Chevrolet Silverado 2021 Series Trailering Manual page 5

TRAILERING BASICS – VEHICLES AND HITCHES
Selecting Trailering Equipment Most Chevrolet vehicles offer a variety of standard
and available equipment for enhanced trailering performance. Aside from the
equipment described below, features such as heavy-duty cooling and extendable
trailering mirrors may be available. See your Chevrolet dealer for more information
on the model you're interested in.
Selecting the Right Hitch Choosing the right hitch and making the proper electrical
connections affects how your vehicle handles, corners and brakes, and allows you to
alert other drivers of your intentions. Before selecting a hitch or trailering package,
you should be familiar with the weight ratings specific to your Chevrolet vehicle,
which are detailed on pages 28–42.
Hitches It's important to have the correct hitch equipment.
• If you'll be towing a trailer that requires a weight-distributing hitch, be sure to use
a frame-mounted, weight-distributing hitch
• If you have to make any holes in the body of your vehicle to install a trailer hitch, be
sure to seal the holes if you ever remove the hitch. If they're not sealed, dirt, water
and deadly carbon monoxide from the exhaust can get into your vehicle
Conventional Hitch This consists of a hitch ball mounted to a receiver or step
bumper. Hitch balls are available in a range of sizes. Make sure that the diameter
of your hitch ball matches your trailer coupler. Also check that the ball meets or
exceeds the gross trailer weight rating.
CONVENTIONAL HITCHES
Hitch Ball on Step Bumper
1 Not required on Silverado 2500 HD or 3500 HD.
and sway control of the proper size
1
Hitch Receiver Weight-Distributing Hitch
with Sway Control
Weight-Distributing Hitch This hitch type distributes the trailer tongue load by
using spring bars to shift some of the hitch weight forward onto the tow vehicle's
front axle and rearward to the trailer's axles.
Gooseneck and Fifth-Wheel Hitches These are designed for heavy trailering.
Located in the bed of the truck, these hitches position the trailer's kingpin weight
near the truck's rear axle. Gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitches are most frequently
used with travel trailers, horse trailers and other large trailers.
Fifth-Wheel Trailering Some Silverado models can be equipped with a fifth-wheel
or gooseneck trailer hitch.
• Follow the manufacturer's directions for installation, but note that the hitch must
be attached to the truck frame. Do not use the pickup bed for additional support.
For proper kingpin tongue load distribution and control of the trailer, the hitch
must be mounted so the kingpin load is placed near the rear axle centerline
• Fifth-wheel trailer kingpin loads are higher than conventional trailer tongue loads,
so pay careful attention to the truck's payload capacity and Rear Gross Axle
Weight Rating
• Your Chevrolet dealer can help you calculate the maximum allowable payload and
GVWR required for your fifth-wheel trailering application. The weight of any
additional equipment and all passengers other than the driver must be subtracted
from the payload weight to determine the maximum kingpin load available.
HEAVY-DUTY HITCHES
Fifth-Wheel Hitch Gooseneck Hitch Learn more about the
Fifth-Wheel Prep Package.
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