Ram Trucks: Towing and Payload Capabilities in True Workhorses

Initially, its pretty easy to figure out which of the Ram trucks offers the greatest towing and payload capacity, but this conversation isn’t that simple.

The Ram 3500 with a Cummings diesel engine in the high-output variety is the most capable of the Ram trucks offered, but not everyone needs or wants that big monster. This means we’ve got to give you more so that you can figure out which of the Ram pickups can be the right one to drive. Let’s get into it and see what we find.

How Much Does a Ram 1500 Tow and Carry?

The 2022 Ram 1500 offers five different engines, which is a pretty impressive lineup of powertrains for a truck. Some other brands only offer one powertrain while others compete directly with Ram and have several options for the half-ton truck power desired. Let’s see what you’ll find at the half-ton Ram truck level:

3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine with e-Torque

305 horsepower, 269 lb-ft of torque.

Max towing capacity: 7,730 pounds

Max payload capacity: 2,335 pounds

 

5.7-liter Hemi V8 Engine

395 horsepower, 410 lb-ft of torque

Max towing capacity: 11,610 pounds

Max payload capacity: 2,300 pounds

 

5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine with e-Torque

395 horsepower, 410 lb-ft of torque

Max towing capacity: 12,750 pounds

Max payload capacity: 2,300 pounds

 

3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 engine

260 horsepower, 480 lb-ft of torque

Max towing capacity: 12,560 pounds

Max payload capacity: 2,300 pounds

 

6.2-liter Supercharged Hemi V8 engine

702 horsepower, 650 lb-ft of torque

Max towing capacity: 8,100 pounds

Max payload capacity: 1,361 pounds

What Does this Tell Us About the Ram 1500?

If you’re looking to this half-ton Ram truck to offer the highest towing and payload numbers to help you get work done, the right choice is the Ram with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine and e-Torque. With this model you can tow and carry a large load.
If you notice, the strongest engine tows the least. That’s because the supercharged engine is in the Ram TRX which is an off-road-focused model. The lower towing and payload numbers for this Ram truck is consistent in the market. Most off-road-focused trucks tow less than their counterparts because of the added equipment for off-road fun.

How Does the 2022 Ram 2500 Stack Up for Towing and Payload?

Moving up the market to the 2022 Ram 2500, you find the three-quarter-ton size in the Ram trucks lineup. This truck brings impressive towing and pay load numbers to the mix to give you lots of power and performance out on the road. This big truck only offers two different engines to give you the capability desired when you need to get a lot of work done. These two engines and their performance numbers are:

6.4-lite Hemi V8 engine

410 horsepower, 429 lb-ft of torque

Max towing capacity: 17,540 pounds

Max payload capacity: 4,010 pounds

 

6.7-liter Cummins Turbocharged Diesel Six-Cylinder engine

370 horsepower, 850 lb-ft of torque

Max towing capacity: 20,000 pounds

Max payload capacity: 3,160 pounds

Is it more important to you to carry heavy loads or pull the most weight? If you normally load a truck bed with less than 3,000 pounds of gear, the diesel-powered model could be the right one of the Ram trucks with the towing you’re looking for.

There’s Something Interesting in the Ram 2500

Have you ever heard of the Ram Power Wagon? This big truck is an off-road-focused version of the Ram 2500. Most automakers competing in the three-quarter-ton class don’t build specialized off-road models, but Ram does. The Power Wagon does have lower capability numbers, but if you want a strong and powerful off-road truck, it could be ideal for you.

Massive Ram Trucks Towing and Payload Found in the 2022 Ram 3500

The largest Ram truck you can buy at the dealership is the Ram 3500. This big truck sits in the one-ton pickup truck category and is one of the most capable trucks offered in the market. This pickup has three impressive engines offered to make it easy for you to experience the strength and power desired. The Ram 3500 engines and capability numbers are:

6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine

410 horsepower, 429 lb-ft of torque

Max towing capacity: 18,210 pounds

Max payload capacity: 7,680 pounds

 

6.7-lter Cummins Turbocharged Diesel Six-Cylinder engine

370 horsepower, 850 lb-ft of torque

Max towing capacity: 22,670 pounds

Max payload capacity: 6,840 pounds

 

6.7-liter High-Output Cummings Turbocharged Diesel Six-Cylinder engine

420 horsepower, 1,075 lb-ft of torque

Max towing capacity: 37,090 pounds

Max payload capacity: 6,570 pounds

Once again, you’ll have to balance payload and towing to find the right version of this truck to drive. The gasoline engine has the greatest payload number, but the high-output diesel is the towing champion when it comes to the Ram trucks offered.

Does the Ram 1500 offer good value compared to other trucks?

When you want to find the best bang for your buck and you’re looking at the diesel-powered half-ton truck class, the right choice is the Ram 1500. These pickup costs nearly $10,000 less than the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with the Duramax diesel engine. The Silverado does tow more, but the difference is only 550 pounds, which might not be enough of a difference for you to choose the Silverado.

Of course, as we’ve shown, the towing leader is the Ram 1500 with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8. The greatest advantage for the diesel-powered Ram 1500 is the fuel mileage, which reaches an average of 26 mpg combined.

Do You Need a Special Tow Feature to Maximize Towing?

Yes, you do. The Ram 2500 and 3500 models hit the max towing numbers for Ram trucks only when equipped with the fifth-wheel/gooseneck hitch. Without this feature, the tow ratings are much lower for each truck. Another factor you might find unusual is that you won’t have the max tow rating when you drive a truck with 4WD. The 2WD models offer the greatest power to pull a heavy load.

Which of the Ram trucks is right for you when you need to enjoy great towing numbers during every day? Will you drive the Ram 1500, Ram 2500, or Ram 3500 and put your truck to work every day?