full-size pickup
GMC Sierra 1500 towing capacity (2019–2026)
Fifth-generation (T1) Sierra 1500 conventional towing spans roughly 6,600 lb on early 2.7L Turbo trucks to 13,300 lb on 2024+ 3.0L Duramax Double Cab 2WD models with the Max Trailering Package and 20-inch wheels. GMC rates every combination by engine, cab, bed, drive and axle ratio, and the big numbers always require the Max Trailering Package (with GCWR jumping from 15,000 to 19,000–19,100 lb). GMC's 2019 guide states ratings are based on SAE J2807; later GMC documents publish the same-methodology ratings without restating the standard.
Rated range, 2019–2026
6,900–13,300 lb
Depends on engine, drivetrain, and packages — find your exact configuration below.
Towing capacity by configuration
| Years | Engine | Config | Max tow | Payload | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–2026 | 3.0L Duramax Turbo Diesel I6 | 4x2 · Double Cab · Max Trailering Package + 20" wheels · 3.73 axle | 13,300 lb1 | 1,880 lb | OEM |
| 2022–2023 | 3.0L Duramax Turbo Diesel I6 | 4x2 · Double Cab · Max Trailering Package + 20" wheels · 3.73 axle | 13,200 lb2 | 1,860 lb | OEM |
| 2022–2024 | 6.2L V8 | 4x4 · Crew Cab · Max Trailering Package + 20" wheels · 3.42 axle | 13,000 lb3 | 1,820 lb | OEM |
| 2022–2024 | 5.3L V8 | 4x2 · Double Cab · Max Trailering Package · 3.42 axle | 11,200 lb4 | 2,010 lb | OEM |
| 2022–2024 | 5.3L V8 | 4x2 · Double Cab · Trailering Package (Z82) · 3.23 axle | 9,400 lb5 | 1,870 lb | OEM |
| 2022–2024 | 2.7L Turbo High-Output I4 (TurboMax) | 4x2 · Double Cab · Trailering Package (Z82) · 3.42 axle | 9,100 lb6 | 2,020 lb | OEM |
| 2022–2024 | 6.2L V8 | 4x4 · Crew Cab · Trailering Package (Z82) · 3.23 axle | 8,900 lb7 | 1,660 lb | OEM |
| 2021 | 6.2L V8 | 4x4 · Crew Cab · Max Trailering Package (NHT) · 3.42 axle | 11,800 lb8 | 1,960 lb | OEM |
| 2021 | 3.0L Duramax Turbo Diesel I6 | 4x2 · Double Cab · Trailering Package (Z82) · 3.23 axle | 9,300 lb9 | 1,760 lb | OEM |
| 2021 | 2.7L Turbo I4 | 4x2 · Double Cab · Trailering Package (Z82) · 3.42 axle | 9,200 lb10 | 2,060 lb | OEM |
| 2020 | 3.0L Duramax Turbo Diesel I6 | 4x4 · Double Cab · Trailering Package (Z82) · 3.23 axle | 9,100 lb11 | 1,740 lb | OEM |
| 2019–2020 | 6.2L V8 | 4x4 · Double Cab · Max Trailering Package (NHT) · 3.42 axle | 12,100 lb12 | 2,070 lb | SAE J2807 |
| 2019–2021 | 5.3L V8 (L84) | 4x2 · Double Cab · Max Trailering Package (NHT) · 3.42 axle | 11,300 lb13 | 2,170 lb | SAE J2807 |
| 2019–2020 | 2.7L Turbo I4 | 4x2 · Double Cab · Trailering Package (Z82) · 3.42 axle | 6,900 lb14 | 2,060 lb | SAE J2807 |
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 2024–2026 3.0L Duramax Turbo Diesel I6 rated at 13,300 lb with 1,880 lb of payload. Load a family (550 lb of people, 150 lb of gear) and the honest limit becomes 9,830 lb — limited by payload (tongue weight), computed the same way as our calculator.
Can this Sierra 1500 tow these popular trailers?
Each trailer's published GVWR (fully loaded) run through our engine against the 2024–2026 3.0L Duramax Turbo Diesel I6 Double Cab, 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 — 4,360 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 — 6,685 lb to spare limited by GCWR |
| Big Tex 70CH (18 ft) tandem-axle car hauler / utility trailer · 18 ft | 7,000 lb | Yes — 860 lb to spare limited by payload (tongue weight) |
| Jayco Jay Flight SLX 263BHS family bunkhouse travel trailer · 32 ft 7 in | 7,600 lb | Yes — 4,350 lb to spare limited by payload (tongue weight) |
| Keystone Cougar Half-Ton 25MLE larger travel trailer near half-ton limits · 29 ft 11 in | 8,800 lb | Yes — 3,200 lb to spare limited by payload (tongue weight) |
| Grand Design Reflection 303RLS mid fifth-wheel · 32 ft 10 in | 11,995 lb | No — over by 4,865 lb limited by payload (tongue weight) |
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
Real-world reports from owner communities — experiences, not ratings. Your configuration and load decide what's safe.
