Pawleys Island sits less than 35 miles from Conway. Easy, right? Mostly, until you’re circling the south-end lot at 9:45 on a Saturday morning and watching every spot vanish. The island’s nine public beach access points share roughly 141 combined parking spaces, and the Town of Pawleys Island enforces its parking regulations strictly. So before you load up and head south on US-501, the questions worth asking aren’t about whether the 2026 Trailblazer can make the run. The Trailblazer can. What matters is which trim gets your gear there comfortably, which setup handles the island’s tight, narrow access roads, and where the Trailblazer’s honest limits sit.

What Actually Matters When Choosing Your Trailblazer Setup?

Four variables decide which Trailblazer configuration earns its spot in your driveway on a Pawleys weekend, and while the spec sheet lists them all, the island decides which ones matter (overall size, cargo capacity, drivetrain grip, and tow rating). Overall size counts because the causeway road and island streets are genuinely narrow. Cargo capacity counts because beach gear multiplies faster than you’d guess. Drivetrain grip counts because late-summer afternoon thunderstorms on US-17 aren’t rare in the Grand Strand, and tow rating counts the moment any watercraft or trailer joins the trip.

The four main configurations sort out like this against a Pawleys weekend.

All mpg figures are EPA estimates for the 2026 Trailblazer. Chevrolet lists max towing at 1,000 lbs when properly equipped, and that holds across all trims.

Getting Your Gear to the Beach: Cargo Is the Real Differentiator

Cargo is where the Trailblazer earns its keep for a beach weekend, and though it wears a compact badge, the 2026 model gives you 25.3 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 54.4 cubic feet with that seat folded. Compact SUV doesn’t have to mean cramped.

The feature almost nobody in the crossover segment can match is the flat-folding front passenger seat, which creates a load floor up to 8.5 feet long, entirely inside the closed cabin.

What does that mean on a Pawleys run? A family of four with beach chairs, a cooler, a bag of sand toys, and a pop-up shade tent can pack everything behind the rear seats and still leave room for wet towels on the way home. Traveling solo or as a couple, you can fold one rear section and the front seat and carry paddleboards, a folding kayak, or fishing gear without roof racks or a trailer. Losing the trailer matters when you’re squeezing into a Pawleys Island street-parking slot.

The Equinox steps up if your crew regularly fills every seat and needs serious cargo on top of that. For a two-to-four-person coastal weekend, though, the Trailblazer’s flexible interior handles the load without the extra footprint.

Browse our current Trailblazer inventory to see which trim configurations are on the lot right now.

Matching Your Trailblazer to How You Actually Drive to Pawleys

For a Pawleys Island day trip or a weekend stay, the LT or ACTIV in FWD is where our team would start, since the 1.3L FWD gives you EPA-estimated 33 mpg on the highway and covers the 35-mile US-501 run down and back without complaint. Get there early enough to beat the parking rush and the standard ground clearance is fine for paved access lots. Save AWD for trips that involve Huntington Beach State Park, whose sand parking areas run softer, or for the stretch of US-17 Alternate through Murrells Inlet when a late-afternoon storm slicks the road.

If a jet ski is coming along, the properly-equipped Trailblazer handles up to 1,000 lbs of tow. A single personal watercraft on a light trailer fits within that, on the lighter trailers anyway. Confirm the actual trailer weight before you hitch anything up, and verify the specific door-jamb label for your trim and configuration.

Bigger boat, bigger crew, or camping gear for a Huntington Beach overnight? That’s when the Traverse earns a look instead. Different trip, different vehicle.

See What Your Current Vehicle Is Worth

Main Street in North Myrtle Beach closes to traffic on event day. The Horseshoe lot shuts at 2 PM for concert setup every Thursday during Music on Main. When NMB Live! rolls in on September 26 with 150-plus vendors and an expected 15,000 people in town, the free lots at 2nd Avenue North and 1st Avenue South fill early. The SUV you drive to an NMB event is a logistics decision first and a preference second. A 204-inch three-row that can’t squeeze into the McLean Park overflow lot is a problem you don’t want to be solving at 10:15 AM once the festival has already started.

So how do you choose? Match your Chevy to the event, the lot, and how many people you’re hauling, and the pick makes itself. We’ve laid it all out below.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trailblazer is the one we’d reach for first if your group is four people or fewer. Keep reading to see exactly why we’d reach for it first.

Where Do You Park, and When?

Park in a designated free lot and get there early, because for Music on Main (Thursday evenings, June through September at the Horseshoe on 11 S. Ocean Blvd.) the Horseshoe lot closes at 2 PM for stage setup and Ocean Boulevard from 1st Avenue North to 1st Avenue South closes at 5 PM. For NMB Live! on September 26, the City of North Myrtle Beach has confirmed three free parking locations and a shuttle option. Plan around them rather than hoping to find something on Main Street itself.

Music on Main note: the two-hour street parking limit on Main Street (Ocean Blvd to Oak Street) runs 9 AM to 5 PM daily, and the city enforces it. Get to a designated lot instead of a Main Street curbside spot you plan to feed for five hours.

The Maneuvering Play: Which SUV Fits This Street Grid

The smaller the footprint, the easier this grid is, because North Myrtle Beach’s Ocean Drive section runs on a classic old beach grid of short blocks with angled and parallel spots mixed together, and on event day you’ll be threading past golf carts, pedestrians crossing mid-block, and the occasional beach cruiser going the wrong way. Every inch of vehicle length matters here.

Chevrolet lists the 2026 Trailblazer at 174.1 inches long and 71.2 inches wide, the smallest footprint in our lineup for a full five-passenger SUV. It turns in a tight 103.9-inch wheelbase, which translates to noticeably less nose overhang when you’re backing out of an angled spot on 2nd Avenue North. The Trax is even shorter (178.6 inches, actually a hair longer than the Trailblazer, so call it comparable at this scale), with Chevrolet’s cargo figure of 54.1 cubic feet with the rear seat folded. The 2026 Chevrolet Trax is the sharpest choice if you’re bringing two people plus a stroller, beach chairs, and a cooler.

For a family of five or six, the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox at 183.2 inches is the sweet spot. It gives you 63.5 cubic feet of total cargo space, fits standard parking spaces without drama, and still clears the Traverse’s bulk. Where we’d steer you away from the Equinox is a group of seven or eight people, when you’re splitting two vehicles or you want the 2026 Chevrolet Traverse (204.5 inches, 97.6 cubic feet of cargo). The Traverse is genuinely capable and comfortable for a big family day out. The tradeoff is real. At 204 inches it’s tighter to manage in a compact beach lot when other cars are pulling in and out around you. If you’re bringing the Traverse, target McLean Park or use the shuttle. It’s not the wrong choice. It just wants more room to work with.

