Chevrolet Colorado towing capacity (2015–2026)

Name: Chevrolet Colorado towing capacity by model year and configuration (2015–2026)
Creator: CheckMyTow
License: https://checkmytow.com/methodology/

Chevrolet Colorado towing runs from 3,500 lb (2nd-gen 2.5L four-cylinder, or any truck without the Trailering Package) to 7,700 lb — a ceiling the 2.8L Duramax diesel hit first in 2016 (2WD) and the 2.7L turbo carries today with the required Trailering Package. Off-road ZR2 models are rated lower on purpose: 5,000 lb in the 2nd generation, 6,000 lb in the 3rd (5,500 lb for ZR2 Bison). The package, drivetrain and trim matter more than the engine badge, so check the config-level table.

Rated range, 2015–2026

3,500–7,700 lb

Depends on engine, drivetrain, and packages — find your exact configuration below.

Chevrolet Colorado towing capacity by year

Every model year we have manufacturer data for, newest first. A row spans the configurations rated that year — find your year, then your exact configuration below.

Year	Rated tow	Payload	What gets you there
2026	Rated tow 7,700 lb	Payload —	2.7L TurboMax I4 (310 hp/430 lb-ft) · 3.42 axle · Trailering Package the one configuration we've verified for this year
2025	Rated tow 3,500–7,700 lb	Payload 1,151 lb ZR2 only — not published for the 7,700 lb config	2.7L TurboMax I4 (310 hp/430 lb-ft) · Trailering Package highest of 4 configurations rated this year
2024	Rated tow 3,500–7,700 lb	Payload 1,151 lb ZR2 only — not published for the 7,700 lb config	2.7L TurboMax I4 (310 hp/430 lb-ft) · Trailering Package highest of 3 configurations rated this year
2023	Rated tow 3,500–7,700 lb	Payload 1,151–1,684 lb	2.7L Turbo Plus I4 (310 hp/390 lb-ft) highest of 3 configurations rated this year
2022	Rated tow 3,500–7,700 lb	Payload 1,450–1,580 lb	2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel I4 · 4x2 highest of 5 configurations rated this year
2021	Rated tow 3,500–7,700 lb	Payload 1,450–1,580 lb	2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel I4 · 4x2 highest of 5 configurations rated this year
2020	Rated tow 3,500–7,700 lb	Payload 1,450–1,580 lb	2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel I4 · 4x2 highest of 5 configurations rated this year
2019	Rated tow 3,500–7,700 lb	Payload 1,450–1,580 lb	2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel I4 · 4x2 highest of 5 configurations rated this year
2018	Rated tow 3,500–7,700 lb	Payload 1,450–1,580 lb	2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel I4 · 4x2 highest of 5 configurations rated this year
2017	Rated tow 3,500–7,700 lb	Payload 1,450–1,580 lb	2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel I4 · 4x2 highest of 5 configurations rated this year
2016	Rated tow 3,500–7,700 lb	Payload 1,450–1,580 lb	2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel I4 · 4x2 highest of 4 configurations rated this year
2015	Rated tow 3,500–7,000 lb	Payload 1,450–1,580 lb	3.6L V6 highest of 2 configurations rated this year

We cover 2015–2026 model years. Each row spans only the configurations we have verified against an OEM towing guide for that year — where a year lists one, the rest of that lineup is still being added. Older model years aren't in our dataset yet.

Towing capacity by configuration

Years	Engine	Config	Max tow	Payload	Grade
2025–2026	2.7L TurboMax I4 (310 hp/430 lb-ft)	Trailering Package · 3.42 axle	7,700 lb¹	—	OEM
2025	2.7L TurboMax I4 (310 hp/430 lb-ft)	4x4 · ZR2 Bison · 3.42 axle	5,500 lb²	—	OEM
2025	2.7L TurboMax I4 (310 hp/430 lb-ft)	3.42 axle	3,500 lb²	—	OEM
2024	2.7L TurboMax I4 (310 hp/430 lb-ft)	Trailering Package · 3.42 axle	7,700 lb³	—	OEM
2024	2.7L Turbo I4 (237 hp)	3.42 axle	3,500 lb³	—	OEM
2023	2.7L Turbo Plus I4 (310 hp/390 lb-ft)	Trailering Package	7,700 lb⁴	1,684 lb	OEM
2023–2025	2.7L TurboMax I4 (310 hp/430 lb-ft)	4x4 · ZR2 · 3.42 axle	6,000 lb⁵	1,151 lb	OEM
2023	2.7L Turbo I4 (237 hp)	—	3,500 lb⁶	1,500 lb	OEM
2017–2022	3.6L V6 or 2.8L Duramax diesel	4x4 · ZR2	5,000 lb⁷	—	OEM
2016–2022	2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel I4	4x2 · Z82 Trailering Package · 3.42 axle	7,700 lb⁸	1,508 lb	OEM
2016–2022	2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel I4	4x4 · Z82 Trailering Package · 3.42 axle	7,600 lb⁹	1,477 lb	OEM
2015–2022	3.6L V6	Z82 Trailering Package	7,000 lb¹⁰	1,580 lb	SAE J2807
2015–2022	2.5L I4	—	3,500 lb¹¹	1,450 lb	OEM

Ratings as published by the manufacturer for properly equipped vehicles; superscripts link to the source of each figure below.