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On a Max Trailering 3.0L Duramax Sierra, tongue weight — not the 8,800 lb tow rating — is what killed a trailer deal: real tongue weight of a 7,600 lb GVWR bunkhouse worked out to roughly 1,100–1,200 lb against an 880 lb sticker limit.
A 2024 Sierra 1500 3.0L Duramax owner (door sticker: 1,674 lb payload, 8,800 lb trailer rating, 880 lb max tongue) sized up a 5,672 lb dry travel trailer that looked fine on paper. Replies showed the advertised 748 lb hitch weight climbing well past 1,000 lb once battery, propane, gear and a ~100 lb weight-distribution hitch were counted — and a '23 3.0L Max Towing truck in the same thread carried a 12,900 lb rating with 1,290 lb tongue allowance, showing how much identical-looking Sierras vary by build.
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High-mileage owners treat transmission temperature as the 5.3L's real towing limit — one dropped peak temps from about 240°F to 190°F on the same mountain pull with an auxiliary cooler, a thermostat-bypass valve and a regear.
A 2018 Sierra 1500 5.3L 6-speed nearing 175,000 miles (on its second transmission) hauled roughly 8,200 lb of bricks and trailer up a 1,300-ft climb. Before fitting a 40k-GVW transmission cooler with GM's 70°C bypass valve and regearing to 4.56 for its 33-inch tires, the same load had pushed the transmission to 240°F with constant gear hunting; afterwards it briefly touched 190°F at the summit.
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. 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.
Sources
- 2024 GMC Sierra LD Features, Specs and Options brochure (official PDF, gmc.com), payload and trailering specs p.17; gmc.com 2026 Sierra 1500 page states 'The 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks are capable of towing up to 13,300 lbs.'
- 2022 GMC Sierra LD Features, Specs and Options brochure (official PDF, gmc.com), trailering specifications p.10; identical 13,200 lb in 2023 brochure p.11, whose footnote states '13,200-lb rating requires properly equipped Double Cab 2WD model with available 3.0L Duramax Turbo Diesel I6 engine, Max Trailering Package and 20" wheels and tires'
- 2022 GMC Sierra LD Features, Specs and Options brochure (official PDF, gmc.com), trailering specifications p.10; 2023 brochure p.11 identical; 2024 brochure p.17 lists 13,100 lb
- 2022 GMC Sierra LD Features, Specs and Options brochure (official PDF, gmc.com), trailering specifications p.10; identical 11,200 lb in 2023 brochure p.11 and 2024 brochure p.16
- 2022 GMC Sierra LD Features, Specs and Options brochure (official PDF, gmc.com), trailering specifications p.10; 2023 brochure p.11 identical; 2024 brochure p.16 lists 9,500 lb for this config
- 2022 GMC Sierra LD Features, Specs and Options brochure (official PDF, gmc.com), trailering specifications p.10; 2023 brochure p.11 and 2024 brochure pp.16–17 (gmc.com) show the same config
- 2022 GMC Sierra LD Features, Specs and Options brochure (official PDF, gmc.com), trailering specifications p.10; identical 8,900 lb in 2023 brochure p.11 and 2024 brochure p.17
- 2021 GMC Trailering Guide (official PDF, gmc.com), Sierra 1500 trailering capability p.15
- 2021 GMC Trailering Guide (official PDF, gmc.com), Sierra 1500 trailering capability p.15; GMC media 2021 Sierra 1500 highlights PDF (media.gmc.com) confirms 'up to … 9,300 lbs. (3.0L) max trailering with the Double Cab / Standard Bed 2WD configuration'
- 2021 GMC Trailering Guide (official PDF, gmc.com), Sierra 1500 trailering capability p.14; GMC media 2021 Sierra 1500 highlights PDF (media.gmc.com) confirms 'up to 9,200 lbs. (2.7L) … with the Double Cab / Standard Bed 2WD configuration'
- 2020 GMC Trailering Guide (official PDF, gmc.com), Sierra 1500 trailering capability p.14
- 2020 GMC Trailering Guide (official PDF, gmc.com), Sierra 1500 trailering capability p.14; 2019 GMC Trailering & Towing Guide p.16 (gmc.com) lists 12,200 lb for the same config
- 2019 GMC Trailering & Towing Guide (official PDF, gmc.com), Sierra 1500 ball-hitch table p.16; identical 11,300 lb in 2020 GMC Trailering Guide p.14 and 2021 GMC Trailering Guide p.15 (both gmc.com), which supply the GCWR/GVWR/payload shown
- 2019 GMC Trailering & Towing Guide (official PDF, gmc.com), Sierra 1500 ball-hitch table p.16; 2020 GMC Trailering Guide (official PDF, gmc.com) p.13 lists the identical 6,900 lb with GCWR/GVWR/payload shown
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.
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.