Before You Go: Your Event-Day Checklist

Pack for warm, humid coastal afternoons and plan to beat the road closures, because these events run outdoors in coastal South Carolina in September and the lots and streets shut on a fixed schedule that won’t wait for you. Run through everything on this list before you leave the driveway.

• Download the NMB city parking map before you leave home; cell coverage can slow near the event zone when 15,000 people are on the same cell towers
• Arrive before 10 AM for NMB Live! or before 4:30 PM for Music on Main to beat road closures and lot fills
• Load chairs, sunscreen, and a small cooler before you leave so you can walk straight from the lot to the event; don’t dig through the cargo area on 2nd Avenue in traffic
• Park, then unload. Stop at your lot, set your group loose to walk toward Main Street, then find your space; it’s faster than loading up on the curb
• Note your lot name and the cross street on your phone; McLean Park, Ocean Drive Elementary, 2nd Ave N / Ocean Blvd, and 1st Ave S / Ocean Blvd all look similar if you’re turned around after a few hours in a crowd
• Trax and Trailblazer owners: fold the rear seat and load cargo before you go; 54 cubic feet of flat floor loaded at home beats wrestling beach chairs out of a folded-seat configuration in a packed lot
• Traverse owners: confirm your group is using the shuttle from Ocean Drive Elementary if you’re arriving after 11 AM; that’s the right call

See What Your Current Vehicle Is Worth

The right SUV for event day is the one that fits your group, clears the lot you’re parking in, and doesn’t require a 12-point turn to back out. None of that is a sales line, just plain lot geometry (something our team at Palmetto Chevrolet thinks about whenever customers ask which Chevy makes sense for Grand Strand life).

Go enjoy it.

If you’re pulling anything significant on Hwy 701, from the Waccamaw River boat ramps south toward Georgetown County or north through the active construction zones toward Loris, you need a truck configured for the job rather than one picked for a big spec-sheet number.

Which Chevy truck actually fits your trailer? For most real towing jobs in this market, the answer is the 2026 Silverado 2500 HD, and it’s a fair question from Horry County tradespeople, farmers, and families who pull loads on this corridor. But it isn’t the only right answer, and we want to walk through why before you drive in and choose one on badge alone.

Below is the breakdown across four trucks, ranked by towing capability and matched to the real loads this corridor carries.

The 2026 Chevy Towing Lineup at a Glance

Every figure here depends on proper equipment and configuration. Chevrolet publishes the specific ratings on the Trailering Information Label on the driver’s door jamb of each individual truck. Treat that sticker as the authoritative number for your build; the headline figure is only a starting point.

Silverado 2500 HD: The Workhorse for Hwy 701

The 2026 Silverado 2500 HD is where we point buyers who tow seriously on this corridor, since it pairs a genuine heavy-duty rating with the stability hardware a two-lane road demands, though the payload math keeps it from being automatic for every gooseneck. Full stop.

The stretch between Conway and Georgetown County on 701 is a two-lane road through rural, low-elevation terrain. On a road like that, trailer sway demands real stability hardware, not just a high headline number. Chevrolet rates the 2026 Silverado 2500 HD at up to 20,000 lbs of conventional towing capacity when equipped with the 6.6L Duramax turbodiesel V8 producing 470 horsepower and 975 lb-ft of torque, paired with the Max Trailering Package. That setup covers a heavy equipment trailer, a large fifth-wheel camper, or a loaded flatbed without straining the system.

For a heavy hauler on this corridor, that combination is what matters. It tows and stays composed doing it.

Chevrolet also made the integrated trailer brake controller standard for 2026 on every single trim of the 2500 HD. You used to have to spec up or add aftermarket hardware to get in-dash brake control. Now the lowest Work Truck trim has it from the factory, and that’s a genuine step forward for the tradespeople on this corridor who buy the base spec and work it hard.

The tradeoff here is payload, and there really is one. The Duramax diesel adds meaningful curb weight, which cuts your available payload compared to the gas 6.6L V8 rated at 401 hp and 464 lb-ft. Chevrolet lists maximum payload at 3,689 lbs, but that number shrinks once you account for passengers, tools in the bed, and the engine itself. If your gooseneck pin weight runs heavy, the gas V8 variant, rated at approximately 14,500 lbs conventional, can give you more headroom in the payload column. Know your pin weight before choosing the engine.

Explore Financing for a Silverado 2500 HD

Silverado 3500 HD: When the Load Is Commercial

The 2026 Silverado 3500 HD exists for the loads a 2500 HD can’t legally touch, so it’s the pick when you’re moving commercial gooseneck weight, though most residential buyers will find it’s more truck than their trailers ever ask for. That’s the short version.

If you’re moving heavy equipment on a gooseneck, say a loaded skid steer, a full-size excavator, or a commercial flatbed hauling material south on 701, the 3500 HD Dually with the 6.6L Duramax diesel and the Max Trailering Package is rated up to 36,000 lbs gooseneck. Conventional towing tops out at 20,000 lbs. The engine family matches the 2500 HD, the 470 hp / 975 lb-ft Duramax paired with the Allison 10-speed automatic, but the dual rear wheel configuration handles far greater pin weight at the back axle.

One detail is easy to miss. The 36,000-lb gooseneck rating requires a very specific build (Regular Cab, 2WD, dual rear wheel, NHT package, Duramax). A residential setup rarely calls for that build. Most everyday 3500 HD jobs live in the 18,000-to-22,000-lb range, which the 2500 HD also covers comfortably. We’d point you to the 3500 HD if you’re running commercial volumes of equipment on 701 South, or if your trailer’s pin weight routinely stresses the limits of a 2500 HD’s payload ceiling.

A short list of operators truly needs this truck:

• Commercial contractors running fully loaded equipment trailers regularly
• Hotshot operators running gooseneck flatbeds on the 701/17 corridor
• Agricultural operations towing large livestock or full-scale equipment trailers
• Anyone whose primary use case is the job itself rather than an occasional weekend

Buying Caution: Read the Door-Jamb Label Before You Tow Anything

Three More Things Worth Knowing for This Corridor

• Heat and humidity stress the cooling system on long pulls. The stretch of 701 from Conway south into Georgetown County is low-elevation and plenty hot in September. On any engine, Tow/Haul mode is the setting the transmission calibration was designed for. Use it.
• Active widening construction on 701 north of Conway means merge points and lane changes with a trailer behind you. The 2026 HD models offer up to 14 camera views including a hitch view. Those are practical tools on a two-lane construction zone, and they earn their place.
• The Advanced Trailering Package or Max Trailering Package is what unlocks the top rating on every truck in this lineup. Confirm it’s actually on the truck you’re buying, not just available for the trim.

