One of the most exciting parts of having a truck is that you can haul stuff around! We’re not just talking about the pickup bed (though that’s pretty exciting, too); we are talking about more: towing and trailering. Now, for those of you who have towed with older vehicles, you might be reading this and thinking, “exciting? Yeah right.” But, if you pop into Parkway Chevrolet, your Houston Chevy truck dealer, you’ll see that the towing and trailering tech in the Silverados make towing far easier and more enjoyable than ever before. Of course, it all begins with the trailering hitch and the base-level technologies, but Chevy is never content to give up on the base level, which is why the Silverado hosts some of the most innovative and advanced trailering technology on the market. So, let’s take a closer look at how the Silverado pulls through with its trailering tech.
Driver Assistance
When you’ve got a big trailer attached to your truck, it’s alright to admit that you need a little assistance. This is why the Silverado comes with very helpful driver assistance technologies, which serve as a tremendous aide while towing. Along these lines, one of the foundational technologies is StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control, which reads your driver input and compares it with the vehicle’s response to said input, making adjustments to optimize torque and braking. When traction is low, the StabiliTrak system can jump in to save the day; this is a huge benefit while towing because the loss of traction can be exponentially more hazardous while towing than it is under normal circumstances.
Closely linked with the StabiliTrak system is tow/haul drive mode, which adjusts the vehicle’s gear shift schedule, assuring that shifts happen quickly, efficiently, and smoothly while you are trailering. Having the option of such drive modes is a huge asset because it means that the vehicle takes care of the busywork, allowing your drive to go relatively unchanged.
One of the more specific trailering technologies of the Silverado is Trailer Sway Control. While the name is indicative of the technology’s function, the really exciting part is how this trailer sway control system operates: not only can the system apply the brakes of both the vehicle and the trailer, but it can also reduce the engine’s power. That is an impressive feat of trailer-vehicle integration. This is far beyond a trailer that connects the vehicle’s brake lights to its own; this is a truly integrated and communicative trailer-vehicle relationship.
Proper traction and braking are absolutely essential when it comes to trailering, and you want to make sure that you are well-equipped with technologies that optimize both of these. The Silverado will indeed have you well-equipped, as Chevy’s towing technologies focus heavily on both traction and braking. Technologies like Hill Start Assist will ensure that you are always firmly ready for whatever incline you may experience, and other technologies like Cruise Grade Braking will optimize braking in a variety of circumstances (in the case of Cruise Grade Braking, it works specifically with the vehicle’s cruise control system).
So, you’ll be well-assisted in your drive with these fantastic driver assistance technologies. But, sometimes, it’s less about driving and more about maneuvering. When it comes to these tight maneuvers that are only made harder with a trailer, the Silverado has you covered.
Camera Technology
Many of you know how helpful a good backup camera can be, especially in a large vehicle like a truck or an SUV. The Silverado certainly knows how helpful it can be, but it wants to give you more than a mere backup camera. So, the Silverado has been equipped with up to eight cameras for up to fifteen available camera views. Why so many?
Well, think about all of the “blind spots” you have when trailering and how difficult it is to navigate, estimate, and simply see when hitching your trailer, backing up with your trailer, or taking a tight turn with your trailer. Sure, if you’ve got somebody else with you, you can have that person hop out of the truck to lend their eyes and guide you through the maneuver. Helpful though this may be, it simply is not as helpful as seeing it for yourself. So, the Silverado gives you the extra sets of eyes you need.
These fourteen camera views are well-divided into four hitch views, six driving views, and five parking views. Crunch the numbers for yourself, and you’ll get a grand total of fifteen. But, fifteen camera views are superfluous if they don’t give you dynamic options to help you navigate with your trailer. Well, let’s take a closer look at the camera views within these three categories.
Hitch Views
Within the hitch view category is the basic hitch view, which, as you may have guessed, gives you a good view of the hitch itself. This is a tremendous help when you are hooking the trailer up to the hitch, and you’ll be able to get the angle exactly right with greater ease. The hitch view category also offers HD surround view, which provides two views at once: an aerial view of the truck itself (including the hitch) and a backup-cam view of the trailer itself, so you’ll be able to get the full picture of your surroundings. This pairs well with the rear top-down view, which gives you a wider aerial view of the hitch to make sure you properly understand your clearance space. Add to that camera view of your pickup bed, and you’ll be well aware of what’s going on with your hitch.
Driving Views
So, now that you’re hitched up with your trailer, it’s time to hit the road. But, you need to be just as aware of your trailer while driving as you do while hitching. That’s why there are six driving views! The driving views are some of the most exciting in the entire package. Take, for example, Transparent Trailer, which essentially turns your trailer into a ghost trailer, allowing you to see through it to the traffic behind you. One of the biggest difficulties of driving with a large trailer is the rear-view obstruction, so this will be a huge help in keeping your eyes on the road behind you.
This is not your only option for rear-view access, as the rear camera mirror turns your rear-view mirror into a screen that provides the same view as your rear-view mirror normally would without a trailer; it just shows what’s going on behind your trailer now! The rear trailer view also provides rear-view access by showing a backup-cam angle, but the camera is attached to the trailer itself, so your view is in no way obstructed.
One other driving view that we think is especially unique is the Inside Trailor view, which allows you to do just as the name would suggest: see inside your trailer. If you’ve got cargo that you need to keep an eye on, you’ll be able to peek in and make sure that everything is as it should be.
Parking Views
Parking with a trailer can be rough, but it doesn’t have to be, and the available parking camera views work to make parking an easier experience for you. While providing a basic rear backup camera view, the Silverado also offers a rear side view, which provides a dual-screen view of each side of the vehicle and trailer to make sure that you have the full picture; this view is available both in drive and in reverse, so you’ll be able to use it in different types of maneuvers. Similarly, the rear side view is activated when you trigger your turn signal, which helps you in changing lanes, showing you the “safe zone” versus the “danger zone” for merging. This is especially helpful in high-traffic environments and fast-moving freeways. So, between these two side views and the front side view, you’ll be well aware of what’s going on with the sides of your vehicle.
A view that is really impressive and unprecedented is the front top-down view, which provides an aerial view of the nose of your vehicle. This helps you ensure that you don’t collide with anything nor take any curbs to close. You’ve never seen your vehicle from this angle before, and we think you’ll get a lot of use out of this angle.
It is very important to be aware of your surroundings while trailering, and these camera views give you the tools you need to safely maneuver while taking advantage of the Silverado’s highly-impressive towing capability.
Hitching a Ride
Towing is one of the biggest arguments for purchasing a Silverado; aside from the payload capacity, the Silverado provides one of the highest towing capacities you will find on the market. But, with a higher towing capacity comes a bigger trailer, and so the Silverado works overtime to make sure that you are able to tow a larger trailer while keeping yourself and others safe. Between the driver assistance technologies, which focus on traction and braking, and the fifteen available camera views, you’ll have an easier (and safer) time trailering than ever before. So, if towing is a big part of your life, maybe it’s time for you to hop into a Silverado and have an easier time of it.
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