Chevrolet has published the maximum ratings for the redesigned 2027 Silverado 1500, and the headline number is 13,700 lb, the highest of any half-ton pickup. That is 200 lb more than the 2027 Ford F-150 and GMC Sierra 1500, as reported by GM Authority. It is also exactly the kind of number we warned about in how much a half-ton can really tow: true, and true for very few trucks.
The 13,700 lb rating belongs to the new 5.7L V8 in a Double Cab with two-wheel drive and the Max Trailering Package. Order a Crew Cab, four-wheel drive or skip the package and you are looking at a lower figure. Chevrolet has not released the full configuration chart yet.
Every engine, 2026 against 2027
The more interesting story is what happened below the headline. Two engines tow less than the ones they replace, and the most powerful engine in the lineup has the second-lowest rating.
| 2026 engine | 2026 max | 2027 engine | 2027 max | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7L TurboMax I4 | 9,500 lb | 2.7L I4 (L4B) | 9,400 lb | -100 |
| 3.0L Duramax diesel | 13,300 lb | 3.0L Duramax diesel | 12,000 lb | -1,300 |
| 5.3L V8 | 11,300 lb | 5.7L V8 (L76) | 13,700 lb | +2,400 |
| 6.2L V8 | 13,200 lb | 6.6L V8 (L78) | 9,700 lb | -3,500 |
2026: Chevrolet 2026 Trailering Guide, pp. 26-27, conventional hitch. 2027: Chevrolet figures as reported by GM Authority, 22 Sep 2026.
The 6.6L V8 makes 481 hp, the most in the lineup, and tows 4,000 lb less than the 5.7L. The reason is simple: Chevrolet does not offer the Max Trailering Package with it. Without the package's cooling, axle ratio and hitch, the engine's output does not turn into rating. It is the clearest example you will find that horsepower does not set towing capacity.
The diesel is the other loser. For 2026 it was the best tower in the range at 13,300 lb; for 2027 it drops to 12,000 lb, reached in a Crew Cab 4WD with the Max Trailering Package.
The 5.7L adds 2,400 lb of towing over the 2026 5.3L, but its maximum payload falls by 210 lb.
Payload went the other way
The towing gains are not free. The 5.7L's maximum payload is 2,170 lb, 210 lb less than the 2026 5.3L, and the 6.6L loses 540 lb of payload against the old 6.2L. Only the four-cylinder carries more than before. If you plan to use that 13,700 lb, remember that a 10% tongue weight is 1,370 lb of payload before anyone gets in the truck. We walk through that math in payload vs towing capacity.
The order guide narrows it further
GM's 2027 fleet order guide, which gm-trucks.com compared line by line with the 2026 edition, shows how narrow that configuration really is. The Max Trailering Package is now offered on one Silverado trim only, the base Silverado (1LT), and only with the 5.7L V8 or the diesel. For 2026 you could add it to the LT, RST, LTZ or High Country. It is not listed for the Trail Boss, ZR2 or High Country, and not for any 6.6L truck, which confirms why the most powerful engine sits at the bottom of the chart.
Axle choice is gone too. Each engine now gets one fixed rear axle ratio, 3.23 on the V8s and the diesel and 3.42 on the four-cylinder, and the 3.73 the 2026 diesel used for its top rating does not appear in the guide. Two changes help: a hitch and a trailer brake controller are standard on every 2027 trim, and the 5.7L and diesel get a 250-amp alternator with or without the package. One goes the other way: factory trailering mirrors are listed only on the Work Truck, so the one trim that can get Max Trailering cannot get tow mirrors from the factory.
Sources
- 2026 Chevrolet Trailering Guide, pp. 26-27 (2026 figures)
- GM Authority, "2027 Chevy Silverado Is The Segment Towing Champ", 22 Sep 2026 (2027 figures announced by Chevrolet)
- gm-trucks.com, "Every 2027 Silverado, Sierra Towing Change in GM's Order Guides", 26 Sep 2026 (2027 fleet order guide)
How much can a half-ton truck tow?
Payload vs towing capacity
2027 Sierra 1500: the biggest V8 now tows the least