Silverado 1500: Capable, and More Honest Than Its Reputation

The 2026 Silverado 1500 earns its spot here for the buyer who tows a few times a season and handles a pontoon boat or a mid-size camper cleanly, though it isn’t the truck for a trailer that lives near its ceiling week in and week out. The timing is worth a note too. This is the last year of the fourth-generation Silverado 1500 before Chevrolet launches a redesigned truck for the 2027 model year.

Chevrolet rates the 2026 Silverado 1500 at up to 13,300 lbs of conventional towing when properly equipped with the 3.0L Duramax turbodiesel inline-six making 495 lb-ft of torque or the 6.2L V8, plus the Max Trailering Package. The 5.3L V8, which is more often what you’ll find on the lot, is rated up to 11,300 lbs. The base 2.7L TurboMax reaches 9,500 lbs. For a pontoon boat headed to the Waccamaw, a mid-size travel trailer, or a single-axle equipment trailer, those numbers work without drama.

The 1500 earns its keep in a clear way. If you’re trailering a boat or camper a few times a season, a well-equipped 1500 handles it cleanly. Its smaller footprint is easier to maneuver at a boat ramp, easier through downtown Conway, and easier on fuel the other 340 days you’re not towing.

The catch worth naming is the sustained pull. If your loaded trailer sits near the 12,000-lb mark, you’re working close to the ceiling of what the half-ton is built to manage over distance. The 2500 HD carries that load without the thermal stress the 1500 would eventually feel. Buyers who tow often or near capacity should step up. The 1500 fits the buyer who tows regularly but doesn’t earn a living doing it.

Colorado: The Right Truck for the Right Trailer

The 2026 Chevrolet Colorado closes out this list as the right answer for the towing jobs where a full-size truck is more than the trailer needs, though it runs out of room quickly once the loaded weight climbs. It suits a big slice of Horry County towing where a full-size truck feels like the default and the trailer doesn’t actually require one.

Chevrolet rates the 2026 Colorado at up to 7,700 lbs of towing capacity when equipped with the Advanced Trailering Package, powered by the 2.7L TurboMax four-cylinder producing 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. Without the package, that drops sharply to 3,500 lbs. So confirming the package is on the specific truck you’re buying matters a lot.

Inside 7,700 lbs you can fit a bass boat, a small to mid-size camper, a loaded single-axle utility trailer, or a side-by-side on a small enclosed. What it won’t handle is anything with a loaded weight pushing past 7,000 lbs, or any trailer where the tongue weight approaches the Colorado’s 1,710-lb maximum payload. Base your decision on the trailer’s loaded weight, since the empty weight always reads lower, and check it before you buy.

The Colorado’s advantage around here is an everyday one. If you’re commuting on US-501 between Conway and Myrtle Beach and only towing a few times a month, its smaller footprint, improved daily fuel economy, and lower overall cost of ownership make sense. A 2500 HD is a serious tool. Sometimes a serious tool is more truck than the job calls for.

By the Palmetto Chevrolet Team | September 2026

If you’re shopping a used Traverse to haul the family down US-501 to the beach every summer, the model year matters more than you’d think. Buy from the wrong window and you could be stranded at a Conway stoplight in August with a climate system that’s already given up. Buy from the right one and you get a genuinely capable three-row SUV for a lot less than new sticker.

Our team at Palmetto Chevrolet reads the used-Traverse market off the Chevrolet specs and the NHTSA recall record, so you can walk onto any lot knowing exactly what you’re looking for, recalls and all.

Browse our used Traverse inventory

Which Traverse Years Are Actually the Sweet Spot?

The second generation, redesigned for 2018, is the core of the used-Traverse sweet spot, and the 2021-2023 window is the cleanest slice of it, though you’ll still want to pull the VIN on a 2023 for one transmission recall we’ll cover below. That 2018 redesign moved the Traverse off the old Lambda platform onto GM’s C1XX architecture and bumped the V6 to 310 horsepower with a nine-speed automatic. The cabin got roomier and the reliability picture improved meaningfully. Per NHTSA complaint data, Traverse models from 2021 through 2024 each reported fewer than 100 total complaints (a sharp drop from the 300-plus complaints logged against 2018 and 2019 examples).

The 2022-2023 refresh within that generation added updated lighting, a more current infotainment stack, and a cleaner interior. So you’re getting the mature version of a good platform. That matters on a trip from Conway to North Myrtle Beach in August traffic, because a mature platform is one where the factory already worked out the first-year bugs.

Which Years Should You Watch Out For?

The 2014-2017 range carries the most pressing concern right now, and it’s the one block we’d flag before you even test-drive, though a clean VIN check can clear an individual truck if the fix has already been done at a dealer. Per NHTSA recall 23V334, GM recalled 2014-2017 Traverse vehicles (along with Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia) because the driver airbag inflator may explode during deployment, sending metal fragments into the cabin. That recall was expanded in May 2023 and, per NHTSA data, was still showing up in VIN searches as recently as February 2026 for some vehicles. That’s not a defect you want to discover on I-95 south of Florence.

The 2023 model year has its own issue. NHTSA recall 23V172 covers certain 2023 Traverse vehicles for a dimensionally incorrect sun gear inside the transmission, a condition that can cause the driver-side half-shaft to disengage and result in a sudden loss of propulsion. Losing drive on US-501 in the middle of a beach-season Saturday would ruin the trip. If you’re looking at a 2023, pull the VIN and confirm the transmission repair has been completed.

Our other hard pass for this market is the 2009-2012 window. Those early first-gen trucks now have 14-plus years of South Carolina heat cycles on their rubber seals, AC systems, and suspension bushings. Air conditioning isn’t optional here from May through September, and the first-gen climate system had a documented pattern of compressor and evaporator failures. We’re not fans of buying someone else’s summer breakdown.

Explore financing options for your used Traverse

The 2020 model year gets a soft caution. A roof-rail airbag inflator defect (the diffuser may separate during deployment) affected 2020 Traverse vehicles along with several other GM platforms. That remedy is a dealer fix, so a 2020 with documented service records and a clear VIN check is still buyable, recall and all. Just verify before you sign anything.

