We thought it a bit peculiar Chrysler execs weren’t willing to talk towing numbers when they unveiled the revised 2013 Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty pickups back in September. After all, numbers – especially tied to towing, gross combined weight rating, and payload, speak volumes in this segment.
Now, Ram’s ready to talk – and the numbers tied to these new Ram HD picks are sizable, to say the least. As the headlines on Ram’s latest press releases proudly tout, the new 2013 Ram 3500 can tow up to a whopping 30,000 pounds (actually, if you’re splitting hairs, 30,010 pounds).
“We built the new 2013 Ram Heavy Duty to be the undisputed Heavy Duty ‘King of the Road.’ These new rigs deliver on the number one key attribute most critical to these customers: uncompromising capability,” Fred Diaz, president and CEO of the Ram brand, said in a prepared release. “Towing capability, reliability and engine performance are ranked first through third, respectively, with HD customers. The 2013 Ram Heavy Duty trucks unequivocally deliver all those things, as well as a very low total cost of ownership.”
According to newly released spec panels, the updated 2013 Ram 3500 pickup boasts a maximum gross combined weight rating of 37,600 pounds, an increase of nearly 7600 over an outgoing 2012 Ram 3500.
Predictably, the eye-popping 30,010 max trailer rating figure is tied to a base Ram 3500 ST/Tradesman 4×2 model with dual rear wheels, a regular cab, and a long box. Said truck is also fitted with the high-output 6.7-liter Cummins turbo-diesel (which, in turn, is paired with a six-speed Aisin automatic) and an optional 4.10:1 rear axle. That trailer rating bests both Ford’s F350 (maximum trailer weight of 21,700- 22,800 pounds with a fifth-wheel), the F450 (24,700 pounds maximum with a fifth-wheel or gooseneck), and the Chevrolet Silverado/ GMC Sierra 3500 (23,100 pounds).
Lest anyone accuse Ram of building one ultra-niche truck simply to achieve those figures, the 3500 towing charts prove that notion wrong. Provided you equip a 2013 Ram 3500 with dual rear wheels, the high-output Cummins, and the 4.10 rear axle, maximum towing weights all ring in between 28,880 pounds and 30,010, depending on trim, cab, bed, and driveline configurations. Here’s a quick breakdown:
| Cab | Bed | Trim | Drive | GVWR (lbs) | GCWR (lbs) | Max Trailer Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | Long | ST/ Tradesman | 4×2 | 14,000 | 37,600 | 30,010 |
| Regular | Long | SLT | 4×2 | 14,000 | 37,600 | 29,970 |
| Regular | Long | ST/ Tradesman | 4×4 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 29,700 |
| Regular | Long | SLT | 4×4 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 29,640 |
| Crew | Long | ST/ Tradesman | 4×2 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 29,370 |
| Crew | Long | SLT/ Bighorn/ Lone Star | 4×2 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 29,280 |
| Crew | Long | Laramie | 4×2 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 29,260 |
| Mega | Short | SLT/ Bighorn/ Lone Star | 4×2 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 29,210 |
| Mega | Short | Laramie | 4×2 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 29,180 |
| Crew | Long | Longhorn | 4×2 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 29,150 |
| Crew | Long | ST/ Tradesman | 4×4 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 29,130 |
| Crew | Long | SLT/ Bighorn/ Lone Star | 4×4 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 29,070 |
| Mega | Short | Longhorn | 4×2 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 29,060 |
| Mega | Short | SLT/ Bighorn/ Lone Star | 4×4 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 29,010 |
| Crew | Long | Laramie | 4×4 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 29,010 |
| Mega | Short | Laramie | 4×4 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 28,980 |
| Crew | Long | Longhorn | 4×4 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 28,910 |
| Mega | Short | Longhorn | 4×4 | 14,000 | 37,500 | 28,880 |
We’ve yet to see a full breakdown of ratings for all non-3500 models, but Ram says these formidable ratings aren’t limited to the one model series. The 2013 Ram 5500 chassis cab, for instance – which shares many of its frame, driveline, and suspension upgrades with the 2013 3500 – boasts a GCWR of 37,500 pounds, and can tow up to 29,600 pounds.
2013 Ram 2500 models carry less than their 3500 siblings, but are no less formidable. Although specs again vary based upon trim, driveline, engine, and both cab/ bed configuration, the 2013 Ram 2500 can tow as much as 18,350 by way of a fifth-wheel/ gooseneck hitch, provided a base ST/ Tradesman 4×2 long-bed truck is ordered with the standard-duty Cummins and a six-speed automatic transmission. For what it’s worth GM’s 2500 models can only tow as much as 17,500 pounds, while Ford’s single-rear wheel F250/F350 models are rated at up to 16,800 pounds.
Ram fits each 2013 Ram 2500 and 3500 with a Class V receiver hitch rated at 17,000 pounds. Ford representatives point out it remains the king in the realm of conventional towing (dual-rear wheel, crew-cab F350 and F450 models can pull 18,500 pounds so equipped). GM’s 3500-series trucks can also tow up to 18,000 pounds via the receiver hitch when properly equipped.
Ram spokesman Nick Cappa admits the Ram Heavy Duty models do cede slightly to its competitors in this realm, but that the automaker advises any owner towing more than 10,000 pounds utilize a fifth-wheel or gooseneck trailer. A sizable number of Ram 2500/ 3500 clients are already inclined to do such, which spurred the development of a number of new features – including the integrated mounting points for a 5th wheel/ gooseneck hitch and an in-bed trailer harness connector – for the 2013 model year.
For more on what’s new with the 2013 Ram Heavy Duty pickups, click here to read our First Look story. Expect more details – especially surrounding pricing – to emerge shortly, as Ram says production of these 2013 trucks should kick off later this month.
Source: Chrysler
