General Motors has released the towing numbers for the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, and the top figure is 38,000 lb, 2,000 lb more than the 2026 trucks. It needs a fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch and all the right packages. GM also says every diesel dually will be rated at 30,000 lb or more.

What did not change is the number most HD owners actually use: 20,000 lb on a conventional hitch, the same as 2026. GCWR is listed at 46,500 lb.

2027 Silverado HD / Sierra HDRatingAgainst 2026
Max towing, fifth wheel or gooseneck38,000 lb+2,000 lb
Diesel dually, minimum max rating30,000 lbNew claim
Max towing, conventional hitch20,000 lbUnchanged
GCWR46,500 lb

GM figures as reported by GM Authority, 24 Sep 2026.

The engine behind it

The 6.6L Duramax is gone. Its replacement is an 8.3L V8 turbodiesel (L6P) rated at 555 hp and 1,230 lb-ft, which is 85 hp and 255 lb-ft more than the outgoing engine and a little more than Ford's 6.7L High Output Power Stroke. GM has not said at what rpm those peaks arrive, which matters more for towing on a grade than the peak itself.

The rest of the update is aimed squarely at heavy trailers: a new electric power steering rack, electronic brake boost, stronger exhaust braking, new tow modes and transmission shift logic written for long grades.

The 38,000 lb rating is a bed-hitch number. On a bumper hitch, the 2027 HD tows exactly what the 2026 did.

How it stacks up against Ford

Ford's 2026 Super Duty is rated at 40,000 lb with a gooseneck, but only with the 6.7L High Output diesel and the High-Capacity Gooseneck Tow Package, and 35,000 lb on a fifth wheel. Its conventional maximum is 30,000 lb, well above GM's 20,000. So the 2027 GM trucks close the gap at the top without catching up, and they stay well behind on a conventional hitch. Why fifth-wheel and gooseneck ratings differ at all is covered in fifth wheel vs gooseneck.

Our viewFor buyers pulling a big fifth wheel, the new engine and the brake and steering changes probably matter more than the extra 2,000 lb. Few owners tow anywhere near 36,000 lb, but many tow 15,000 lb up long grades. If you tow on a ball hitch, nothing in this update raises your limit.

Sources