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
| Rank | Truck | Best For | Max Conventional Tow (Properly Equipped) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silverado 2500 HD | Most serious towing: boats, equipment trailers, large campers | 20,000 lbs (Duramax diesel) |
| 2 | Silverado 3500 HD | Commercial and gooseneck work (dually loads) | 36,000 lbs gooseneck |
| 3 | Silverado 1500 | Moderate towing: pontoon boats, cargo trailers, campers | 13,300 lbs |
| 4 | Colorado | Light towing: small boats, utility trailers, weekend gear | 7,700 lbs |
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
