EPIC EV Towing Road Trip: Chevy Silverado EV Tows 8,000 lb Trailer 2,000 Miles!

 

I took the Silverado EV and our Grand Design Imagine 2970RL travel trailer (about 8,000 lb dry) on a nearly 2,000 mile ev towing road trip from Mount Airy, Maryland to Disney's Fort Wilderness near Orlando and back. This trip was a real-world exercise in planning, managing range, and understanding how weather, speed, charging infrastructure, and vehicle settings affect efficiency when towing a big box on wheels.

What I learned on this EV towing road trip

• Plan for lower range in cool, wet, windy conditions. On the outbound trip in October I averaged about 0.8 miles per kWh. On the return, with heavy rain and steady 12 to 18 mph headwinds, the average dropped to about 0.7 miles per kWh (with stretches as low as 0.6).
• Pull-through chargers and high-power sites are invaluable when towing. GM Energy pull-throughs, Mercedes 400 kW chargers, and Rivian/Tesla sites that allow trailer access made the trip much easier.
• Small operational changes matter: slow down to 55 mph or below to stretch your range, precondition where possible, and turn off climate control during charging to improve charge rates.
• Optionally, use a telematics/OBD app like Car Scanner Pro with an OBDLink MX+ to monitor energy use, regen, and thermal behavior in real time.

Departure strategy and driving approach

I started driving mostly at night to avoid crowded chargers and large traffic volumes. I kept the truck around 60 mph and used Super Cruise whenever practical. The tactic was simple: steady speed, gentle acceleration, and being ready to add intermediate charging stops if the predicted range didn’t match reality.

How I planned charging and handled range surprises

Google Maps built into the Silverado does not do a good job predicting mileage while towing.  I found the GOM predicted range in the drivers display to be more accurate but real-world conditions can change things fast. Early in the trip I found I would be about 30 miles short of an intended Electrify America stop (one that I was able to make with 3% remaining in August), so I added Richmond, VA as an earlier stop and adjusted my speed.

Tactics that worked:

• Reduce speed to gain buffer range (I dropped from 60 to 55 and sometimes to 50 when needed).
• Prefer pull-through chargers when towing — they save time and reduce hassle hooking/unhooking trailers or blocking pull up chargers.
• Have a navigator who can find trailer-friendly charging sites while driving; not all fast chargers work well with a trailer in tow.

Charging highlights and notable charge speeds

Some chargers performed spectacularly well. At Richmond I saw around 320+ kW when arriving at low state of charge, and at the Mercedes 400 kW chargers in Florence, SC I recorded over 360 kW briefly. Those high-power sessions make a huge difference when you want to minimize dwell time with a trailer.

The Rivian Adventure Network chargers supported 800 volt architecture and gave me up to 302 kW when conditions and preconditioning allowed. Tesla V4 theoretically supports 325 kW, but I only saw 170 to 180 kW at one V4 site.

Car Scanner Pro, thermals, and real energy numbers

I used Car Scanner Pro paired with an OBDLink MX+ to capture detailed energy and thermal data. That app gave a much clearer picture of how much energy went to driving & accessories, regenerative braking, and thermal management.

Key numbers from the outbound leg (the trip down):

• Trip distance recorded: 955 miles
• Average efficiency: 0.86 miles per kWh
• Driving and accessories energy: 1,081 kWh
• Thermal management energy: 27 kWh
• Total trip energy: 1,114 kWh
• Regenerated: 21 miles of range

Thermals while towing were reasonable: battery temps around high 90s F and drive motor temps in the 135 F range during heavier loads. That indicates the BMS and thermal systems handled sustained towing without extreme heat soak on this trip down.

What went wrong: warnings, trailer wiring, 0% SOC

There were a few stressful moments. The truck repeatedly warned about the trailer wiring and I suspect moisture infiltration of the trailer connector during the rain. I plan to apply dielectric grease to the 7-way connector to reduce corrosion and intermittent faults. I also had at least one heart-stopping moment where I arrived at a charger with 0% displayed SOC.  Thankfully I was able to limp into the charging station to recharge.  We will be extra vigilant in the future to make sure that doesn't even happen again!  It would not have been fun to call a tow truck with a 34 ft trailer in tow 🤦🏻.

