Silverado Tackles ‘World’s Toughest Towing Test’ (Video)
Can a Silverado HD go where few gas-powered trucks dare travel?
As most pickup devotees know, if you want to tow extreme loads, you buy a diesel-powered truck. Diesels are simply better at towing massive loads, the kind that your average truck buyer would never strap to the back of his pickup. But despite this fact, like many other manufacturers, Chevy offers a gas engine option on the Silverado 2500 HD.
YouTube mavens The Fast Lane Truck have had just such a model in their possession for a while now, and so far they’ve come away impressed. But the real meat of their truck testing lies in what they call the Ike Gauntlet. Or as it’s otherwise known, “The World’s Toughest Towing Test.” And this time, the test easily lives up to that name.
Mostly because the Silverado in the towing test is loaded up with a 13,500-pound trailer, pretty much maxing out its towing capacity. Unlike previous diesel contestants, the trusty 6.0 liter V8 is pushed to its very limits. Or is it? Things start out promisingly enough, with a mere 2.5″ squat with the ultra heavy trailer hooked up.
On a 7% downhill grade, the Silverado’s trailer brake and shift application perform perfectly. And despite the rough wintry roads (and the load), TFLT compliments the truck for its “smooth” ride. Next came the uphill portion — also a 7% grade. Once again, the grade shifter kicks in and delivers enough power to get the truck close to 60 mph.
The Silverado makes it to the top of the approximately 11,000-foot finish despite slowing down a little at the end. And along the way, it gets rave reviews for its value. The only complaints? TFLT wishes it had “a little more power,” and a lot less chrome.
Still, at the end of the day, they declare the gas Silverado “a really good choice” for someone needing to tow more reasonable loads. Still, it’s nice to know that if you need it, you can tow really big ones, in really tough situations, if needed.
