2013 Ram 3500 Blows Away Competition With 30,000 Pound Tow Rating
In the continued battle for dominance in the heavy duty truck segment, Chrysler’s Ram brand has set a new benchmark that won’t be easy for its rivals to match.
Thanks to a long list of upgrades, plus more power from the 6.7-liter Cummins turbo-diesel engine, the 2013 Ram 3500 is now rated to tow an outrageous 30,000 lbs. That puts it 6,900 lbs ahead of its nearest rival, the Chevy Silverado 3500 HD. The truck also comes with a new Gross Combined Weight Rating (the combined weight of the truck, trailer and payload), of 37,600 lbs.
As mentioned, output is up for 2013, with the Cummins engine pushed to 850 lb-ft of torque, 50 more than last year’s model.
In addition, 2500 models also get improvements for 2013, with a new max tow rating of 18,350 lbs and a Gross Combined Weight Rating of 25,000 lbs.
SEE MORE: 2014 Chevy Silverado HD Preview
For 2013 all Ram HD trucks get improved cooling, lager front drive shafts and U-joints, while new features include a factory-integrated fifth-wheel and gooseneck hitch mount, a 17,000-pound Class V hitch that has 1,800 pounds of tongue weight, plus electronic stability control for the dual-rear-wheels. In addition, there’s a Center High-Mounted Stop Light (CHMSL) camera to help line up the truck with a trailer.
“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,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO of the Ram Truck Brand. “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.”
Ram will debut its more capable trucks next week at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.
GALLERY: 2013 Ram 2500 and 3500
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With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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Ive towed heavy loadswith a few different rams and they towed like nobodies business. This new one has over 200 more lbs of torque than the last one I drove.Good for them for upping the weight that high.I've heard many stories of people towing way over their limits,so now they can do it safely and legally now.
I read your review on the new ram 3500. It might be helpful to your readers to also mention that if you purchase this truck with the fifth wheel prep kit they will not find a hitch to fit it. That's right Ram put a fifth wheel prep kit without the forethought of making a hitch to fit it. You have to purchase a "frame" for 400.00 + to install so that a hitch can fit into the frame. This frame is not readily available. This negates the whole purpose of the prep kit. More than 8 calls to ram customer service and an email to the CEO get no response. As a customer who spent 50000. Plus for this truck we are disgusted with them. Our business is hauling fifth wheel trailers. Please get the word out to other unsuspecting buyers. Thanks Alex