Whenever you’re planning to take the trailer out camping or hook the boat up for a sail, it’s important to know your Chevy’s towing capacity. While every pickup truck generally has sturdy towing capabilities in place, your maximum towing capacity varies significantly from engine to engine and drivetrain to drivetrain.

Here to help guide you on the ins and outs of towing with a Chevy Colorado is

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Chevrolet Colorado insurance costs

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How much can a Chevrolet Colorado tow?

Base towing capacity: 3,500 pounds

Maximum towing capacity: 7,700 pounds

Engines: 2.5 L 4-cylinder, 3.6 L V6, 2.8 L turbo-diesel 4-cylinder, ZR2

As a mid-sized pickup truck, the Chevy Colorado has a very respectable towing capacity. Compared to similar pickups, its maximum comes in ahead of the

Toyota Tacoma

’s 6,400 pounds and the

Ford Ranger

’s 7,500.

The very base level of the Colorado’s 4-cylinder engine is capable of towing a modest 3,500 pounds, but the V6 upgrade amps towing capacity up to 7,000 pounds when the Z82 trailering package is equipped. Opting for the turbo-diesel engine increases that number even further to 7,700 pounds of towing power. While the ZR2 trim also has the 3.6 L V6 engine, it should be noted that its towing capacity caps at 5,000 pounds instead.

All standard Colorados come equipped with trailer-sway control, which activates the trailer’s brakes in the event of excessive swaying. Notably, it’s the only mid-size truck that has this feature available.

Trailer hitches for the Chevrolet Colorado

If you opt for the trailering package on your Chevy Colorado, it will have a hitch receiver already equipped.

You can also add a trailer hitch to your pickup by purchasing a compatible aftermarket hitch. There are many options to choose from, including the

CURT 13176 Class III hitch

, which claims to contribute 8,000 pounds of towing capacity.

MORE:

How to install a tow bar

How to calculate the towing capacity you need

When you’re preparing to tow with your Chevy Colorado, it’s important to make sure you never exceed the maximum towing capacity.

Doing so not only jeopardizes the health of your pickup, but it can also void your warranty. To avoid making this mistake, here’s a breakdown of what your Colorado can handle.

Base capacity (2.5 L 4-cylinder and 3.6 L V6 without trailering package):

Small camper (around 2,900 pounds fully loaded)

Small enclosed utility trailer (around 3,200 pounds fully loaded)

Middle Capacity (ZR2 and V6 with trailering package):

Small travel trailer (around 3,600 pounds fully loaded)

Tow dolly (around 4,000 pounds fully loaded)

Maximum capacity (2.8 L turbo diesel):

Large enclosed utility trailer (around 7,100 pounds fully loaded)

Small horse trailer (around 7,200 pounds fully loaded)

Gross Combination Weight Rating

While it’s important to be aware of your maximum towing capacity, you’ll also want to monitor your Colorado’s Gross Combination Weight Rating, or GCWR. This communicates the total allowable weight your pickup can be with its payload (total passenger and cargo weight) and attached trailer weight factored in.

Here’s a look at what the GCWR is for each engine package of the Chevy Colorado:

Engine package	GCWR
2.5 L 4-cylinder	8,500 lb
3.6 L V6	12,000 lb
3.6 L V6 with trailering package	12,000 lb
Duramax 2.8 L turbo-diesel 4-cylinder	12,700 lb
ZR2 3.6 L V6 with trailering package	10,300 lb
ZR2 Duramax 2.8 L turbo-diesel 4-cylinder	10,700 lb

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When gearing up to hit that campground, you’ll want to calculate cargo and passenger weight into your load, too. And if you’re concerned that you’ve got more to haul and tow than your Colorado can handle, you can always head to a weigh station before you’re completely loaded to get an idea of how much more can fit.

How to increase towing capacity

If you’d like to add more power to your Chevy Colorado’s towing capacity, consider getting the following features upgraded:

The hitch—you can use a weight distribution hitch to help distribute weight for better towing capacity

Brakes—luckily, the Colorado already comes with a built-in trailer brake controller, but strengthening your truck’s brakes can add control, as well

Axles—better drivetrain support can help you haul a bigger load

Radiator—the faster your engine can cool, the more efficient it will become at towing big loads

Though adjusting these features provides a minor increase to your towing capacity, it should be noted that you won’t be able to up your Colorado’s towing capacity game significantly. So if you’re looking to start towing large boats or car trailers, you may want to upgrade to a full-size or heavy-duty pickup like the

Ram 2500

, which can handle 17,890 pounds, or the

Chevy Silverado 3500

, which can tow up to 20,000 pounds.

MORE:

The cheapest pickup trucks for 2021

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How to find affordable car insurance

No matter what you’re towing in your Chevrolet Colorado, you’ll want to keep it (and your truck) well-protected with good insurance. But while overweighing a trailer is pretty easy to avoid, overpaying your premiums sometimes isn’t—that’s where

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The average user ends up saving $887 a year on car insurance, so it’s definitely worth a look to save some extra cash for your Colorado’s adventures!

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FAQs

Is the Chevrolet Colorado good for towing?

Yes—the Chevy Colorado can handle towing up to 7,700 pounds with the turbo-diesel engine under the hood. The V6 gas engine can tow up to 7,000 pounds itself with the trailering package equipped, but the base level 4-cylinder is only capable of a modest 3,500 pounds.

Can you put a trailer hitch on a Chevrolet Colorado?

Yes—if you equipped your Colorado with the trailering package it should already have a trailer hitch attached. If not, you can purchase a compatible aftermarket hitch to install on your truck on your own.