One practical step applies to any used Traverse. Ask the selling dealer or private seller for the CARFAX service records, then cross-check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls yourself. A couple of minutes online is the cheapest inspection you’ll ever do.

A Note on What Grand Strand Driving Actually Demands

The tradeoff on the Traverse as a beach hauler comes down to size against thirst, and it’s worth weighing before you commit. The Traverse is a strong family carrier for most trips, but it isn’t the right tool for every family. It seats seven or eight, hauls up to 98 cubic feet of cargo with the second and third rows folded, and tows up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped (always verify against the door-jamb label for your specific unit). That’s enough for a jon boat or a loaded pop-up camper. For a family of five with bikes, boogie boards, and a week’s worth of luggage, it’s genuinely the right size.

The honest downside is fuel economy. On the second-gen V6 models it runs around 18 city / 27 highway on FWD examples. Summer Grand Strand traffic doesn’t look like highway. US-501 through Conway in July is stop-and-go by mid-morning on weekends, and the SC-22 Veterans Highway bypass shortens the crawl but doesn’t eliminate it. In slow traffic, real-world fuel economy on an older V6 Traverse drops below those EPA figures. If you’re doing mostly in-town Grand Strand driving, budget for that.

See new Traverse models at Palmetto Chevrolet

The third-gen 2024-2026 Traverse addressed this directly. Chevrolet replaced the V6 with a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque. The EPA rates the FWD 2025 Traverse at 20 city and 27 highway (slightly better in city driving than the outgoing V6), with noticeably more power. But those trucks are still depreciating from new-vehicle territory, so the value calculation is different.

Check Financing Options for a Used Traverse

Which Used Traverse Year Fits Which Family?

How we’d sort the used Traverse lineup for a Grand Strand family comes down to the recall record and the SC climate more than sticker gloss, so you can match the right year to how you’ll actually use the truck. Here’s the shortlist, by budget and by how far you’re really driving.

The 2021-2022 Traverse is the sweet spot for most families. You get the refined second generation, low complaint volume per NHTSA data, the 310-horsepower 3.6L V6, and no open safety recalls on a typical clean example. The 2022 facelift adds updated exterior lighting and a better infotainment screen for the same basic platform. If you find one with under 60,000 miles and a clean VIN check, that’s the Traverse we’d point you toward.

The 2018-2020 range works if you do your homework. These are the first three years of the second generation, and they’re solid trucks once the open recalls are confirmed remedied. The 2019 models had a Sensing Diagnostic Module recall (affecting airbag deployment) that should have been fixed under the original recall program. Check the VIN. The 2020 has the roof-rail issue noted above. A documented, remedied example is still a good truck at a lower price point than a 2021-2022.

A 2024-2025 third-gen is worth considering if your budget allows. You get the new platform, the more efficient turbo-four, 98 cubic feet of cargo space, and a 17.7-inch infotainment screen standard. These aren’t yet the value buys a 2021-2022 represents, but they’re compelling if depreciation has brought one into your range. Our team can walk you through what’s on the lot.

Skip the 2009-2017 first generation for a primary road-trip vehicle. Those early years are high-mileage and recall-heavy. The 2014-2017 models carry an unresolved airbag inflator recall on many VINs. Even the cleaner 2013-2017 window involves a 10-plus-year-old truck with a SC-heat-aged AC system. There are better places to spend your money.

Value your trade-in toward a used Traverse

One last thing we tell every buyer, no matter the year. Have a trusted mechanic do a pre-purchase inspection before you commit. A used Traverse headed to the Waccamaw River boat ramp or down to the North Myrtle Beach strip should have its cooling system, transmission fluid, and suspension checked. That’s true of any used vehicle. A VIN check costs nothing. The inspection is cheap. A breakdown is not.

Picture a Conway customer planning frequent trips down US-501, or cutting over on SC-22 toward Myrtle Beach. Somewhere in the conversation, an assumption slips out. It sounds like “I figured I’d need AWD,” or “I assumed a big V8 was safer for highway runs.” We get it. Both of those are usually wrong for this stretch of coast, though, and the right Chevy for a Grand Strand driver comes down to a completely different set of questions.

The 2026 Chevrolet Equinox is where a lot of these conversations start, and that’s a reasonable place to begin. Let’s walk through the four myths that most often steer Conway buyers toward the wrong configuration, and see what the actual specs say.

Is AWD Actually Necessary for the Grand Strand Corridor?

For most Conway drivers making regular Myrtle Beach runs, the answer is no, because front-wheel drive covers US-501 and SC-22 in nearly every condition, and the only real exception (soft ground and boat ramps) comes up further down this page. US-501 from Conway to the beach, SC-22 (Veterans Highway) as an alternate route, and SC-544 through Socastee are flat, well-maintained, signaled roads. Coastal South Carolina winters are mild. Snow on the Grand Strand is rare. The terrain between Conway and the beach gives a front-wheel-drive vehicle nothing to struggle with under normal conditions.

Check the fuel numbers before you pay for traction hardware you won’t use. The EPA rates the front-wheel-drive 2026 Equinox at 26 mpg city and 29 mpg highway. The AWD version of that same model drops to 25 city and 29 highway. You’re paying for hardware that the coastal South Carolina corridor almost never asks you to use. None of that knocks AWD as a concept. It’s a straight read of your specific roads.

AWD does earn its keep in one corner of this market. If you’re pulling onto soft ground at a Waccamaw River boat ramp, or navigating a gravel campsite, the AWD Equinox’s proper 8-speed automatic (the FWD uses a CVT) and higher 1,500 lb tow rating make it a different vehicle for that task. For the back-and-forth highway run to the beach, though, front-wheel drive is the more practical fit.

The Real Deciding Factors: Seats, Trailer Weight, and the Corridor You’re Running

The vehicle that fits comes down to two variables, seat count and trailer weight, and the answer swings hard depending on which way those numbers land, from four people and a cooler at one end to six people with beach chairs and a jon boat at the other. Get those two numbers straight, and the rest gets simple fast.

The 2026 Chevrolet Traverse runs a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque. Chevrolet rates it at up to 5,000 pounds of towing when properly equipped, which covers a small fishing boat, a pop-up camper, or a loaded utility trailer. The EPA puts FWD Traverse models at 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. So the tradeoff is real towing muscle for somewhat lower fuel economy than the Equinox on that US-501 commute. For a family that makes regular Grand Strand runs AND needs to pull real weight, that’s a fair exchange.

