Tow Ratings Towing capacity for every US vehicle, 1991 to today

2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 towing capacity

The 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is published in 31 configurations, with tow ratings ranging from 4,400 to 7,000 lb depending on cab, bed, drivetrain, and hitch class. The peak figure (7,000 lb) sits in mid-size SUV / pickup territory.

The table below lists every trim of the 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with the engine, drivetrain, axle ratio, horsepower, torque, GVWR, curb weight, and payload that go with that trim's headline tow rating. Manufacturers often publish more than one tow figure per truck — a conventional bumper-hitch rating, a weight-distributing rating, and a gooseneck or fifth-wheel rating — so the highest number here is the maximum across all hitch classes the source carries for the trim.

Per-trim breakdown

Configuration Engine HP Torque Axle Tow (lb) GVWR Curb Payload
Work Truck 4x2 Regular Cab 6.6 ft. box 119 in. WB — 195 260 3.23 4,800 6,400 4,460 1,940
LT 4x2 Regular Cab 6.6 ft. box 119 in. WB — 302 305 3.23 4,700 6,400 4,460 1,940
LT 4x2 Regular Cab 8 ft. box 133 in. WB — 302 305 3.23 5,100 6,400 4,596 1,804
Work Truck 4x2 Regular Cab 8 ft. box 133 in. WB — 195 260 3.23 4,700 6,400 4,596 1,804
LT 4x2 Extended Cab 6.6 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 302 305 3.23 4,700 6,800 4,885 1,915
LTZ 4x2 Extended Cab 6.6 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 315 335 3.08 6,900 6,800 4,885 1,915
Work Truck 4x2 Extended Cab 6.6 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 195 260 3.23 4,400 6,400 4,885 1,515
LS 4x2 Extended Cab 6.6 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 302 305 3.23 4,700 6,800 4,885 1,915
LT 4x2 Extended Cab 8 ft. box 157.5 in. WB — 315 335 3.08 6,700 6,900 5,259 1,641
LTZ 4x2 Extended Cab 8 ft. box 157.5 in. WB — 315 335 3.08 6,700 6,900 5,259 1,641
Work Truck 4x2 Extended Cab 8 ft. box 157.5 in. WB — 315 335 3.08 6,700 6,900 5,259 1,641
LT 4x4 Regular Cab 6.6 ft. box 119 in. WB — 302 305 3.42 6,000 6,400 4,686 1,714
Work Truck 4x4 Regular Cab 6.6 ft. box 119 in. WB — 195 260 3.73 5,100 6,400 4,686 1,714
LT 4x4 Regular Cab 8 ft. box 133 in. WB — 302 305 3.42 5,800 6,800 4,851 1,949
Work Truck 4x4 Regular Cab 8 ft. box 133 in. WB — 195 260 3.73 4,900 6,400 4,851 1,549
LT 4x4 Extended Cab 6.6 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 302 305 3.42 5,500 7,000 5,274 1,726
LTZ 4x4 Extended Cab 6.6 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 315 335 3.08 6,800 7,000 5,274 1,726
Work Truck 4x4 Extended Cab 6.6 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 302 305 3.42 5,500 7,000 5,274 1,726
LS 4x4 Extended Cab 6.6 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 302 305 3.42 5,500 7,000 5,274 1,726
LT 4x4 Extended Cab 8 ft. box 157.5 in. WB — 315 335 3.08 6,500 7,000 5,487 1,513
LTZ 4x4 Extended Cab 8 ft. box 157.5 in. WB — 315 335 3.08 6,500 7,000 5,487 1,513
Work Truck 4x4 Extended Cab 8 ft. box 157.5 in. WB — 315 335 3.08 6,500 7,000 5,487 1,513
LT 4x2 Crew Cab 5.75 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 302 305 3.23 4,700 6,800 5,099 1,701
LTZ 4x2 Crew Cab 5.75 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 315 335 3.08 6,900 6,800 5,099 1,701
Work Truck 4x2 Crew Cab 5.75 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 302 305 3.23 4,700 6,800 5,099 1,701
LS 4x2 Crew Cab 5.75 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 302 305 3.23 4,700 6,800 5,099 1,701
Xtra Fuel Economy 4x2 Crew Cab 5.75 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 315 335 3.08 7,000 6,700 5,099 1,601
LT 4x4 Crew Cab 5.75 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 302 305 3.42 5,500 7,000 5,341 1,659
LTZ 4x4 Crew Cab 5.75 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 315 335 3.08 6,700 7,000 5,341 1,659
Work Truck 4x4 Crew Cab 5.75 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 302 305 3.42 5,500 7,000 5,341 1,659
LS 4x4 Crew Cab 5.75 ft. box 143.5 in. WB — 302 305 3.42 5,500 7,000 5,341 1,659

How to interpret the headline tow figure

Tow ratings at this level are normally achievable with a conventional Class II or Class III receiver hitch. Always verify your vehicle has the manufacturer's tow package installed if you intend to tow at the upper end of the rating, and inspect the door-jamb sticker for the actual maximum permitted on your specific configuration.

How this year compares to 2011

The 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 carried a maximum tow rating of 7,000 lb. The 2012 model carries the same headline figure — manufacturers usually leave the rating alone year-over-year unless there's a powertrain or hitch change. See the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 page for the full per-trim breakdown of the prior year.

Other 2012 Chevrolet models

The rest of Chevrolet's 2012 lineup, ranked by maximum tow rating. Click through for the per-trim breakdown of any of these.

Model Max tow (lb)
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD Crew CAB 18,000
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD Extended CAB 18,000
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 18,000
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD Regular CAB 16,000
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500hd 13,000
2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD Crew CAB 13,000

All figures sourced from manufacturer documentation. See our methodology for how the dataset is compiled. Always confirm against your vehicle's door-jamb sticker before towing.