Chevy Ups the Ante in the Truck War with the 2019 Silverado 1500

Chevrolet is upping the ante in the pickup truck wars, vowing to make the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado the most convenient and easiest truck to handle towing. Many pickup truck owners use trailers regularly, for work and for outdoor activities and ease of trailering could be a huge deciding factor for truck buyers.

Chevrolet will use the 2019 Silverado 1500 to introduce several different levels of towing features, making it easier for buyers to decide what is most appropriate for them. All light-duty Silverado models will have access to the myChevrolet trailering phone app and customers will be able to add the Advanced Trailering System, which will allow drivers to use the system in the vehicle.

Chevrolet is offering a trailering camera package that will work in conjunction with both the phone and in-truck system and give drivers a more comprehensive trailer view.

Chevrolet is also introducing a new trailering label, that is supposed to make it easier for drivers to know the combined weight of the different truck and trailer combinations.

Chevy says that in designing the new Silverado, it communicated with 7,000 customers. Sixty percent of potential buyers named towing as a key deciding factor. Many of the people find several aspects of towing challenging.
Chevrolet set out to make towing easier, make hitching a trailer more convenient and improve the connectivity between the truck and the trailer.

“Ultimately, these technologies serve to eliminate common pain points of towing and help provide customers with a less stressful experience while trailering,” said Tim Herrick, executive chief engineer, Full-Size Trucks, General Motors.

New App Organizes the Trailering Experience

Chevy designed the myChevrolet® app with features to help the driver better prepare for the towing experience. The app will offer step-by-step checklists for drivers so they have everything set up correctly. It will also offer a glossary of towing terms so drivers understand what they are supposed to be doing.

The myChevrolet® phone app also allows drivers to conduct a trailer light test that uses an automatic exterior light sequence to help confirm that the trailer is properly connected. In the past, this was a two-person job – now a single individual can properly connect a trailer and check the lights.

The trailer light sequence can also be activated via the Advanced Trailering System. For customers who tow more often, the Advanced Trailering System provides features to make towing easier.

New Technology Emphasizes a Safer Experience

The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 will have Auto Parking Brake Assist to help customers who’ve dealt with the frustration of perfectly aligning their truck and trailer hitch only to see the truck roll when they put it in park. The parking brake will set automatically when the vehicle is put into Hitch View to help avoid vehicle movement after the customer lines up the truck with the trailer and then shifts to park.

Hitch Guidance with Hitch View adds a dynamic backing guideline to the Rear Vision Camera system to help customers line up their hitch. The special guide will add a visual cue to reduce the difficulty of aligning a hitch to a trailer.

Trailer Tire Pressure Monitoring System is an optional feature that can monitor the tire pressure of the trailer tires using the truck’s infotainment system. This system also allows customers to monitor the temperature of their trailer tires to help prevent blowouts from overheating.

Advanced Trailering System Infotainment app can allow customers the ability to track the mileage, fuel economy and transmission temperature of their truck while towing. Customers can create and store up to five profiles, including guests, for different trailer types.

Chevy is also pioneering a theft alert system that can let you know if anyone is trying to steal your trailer.
Chevy has developed what it calls “Trailer Theft Alert”. The system will activate the truck’s lights and horn if the harness of the trailer attached to the truck is disconnected. Customers enrolled in the OnStar Safety & Security Plan will also receive a theft alert via phone, text or email.

Chevy has also enhanced its rear-view cameras to help with towing. This package enhances trailering views with three cameras that provide a 270-degree view. The system has two side view cameras mounted in the side view mirrors and the rear view camera. It is also offering an optional fourth camera that mounts to the trailer and provides an even better view of what is happening.

Chevrolet is also offering a specific trailer label that will be tied to the vehicle’s VIN number and included on the truck’s door. The label will spell out exactly how much the truck weighs, how much it can tow, how much the axle can bear and the maximum payload. No more guessing about whether or not you should try and pull that Fifth Wheel or Airstream, or your brother’s boat!

The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado goes on sale in the fall of 2018. You can compare it to its competitors at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sight here.