2020 GM 2500HD Max Tongue only 500 lbs ?
- Thread starter jthrv
- Start date
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Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
I don't have the official answer but 500 lbs is a typical max tongue-weight load for a Class III receiver without a WD (Weight Distributing) hitch. In other words, 500 lb is a typical deadweight rating. Use of a WD hitch would increase that substantially. I see in a Car & Driver review of the Silverado 2500 Work Truck package that a suitable WD increases the 500 lbs to 1450 lbs.
https://www.caranddriver.com/chevrolet/silverado-2500hd-3500hd/specs
https://www.caranddriver.com/chevrolet/silverado-2500hd-3500hd/specs
My 18 foot trailer is probably usually 3700 loaded with gear and 4000lbs with max water. The current truck, Sierra 1500, hitch sticker says 600 lbs. deadweight. And it has worked well. Only One swaying incident in 10 years and that was a big dip on very uneven pavement and a guy almost cutting me off. Very scary, but it straightened out in a second or few. Whew. I am now much more careful about how I load the trailer. Given that, I do not think weight distributing hitch should be necessary for this trailer, knock on wood. And basically, me lifting a 50-100lbs WDH is a problem, they are just too heavy for my back.
F250 Ford, in contrast:
https://www.normreevesford.com/new/Ford/2020-Ford-F-250-0b4723450a0e0a176a8d7b3805edac6a.htm
Picture #5 shows hitch sticker Weight Carrying of 1520 lb
And
F250 per 20Towing_Ford_SuperDutyPU_r1_Nov7.pdf page 8, says:
Weight-Carrying Max. Tongue 1500 lbs
Ford F250 1500 lbs vs GM 2500HD 500 lbs, wow that hard to believe.
F250 Ford, in contrast:
https://www.normreevesford.com/new/Ford/2020-Ford-F-250-0b4723450a0e0a176a8d7b3805edac6a.htm
Picture #5 shows hitch sticker Weight Carrying of 1520 lb
And
F250 per 20Towing_Ford_SuperDutyPU_r1_Nov7.pdf page 8, says:
Weight-Carrying Max. Tongue 1500 lbs
Ford F250 1500 lbs vs GM 2500HD 500 lbs, wow that hard to believe.
If you are pulling a 18' trailer as mentioned with that truck in the link, you will have no problem. Make sure the trailer is level, to slightly nose down (You might have to get an adjustable shank). Make sure you have 12% of overall weight on the tongue, to reduce sway potential, and you should be perfectly fine. If it gets windy, slow down. Nice truck you are looking at. 
)
)
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
It does seem odd that the receiver on the Silverado is fairly low rated - most 3/4 tons come with Class 4 or Class 5 hitches these days.
You could easily get by with my 2020 F150 as well, as long as you paid attention to numbers. I know you don't want to mess with wdh, but some are pretty easy and if you leave the shank in, the bars are not bad to lift. That said, and I do like my new F150, but I miss some things from my old GMC. Fords fuel mileage electronics and outdoor temp guage, along with other little things are far inferior to my old GMC 2005 YukonXL, disappointing actually. Time will tell about the key quality components.
Joezeppy
Well-known member
The specs for my 2010 Sierra 2500 say 1,000 lb weight carrying and 1,500 lb weight distribution. I would think the 2020s are at least as much.
Edit: I put my VIN in the decoder listed in the original post and most of the figures are accurate but the hitch weights are not. For my truck it shows 500 lb weight carrying and gives a strange list of weights for weight distributing: "1845, 1470 lbs 1470.0 min 1950.0 max". I went back and double checked my owner's manual and it clearly lists the figures I stated above. If memory serves me right, my 2002 Chevy 2500 had a weight carrying limit of 750.
Edit: I put my VIN in the decoder listed in the original post and most of the figures are accurate but the hitch weights are not. For my truck it shows 500 lb weight carrying and gives a strange list of weights for weight distributing: "1845, 1470 lbs 1470.0 min 1950.0 max". I went back and double checked my owner's manual and it clearly lists the figures I stated above. If memory serves me right, my 2002 Chevy 2500 had a weight carrying limit of 750.
