2014 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD Crew Cab Owner Manual - Page 350

9-84 Driving and Operating Fifth-wheel and gooseneck hitches may also be used. See "Weight of the Trailer Tongue" under Trailer Towing on page 9-76 for rating limits with various hitch types. If a step-bumper hitch will be used, the bumper could be damaged in sharp turns. Make sure there is ample room when turning to avoid contact between the trailer and the bumper. Consider using sway controls with any trailer. Ask a trailering professional about sway controls or refer to the trailer manufacturer's recommendations and instructions. Weight of the Trailering Combination It is important that the combination of the tow vehicle and trailer does not exceed any of its weight ratings - GCWR, GVWR, RGAWR, Trailer Weight Rating, or Tongue Weight. The only way to be sure it is not exceeding any of these ratings is to weigh the tow vehicle and trailer combination, fully loaded for the trip, getting individual weights for each of these items. Towing Equipment Hitches The correct hitch equipment helps maintain combination control. Many trailers can be towed with a weight-carrying hitch which simply features a coupler latched to the hitch ball, or a tow eye latched to a pintle hook. Other trailers may require a weight-distributing hitch that uses spring bars to distribute the trailer tongue weight among the two vehicle and trailer axles. Weight-Distributing Hitch and Adjustment A weight distributing hitch may be useful with some trailers. Use the following guidelines to determine if a weight distributing hitch should be used.