Weekend Project Hauler: Towing and a MultiPro Tailgate Workbench with the Sierra 1500

The GMC Sierra 1500 tows up to 9,400 lbs, helps you hitch solo, and turns its MultiPro tailgate into a workbench. See it at Northwest Hills GMC in Torrington, CT.

Weekend projects usually start with hauling. Pick up mulch, clear out the junk, tow the trailer of tools to the lake place. The 2026 GMC Sierra 1500 was built for those days. It tows a loaded trailer, helps you hitch it up alone, and its tailgate turns into a workbench when you get there.

Here is what it does, and where to be careful when you spec one, because the towing number needs some explaining.

Towing: up to 9,400 pounds with the standard engine

The Sierra 1500's base engine is the 2.7L TurboMax, a turbocharged four-cylinder making 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. The torque arrives early in the rev range, which is exactly what you want when pulling a load away from a stop. Properly equipped, the 2.7L tows up to 9,400 pounds.

That covers the vast majority of weekend jobs. For context:

• A single-axle utility trailer of yard waste, mulch, or furniture runs a couple thousand pounds

• ATVs or a side-by-side on a trailer are an easy pull

• A small travel trailer under 7,500 pounds fits with margin

One warning worth stating plainly: heavy materials add up faster than people expect. Gravel and stone run about 3,000 pounds per cubic yard, so a loaded dump trailer can meet or blow past the 9,400-pound maximum before it looks full.

Two honest notes before you count on the full 9,400:

First, that number requires the Max Trailering Package. Without it, the rating drops. If towing is part of your plans, put the package on the order sheet by name.

Second, 9,400 belongs to a lighter configuration. Add four-wheel drive or step up to a Crew Cab and the rating drops, because the extra weight of the truck itself eats into what is left for the trailer. The real number for your specific truck lives on the door-jamb sticker, so check it there, not in a brochure.

If you need more, the other engines have you covered: the 5.3L V8 tows up to 11,200 pounds and the Duramax diesel goes up to 13,300 pounds when properly equipped. But for weekend hauling, the 2.7L is the right answer.

Hitch up solo: the ProGrade Trailering System

Backing up to a trailer alone is where most people burn ten minutes and their patience. The Sierra 1500's ProGrade Trailering System takes the guesswork out of it:

• Hitch Guidance puts a centered line in the rear camera view so you can put the ball under the coupler on the first try, no spotter waving arms

• Up to 14 camera views, including a view aimed right at the hitch, so distance is never a guess

• The in-vehicle Trailering App runs a trailer light test and a pre-departure checklist, so you find the dead brake light in the driveway instead of on the highway

• An integrated trailer brake controller manages the trailer's brakes in concert with the truck's

ProGrade comes standard on the SLT and is included on the trims above it, and it is available as an option on SLE and Elevation. Even base trucks come with a rear camera and hitch guidance lines to help you line things up.

The tailgate that works as a workbench

The Sierra 1500 offers GMC's six-function MultiPro tailgate, standard on most trims and optional only on the base Pro. The two-gate design folds into six positions, and two of them earn their keep on a project day:

A workbench. Lower the inner gate alone and you get a flat surface at counter height for measuring, marking, and cutting, or just for keeping tools and hardware off the ground. Pair it with the available in-bed 120-volt outlet and you can run a corded saw straight off the truck.

A step. With both gates down, the inner panel folds into a step 48 inches wide, rated for 375 pounds, with a fold-out handle on the bed wall. Your knees will thank you by the end of a long loading day.

The tailgate also has a load stop to keep lumber and pipe from sliding off the open gate on the drive.

A real weekend

Picture a Saturday. You hitch the utility trailer solo, putting the ball under the coupler on the first try with the camera. The app runs the light test, so you know the trailer is road-ready before you pull out. You dump the yard waste, then swing by the supply yard for the project materials.

Back home, you drop the inner gate, set the saw on the workbench, and cut boards right off the tailgate with the bed outlet powering the tool. When you climb into the bed for the last of the material, the step and handle are right there. One truck, one trip, whole job.

That is the honest read on the Sierra 1500 as a project truck. It is not the cheapest half-ton, but it earns its keep.

Which setup is right for a weekend hauler

You do not need the biggest truck on the lot to do this well. The straight version:

• The 2.7L TurboMax is the right engine for weekend towing. Up to 9,400 pounds, and it saves you money on day one.

• Step up to the 5.3L V8 only if heavy towing is regular, like a large camper or a loaded equipment trailer.

• If you tow alone often, pick a build with the ProGrade Trailering System, and add the Max Trailering Package if you will run near the rating.

• Skip the diesel and the top trims if the mission is mulch runs and dump loads. That money buys a lot of lumber.

Spec it at Northwest Hills GMC in Torrington

If you are in Connecticut and the Sierra 1500 fits your weekends, Northwest Hills GMC in Torrington can build one that matches the work without overbuying. Tell them what you actually plan to tow before you buy, so the engine and trailering package are matched to the load. Have them show you the door-jamb label on the truck you are considering, because that is the true tow rating for that exact configuration. Try the MultiPro tailgate in both step and workbench modes. And if you tow solo, ask for a walkthrough of the trailering tech in person.

The Torrington area is project-truck country, and the team there talks trailers every week. Bring your trailer weight and your weekend plans, and leave with the right truck.