2013 Chevy 1500 5.3 Anyone Tow with this?

 I recommend brakes on towed items when they are above your overall to remaining payload. That truck has at best 2000 lbs of payload. Thats about what I have on my 2014 4x. IIRC from my OM, GM requires recommends brakes on trailer over 1500 lbs.

Depending upon the state you are driving thru, brakes will be required on towed items from a min of 1500 to 4500 lbs. Here in Wa St it is a variable amount. 1500 to 4500, or 40% of the rigs GVW. That is legal GVW, not door sticker. For me that is 40% of 8000 lbs, so 3200. lbs. This can be a surge brake, electric, air etc style braking system.  

Depending upon the steepness of the grade, the grade braking on the rig may or may not hold you. Freeway grades, ie less than 6%, you will probably be "OK" Emergency stops are out! Local grades, I've seen upwards of 20-25% local in Puget Sound region. You won't be able to stop to barely stop.

2014 had a big increase in power in ALL of the motors. My 4.3 went from an approx low 200 HP torque motor to a 280/310 motor. My son is pulling a 4500 lbs single axle  RV trailer with a similar hp 05 305 and 4sp tranny. It works, he's not the fastest on the road. He does have a 4" lift, 33" tires, recently switched out the 3.42 gears to 4.10's which helped alot. He can pull hills in direct instead of shifting into 2nd. 

Choose your poison, I'm not going to recommend you pull this trailer at 4500 lbs without brakes. An empty 35 series truck with 4000 lbs of payload. no big, but even then, emergency stops can get interesting. I noticed stopping a 3000 lbs trailer was quicker after adding brakes to that trailer on a DW 3500 I had. 

Marty