What you need to tow with a 2026 GMC Sierra 3500 HD

The 2026 GMC Sierra 3500 HD is rated from 14,500 to 20,000 lb depending on engine, cab, bed and drivetrain — a 38% spread. Find your configuration below, then size the hitch to the trailer you are towing, not to the truck's maximum.

A single towing number for this truck would be a lie. 20,000 lb applies to one exact configuration when properly equipped. Same badge, different engine, cab, bed or drivetrain, and the real figure can be thousands of pounds lower. That is why every row below carries its configuration.

2026 GMC Sierra 3500 HD towing by configuration

Engine	Cab	Bed	Drive	GCWR (lb)	Max trailer (lb)	Max 5th-wheel/gooseneck (lb)	Requires
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Crew Cab	Standard Bed	2WD	30,000	20,000	21,900	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Crew Cab	Standard Bed	4WD	30,000	20,000	21,600	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Crew Cab	Long Bed	4WD	30,000	20,000	21,460	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Double Cab	Long Bed	2WD	30,000	20,000	21,900	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Double Cab	Long Bed	4WD	30,000	20,000	21,590	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Crew Cab	Long Bed	2WD	30,300	20,000	22,070	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Crew Cab	Long Bed	2WD DRW	40,000	20,000	31,440	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Crew Cab	Long Bed	4WD DRW	40,000	20,000	31,000	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Double Cab	Long Bed	2WD DRW	40,000	20,000	31,580	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Double Cab	Long Bed	4WD DRW	40,000	20,000	31,270	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Regular Cab	Long Bed	4WD DRW	40,000	20,000	31,500	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Regular Cab	Long Bed	2WD DRW	43,500	20,000	35,500 · 32,000 5th-wheel	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Regular Cab	Long Bed	2WD DRW	43,900	20,000	36,000 · 32,000 5th-wheel	Requires available Max Trailering Package.
6.6L V8 Gas	Regular Cab	Long Bed	2WD DRW	26,000	18,700	18,760	—
6.6L V8 Gas	Regular Cab	Long Bed	4WD DRW	26,000	18,400	18,380	—
6.6L V8 Gas	Double Cab	Long Bed	2WD DRW	26,000	18,300	18,300	—
6.6L V8 Gas	Crew Cab	Long Bed	2WD DRW	26,000	18,200	18,230	—
6.6L V8 Gas	Double Cab	Long Bed	4WD DRW	26,000	18,000	17,990	—
6.6L V8 Gas	Crew Cab	Long Bed	4WD DRW	26,000	17,800	17,800	—
6.6L V8 Gas	Crew Cab	Standard Bed	2WD	26,000	16,000	18,650	—
6.6L V8 Gas	Crew Cab	Long Bed	2WD	26,000	16,000	18,510	—
6.6L V8 Gas	Crew Cab	Standard Bed	4WD	26,000	16,000	18,300	—
6.6L V8 Gas	Crew Cab	Long Bed	4WD	26,000	16,000	18,230	—
6.6L V8 Gas	Double Cab	Long Bed	2WD	26,000	16,000	18,620	—
6.6L V8 Gas	Double Cab	Long Bed	4WD	26,000	16,000	18,310	—
6.6L V8 Gas	Regular Cab	Long Bed	2WD	26,000	14,500	19,080	—
6.6L V8 Gas	Regular Cab	Long Bed	4WD	26,000	14,500	18,700	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Regular Cab	Long Bed	2WD	30,000	14,500	22,420	—
Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8	Regular Cab	Long Bed	4WD	30,000	14,500	22,040	—

GCWR is the maximum combined weight of the loaded truck and the loaded trailer. Max trailer weight assumes the vehicle is properly equipped and otherwise unloaded — every passenger and every pound of cargo comes off it.

Source: 2026 GMC Sierra 3500 HD manufacturer trailering chart · last verified 2026-08-29

The kit for this truck

Towing hardware is sized to the trailer. Pick the weight you are actually pulling:

These kits size conventional receiver hardware, which is why the list stops at 16,000 lb — that is where the published receiver classes stop. The 36,000 lb figure in the chart above needs a gooseneck or fifth-wheel hitch, and that hardware is a different category this site does not resolve yet: it mounts in the bed rather than behind the bumper, and is sized against your truck's bed rating rather than a receiver class.

Tow 7,000 lb with a Sierra 3500 HD Tow 8,000 lb with a Sierra 3500 HD Tow 9,000 lb with a Sierra 3500 HD Tow 10,000 lb with a Sierra 3500 HD Tow 11,000 lb with a Sierra 3500 HD Tow 12,000 lb with a Sierra 3500 HD Tow 14,000 lb with a Sierra 3500 HD Tow 16,000 lb with a Sierra 3500 HD

At this truck's ceiling (20,000 lb) you would be in Class 5 CD hardware with a weight-distributing hitch and a brake controller. See the 16,000 lb kit for this vehicle →

With a 5th-wheel or gooseneck hitch the same truck is rated to 36,000 lb. That hitch mounts in the bed, over the rear axle, rather than behind it — which is why the figure is higher. GMC publishes it as a separate rating per configuration; the column above carries it, and it applies only to a truck equipped for it.

Before you trust any of these numbers

Your payload governs. Addition of trailer hitch weight cannot cause vehicle weights to exceed Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (RGAWR) or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). These ratings can be found on the certification label located on the driver door or doorframe.
Tongue weight is not free. 10–15% of the trailer sits on your rear axle and comes out of payload, not out of tow rating.
Engines in this chart: 6.6L V8 Gas · Duramax 6.6L Turbo-Diesel V8. If yours is not listed, this chart does not cover your configuration.

Common questions

How much can a 2026 GMC Sierra 3500 HD tow?

Between 14,500 and 20,000 lb depending on the exact configuration — that is a 38% spread, so a single headline number is misleading. The 20,000 lb figure requires one specific combination of engine, cab, bed and drivetrain. Look up your own configuration in the table on this page.

What hitch do I need for a 2026 GMC Sierra 3500 HD?

Size the hitch to the trailer, not the truck. For a trailer up to 10,000 lb you need Class 4 hardware with a 2 in receiver, plus a weight-distributing hitch with sway control. The truck's rating is a ceiling you must stay under, not the thing you buy for.

Why is there no payload number on this page?

Because payload is specific to your individual vehicle, not to the model. It is printed on the certification label in your driver's door jamb. Published sources disagree with manufacturers in both directions on payload, so stating one per model would be wrong for most trucks. Your tongue weight counts against payload, which is why it matters.