The Silverado HD can now tow up to 8,000 kg with a new fifth-wheel hitch. The upgrade requires truck registration and a higher-class driver’s licence. Walkinshaw engineered the package with CURT and integrated air brakes. The Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD was already one of the most capable tow rigs on sale. But now, in Australia, a new factory-backed upgrade takes things to another level entirely. Thanks to a fifth-wheel hitch package developed by Walkinshaw, the engineering firm that was behind the now defunct Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), the big pickup can now tow up to 8,000 kg (17,637 lbs). That works out to about six Toyota Corolla sedans, or as local outlet Drive framed it, three BYD Shark6 pickup trucks. In the local unit of measurement, that’s around 100 Red Kangaroos, more than most Aussies will see across a week of driving through the outback. American truck buyers may be wondering what all the fuss is about. After all, heavy-duty pickups have been towing well over 30,000 lbs for years. The significance here isn’t the number itself—it’s that Australian Silverado HD buyers can finally access a factory-backed, fully certified fifth-wheel package that unlocks capability the truck was largely built to deliver all along. Read: Ram Finally Gives The Power Wagon The One Thing It Always Needed Developed alongside CURT, General Motors’ North American supplier for towing equipment, the system relocates the hitch point from behind the rear bumper to a position directly above the rear axle. The design distributes trailer loads into the chassis rails rather than leveraging the tow bar, reducing trailer sway and helping eliminate the porpoising effect common with heavy loads. The result is a dramatic increase in towing capability. Standard Silverado HD models are rated to tow up to 3,500 kg (7,716 lbs) with a 50 mm towball or 4,500 kg (9,921 lbs) with a 70 mm setup. The new fifth-wheel package nearly doubles that figure to 8,000 kg (17,637 lbs) when equipped with the integrated air-brake system. The full package includes dual air compressors, air tanks, hydraulic and pneumatic brake hardware, additional trailer connections mounted in the bed, integrated warning systems, and a reinforced chassis preparation kit. A toolless quick-release mechanism also allows owners to remove the hitch and restore a flat cargo bed when it’s not needed. The Catch Lives In The License Of course, all that capability comes with some caveats. To legally tow the full 8,000 kg, the Silverado must be registered as an NB2-class vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Mass of 5,148 kg (11,349 lbs). That classification requires a truck licence, even when the vehicle is being driven empty. In other words, once this kit is on the truck, everyone who gets behind the wheel, even when it’s not attached to a trailer, must have a special truck license. Pricing ranges from approximately AU$18,000 to AU$20,000 (about US$11,700 to US$13,000 at current rates), with production beginning in the third quarter of 2026. It might sound like overkill, but it essentially enables Silverado HD owners with the right license to get the kind of performance often only found in dedicated commercial-grade machinery down under. Photos: Walkinshaw
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