Return trip: why efficiency dropped and how weather affected range

The return trip was a different animal. It rained much of the way with persistent 12 to 18 mph headwinds, which transformed the towing profile.

Results:

• Return trip distance: 940.9 miles (Reported by trip meter)
• Average efficiency: 0.74 miles per kWh (calculated by Car Scanner Pro)
• Driving and accessories consumption on the return: 1,238 kWh (Car Scanner Pro)
• Thermal management on the return: 34 kWh (Car Scanner Pro)
• Total energy for return: 1,273 kWh (Car Scanner Pro)
• Regenerated: 19 miles of range (Car Scanner Pro)

Weather and wind are huge. In summer I could do 213+ miles from a 100% charge and still have a few percent left. On the October return I saw 100% estimates fall as low as 164 miles during the worst headwind and rain. If you plan an ev towing road trip expect large swings in range depending on conditions.  Checking the weather before you set out and modifying your route accordingly is highly recommended.

Charging behaviors and an unexpected software/thermal quirk

Climate control on the truck had a dramatic effect on DC fast charging speed. I received a "charging is slower than expected" message and watching the charging power jump from 166 kW to over 300 kW after turning climate control off was eye-opening.

In practice this means to maximize charge power you may need to shut cabin climate systems off and step away from the vehicle during the session.

This has been a known issue with Silverado & Sierra EV with a recent software update mentioning improvements in this area. I was hopeful the very recent software update would have lessened its impact but discovered that not to be the case.  Hopefully future software updates will make charging less dependent on cabin climate control status.

Cost, charging network notes, and practical tips

Some pricing examples I encountered:

• Rivian AN at night: 52 cents per kWh for some off-peak windows; non-Rivian pricing at some sites went as high as 64 cents per kWh.
• Tesla membership pricing at some locations can be advantageous compared to other networks.

Practical tips for an EV towing road trip:

1. Plan using a better route planner & plug share. Have backup charger stops and prefer pull-throughs & trailer-friendly stations.
2. Drive slower and smoother. Driving faster than 60 significantly reduces range.  In a pinch lower your highway speed to regain range.  
3. OPTIONAL: Monitor pack thermals and consumption with an OBD tool and Car Scanner Pro. You will learn where range is going (driving vs thermal vs accessories vs regen).
4. Precondition when possible before arriving at a high-power charger to hit peak power. If the charger or route cannot precondition, expect lower charging speeds.
   
5. If safe and practical, drive at night to make accessing chargers much easier or other off-peak times to make accessing chargers easier.

Final numbers and whether I would do this trip again

Roundtrip lessons in numbers:

• Total roundtrip miles on this October run: roughly 1,882 miles.
• Outbound average: 0.86 miles per kWh; Return average in worse weather: 0.74 miles per kWh.
• Expect total energy use to vary dramatically with weather: the rainy, windy return consumed significantly more kWh than the outbound in better conditions.

Would I do this trip again? Yes, but I would pick better weather windows if possible. The Silverado EV and the trailer combination is capable, but October conditions showed me exactly how much rain and headwind will impact planning and charging needs. With careful route planning, trailer-aware charger selection, allowing extra time, and a few operational habits, an EV towing road trip can be practical and enjoyable.

Final advice for anyone planning an EV towing road trip

• Always plan for contingencies and intermediate charging stops, especially in cool, wet, or windy conditions.
• Favor pull-through, high-power sites when towing. Mercedes 400 kW, GM Energy pull-throughs, and Rivian locations were standout options on my route.
• When low on range, lower speed. It is the easiest way to increase range on the fly so you can make it to the next charging stop.

If you are planning your own EV towing road trip, consider these tips and prepare for the weather. Tow safely, plan chargers that accommodate trailers, and use data to make better decisions on the road.

Useful Links:

My Ultimate EV Towing Guide Video (Or Blog Post)

EV Outdoors Towing Checklist & Calculator

My recommended Car Scanner Pro OBD Dongle

ABRP Premium 30 day Free Trial

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