The Equinox tells a different story, running up to 29 mpg highway on the EPA estimate while seating five in comfort and swallowing beach gear without complaint. Its ceiling is real, since the AWD model tops out at 1,500 pounds of towing, enough for a jet ski on a lightweight trailer but not a full-size fishing boat.

The Silverado 1500 enters the picture only when the trailer demands it. Chevrolet lists the 2.7L TurboMax at 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque, rated at up to 9,500 pounds of towing. Step up to the 5.3L V8 and that climbs to 11,300 pounds. These are work-and-recreation numbers, and they earn their place when you’re pulling a serious load. Not every beach run needs them. Always verify your specific truck’s actual rating on the door-jamb label before hooking up any trailer.

The Trailblazer deserves a mention for a different Conway buyer, the one making the Myrtle Beach run solo or with a single passenger, who wants something easy to maneuver in beach-town parking with highway comfort and real fuel efficiency. It isn’t a tow vehicle, and it’s upfront about that. That plain-spoken fit is a big part of what makes it right for a specific kind of driver.

Explore Your Financing Options

So What Should You Actually Do Before You Buy?

Before you sign anything, get straight on two questions, how many people you’re moving and how heavy the thing you’ll pull regularly is, because nearly every other decision about a Grand Strand Chevy falls out of those two numbers once you have them. Everything else follows.

If the answer is five seats and no trailer (or a very light one), the 2026 Equinox in FWD is the vehicle most Conway-to-beach drivers actually need. The EPA’s 29 mpg highway rating is real, the highway-commute experience is comfortable, and you’re not carrying AWD costs for conditions that seldom show up on the Grand Strand.

If you’ve got three rows of family, luggage, and a trailer that weighs anywhere close to 3,000 or 4,000 pounds, the 2026 Traverse is where to start. Its 5,000 lb tow capacity (when properly equipped) handles the typical Horry County recreational load, and seven or eight seats mean nobody gets left behind. Confirm the configuration first, though, and always check the door-jamb label on the specific vehicle.

If your work or your hobby puts serious, consistent weight behind the hitch, the Silverado 1500 earns it. With up to 13,300 pounds of towing capacity when properly equipped with the right engine and package, it’s a genuine work truck. Not every Conway driver needs that. The ones who do already know it.

Palmetto Chevrolet is on 4th Avenue in Conway. Come see us and we’ll compare the actual tow ratings side by side, walk you through the FWD versus AWD equipment differences, and find the trim that fits how you really use your vehicle on these roads, rather than how a generic recommendation assumes you do.

You can build a case for almost any three-row SUV on a short errand. The drive from Conway to Columbia, SC asks more of it, though. You’re looking at roughly 125 to 135 miles along US-378 through the flat Pee Dee corridor, a two-to-three-hour run in late-summer heat, and very likely a full cabin with kids, gear, or a trailer in tow. The question worth asking isn’t whether the Tahoe is comfortable. It’s whether the specific things it does differently from a crossover actually matter on this drive. We think they do. Let’s break it down.

Get a closer look at what’s available on our lot: browse our current Tahoe inventory.

How Does the Tahoe’s Engine Lineup Actually Work for a Highway Run?

The Tahoe gives you three engines for one trip, and they’re genuinely not interchangeable, so the choice matters more on a pure highway run like US-378 than it does on your daily loop around Conway, where any of them would feel fine. Pick with the drive in mind.

The EPA rates the 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel at 20 city / 26 highway. On a highway-heavy run like US-378, that’s the most efficient engine Chevrolet puts in a full-size SUV, and it’s the only diesel available in this class from any domestic brand. Now the tradeoff. If you’re towing a Grand Strand boat trailer and want the absolute highest ceiling, the 5.3L V8 with the Max Trailering Package is the stronger call at 8,400 lbs properly equipped. (Always verify your door-jamb label for your specific configuration.) The 6.2L V8 returns identical highway fuel economy to the 5.3L but demands premium fuel, so for most Horry County families the base V8 hits the sweet spot unless you’re stepping into an upper trim for other reasons.

All three engines pair with a 10-speed automatic. The shift points are smooth enough that passengers in the rear rows won’t feel the transmission hunting on the long flat miles between here and the Midlands.

Which Setup Do You Actually Need for Columbia Runs?

Which setup you need comes down to two things, what you’re hauling and how often you make this trip, and the answer swings hard depending on whether there’s a trailer behind you or just a full family inside the cabin. Tow, and the whole calculation changes.

If you’re towing anything from a Jet Ski trailer to a small camper on the US-378 corridor, the 5.3L with the Max Trailering Package is a different category than a crossover. The package adds an integrated trailer brake controller, trailer sway control, and a camera-assisted hitch guidance system. Chevrolet rates it for up to 8,400 lbs properly equipped. That covers a 22-foot travel trailer with room to spare for most Grand Strand families. A typical three-row crossover simply does not get you there.

For families running Columbia unloaded, the LT and RST trims are where the trip-specific tech lives. Both gain the diesel option, access to available Super Cruise hands-free highway driving, and the Suburban-style cabin depth that makes the third row a genuine seat for adults. Super Cruise uses LiDAR-mapped roads and a driver attention system to handle steering, acceleration, and braking on compatible highway segments. It also works while towing. On a repetitive two-hour highway corridor in September heat, that matters.

The Z71 trim adds off-road capability and steps up to the 6.2L V8 as standard. Reasonable if you’re occasionally heading to the Upstate or pulling heavier loads. Our finance team can walk you through the trim tradeoffs against your actual use case. And if you’re hauling the full crew regularly, the Chevy Traverse is worth a serious look as the more fuel-efficient alternative for unloaded family trips.

Road-Trip Terms Worth Knowing

What This Means for Your Next Vehicle

The Tahoe is a genuine tradeoff, and we’ll give it to you straight: it’s larger to park in downtown Columbia, it drinks more fuel than a compact crossover on the 5.3L, and it asks more of you up front, so it won’t be the right answer for every family heading to the Midlands. For a family making two or three Columbia runs a year with nothing in tow, a well-equipped Chevy Traverse likely covers the trip for less, and we won’t pretend otherwise.

But for anyone who also tows a Grand Strand boat on the weekends, needs genuine adult-livable third-row space (Chevrolet lists 34.9 inches of third-row legroom, made possible by the independent rear suspension), or wants Super Cruise for the monotony of a flat US-378 corridor, the Tahoe earns the difference. NHTSA’s testing gives the 2026 Tahoe an overall five-star safety rating, including five-star scores in both the side-barrier and side-pole crash tests. None of that is about showroom polish. It comes down to whether the tool fits the job when the job actually demands it.

