Towing Capacity and Fifth Wheel Hitch for 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 4WD with 5.3L V8

Question:

5th Wheel towing with 2014 Silverado 1500. I am expecting to tow a dry wt 5th wheel of 7488 lbs. The hitch weight in the online specs says 1442 lbs. I have been informed that the payload capacity of the truck is 1600 lbs. I have not, but will get the weights taken. Am I at the limits for this truck? I have 3.42 rear axle, 4wd, 5.3 L v8 with trailering package including on board brake controller. I just ordered the rails and hardware from eTrailer for the hitch install. Hope thats going to work out. Thanks

asked by: Paul T

Expert Reply:

I checked the Chevy towing guide and for your 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 with 4WD, a 5.3L V8 and 3.42 axle ratio your fifth wheel towing capacity will depend on your cab and bed length: 9,100 lbs for a Regular Cab/Standard Bed, 9,500 lbs for a Crew Cab/Standard Bed, 9,600 lbs for a Double Cab/Standard Bed or 9,900 lbs for a Regular Cab/Long Bed.

In regards to the fifth-wheel tongue weight (kingpin weight) the guide only said that it should be 15% to 25% of the loaded trailer weight and a fifth wheel with a dry hitch weight of 1,442 lbs is going to be very close to the limits the truck can handle.

You can still install the Reese Quick-Install Custom Installation Kit w/ Base Rails # RP50064-58 and use a hitch like the Reese 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Slider # RP30051 for a standard bed or Reese # RP30047 for a long bed so long as you stay within the limits of the truck. There is also going to be a placard on the door jamb which has your truck's axle weight rating which I recommend taking a look at as this will give you further info on the amount of kingpin weight you can add.

expert reply by: Kyle S