How Much Weight Can a GMC Canyon Hold in the Bed?

If you do not need the big size of a full-size truck, the GMC Canyon is one of your options. 

The Canyon is a midsize truck that offers the same features as the Chevrolet Colorado. 

In fact, the only difference between the Canyon and the Colorado is in the styling of the two trucks and the fact that Canyon offers the luxury trim, the Denali. 

The Canyon feels like a car, thanks to its great handling, quiet cabin, and road manners. Its seats are highly impressive, and it has enough cabin room for comfort. But how much weight can it hold in its bed?

How Much Weight Can a GMC Canyon Hold in the Bed? 

GMC Canyon can hold up to 1,620 pounds in its bed. The extended cab model of the 2022 GMC Canyon can carry between 1,400 and 1,560 pounds in its bed. Its crew cab model can carry between 1,380 and 1,578 pounds in its bed. 

Ideally, the truck will never carry that much in its bed as that would mean there will be no passenger or any other weight in the truck. 

For every passenger you carry in the truck, you need to reduce the payload capacity by the weight of that passenger. 

If you have other loads in the cabin, you need to subtract these from the payload capacity too. 

The rated payload capacity of your truck will change based on the condition of the truck, how well you arrange the load, and several other factors.

It is always advisable that you carry lower than the rated payload capacity after subtracting the weight of the passengers. 

Read on to learn more about how much a GMC Canyon can carry in its bed.

What are the Bed Options for a GMC Canyon? 

There are two bed options with the GMC Canyon. 

The extended cab has a 74.0-inch bed, which has a cargo volume of 49.9 cubic feet. 

The maximum payload for this configuration is 1,560 pounds. 

An extended cab GMC Canyon has front legroom of up to 45.0 inches and rear legroom of up to 28.6 inches. 

Rear seat passengers will not be comfortable, but there is enough cargo room in the bed for you. 

The crew cab GMC Canyon has two bed options. 

There is a short bed, only 61.7 inches long, in the 2WD and 4WD models. 

If you want more cargo room with the crew cab Canyon, you can go for the 4WD option with a long 74.0-inch bed. 

The short bed has a capacity of 41.3 cubic feet while the long bed has a capacity of 49.9 cubic feet. 

This configuration has a maximum payload capacity of 1,578 pounds. 

Front seat passengers will be comfortable with 45.0 inches of legroom while rear seat passengers get 35.8 inches of legroom. 

Crew cab models have a more comfortable cabin, and they can also bring more cargo if you pick the long bed option. 

What Does a GMC Canyon Offer Truckers? 

The GMC Canyon is a pickup truck, but it is as comfortable as a car. 

Its cabin has several comfort features that set it apart. 

If you need ultimate comfort, you can go for the Denali, which has luxury seats and several other features for utmost comfort.

The Denali offers great support on long drives. 

Rear seats may not offer ultimate comfort with the crew cab offering 35 inches of legroom and the extended cab offering even shorter legroom for the rear seat passengers. 

There are several other comfort features, including noise isolation, effective climate control, and several other features. 

The interior has a logical layout with plenty of room and well-set-out features. 

There are also several seat adjustments, making the truck even more comfortable. 

GMC Canyon offers tall windows with a large windshield. 

This allows the driver to have a commanding view of the road ahead. 

Further, the truck offers a rearview camera, which helps you back up into a parking lot. 

Newer models have advanced tech to rival the Tacoma and other midsize trucks. 

You will get Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, 2 USB ports, and several other features. 

The USB ports are on the dashboard, but higher trims have charging ports in the rear sweat section. 

In technology, the Canyon offers advanced voice controls in its latest models. 

The controls may not have been perfect in earlier models, but GM has improved them significantly. 

The 2020 GMC Canyon has an EPA estimated fuel economy of 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. 

There are five trim levels available:

• SL
• Base Canyon
• SLE
• All-Terrain
• SLT
• Denali

The base SL runs on a 2.5L four-cylinder engine that makes 200 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque. 

This engine mates to a six-speed automatic transmission. 

It doesn’t offer rear seats and is only available in the extended cab configuration. 

The SL has standard features, such as a seven-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and two USB ports. 

The Base Canyon is available in an extended cab with rear seats and crew cab. 

It runs in a more powerful engine; a 3.6L V6 that generates 308 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. 

This engine pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission, which can be options or standard, depending on the configuration you choose.

Options, such as remote keyless entry, cruise control, and a remote locking tailgate, are available for the Base Canyon while they are not available for the SL trim. 

The SLE has a 2.8L four-cylinder diesel engine that makes 181 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. 

It has several optional diver safety aids, including lane departure warning and forward collision warning. 

All-Terrain is an off-road trim. 

It has the V6 engine in the Base Canyon, off-road tires, rear locking differential, reinforced suspension, and several other upgraded features. 

If you want to take a Canyon off the road, the All-Terrain trim would be your best choice. 

SLT offers several luxury features, such as leather upholstery. 

However, if you want the best luxury features, go for the Denali. 

A Denali offers heated and ventilated seats, standard driver assistance and safety features, an upgraded sound system, a spray-in bed liner, and several other features that add comfort. 

How Much Can a GMC Canyon Tow? 

When well-equipped, the Canyon can tow up 7,700 pounds. 

The crew cab model with a 2.8L four-cylinder engine equipped with a trailer package will tow that much.

Even the least equipped model can still tow up to 3,500 pounds.

You have everything you need to tow with a Canyon. 

However, when you need to haul, the bed is very basic relative to the competition. 

It doesn’t offer additional bed features, such as tie-downs. 

Another challenge with hauling is that the tailgate and the bed are somewhat high and this can make it challenging to load. 

However, the Canyon is a beast of work when you have the right equipment. 

How Can You Carry More in your GMC Canyon? 

If you want to bring more cargo in your Canyon, you need to reduce the number of passengers you carry. 

Passengers take up the capacity that cargo would have taken. 

The rated payload capacity reduces with each additional passenger. 

If you want to have more than 1,620 pounds, you should consider towing. 

With towing, you can bring 3,500 pounds without any packages or extraordinary accessories with just your truck and trailer. 

Truckers have explored several methods to make the truck carry more.

These options include upgrading the rear springs. 

Having more powerful rear springs allows you to maximize your payload capacity and ensure that your truck does not slouch at the back. 

You can also add coil-over shock absorbers, which will eliminate unsteady movements to keep your truck moving smoothly. 

They will also make your truck safer as an unsteady vehicle can cause accidents. 

You can also have a longer truck bed. 

This will not increase the payload capacity, but it will help you maximize the rated payload capacity by helping you bring more cargo. 

Your truck will have more room for large items, such as sofas and beddings. 

A longer truck bed also allows you to distribute the weight evenly on the truck bed. 

If you decide that you want to extend the bed, you need to learn how to apply the extensions yourself. 

If you carry small items, add bed racks, which will help you organize the cargo better. 

Closing Thoughts

GMC Canyon hauls enough load for its size and class. 

However, you need to have the right accessories, such as bed lights, bed racks, and tie-downs among others to haul cargo the right way. 

Once you distribute the cargo well and you tie it down, your Canyon feels quieter and rides more smoothly. 

Ensure you do not exceed the payload capacity of your truck as this will cause accelerated wear and tear on the parts and also makes your truck less stable on the road. 

In most states, exceeding the payload is illegal, and you might be fined.