When you’re ready to spec one out or want to talk through which engine makes sense for your Columbia run, we’re here.

Explore Financing for a 2026 Tahoe

The mistake that’s easy to make with outdoor hauling isn’t overpacking. It’s skipping the door-jamb label before you start. The 2026 Chevrolet Colorado handles everything the Grand Strand throws at you (kayak runs on the Waccamaw River, morning fishing rigs, bikes for a Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge trail day), but only if you load it to spec, strap it correctly, and pick the trim that actually matches how you use it.

Browse the 2026 Chevrolet Colorado at Palmetto Chevrolet to see current trim availability.

Here’s what you need to know before you back down a sandy put-in ramp.

Load It Right: What to Do and What to Skip

Yes, the 2026 Colorado hauls a full outdoor kit for the Grand Strand, but the bed geometry dictates the plan more than the badge does, so it pays to know that you’re working with a crew-cab-only truck, a 5’2″ bed, and 41.9 cubic feet of cargo space. The figure surprises drivers coming from an older truck with a longer bed. That matters when you’re sliding kayaks or a paddleboard in from the rear. Chevrolet lists up to 17 available tie-down points in the bed, and an available 120-volt outlet is worth configuring if you run air pumps or charge gear overnight at camp. The mid-position tailgate doubles as a step (it’s rated to 500 lbs, per Chevrolet). Solo cooler loading gets a lot easier.

There’s one real tradeoff. The bed measures 45.5 inches between the wheelhouses, so anything wider than 45 inches won’t lay fully flat. Most recreational kayaks run 24 to 30 inches wide, so they fit without drama. A standard canoe or tandem kayak over 14 feet will overhang the tailgate (legal in South Carolina with proper flagging, but worth knowing before you leave the driveway).

How much can you actually pile in? More than the bed size suggests, though payload is the number to respect. Chevrolet publishes a maximum of 1,710 lbs for the 2WD WT and LT trims, and 1,587 lbs for Trail Boss and Z71 configurations (properly equipped, and verified against the specific label inside your driver’s door, which is the authoritative number for your actual build). That 1,587 lbs sounds generous until you count it out. Two adults (let’s call it 350 lbs), two sit-on-top kayaks (roughly 100 lbs each), paddles, PFDs, a week’s worth of fishing tackle, and a full cooler puts you at 700 to 800 lbs before a single gallon of water goes in. Still inside the limit. It adds up faster than you’d think. So keep a running count.

The Technique That Matters Most on Local Roads

On paved roads any Colorado handles the run fine, but the sandy soft shoulders and the occasional unpaved wildlife-refuge access road near Conway are where trim selection earns its keep, and a couple of inches of ground clearance can decide whether you scrape a ramp lip or roll through clean. The Trail Boss carries 9.5 inches of ground clearance and a factory 2-inch lift, per Chevrolet’s published specs. That extra height keeps the front skid plate from scraping on the kind of eroded ramp lip you’ll find at lower-traffic Waccamaw River access points.

The Z71 runs the same high-output 310-horsepower, 430-lb-ft TurboMax engine. It adds a polished interior feel if you’re splitting time between job sites and family weekend trips.

See the Silverado 1500 if you’re regularly pulling a loaded boat trailer over 5,000 lbs (that’s where the midsize-to-full-size conversation starts).

The ZR2 gives up real capability for this kind of use. Its 10.7 inches of ground clearance and Multimatic DSSV dampers are impressive, but Chevrolet’s off-road suspension cuts towing capacity to 6,000 lbs and payload to around 1,151 lbs. If you’re hauling a 16-foot center-console on a trailer toward Myrtle Beach and loading two people in the cab, the math gets tight fast. Trail Boss or Z71 is the sweet spot for this market. Simple as that.

See the Equinox if a midsize SUV suits your outdoor footprint better than a truck bed.

Schedule a Pre-Trip Gear Check

One Thing to Confirm Before Every Outdoor Run

Confirm your numbers before every outdoor run, because Chevrolet prints the specific GVWR and payload rating for your individual build on the door-jamb sticker, and that sticker (not the trim’s published maximum, which can vary by drivetrain and configuration) is the number that governs your truck. Check it every time. Our service team can verify your trailer hitch receiver class and confirm whether your build includes the Advanced Trailering Package, which is required to reach the 7,700-lb towing ceiling on properly equipped models.

Know your load. Know your label. The Waccamaw will be there when you are.

Spend one summer afternoon crawling along US-17 Business past the MarshWalk and you already know what a generic buying guide won’t tell you. Murrells Inlet puts every vehicle through a specific kind of test. Stop-and-go through the restaurant strip in July. A tight left turn into the public boat landing with a center-console on the trailer. Weekend parking-lot shuffle at Huntington Beach State Park. Those demands look nothing like a commuter suburb, and the Chevy that nails one of them isn’t always the one that nails all three.

On our lot, we frame it differently. The question isn’t “what’s the best Chevy?” It’s “what’s the best Chevy for how YOU actually drive Murrells Inlet?” Size, fuel economy, towing rating, and cargo room each carry different weight depending on your answer.

Browse the 2026 Trax at Palmetto Chevrolet

What Actually Matters When Choosing a Chevy for Murrells Inlet?

Three variables run everything here, and they pull in different directions depending on your week: fuel economy for the stop-and-go miles on US-17, passenger or cargo capacity for beach and Brookgreen runs, and towing rating if a boat or camper ever leaves the driveway. The table below maps each 2026 model to its honest best-fit scenario and names the real tradeoff you’re accepting.

Buyers walk in assuming a bigger engine automatically means better beach-town driving. It doesn’t. The Trax’s 1.2-liter turbo pushes 162 lb-ft of torque early in the RPM range, which makes it feel livelier in slow traffic than the horsepower number suggests.

The Stop-and-Go Reality of US-17 Business

Fuel economy earns its keep on US-17 Business, because in season the corridor through Murrells Inlet runs slower than the posted limit on a good day. The overall footprint of the vehicle matters here too, more than it would on a highway commute.

Our everyday recommendation for most Murrells Inlet drivers is the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox. At EPA-rated 26 city / 29 highway / 27 mpg combined with front-wheel drive, it handles the crawl without punishing you at the pump. The 1.5-liter turbo delivers 175 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. Not a rocketship. But relaxed and unhurried in the kind of low-speed maneuvering that defines a summer afternoon on the business strip, and 63.5 cubic feet of max cargo covers beach chairs, groceries, and a cooler without drama.

