Most people purchase pickups for their ability to do hard work, so towing is very often of the greatest concern to the buyer. When looking for a Chevy Silverado 2500 HD for sale, they want to know how much weight it can haul, what kind of hitch connections are available, and what kind of electrical connections and brakes the truck has. Thankfully, the Silverado 2500 HD has some outstanding towing features. Whether you are looking to hitch with a fifth wheel trailer or a gooseneck, this truck can get it done. A conventional hitch comes standard with the Silverado, but a gooseneck and fifth wheel can just as easily be built-in at purchase.
Safety while hauling a heavy trailer is always a major concern. Chevy understands this, so they built in some high-quality safety features specifically for trailering. These provide better visibility, alerts, and cruise control so that the driver is better equipped while towing a heavy load. The Chevy Silverado HD really does a great job of getting a big trailer full of heavy things to its destination.
Gooseneck vs Fifth Wheel
When deciding on the best towing or trailering package, you’ll come across three main types of hitches. The conventional hitch is the one everyone is familiar with—the upward L-shaped hitch behind the vehicle. While the conventional hitch is amazing and provides more than adequate towing capacity for most applications, sometimes a specifically designed hitch is needed. That’s where the other two types of hitches come in: the fifth wheel and gooseneck hitches. Each of these designs allows for heavier loads than conventional hitches, and the Silverado 2500 HD can be equipped with either. Deciding which is the best tool for the job depends on what that job is, so let’s dive into the details.
A gooseneck hitch is mounted in the center of the truck bed, above the axle, which distributes the weight down to the wheels in an efficient manner. A gooseneck hitch is generally the more affordable option of the two truck bed hitches. It is a common choice for agricultural applications, such as a horse or livestock trailer. It is also a good fit for flatbed trailers used for commercial applications, such as lumber and timber delivery, or it even can be used to transport heavy equipment. The weight capacity with a gooseneck on the Silverado 2500 HD is 22,500 lbs.
A fifth wheel hitch is placed in the same area of the truck bed as the gooseneck hitch. However, it is harder to install and remove than the gooseneck, as the fifth wheel trailer hitch uses jaws and a kingpin connection, providing greater stability and a more rigid connection than the gooseneck, which can subsequently provide greater peace of mind. The fifth wheel hitch is often used in applications where the truck bed isn’t needed for its full capacity very often; for example, it is frequently used for towing recreational applications, such as campers or RVs. The towing capacity for a fifth wheel trailer on the 2500 HD is 22,500 lbs, just as with the gooseneck hitch.
Heavy-Duty Hitch Options
The Chevy Silverado 2500 HD comes standard with a conventional hitch in its trailering package, which is included on all 2500 HDs. This package includes a trailer hitch, trailering hitch platform, 2.5-inch receiver hitch (with four- and seven-pin connectors), seven-wire electrical harness with a seven-pin sealed connector, and hitch guidance. The Silverado 2500 HD also comes standard with an integrated trailer brake controller, which allows for tuning the trailer brakes to the amount of weight. If you’re towing above 2,000 lbs, most states will require you to have trailer brakes. Truck trailer brakes work by sending a signal through the electric seven-pin connection to the trailer every time you brake; the strength of your brakes should be adjusted depending on the weight of the trailer to provide the appropriate amount of stopping power.
The Silverado 2500 HD can be equipped with additional capabilities for both a gooseneck and fifth wheel hitch. If you are planning on using a gooseneck trailer, Chevy has a gooseneck hitch package, which includes everything you need to hook up a gooseneck trailer, from the hitch to the chain tie-downs. If you’re looking to attach a fifth wheel trailer, you’ll need to get the appropriate hitch package from Chevy which provides the attachment points for a fifth wheel hitch. Chevy does not provide any OEM fifth wheel hitches, however; you will need to purchase a third-party fifth wheel hitch.
Chevy Trailering Safety
Chevy provides some great safety features on all their vehicles, and the Silverado 2500 HD has some features specifically designed for assistance with trailering-specific safety benefits. With up to 14 camera angles, including Transparent Trailer View, you can consistently monitor your surroundings; the latter mention—the Transparent Trailer View—generates a vantage as if you were looking THROUGH your trailer. The large multimedia display lets you see all the angles behind your trailer, allowing for a better understanding of your surroundings.
Changing lanes with a trailer can be a challenge, especially with large enclosed trailers. The Transparent Trailer View certainly helps, but another very helpful feature is the Trailer Side Blind Zone Alert. This feature helps to alert the driver when there is an unseen vehicle in the trailer’s blind spot. The driver maintains full responsibility while operating the truck, but an alert signaling another vehicle in the blind zone can help the driver avoid a collision.
Finally, driving long distances can be a real hassle with a trailer because keeping a consistent distance to the vehicle in front of you can be a constantly shifting challenge. First, they are going at a consistent speed, then they slow down, then you slow down, then they speed up, then you speed up; after 20 minutes of this, anyone would be annoyed. Thankfully, with Adaptive Cruise Control with Trailering, you can automatically keep a consistent distance even while hauling a trailer. Sometimes it is the little things that make a big difference.
Towing Master/Monster
Towing, also known as trailering, is a main feature of most pickups. Most folks who use trucks use them for hauling heavy things in trailers. Whether it be a camper trailer, a flatbed full of lumber, or a heavy equipment trailer, the Silverado HD can get it done. This truck engages gooseneck and fifth wheel trailers with ease. Each hitch type offers certain benefits, and choosing the right one depends on the application. Thankfully, when you get the gooseneck hitch package, it comes with the mounting points for the fifth wheel as well. While Chevy doesn’t provide any OEM fifth wheel hitches, it does have all the mounting points you need for it on the Silverado HD.
Mechanically tough and durable towing is the standard for the Silverado HD, but Chevy didn’t stop there. They also added several safety features to make driving with a trailer safer. Sick of the poor visibility with a trailer? Chevy has enough cameras to generate a Transparent Trailer View, which makes the trailer disappear in the multimedia rearview display. The blind spot alert and adaptive cruise control also make shifting lanes and cruising down the highway in traffic easier and safer. The Chevy Silverado 2500 HD is one of the most capable trucks on the market today.
