Only relatively minor changes and updates are introduced with the debut of the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup, Here, we’re zooming in on the towing capacities for the 2025 Sierra, which differ only slightly from the hauling capability of the 2024 model year.
First off, let’s look more closely at the available powertrains for the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500, which provide the groundwork for the pickup’s towing potential. The pickup cradles one of four powerplant choices under the hood – specifically, the turbocharged 2.7L I4 L3B gasoline TurboMax engine developing 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque, the naturally aspirated 5.3L V8 L84 gasoline engine cranking out 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 L87 gasoline engine producing 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, or the 3.0L I6 LZ0 turbodiesel Duramax engine offering 305 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of torque.
Cog swaps are provided by the GM eight-speed automatic transmission for the base inline-four L3B engine, with the GM 10-speed automatic transmission paired with all other engine options. Axle ratio is either 3.23 or 3.42.
Now that we’ve noted the preliminaries, here are the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 towing capacities:
2025 GMC Sierra 1500 Towing Capacities with Ball Hitch
| Model | Drivetrain | Turbo 2.7L I4 L3B | 5.3L V8 L84 | 6.2L V8 L87 | Turbo-Diesel 3.0L I6 LZ0 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axle Ratio | Max Trailer Weight (lbs / kg) | Axle Ratio | Max Trailer Weight (lbs / kg) | Axle Ratio | Max Trailer Weight (lbs / kg) | Axle Ratio | Max Trailer Weight (lbs / kg) | ||
| Crew Cab Short Bed | 2WD | 3.42 | 9,200 / 4,173 | 3.23 | 9,400 / 4,2642 | 3.23 | 9,200 / 4,173 | ||
| Crew Cab Short Bed with NHT1 | 2WD | 3.42 | 11,100 / 5,035 | 3.73 | 13,100 / 5,9423 | ||||
| Crew Cab Short Bed | 4WD | 3.42 | 8,900 / 4,037 | 3.23 | 9,200 / 4,1734 | 3.23 | 8,900 / 4,0375 | 3.23 | 8,800 / 3,9929,10 |
| Crew Cab Short Bed with NHT1 | 4WD | 3.42 | 10,900 / 4,944 | 3.42 | 13,000 / 5,8976 | 3.73 | 13,000 / 5,8977 | ||
| Crew Cab Standard Bed | 4WD | 3.42 | 8,900 / 4,037 | 3.23 | 9,000 / 4,0824 | 3.23 | 8,900 / 4,0375 | 3.23 | 8,700 / 3,94611 |
| Crew Cab Standard Bed with NHT1 | 4WD | 3.42 | 10,800 / 4,899 | 3.42 | 13,000 / 5,8976 | 3.73 | 12,900 / 5,8516 | ||
| Double Cab Standard Bed | 2WD | 3.42 | 9,200 / 4,173 | 3.23 | 9,400 / 4,264 | 3.23 | 9,300 / 4,218 | ||
| Double Cab Standard Bed with NHT1 | 2WD | 3.42 | 11,200 / 5,080 | 3.73 | 13,200 / 5,9888 | ||||
| Double Cab Standard Bed | 4WD | 3.42 | 8,900 / 4,037 | 3.23 | 9,300 / 4,218 | 3.23 | 9,000 / 4,082 | ||
| Double Cab Standard Bed with NHT1 | 4WD | 3.42 | 11,000 / 4,990 | 3.73 | 13,000 / 5,8977 | ||||
| Regular Cab Standard Bed | 2WD | 3.42 | 9,100 / 4,128 | ||||||
| Regular Cab Standard Bed | 4WD | 3.42 | 8,800 / 3,992 | ||||||
| Regular Cab Long Bed | 2WD | 3.42 | 9,500 / 4,309 | 3.23 | 9,800 / 4,445 | ||||
| Regular Cab Long Bed | 4WD | 3.42 | 9,200 / 4,173 | 3.23 | 9,500 / 4,309 | ||||
