight cannot
cause vehicle weights to exceed Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating
(RGAWR) or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). These ratings
can be found on the certification label located on the driver door
or doorframe.
GCWR The Gross Combination Weight Rating is the total
allowable weight of the completely loaded vehicle and trailer.
TRAILER WEIGHT RATING This rating is determined by
subtracting the tow vehicle’s weight (curb weight) from the
Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR). Base vehicle (curb)
weight plus driver is used, so additional passengers, equipment
and cargo weight reduce this rating.
NOTE The safety steps described here are by no means the only
precautions to be taken when trailering. See the Owner’s
Manual for your Chevrolet vehicle for additional guidelines and
trailering tips.
TRAILERING CAUTION If you don’t use the correct equipment
and drive properly, you can lose control of your vehicle when
you pull a trailer. If the trailer is too heavy, your vehicle brakes
may be less effective. You and your passengers could be
seriously injured. Pull a trailer only after you have read the
information in this guide and followed the steps on the
following pages.
TRAILER CLASSIFICATION TYPICAL EXAMPLES TYPICAL GROSS TRAILER WEIGHT EXAMPLES TYPICAL HITCH T YPE
Light-Duty (I) Foldin g camping tra iler, snowmob iles and pers onal water craft tra ilers (trai ler and cargo c ombined) U p to 2,000 lb s. gross t railer weigh t Weight-carry ing hitch
Medium-Duty (II) Single -axle tr ailers up to 18 f t., open u tility tr ailers and sm all speedbo ats 2,00 1–3,50 0 lbs. gros s trailer wei ght Weight-carry ing hitch
Heavy-Dut y (III) Dual- o r single-a xle trailer s, larger bo ats and encl osed utili ty trailer s 3,5 01–5,0 00 lbs. gro ss trailer we ight Weight-carrying hit ch
Extra Heavy -Duty (IV) Two-ho rse, trav el and fif th-whee l recreati onal trailer s 5,001–10,000 lbs. gross trailer weight Weight-distribut ing hitch
Maxi mum Heavy -Duty ( V) Larg est horse , travel and f ifth- wheel recr eational or c ommercial t railers 10,001 lbs .-and-above gross trailer weight Weight-distribut ing hitch,
1
2
or weight-distribut ing hitch
2
or fif th-whe el hitch
2
fifth-wheel hitch or gooseneck hitch
1 Repr esents mini mum recomme nded hitche s. Please ref er to your trail er’s Owner’s Manual or ask your Chevrolet dealer. 2 Not required on Silvera do 2500HD or 35 00HD.
05 IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRAILERING
The information below is intended to give you some
details about the trailer ratings on your vehicle and a
way to ensure that the vehicle you use can handle the
load you want to pull.
TRAILER WEIGHT RATINGS AND GROSS COMBINATION
WEIGHT RATINGS
testing of acceleration, handling, braking, and thermal and
structural performance to determine the Gross Combination
Weight Rating (GCWR) and the trailer weight rating for your
vehicle. The GCWR is the total allowable weight of the
completely loaded vehicle and trailer including any
passengers, cargo, equipment and conversions. You should
not exceed the GCWR of your vehicle when you tow a trailer.
Chevrolet also calculates and publishes a trailer weight rating
for each model or series of Chevrolet vehicles for comparison
purposes. The trailer weight rating is not specific to an
individual vehicle and is most useful for comparing product
lines to one another to help you select a product that will meet
your needs. When you buy a vehicle, you should ensure that
the total load (including passengers, cargo and equipment)
you intend to pull with it will be less than the trailer weight
rating of the vehicle.
Because the trailer weight rating is calculated for a line of
vehicles, rather than an individual load situation, some
standardized assumptions are made when calculating the
trailer weight rating. First, the base curb weight of that type
of vehicle is used (the weight of a standard equipped vehicle
without any options). Second, it is assumed that there is only
one person in the vehicle (the driver) who weighs 150 lbs. Third,
it is assumed there is a certain tongue weight for the load (a
tongue weight is the weight of only the tongue of the loaded
Chevrolet engineers perform extensive
trailer). For conventional trailering, a tongue weight that is 10%
of the loaded trailer weight is used. For fifth-wheel/gooseneck
trailering, a tongue weight that is 16.7% of the loaded trailer
weight is used.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR LOAD WITHIN THE CAPABILITIES OF
YOUR VEHICLE
appropriate for your vehicle, you must first obtain the weight
of your specific vehicle, with all the optional equipment you
ordered. You can take your vehicle to a weigh station to get
this figure, or you can see your dealer who can help you
calculate this figure based on the weight of the options you
ordered. You can then subtract the weight of your vehicle
from the GCWR. The difference between the two is the
capacity you have available for your cargo, passengers, trailer,
load and any other equipment you might use to set up your
trailer. Put another way, your GCWR should always be greater
than or equal to the weight of your vehicle, passengers, cargo,
trailer (with equipment) and load.
It is also important that your vehicle and your trailering
combination do not exceed the tongue weight, Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) or Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating
(RGAWR) limitations for your vehicle. The only way to be sure to
not exceed any of these ratings is to weigh the tow vehicle and
trailer combination, fully loaded for the trip, getting individual
weights for each of these items. This can be done
at a weigh station with a multi-platform scale.
The tongue weight for your trailer is the downward force
of the coupler of the trailer on the vehicle hitch. You can
calculate the tongue weight by placing the tongue of the trailer
on an appropriate scale. For conventional trailering,
the tongue weight should be 10% to 15% of the loaded trailer
weight. For fifth-wheel/gooseneck trailering, the tongue weight
should be 15% to 25% of the loaded trailer weight.
To be sure that your trailering combination is
The GVWR is the maximum amount the vehicle itself should
weigh, including the as-equipped weight of the vehicle plus the
cargo, passengers and trailer tongue weight. Put another way,
the GVWR should always be greater than or equal to the weight
of your vehicle, passengers, cargo and tongue weight.
Finally, the RGAWR is the maximum allowable weight the rear
axle can carry. You can weigh your fully loaded vehicle and
trailer at a multi-platform weigh station to determine the
weight on the rear axle of the vehicle and ensure that you do not
exceed the RGAWR. You can find both the GV WR and the RGAWR
on the Certification/Tire label, which is found on the rear edge
of the driver door.
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