2024 Silverado 2500HD: Choose the Right Engine, Cab and Bed

The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD offers two 6.6L V8 engines, both with an Allison-branded 10-speed automatic, and five cab-and-bed combinations. Regular Cab trucks come with a long bed, while Double Cab and Crew Cab trucks offer standard or long beds. These are U.S.-market specifications from Chevrolet’s 2024 HD specification sheet.

For a used-truck buyer, the important decisions are passenger space, bed and parking fit, and the exact truck’s towing and payload ratings—not simply gas versus diesel.

Engines and what changed for 2024

Specification	6.6L gas V8	6.6L Duramax turbo-diesel V8
Horsepower	401 hp at 5,200 rpm	470 hp at 2,800 rpm
Torque	464 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm	975 lb-ft at 1,600 rpm
Transmission	10-speed automatic	10-speed automatic
Axle ratio	3.73:1	3.42:1

Source: Chevrolet’s engine, transmission and axle specifications.

The significant gas-engine change is the transmission: the 10-speed replaced the previous six-speed automatic. The diesel received increased horsepower and torque. Chevrolet also refreshed the exterior and introduced the redesigned large-screen interior on LT and higher trims, with a 13.4-inch infotainment screen and 12.3-inch driver display. WT and Custom retain a 7-inch touchscreen. Chevrolet’s model-year announcement and Edmunds’ trim breakdown document those differences.

Start with the gas truck if its verified ratings cover your loaded trailer and cargo. The Duramax deserves consideration for heavier towing, but its additional torque does not establish the truck’s payload capacity.

Cab, bed and overall length

Cab and bed	Inside bed length	Overall truck length	Wheelbase
Regular Cab, long bed	98.27 in.	235.50 in.	141.55 in.
Double Cab, standard bed	82.25 in.	240.45 in.	149.40 in.
Double Cab, long bed	98.27 in.	256.46 in.	162.48 in.
Crew Cab, standard bed	82.25 in.	249.95 in.	158.94 in.
Crew Cab, long bed	98.27 in.	266.00 in.	172.00 in.

Cab pairings and exterior measurements come from Chevrolet’s specification sheet; bed-floor lengths are documented in The Fast Lane Truck’s specification comparison. The table excludes ZR2 and ZR2 Bison exterior dimensions.

The standard bed provides 69.5 cu. ft. of cargo volume; the long bed provides 83.5 cu. ft., according to Greenbrier Chevrolet’s 2024 cab-and-bed table.

Choose the configuration around the load:

• Regular Cab long bed: maximum bed length in the shortest overall truck here, without a rear seat.
• Double Cab: rear seating with less overall length than an equivalent Crew Cab. Rear legroom is 35.24 inches.
• Crew Cab: better suited to frequent rear-seat passengers, with 43.4 inches of rear legroom—about 8.2 inches more than Double Cab. Chevrolet interior dimensions.

A 96-inch sheet fits lengthwise within the long bed’s nominal 98.27-inch floor length with the tailgate closed; it exceeds the standard bed’s floor length. Check clear space after toolboxes, liners and other equipment are installed.

For parking, a Crew Cab standard-bed truck is about 20 feet 10 inches long; the long-bed version is 22 feet 2 inches. Allow clearance beyond the truck’s length and measure the actual vehicle’s height and mirror width before assuming a garage fit.

Towing: distinguish the headline from the setup

Chevrolet advertised the diesel 2500HD as towing up to 22,500 lb, but its updated 2024 trailering guide lists 22,430 lb for the highest-rated configuration. Use the configuration-specific figure and the truck’s Trailering Information Label rather than treating the advertising number as every diesel’s capacity. Chevrolet announcement; 2024 trailering guide, pages 31–36.

Selected ratings from that guide illustrate the differences:

Configuration and required equipment	Conventional towing	Gooseneck/fifth-wheel towing
Regular Cab long bed, 2WD gas, 18/20-inch wheels, 10,350-lb GVWR	14,500 lb	18,700 lb
Regular Cab long bed, 2WD diesel, Max Trailering Package, 18/20-inch wheels, 11,200-lb GVWR	14,500 lb	22,430 lb
Crew Cab standard bed, 4WD gas, 18/20-inch wheels, 10,850-lb GVWR*	16,000 lb	18,400 lb
Crew Cab standard bed, 4WD diesel, Max Trailering Package, 18/20-inch wheels, 11,750-lb GVWR	20,000 lb	21,600 lb

With 18-inch QG3 mud-terrain tires, the guide reduces this gas setup to 12,000 lb conventional and 18,350 lb gooseneck/fifth-wheel. The Crew Cab rows do not apply to High Country, ZR2 or ZR2 Bison, which have separate entries in the guide. These are comparison ratings, not permission to tow those weights with any similarly named truck.

Payload can rule out a trailer before the tow rating does. For example, a hypothetical 16,000-lb fifth-wheel carrying 20% on its pin places 3,200 lb on the truck before adding occupants, hitch hardware or cargo. Chevrolet requires the loaded truck to remain within GVWR, rear-axle and other applicable limits, including the combination’s GCWR. Check the door-jamb labels and weigh the loaded combination. Chevrolet’s trailering guidance.

Which trim should you look for?

The six trims serve different priorities, as detailed in Edmunds’ 2024 trim comparison. Not every trim is offered with every cab-and-bed combination.

• WT: vinyl seating and flooring; a practical starting point for work use.
• Custom: cloth upholstery, carpet and 20-inch aluminum wheels.
• LT: the starting point for the redesigned large-screen cabin and a standard integrated trailer brake controller.
• LTZ: leather upholstery, heated power front seats and additional comfort equipment.
• ZR2: off-road suspension and hardware rather than maximum trailering capability.
• High Country: premium equipment, including ventilated front seats, Bose audio and front and rear parking sensors.

The new-for-2024 ZR2 and ZR2 Bison are Crew Cab standard-bed 4WD trucks only. ZR2 equipment includes a roughly 1.5-inch lift, Multimatic DSSV dampers and a rear electronic locker. Bison adds AEV bumpers and underbody protection. Do not apply ordinary Crew Cab towing ratings to either: Chevrolet lists diesel gooseneck/fifth-wheel ratings of 18,100 lb for ZR2 and 15,570 lb for Bison. GM’s ZR2 specification sheet.

Before buying a used 2024

Ask for the original window sticker, photographs of the payload and trailering labels, maintenance records, and an independent inspection. Confirm installed towing packages rather than relying on the listing’s maximum-capacity claim.

Run the VIN through NHTSA’s recall lookup and request completed-repair documentation: the VIN lookup does not show recalls already repaired. Relevant examples—not an exhaustive list—include:

• Tailgate recall 24V-894: certain trucks with the manual tailgate with power lock and release (RPO QT5) can experience an electrical short after water intrusion, causing the gate to unlatch while parked. Until repaired, owners should check that the tailgate is closed and latched before driving. Other tailgate configurations are excluded from this campaign. GM safety filing.
• Steering recall 23V-549: certain trucks received suspect steering gear shafts that could fracture and cause loss of steering. Applicability is limited to identified vehicles. GM safety filing.

If your loads do not require HD capability, compare the 2024 Silverado 1500’s engines, cabs and beds before committing to the larger truck.