2026 Chevrolet Colorado · Towing & Payload

2026 Chevrolet Colorado Towing & Payload NWA AR

Up to 7,700 lbs of towing when properly equipped with the available trailering equipment, on a rear-drive or standard-4WD crew cab. Here is the full breakdown by configuration, plus what those numbers actually pull.

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The 2026 Chevrolet Colorado tows up to 7,700 lbs when properly equipped — the headline rating comes on the WT, LT, Trail Boss, and Z71 with the trailering equipment fitted, and it leads the midsize class. This page is for the buyer shopping on capability: tow and payload by configuration, what the trailering packages include, the technology that makes hitching easier, and a plain-English translation of what the ratings pull. For the rest of the numbers see the Colorado specs, and for trim equipment see all trims compared.

Ratings

Maximum Towing Capacity by Configuration

Every 2026 Colorado is a crew cab with the 5-foot bed and the 310-hp 2.7L TurboMax engine, so the tow rating varies by trim hardware rather than by engine or cab. The "properly equipped" caveat matters: the maximum requires the trailering equipment below.

Configuration	Max tow (lbs, properly equipped)
Crew cab, RWD or 4WD — work and street trims	7,700
Crew cab, 4WD — lifted off-road trims (2-in lift)	7,700
Crew cab, 4WD — ZR2 (trail suspension, 33-in tires)	6,000

The off-road flagship gives up 1,700 lbs of rating to its trail-tuned suspension and tires; every other version carries the full 7,700. If your priority is maximum towing, the LT or Trail Boss with the trailering equipment is the natural build.

Hauling

Maximum Payload by Configuration

Payload, what rides in the bed and cab, runs from roughly 1,450 to 1,850 pounds depending on configuration, with a representative rating of up to 1,570 pounds and a GVWR of 6,250 pounds. Remember the two budgets interact: passengers, gear, and tongue weight all count against payload. A loaded trailer's tongue typically presses 10 to 15 percent of its weight onto the hitch, so a trailer near the maximum uses most of a bed's worth of payload before you add a single toolbox. The bed itself is 61.7 inches long with up to 17 available tie-downs and an available 110-volt outlet.

Equipment

Trailering Packages and Features

The Trailering Package (a trailer hitch, 7-pin sealed connector with 7-wire harness, and an integrated trailer brake controller) is standard on the Trail Boss and ZR2 and available on the other trims. The Advanced Trailering Package builds on it with the In-Vehicle Trailering App (trailer profiles, pre-departure checklists, light-test sequence, maintenance reminders) and an automatic-locking rear differential. Trailer sway control and auto grade braking back up the hardware, and Tow/Haul mode sharpens the 8-speed's shift behavior under load.

Heavy Hitches

Fifth-Wheel and Gooseneck Capability

Chevrolet publishes no fifth-wheel or gooseneck rating for the Colorado: it is a conventional-hitch truck, and its 5-foot bed is not suited to an in-bed hitch. If a fifth-wheel camper or gooseneck equipment trailer is in your plans, the right tool is a full-size truck; ask us about the Silverado 1500 and HD lineup, which George Nunnally Chevrolet also stocks.

Technology

Available Trailering Technology

Hitch Guidance uses the rear camera to bend a single guideline from your bumper to the trailer coupler, so you can line up a hitch solo; the available Hitch View adds a close-up of the ball while reversing and lets you check the connection while driving. Up to ten available camera views cover the trailer on the move, and the Trailering App keeps profiles and checklists on the 11.3-inch screen. It is the kind of technology that turns a two-person launch-ramp job into a one-person job.

Real Loads

What Can the 2026 Colorado Actually Tow?

Ratings only matter when they map to real trailers. Typical weights below are hedged ranges — always verify your actual loaded weight — against the 7,700-lb maximum (6,000 for the trail flagship):

Load	Typical loaded weight	Fits the rating?
Aluminum fishing boat + trailer	~1,200–2,500 lbs	Easily, any trim
Pair of jet skis on a double trailer	~2,000–3,000 lbs	Easily, any trim
Loaded landscape / utility trailer	~2,500–4,500 lbs	Yes, any trim
20-ft pontoon + trailer	~3,800–5,000 lbs	Yes; comfortable on the 7,700 rating
Mid-size travel trailer / camper	~5,000–7,500 lbs	Within the 7,700 max, properly equipped; watch tongue weight vs payload

The named max-tow build: a crew-cab LT or Trail Boss with four-wheel drive and the trailering equipment. See those builds in current Colorado inventory.

Local Water

Real-World Towing in Northwest Arkansas

Around here, towing mostly means Beaver Lake. The 28,000-acre reservoir east of Rogers is where the boats go, and the Corps ramps at Prairie Creek and Rocky Branch see steady weekend trailer traffic from spring through fall, and a pontoon or bass boat from either ramp sits comfortably inside the Colorado's rating, and Hitch Guidance is genuinely useful on a crowded launch morning. Campers and canoe haulers pointing toward the Buffalo National River will appreciate the auto grade braking on the climbs and descents between here and the put-ins; steep grades and loaded trailers are exactly what Tow/Haul mode is for. Wherever you launch, verify your trailer's loaded weight before you leave Bentonville.

FAQ

2026 Chevrolet Colorado Towing FAQs

How much can the 2026 Chevrolet Colorado tow?

Up to 7,700 lbs when properly equipped with the trailering equipment. The off-road ZR2 is rated at 6,000 lbs because of its trail-tuned suspension and tires.

What does "properly equipped" mean for the Colorado?

It means the truck carries the trailering equipment the rating assumes: the hitch, the 7-pin connector, and the integrated trailer brake controller, standard on some trims and available on the rest. Your specific truck's rating is on its door-jamb label.

What is the 2026 Colorado's payload capacity?

Roughly 1,450 to 1,850 pounds by configuration, with a representative rating of up to 1,570 pounds. Passengers, cargo, and trailer tongue weight all count against it.

Can the Colorado tow a travel trailer?

Yes: mid-size travel trailers typically run about 5,000 to 7,500 lbs loaded, which fits within the 7,700-lb maximum on a properly equipped truck. Keep the tongue weight, usually 10 to 15 percent of trailer weight, inside the payload budget.

Does the Colorado offer a trailer brake controller?

Yes. An integrated trailer brake controller comes with the Trailering Package, standard on the Trail Boss and ZR2 and available on other trims, alongside Hitch Guidance, up to ten camera views, and the In-Vehicle Trailering App.