The payload reality check

Take the 2023–2023 2.7L Turbo Plus I4 (310 hp/390 lb-ft) rated at 7,700 lb with 1,684 lb of payload. Load a family (550 lb of people, 150 lb of gear) and the honest limit becomes 7,700 lb — limited by tow-rating, computed the same way as our calculator.

Run your own load in the towing calculator →

Can this Colorado tow these popular trailers?

Each trailer's published GVWR (fully loaded) run through our engine against the 2023 2.7L Turbo Plus I4 (310 hp/390 lb-ft) , loaded with two adults, two kids and gear (700 lb) and a conservative tongue weight — the same math as the calculator.

Trailer	Loaded (GVWR)	Verdict
Casita Spirit 17 compact molded-fiberglass travel trailer · 17 ft	3,500 lb	Yes — 3,060 lb to spare limited by payload (tongue weight)
Grand Design Imagine XLS 17MKE light half-ton travel trailer · 21 ft 11 in	6,395 lb	Yes — 1,305 lb to spare limited by tow rating
Big Tex 70CH (18 ft) tandem-axle car hauler / utility trailer · 18 ft	7,000 lb	No — over by 440 lb limited by payload (tongue weight)
Jayco Jay Flight SLX 263BHS family bunkhouse travel trailer · 32 ft 7 in	7,600 lb	Yes — 100 lb to spare limited by tow rating
Keystone Cougar Half-Ton 25MLE larger travel trailer near half-ton limits · 29 ft 11 in	8,800 lb	No — over by 1,100 lb limited by tow rating

Trailer weights are the manufacturers' published GVWR (linked). A “yes” here is a planning estimate for this configuration — your own truck's door-jamb payload and your trailer's real loaded weight decide it. Start from your trailer →

What owners actually tow

Owner-community threads on towing with the Colorado, summarized — experiences, not ratings. Your configuration and load decide what's safe.

An owner towing a travel trailer near 6,000 lb reports the Colorado holds speed uphill at 7,000-ft mountain elevations — the honest costs are about 9 mpg while towing and having to manually hold a lower gear on descents.

With 21,000 miles on the truck, including a 5,000-mile cross-country trip towed without issues, the owner said the truck 'doesn't slow down' on climbs and the brake controller worked well. His one complaint: the transmission holds gears far too long downhill unless he shifts to L and sets a lower gear himself.

— full discussion in the r/ChevyColorado thread →

The small-trailer pairing works in practice: a first-time tower pulling a 17-ft, ~3,200 lb travel trailer on a weight-distribution hitch reported the Colorado shrugged off hills and wind gusts approaching 30 mph.

The owner noted you rarely see midsize trucks paired with small travel trailers, but his first trip — much of it through hilly terrain with gusts in the upper 20s — went smoothly with the WDH fitted, and he called the combination an easy tow.

— full discussion in the r/ChevyColorado thread →

How to read these numbers

Every figure above is the manufacturer's rating for that specific configuration — engine, drivetrain, cab, and package — not a model-wide maximum (see how much to trust OEM tow ratings). Two things still matter before you hitch up: your individual vehicle's door-jamb sticker (options change payload truck by truck), and your real load — on most trucks, payload runs out before the tow rating. Estimate your trailer's loaded weight with the trailer weight calculator, then check the full picture in the tow-match calculator.

Compare with other trucks

Config-level ratings compiled and sourced the same way as this page.

Where the headline number sits

Of the 13 configurations above, 4 are rated at the advertised 7,700 lb maximum (2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel I4 · 4x2 · 3.42 axle · Z82 Trailering Package); the median configuration is 6,000 lb. We charted that for every model line in the advertised tow rating belongs to one truck, and measured which limit actually binds once the cab is loaded in what actually limits what your truck can tow.

Hitch receiver class

Chevrolet Colorado configs in our dataset span Class 2–3 receivers by rated trailer weight: Class 2 (4 configs, 3,500 lb)Class 3 (9 configs, 5,000–7,700 lb). The receiver is one of four limits — the class caps what the hardware carries, not what the truck can pull. Find the class your trailer needs →

Sources

Cross-checked per our methodology; conflicting sources resolve to the lower figure. Spotted a discrepancy with your towing guide? Send a correction — that's the email we most want. It opens your mail app with the page attached; or just write hello@checkmytow.com.

Before you tow: confirm the ratings for your exact vehicle on the driver's door-jamb label and in the owner's manual or towing guide for its model year. Never exceed any single rating — see the disclaimer.