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Is the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2020 good for towing?

I'm considering a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with the 6.2-litre petrol engine. I'll be towing a boat trailer weighing in at 4.3 tonne for about 20 per cent of its while use the remaining time it will be a daily driver. I know that towing 4.3 tonnes will leave me with minimal payload, but it should be enough for two people. My question is regarding the torque; it is fairly conservative and I wonder if it is enough to haul my trailer of 4.3 tonne up a boat ramp. What are your thoughts? Does HSV or Walkinshaw have a bolt on kit or ECM remap available for an increase in torque?

You raise an interesting point, Phil. A lot of people don’t understand that as you approach the towing limit of some vehicles, you also get very close to the legal Gross Combination Mass (GCM) which means you have virtually no payload left.

As for the torque of the 6.2-litre V8 engine, while it may not have quite the low-speed punch of a modern turbo-diesel, with 624Nm of torque, the engine is no lightweight, either. Frankly, it should do the job about as well as anything else out there. I’m not aware of a factory retune for the Silverado, but the engine is shared with plenty of GM and Holden product and there’s a whole industry in hotting those up. Surely somebody can offer you the tune-up you’re looking for. By the way, success on a boat ramp tends to be more about grip than torque.

Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.

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