Buyers who want something smaller than an Equinox but more feature-rich than the entry-level Trax should look at the Trailblazer. It’s still a front-drive-only platform in base trim, which suits Murrells Inlet’s flat coastal roads just fine, since AWD rarely earns its keep around here.

Pros and Cons of the Traverse for Murrells Inlet Families

Bigger households should start with the Traverse. It seats seven or eight, tows up to 5,000 lbs when properly equipped, and opens to 98 cubic feet of cargo. For the drive out to Brookgreen Gardens with grandparents and kids in tow, nothing in the Chevy lineup comes close to that combination. The tradeoff lives in the details.

Match the Chevy to How You Actually Drive Around Here

Towing to the Silverado 1500 is the right conversation the moment a real boat or camper enters your life. Chevrolet lists up to 13,300 lbs of maximum towing capacity for the 2026 Silverado 1500 when properly equipped with the right engine and the Max Trailering Package. Always verify your specific truck’s Tire and Loading Information label on the door jamb before you load up. Tow ratings vary by engine, cab style, and configuration.

For the Murrells Inlet driver who mostly runs the family to Huntington Beach State Park and occasionally pulls a kayak trailer, the Silverado is more truck than you need. The Equinox handles that kayak trailer comfortably within its 1,500-lb rating. Keep the distinction in mind, because the Traverse’s 5,000-lb ceiling and the Silverado’s 13,300-lb ceiling both serve real needs here, and they aren’t interchangeable. Matching the truck to the actual trailer weight (not the aspirational one) is where the decision lands.

Our team keeps coming back to a plain bottom line. Murrells Inlet is not a one-vehicle town. A household with a boat and three kids might actually need two Chevys. A Silverado handles tow days, while a Traverse or Equinox covers everything else. We’re not pitching you. It’s just the math the driving life here produces.

See What Your Current Vehicle Is Worth

The Coastal Humidity Factor

One more thing worth saying plainly. South Carolina’s coastal humidity is real, and it affects interior comfort more than most buyers budget for. Every 2026 Chevy in this lineup comes standard with Chevy Safety Assist (automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, lane-keep assist, rear camera). You get the same safety baseline whether you’re in a Trax or a Silverado. If you’re adding features for heat management, ventilated seats are available on higher Traverse and Equinox trims. A test drive in August tells you more than a spec sheet ever will.

*By the Palmetto Chevrolet Team | August 2026*

Pack eight people, two coolers, four rod holders, and a folding beach wagon into most three-row SUVs, and you’ll learn fast what “family hauler” really means on Horry County roads. Here near Little River, a Saturday can run from an Intracoastal Waterway boat launch before sunrise to the Blue Crab Festival parking lot by noon, and a vehicle either keeps up or it doesn’t. The 2026 Chevrolet Suburban keeps up. It seats up to nine, tows up to 8,200 pounds when properly equipped with the standard 5.3L V8, and carries 41.5 cubic feet of cargo behind the third row even with all seats occupied. None of that is a brochure claim. It’s the reason families in this corner of the Grand Strand keep landing on it.

Browse our 2026 Suburban inventory at Palmetto Chevrolet

Why Does the Suburban Fit Little River Families So Well?

The Suburban fits Little River families well because life near the inlet runs gear-heavy by default, and it brings the tow rating and cargo room to match that, though the same length does ask for a little patience in a tight parking lot or a downtown street. When your community sits where the Intracoastal Waterway meets the Atlantic, weekends involve boats, kayaks, fishing tackle, and at least one kid who’s forgotten the sunscreen. The table below lines up the local conditions we run into around here against the Suburban specs that answer them.

The Third Row Isn’t Just a Backup Seat

The third row on the Suburban is genuinely usable and not a token seat, because Chevrolet lists 36.7 inches of third-row legroom on the 2026 model, which gives a teenager or a college kid home from Coastal Carolina University real space to sit, even if you do step up to reach it. A lot of three-row SUVs sell you the idea of a back row and then make you regret asking for it. For a household with multiple kids over age 10, a rear seat that works like a seat stops being a nice-to-have. The Suburban doesn’t play that game.

There’s one real tradeoff, and it comes down to length. The Suburban is long. At 226.3 inches overall, it’s a commitment in tight parking lots and a genuine challenge to parallel park on downtown Conway’s narrow streets. If your household does a lot of urban tight-quarters parking and rarely hauls more than five people, a Traverse or even a Tahoe might suit your daily life better and carry less curb weight. The Suburban earns its size on the trips that actually need it, a 9-person run to Cherry Grove, the boat ramp at 6 a.m. with the whole family, the cross-state Thanksgiving convoy. For those moments, the extra length is the feature.

Towing on the Coast Is Different From Towing in the Mountains

Towing on the coast is easier in one way and trickier in another, since Horry County stays mostly flat and that keeps a trailer settled behind you, but the US-17 corridor through Little River fills with summer tourist traffic, and the boat ramps near the Intracoastal Waterway ask for slow, careful maneuvering under load. Flat ground can make towing feel deceptively easy right up until it doesn’t. The Suburban’s Hitch Guidance with Hitch View technology earns its keep here, a camera-based system that shows exactly where the trailer is going as you back down a crowded ramp. On a busy August Saturday at Little River Inlet, you feel it. Confidence is the whole game.

Chevrolet lists the 5.3L V8 as standard across the 2026 lineup (except High Country), rated at 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. Properly equipped, that gets you up to 8,200 pounds of towing capacity. Step up to the 6.2L V8 (420 hp, 460 lb-ft of torque) and you’ll see towing capacity rise to 8,400 pounds. Check your door-jamb label and confirm your trailer’s loaded weight before you hitch up. The window sticker numbers and your actual trailer numbers have to agree.

Explore financing options for your 2026 Suburban

Get Pre-Approved for Your Suburban

What the 2026 Suburban Upgraded for This Model Year

The 2026 Suburban brings real updates instead of a straight carryover, and the most tangible one is the standard 17.7-inch infotainment screen that replaced the smaller unit from prior years, a change you notice the moment you sit down. That bigger screen matters for families who run Google Maps, manage rear-seat entertainment controls, and have every family member trying to connect a phone at once. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard. So does the OnStar Basics package, which provides core connected services for eight years. On a vehicle this size, with this much happening inside the cabin, a screen everyone can read from the front seat isn’t a luxury detail.