I think I got it now. It is pretty much just a different way of phrasing it.
Page 294 of the 2020-chevrolet-silverado-owners-manual.pdf
GM only "requires" a weight distribution hitch for a 1500 series truck when the trailer weight is over 7000 lbs.
GM does "Not require" a weight distribution hitch for a 2500/3500 series truck.
So the GM door sticker only has one tongue weight on a 2020 2500/3500 truck.
Page 16 and 17 of 2020-chevrolet-trailering-guide.pdf
For example, 2500 Trailer Weight Rating of 14,500
Trailer tongue weight should be 10% to 15% of total loaded trailer weight up to 2,000 lbs.
So Tongue weight of 1,450 to 2,000. It could be less due to optional equipment and other weight limitations.
There is this in the owners-manual page 291.
"Do not exceed a maximum trailer tongue weight of 567 kg (1,250 lb) for a conventional trailer hitch."
So, the 2020 GM 2500HD Dead Weight Hitch - Max Tongue Wt specification = 1,250 lbs at least.
Door stickers can say more than that, say 1,850 lbs, so it is strange that 1,250 lbs is in the manual.
1,250 is well within what I need.
Page 294 of the 2020-chevrolet-silverado-owners-manual.pdf
GM only "requires" a weight distribution hitch for a 1500 series truck when the trailer weight is over 7000 lbs.
GM does "Not require" a weight distribution hitch for a 2500/3500 series truck.
So the GM door sticker only has one tongue weight on a 2020 2500/3500 truck.
Page 16 and 17 of 2020-chevrolet-trailering-guide.pdf
For example, 2500 Trailer Weight Rating of 14,500
Trailer tongue weight should be 10% to 15% of total loaded trailer weight up to 2,000 lbs.
So Tongue weight of 1,450 to 2,000. It could be less due to optional equipment and other weight limitations.
There is this in the owners-manual page 291.
"Do not exceed a maximum trailer tongue weight of 567 kg (1,250 lb) for a conventional trailer hitch."
So, the 2020 GM 2500HD Dead Weight Hitch - Max Tongue Wt specification = 1,250 lbs at least.
Door stickers can say more than that, say 1,850 lbs, so it is strange that 1,250 lbs is in the manual.
1,250 is well within what I need.
Velociraptor
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2019
- Posts
- 100
I have found GM hands down to be the worst when it comes down to publishing and making it easy to find weight and tow ratings. Ford in my opinion is the easiest. I also find GM tends to under rate versus the other two manufacturers.
On my Chevy 5500 there is not one thing in / on the truck that says what my GCWR is. The Upfitters that put my bed on actually put a yellow Sticker in the door frame with the actual CAT scaled truck weights instead of the ratings! Even worse they did it with less than a full tank of diesel lol. In addition with my size truck it is not possible to query the VIN online to determine specs. I finally got online and got Chevy to send me the truck build specs and ratings based on VIN so I have them when dealing with DOT. You can get this info by logging on to their chat and providing VIN.
As far as actual ratings I find GM rates lower across all product lines. When I pull up next to a F550 or Dodge 5500 I dwarf them. Looking at the frame, suspension, etc it is clear my truck can handle more but both Dodge and Fords but ratings say otherwise.
Love my new Chevy but some days GM makes me regret the purchase.
Josh
On my Chevy 5500 there is not one thing in / on the truck that says what my GCWR is. The Upfitters that put my bed on actually put a yellow Sticker in the door frame with the actual CAT scaled truck weights instead of the ratings! Even worse they did it with less than a full tank of diesel lol. In addition with my size truck it is not possible to query the VIN online to determine specs. I finally got online and got Chevy to send me the truck build specs and ratings based on VIN so I have them when dealing with DOT. You can get this info by logging on to their chat and providing VIN.
As far as actual ratings I find GM rates lower across all product lines. When I pull up next to a F550 or Dodge 5500 I dwarf them. Looking at the frame, suspension, etc it is clear my truck can handle more but both Dodge and Fords but ratings say otherwise.
Love my new Chevy but some days GM makes me regret the purchase.
Josh
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