Fifth generation (T1XX)

2021 GMC Yukon towing capacity

Max towing, 20218,400 lb

Maker3,810 kg

The 2021 GMC Yukon tows up to 8,400 lb (SLE / SLT Yukon 5.3L V8 2WD with the Max Trailering Package, per the 2021 GMC Trailering Guide).

The lowest rating is 7,400 lb, for the Denali Yukon XL 6.2L V8 4WD.

2021 GMC Trailering Guide (Yukon and Yukon XL section, printed pages GMC 24-27)

Configurations: 18
Payload: 1,475–1,792 lb

01 / Ratings

Every 2021 Yukon configuration

18 configurations GMC sells, each with the ratings GMC publishes for it. A package that changes a rating gets its own row.

Engine

Drive

Showing 20 of 20 rows

2021 GMC Yukon

Makerin pounds

2021 GMC Yukon towing capacity, GCWR, payload and tongue weight by configuration, in pounds
Configuration	Max towing lb	Max payload lb	GVWR lb	Axle ratio	Tow check
5.3L V8
SLE / SLTYukon · 2WD	7,900	1,792	7,400	3.23	Check load →
SLE / SLT MostYukon · 2WDwith Max Trailering Package	8,400	1,792	7,400	3.23	Check load →
SLE / SLT · AT4Yukon · 4WD	7,700	1,702	7,500	3.23	Check load →
SLE / SLT · AT4Yukon · 4WDwith Max Trailering Package	8,200	1,702	7,500	3.23	Check load →
SLE / SLTYukon XL · 2WD	7,800	1,687	7,500	3.23	Check load →
SLE / SLTYukon XL · 2WDwith Max Trailering Package	8,300	1,687	7,500	3.23	Check load →
SLE / SLT · AT4Yukon XL · 4WD	7,500	1,698	7,700	3.23	Check load →
SLE / SLT · AT4Yukon XL · 4WDwith Max Trailering Package	8,000	1,698	7,700	3.23	Check load →
6.2L V8
DenaliYukon · 2WD	7,700	1,671	7,400	3.23	Check load →
DenaliYukon · 2WDwith Max Trailering Package	8,200	1,671	7,400	3.23	Check load →
DenaliYukon · 4WD	7,500	1,616	7,500	3.23	Check load →
DenaliYukon · 4WDwith Max Trailering Package	8,000	1,616	7,500	3.23	Check load →
DenaliYukon XL · 2WD	7,600	1,612	7,500	3.23	Check load →
DenaliYukon XL · 2WDwith Max Trailering Package	8,100	1,612	7,500	3.23	Check load →
DenaliYukon XL · 4WD	7,400	1,612	7,700	3.23	Check load →
DenaliYukon XL · 4WDwith Max Trailering Package	7,900	1,612	7,700	3.23	Check load →
3.0L Duramax turbo diesel I6
SLE / SLT · DenaliYukon · 2WD	8,100	1,671	7,500	3.23	Check load →
SLE / SLT · DenaliYukon · 4WD	7,800	1,581	7,700	3.23	Check load →
SLE / SLT · DenaliYukon XL · 2WD	7,900	1,563	7,700	3.23	Check load →
SLE / SLT · DenaliYukon XL · 4WD	7,700	1,475	7,700	3.23	Check load →

“Not published”: the maker doesn’t print it. —: not in the documents we hold yet. Scroll the table sideways for every rating.

SourceMakerEvery figure above is GMC’s, from this document.

2021 GMC Trailering Guide (Yukon and Yukon XL section, printed pages GMC 24-27) · General Motors (GMC)

Documents last checked Oct 12, 2026. How we read them and what the marks mean: how we source the numbers. A figure doesn’t match its document? Report a wrong number.

2021 GMC Yukon specs: payload, dimensions, ground clearance and weight beside the towing ratings.

The 2021 Yukon belongs to this generation; every configuration, its clearance, angles and weights are on its page.

GMC Yukon T1XX (2021–present): full specs

02 / Why

Which one tows the most, and why

Each figure below is the gap between two of GMC’s own ratings for configurations that differ in one thing only.

What moves the rating

Maker

Tows the most: 8,400 lb

SLE / SLT Yukon 5.3L V8 2WD with the Max Trailering Package. Without it the same configuration is rated 7,900 lb.

Package
Max Trailering Package
+500 lb
Same configuration otherwise · 10 pairs in the table
Build
2WD instead of 4WD
+200 to +300 lb
Same configuration otherwise · 12 pairs in the table
Build
Yukon instead of Yukon XL
+100 to +200 lb
Same configuration otherwise · 14 pairs in the table

Best rating by engine

5.3L V88,400 lb
6.2L V88,200 lb
3.0L Duramax turbo diesel I68,100 lb

The line is the highest rating on this page. Each bar is that engine’s best configuration.

03 / By year

Yukon towing by model year

The highest rating each model year, from that year’s documents. Years rated the same in every configuration share one page.

04 / Next

Check it against your load

Towing calculatorPut your trailer and cargo against a 2021 Yukon’s ratings and see what’s left.Check my load GVWR, GCWR & payloadWhat each rating limits, and why the trailer number alone isn’t the answer.Read the guide Yukon specsClearance, angles, weights and the rig builder for every configuration.Open the spec plate All towing capacitiesEvery truck and SUV we cover, side by side, sortable.Compare vehicles

05 / FAQ

Questions people ask

Which 2021 Yukon configuration tows the most?

The SLE / SLT Yukon 5.3L V8 2WD with the Max Trailering Package, at 8,400 lb.

Which package unlocks the 2021 Yukon’s 8,400 lb rating?

The Max Trailering Package: GMC rates the SLE / SLT Yukon 5.3L V8 2WD at 8,400 lb so equipped. Without it the same configuration is rated 7,900 lb.

Has the GMC Yukon’s towing capacity changed by year?

Highest rating by model year: 2023–2024, 8,400 lb; 2021, 8,400 lb; 2020, 8,500 lb; 2019, 8,500 lb; 2018, 8,500 lb; 2015, 8,500 lb.

Does four-wheel drive change the 2021 Yukon’s towing capacity?

Yes: 2WD instead of 4WD is rated +200 to +300 lb on otherwise identical configurations (12 pairs in GMC’s table).

Does the engine change the 2021 Yukon’s towing capacity?

Yes. Best rating by engine: 5.3L V8, 8,400 lb; 6.2L V8, 8,200 lb; 3.0L Duramax turbo diesel I6, 8,100 lb.

Which 2021 Yukon configuration tows the least?

The Denali Yukon XL 6.2L V8 4WD, at 7,400 lb.

These are GMC’s published ratings, not a weighbridge. Your own vehicle’s GVWR and axle ratings are on its certification label, and only a scale tells you what your loaded rig weighs. Found a figure that doesn’t match the document? Tell us.