The Duramax 3.0L Turbo-Diesel is now available across more trims on the 2026 (LT through High Country) and puts out a revised 305 horsepower (up from 277 hp in earlier model years). Diesel makes good sense for coastal families who cover long stretches on SC-22 (Veterans Highway) or US-501 to Myrtle Beach. The EPA rates the Duramax RWD at 21 city and 26 highway. That spread between city and highway matters when you’re logging a lot of intra-county miles instead of steady highway ones. Those miles add up fast.

Sizing It Up for Your Family’s Real Routine

The Suburban isn’t the right answer for every household, and we’d tell you that standing right there on the lot, so a two-kid family doing mostly in-town driving with nothing to tow should look at something shorter and lighter, and a five-plus-person crew with a boat should keep reading. There’s a shorter, lighter, more maneuverable option in the Chevrolet lineup if that first description is you. But if your family runs five or more people, you own a boat or camp trailer, you haul extended family regularly, or you need one vehicle that does the beach trip and the back-to-school run without a compromise, the Suburban’s genuinely hard to beat in this segment. The 144.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded flat means a full hurricane-prep supply run from Conway or North Myrtle Beach actually fits without a second trip. All of that counts when the weather turns fast on the Grand Strand.

We’re at 1122 4th Ave in Conway, about 25 miles up US-501 from the Little River waterfront. Come by and get behind the wheel on a real drive, not just a parking-lot loop.

Ocean Lakes fills up fast. Show up unprepared with a 30-foot camper behind your 2026 Silverado 1500 and you’ll burn the first hour of your beach vacation stuck in a check-in lane, sorting out where to park the truck. We’d rather you skip that, so here’s the play.

Bottom line, the right Silverado configuration handles Ocean Lakes without drama, but the campground’s own rules dictate where your truck lives once you unhook, and the SC-544 corridor from Conway punishes anyone who doesn’t plan arrival time. Know both before you leave the driveway.

Where Do You Park and When?

Park on your own site if you arrive early enough, because most Ocean Lakes sites hold two vehicles, but plan the drive around peak SC-544 traffic or a late summer check-in routes you to overflow instead of a spot next to your camper. Really early is the goal.

Ocean Lakes sits at the end of SC-544 (Dick Pond Road) at its intersection with US-17 Business, about 14 miles east of where SC-544 branches off US-501 near Conway. That 14-mile stretch is perfectly manageable with a travel trailer in the off-season. In peak summer, particularly on a Friday or Saturday afternoon, it becomes a crawl. Our team’s read on the corridor is simple. Leave Conway before 10 a.m. on a check-in day and you’re fine. Leave after 2 p.m. and you’re in a different situation entirely.

Once you’re through the gate, the campground’s internal roads are paved pull-throughs, which is exactly what you want behind a half-ton. The challenge isn’t getting in. The tricky part is what happens to the truck after you unhook.

A word on the short-term storage lot. Ocean Lakes operates it just across SC-544 from the campground next to the Exxon station. If your site doesn’t have room for the trailer and the truck together, the short-term lot takes utility and boat trailers on a day-use basis. Stop by the main office, register it, and a 24-hour security team escorts you over, no drama. That arrangement gives you real flexibility if you towed a fifth wheel and your site has slides out.

Maneuvering and Site Fit with the Silverado

Cab choice is the first real tradeoff at Ocean Lakes, because a Crew Cab gives the family room for the 3-hour Grand Strand run, yet a Double Cab trims a meaningful chunk of combined length when you’re threading the tight internal campground roads. Neither is wrong.

Combined with even a 28-foot travel trailer, a Crew Cab pushes your total rig length to something that demands patience on the internal roads. The Double Cab costs you back-seat space but buys that length back when you’re setting up. We walk customers through this one, and there’s no universal right answer. It comes down to whether four adults need real leg room, or whether the kids are young enough that the back seat is basically storage.

Where the Silverado 1500 shines at Ocean Lakes is the pull-through site geometry. Paved pull-throughs mean you rarely have to back a long trailer into a tight angle, so you pull forward, set up, and walk away. For the back-in oceanfront sites, the Silverado’s Hitch Guidance camera overlays the hitch ball and coupler on the infotainment screen, so you can inch straight back without a spotter standing in the sand waving hand signals.

The 2026 Silverado 1500 comes standard on LT and above trims with an integrated trailer brake controller. You’ll appreciate that on the 14-mile SC-544 approach, where a handful of traffic-light stops meet a loaded camper behind you. Chevrolet lists Trailer Sway Control as standard across the lineup, and it works quietly in the background when summer crosswinds off the Atlantic push the trailer off-line on the US-17 leg.

The Silverado 2500 HD earns a mention for anyone towing a mid-profile fifth wheel in the 10,000 to 14,000-pound loaded range. Ocean Lakes accommodates campers up to 45 feet, and a rig that size sits solidly in heavy-duty territory. But for most travel trailers coming down SC-544, a properly equipped 1500 with the right engine is the tool for the job.

The Silverado 3500 HD is the answer if you’re running a gooseneck-style rig or a true luxury fifth wheel. For that conversation, our team at Palmetto Chevrolet is a good place to start.

Get Your Truck Road-Ready Before the Trip

Your Ocean Lakes Pre-Trip Checklist

Run this list the morning you leave Conway, because the difference between a smooth setup and a rough one is mostly what you confirm before you load, not what you fix at the site. Print it, stick it in the console, and work top to bottom.

• [ ] Confirm camper loaded weight against your door-jamb Trailering Information Label (not the brochure number)
• [ ] Run the Silverado’s in-vehicle Trailering App pre-departure checklist: lights, brakes, hitch connection
• [ ] Verify trailer brake controller gain setting for your loaded trailer weight
• [ ] Check tire pressure on both truck and trailer (heat and highway load are hard on tires in SC summer)
• [ ] Confirm Ocean Lakes arrival time before 10 a.m. on check-in day to avoid peak SC-544 congestion
• [ ] Stop by Ocean Lakes main office on arrival to register if using short-term storage for the trailer
• [ ] Confirm your site number and which direction you pull through (oceanfront sites often back-in)
• [ ] Slides in before any internal campground road navigation
• [ ] Park the truck on-site or in the designated overflow lot at South Gate (Spring Lane); do NOT park on Seaside Drive March through October
• [ ] Quiet hours at Ocean Lakes are 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. (plan generator use accordingly)

The checklist above covers everything between Palmetto Chevrolet’s lot in Conway and your Ocean Lakes site. A pre-trip service check before you load the camper is the one step that makes the rest feel easier. Our service team can inspect tow-related wear, confirm hitch components, and make sure your 2026 Silverado is pulling right before you put it on SC-544 loaded.

Go enjoy it.