2. When equipped with fleet/government order (RPO MI2) transmission, rated at 9,700 pounds / 4,400 kilograms.
3. Requires 20-inch wheels and 4WD. When equipped with 17- or 18-inch wheels, rated at 11,900 pounds / 5,398 kilograms.
4. When equipped with fleet/government order (RPO MI2) transmission, rated at 9,400 pounds / 4,264 kilograms.
5. Sierra AT4 rated at 9,000 pounds / 4,082 kilograms. Sierra AT4X rated at 8,700 pounds / 3,946 kilograms.
6. Requires 20-inch wheels. When equipped with 17- or 18-inch wheels, rated at 11,700 pounds / 5,307 kilograms.
7. Requires 20-inch wheels. When equipped with 17- or 18-inch wheels, rated at 11,800 pounds / 5,352 kilograms.
8. Requires 20-inch wheels. When equipped with 17- or 18-inch wheels, rated at 12,000 pounds / 5,443 kilograms.
9. Sierra AT4 with mud-terrain tires rated at 8,900 pounds / 4,037 kilograms.
10. Sierra AT4X rated at 8,000 pounds / 3,629 kilograms.
11. Sierra AT4 with mud-terrain tires rated at 8,800 pounds or 3,992 kilograms.
2025 GMC Sierra 1500 Towing Capacities with 5th Wheel or Gooseneck Hitch
| Model | Drivetrain | Turbo 2.7L I4 L3B | 5.3L V8 L84 | 6.2L V8 L87 | Turbo-Diesel 3.0L I6 LZ0 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axle Ratio | Max Trailer Weight (lbs / kg) | Axle Ratio | Max Trailer Weight (lbs / kg) | Axle Ratio | Max Trailer Weight (lbs / kg) | Axle Ratio | Max Trailer Weight (lbs / kg) | ||
| Crew Cab Short Bed | 2WD | 3.42 | 9,100 / 4,128 | 3.23 | 8,400 / 3,810 | 3.23 | 7,600 / 3,447 | ||
| Crew Cab Short Bed with NHT1 | 2WD | 3.42 | 9,300 / 4,218 | 3.73 | 8,000 / 3,629 | ||||
| Crew Cab Short Bed | 4WD | 3.42 | 8,600 / 3,901 | 3.23 | 8,300 / 3,7652 | 3.23 | 6,400 / 2,9033 | 3.23 | 6,500 / 2,948 |
| Crew Cab Short Bed with NHT1 | 4WD | 3.42 | 8,800 / 3,992 | 3.42 | 8,000 / 3,629 | 3.73 | 8,100 / 3,674 | ||
| Crew Cab Standard Bed | 4WD | 3.42 | 8,800 / 3,992 | 3.23 | 7,400 / 3,3572 | 3.23 | 6,300 / 2,8584 | 3.23 | 5,900 / 2,6765 |
| Crew Cab Standard Bed with NHT1 | 4WD | 3.42 | 8,300 / 3,765 | 3.42 | 7,800 / 3,538 | 3.73 | 6,900 / 3,130 | ||
| Double Cab Standard Bed | 2WD | 3.42 | 9,200 / 4,173 | 3.23 | 8,000 / 3,629 | 3.23 | 7,600 / 3,447 | ||
| Double Cab Standard Bed with NHT1 | 2WD | 3.42 | 9,600 / 4,355 | 3.73 | 8,700 / 3,946 | ||||
| Double Cab Standard Bed | 4WD | 3.42 | 8,900 / 4,037 | 3.23 | 8,300 / 3,765 | 3.23 | 7,300 / 3,311 | ||
| Double Cab Standard Bed with NHT1 | 4WD | 3.42 | 9,600 / 4,355 | 3.73 | 8,700 / 3,946 | ||||
| Regular Cab Standard Bed | 2WD | 3.42 | 9,000 / 4,082 | ||||||
| Regular Cab Standard Bed | 4WD | 3.42 | 8,800 / 3,992 | ||||||
| Regular Cab Long Bed | 2WD | 3.42 | 9,400 / 4,264 | 3.23 | 9,700 / 4,400 | ||||
| Regular Cab Long Bed | 4WD | 3.42 | 9,100 / 4,128 | 3.23 | 9,100 / 4,128 | ||||
2. When equipped with fleet/government order (RPO MI2) transmission, rated at 9,300 pounds / 4,218 kilograms.
3. Sierra AT4 rated at 7,400 pounds / 3,357 kilograms. Sierra AT4X rated at 4,900 pounds / 2,223 kilograms.
4. Sierra AT4 rated at 7,000 pounds / 3,175 kilograms.
5. Sierra AT4 rated at 6,600 pounds / 2,994 kilograms.
Notably, while there are changes from the towing capacities for the 2024 model year, these are relatively small and affect only a minority of configurations.
The heaviest load towable by the 2025 Sierra 1500 with a ball hitch is 13,200 pounds, achieved by a Double Cab / Standard Bed pickup with RWD, the inline-six LZ0 turbodiesel engine and the optional Max Trailering Package (RPO code NHT). Several other configurations come close to this figure with 13,000 pounds maximum capacity. For a 5th wheel or gooseneck hitch the peak towing capacity is 9,700 pounds for the 5.3L V8 L84 in Regular Cab, Long Bed setup.
Owners of the 2025 GMC Sierra should also note the towing recommendations published in the truck’s manual. These include, but are not limited to, a 500-mile break-in period for a new truck during which no towing is carried out, low-speed towing under 50 miles per hour for the first 500 miles of hauling, and use of either Drive (D) or Tow / Haul Mode for towing.
Also, there are a number of features and technologies General Motors recommends deactivating prior to pulling a trailer, including:
- Park Assist
- Reverse Automatic Braking
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert
- Rear Cross Traffic Braking
- Lane Change Alert
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Super Cruise, unless equipped with trailering functionality
As a reminder, the fourth-generation GMC Sierra 1500 pickup rides on the GM T1 platform. Production takes place at two plants, namely, the GM Fort Wayne plant in Indiana and the GM Silao plant in Mexico.
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