What Gear Should You Put a 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 In for Flat-Towing

Question:

what gear do we put our truck in for flat-towing?

asked by: Zak

Expert Reply:

I have attached for you below the flat-tow procedures for a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 directly from the manual. Please note, only four wheel drive models with a two speed transfer case can be flat-towed. The transmission will be placed in park with the transfer case in neutral.

1. Position the vehicle being towed behind the tow vehicle, facing forward and on a level surface.
2. Securely attach the vehicle being towed to the tow vehicle.
3. Apply the parking brake and start the engine.
4. Shift the transfer case to N (Neutral).
5. With the engine running, release the parking brake and verify that the transfer case is in N (Neutral) by shifting
the transmission to D (Drive) and then to R (Reverse). There should be no movement while shifting the transmission.
6. Shift the transmission to P (Park).
7. Release the parking brake.
8. Turn the vehicle off.
9. Turn on the ignition without starting the engine. To do this, take your foot off the brake pedal then press and hold ENGINE START/STOP for five seconds until the green light on the button is illuminated.
10. Disconnect the negative (–) battery cable.
11. Move the steering wheel to make sure the steering column is unlocked.
12. For column shift transmissions, verify the transmission is in P (Park). Failing to put the transmission into Park before flat towing can damage the transmission.
13. Keep the remote key outside of the vehicle and manually lock the doors. Access the vehicle by using the key in the door lock.

If you need a list of parts required to flat-tow this vehicle, I have attached these for you below as well.

Roadmaster Direct-Connect Base Plate Kit part # RM86MR
Roadmaster Nighthawk All Terrain, Non-Binding Tow Bar part # RM-676
Roadmaster Universal Hy-Power Diode Wiring Kit part # RM-152
Blue Ox Patriot Radio Frequency, Portable Braking System part # BLU37TR
Roadmaster 12 Volt Outlet Kit part # RM-9332
Roadmaster Automatic Battery Disconnect part # RM-766