#1G
Ram 3500
89The pick — 36,620 lb tow rating, 4,710 lb payload capacity. Strong tow.
Best Ram Trucks for Towing
Every Ram pickup, ranked on tow score.
Here's how the Ram lineup stacks up on tow. Same rubric across every truck — no brand favors.
Ram made a bet the rest of the class didn't: that a heavy hauler shouldn't ride like one. Coil springs where others run leafs, air suspension where others don't offer it — Ram spends its engineering budget on how the truck feels while it works, and the result is the rare tow rig your back doesn't file complaints about.
What to look for: the Cummins on 2500/3500 listings if sustained heavy pulling is the job — it's the engine that built Ram's towing reputation, and the 3500's gooseneck-and-fifth-wheel ceiling runs with anyone's. On 1500s, the trailer tow group and the 3.92 axle move the score meaningfully, and rear air suspension on an HD means self-leveling under tongue weight — a working feature wearing luxury clothes.
Walk past if maximum half-ton capability per dollar is the whole question: the comfort-first suspension trades a little ceiling, and the spreadsheet buyer may land elsewhere. The buyer who tows far and often, though — that ride is a feature you feel every mile.
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#2
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#3
Ram 1500
4512,560 lb tow rating, Trailer sway control. Marginal tow — occasional use.
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#4
Ram 1500
4212,750 lb tow rating, 2,300 lb payload capacity. Marginal tow — occasional use.
Spec table
| Model | Max Tow (lbs) | Max Payload (lbs) | Powertrains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ram 3500 | 37,090 | 7,680 | 6.7L Cummins I6 High-Output Turbo Diesel |
| Ram 2500 | 22,660 | 6,830 | 6.7L Cummins I6 Turbo Diesel, 6.4L V8 HEMI, 6.4L HEMI V8 |
| Ram 1500 | 12,750 | 2,300 | 3.0L I6 Hurricane HO Twin Turbo, 3.0L Hurricane I6 SO, 3.0L Hurricane I6 HO, 3.6L V6, 5.7L V8 HEMI |
| Ram 1500 | — | — | — |
How Goose scores Towing
Towing is math, not marketing. I read the sticker, not the ad copy.
Towing is math, not marketing. I read the OEM tow rating, payload, powertrain, and hitch hardware straight off the sticker — the same numbers the manufacturer certifies, not what the ad copy rounds up to. A truck that tows 12,000 lbs but runs out of payload at 1,400 gets called out for it, because your trailer's tongue weight doesn't care about the brochure. Higher score, more trailer, fewer surprises at the scales.
Frequently asked
- What's the difference between towing capacity and payload?
- Towing is what the truck pulls behind it; payload is what it carries, including the trailer's tongue weight, your passengers, and your gear. Most trucks run out of payload before towing. That's the number buyers skip and shouldn't.
- Can a half-ton tow a horse trailer?
- Some can, barely, with the right configuration. Two horses plus a steel trailer eats most of a half-ton's rating and nearly all its payload. I'd rather see you in a 250/2500 with margin than at 98% of a maxed-out 150.
- Why do two identical-looking trucks score differently?
- Axle ratio, powertrain, and tow packages. Two trucks with the same trim badge can be thousands of pounds apart in certified rating. That's why I score the actual configuration, not the model name.
- Does a diesel always score higher for towing?
- Usually on the rating, not always on the score. Diesels dominate heavy towing, but the extra engine weight cuts payload — for lighter trailers, a strong gas engine can be the smarter number.
- What's a good towing score?
- 80+ means built to tow heavy as a primary job. 50–79 handles boats, campers, and equipment with margin. Under 50 tows light duty — fine, as long as your trailer knows it.