You stated in the 7th paragraph that the Ram 3500 uses the same transmission as its cab and chassis truck. While that is true for the 2013 trucks. The 2013s (both the 3500 and the cab and chassis) transmission is much stronger then the 2012s out going cab and chassis transmission.

However, for two reasons, I am certain the Ram will easily tow 30,000 lbs.
1) Chrysler can't afford to be sued.
2) Since the newest Gm HDs have been released, Ram has been viewed, by many (not by me), as the worst choice for the segment. And with the new SAE standards right around the corner, Ram can't afford the failure of being derated 3 tons.

"Imagine a 30,000-pound gooseneck trailer with a 25 percent tongue weight equaling 7,500 pounds."

That's why I don't understand how you can really tow 30,000 pound trailers with this Ram 3500.

The payload charts in the previous article showed at best payload was 6,000 lbs.

6,000 lbs payload minus 7,500 pounds = 1500 over.

And you have even consider the people, their stuff, tonneau covers, winches, accessories, etc.

LET THE JEALOUS FAN BOI'S HATE! I KNOW WHAT MY NEXT TRUCK IS GOING TO BE. THE CLASS LEADING, TOW KING, AWARD WINNING RAM TRUCKS.

LET THE ASS KICKING COMMENCE!

Posted by: HEMI V8 | Jan 12, 2013 11:06:33 AM

GUTS
GLORY
BLOWING AWAY THE COMPETITION
HALF A SEMI
2013 RAM HD!

Watch just one episode of Shipping Wars on cable and this becomes very scary. They all call each other amateurs. I don't think Chrysler can be sued for that. Some of those guys are on my state highways!

My hat is off to Ram they have a pickup truck that can move 30,000 pounds but my question is, what will the common man, who has not been trained with or about that kind of weight, do when he decides he wants to push the envelope and put more than 30,000 on the back of that truck? I like this idea of more powerful and more capable trucks, however what are the dangers involved?

And here you come back to the crux of the matter: Why?

Why build a pickup truck that can haul even half the load of a Class 8? It's not like you're going to save any significant amount of fuel over hauling with one of the bigger trucks and one of those bigger tractors can certainly handle a load as 'light' as 30K pounds much more easily simply because of the air brakes and other required technologies for safety.

Add to this that the only person I would trust behind the wheel of one of these HD pickups now would be a CDL-licensed driver.

The comment has been made many times here on PUTC that these pickups are infringing on the domain of the Medium-grade commercial trucks. I agree. Sometimes bigger is better simply because it offers more room for safety equipment. Why force a smaller truck to do the same work with far more expensive materials? The old half-inch thick steel frames of the Mediums have a lot more flexibility and will be far less brittle than these ultra-hard steels and can withstand all but the most severe collisions far more easily than a pickup truck. I understand the idea that lighter is better for economy, but not when it becomes more expensive and more fragile in the process.

The 30,000lbs is an issue if you have 25% hitch weight and if this is the case you can't do it. With 15% you'll be fine.

Loading the truck and trailer properly and keeping it legal is the owners responsibility.

It is ridiculous that tow ratings went to this level but that's how it goes with the Big 3.

I'm the last guy that will buy a pick up to tow this weight, though.

CHEVY is DONE FOR by the hand of GovtMotors. And FORD IS NEXT! And WHY is that POS TAXPAYER WASTE OF MONEY GovtMoCo SissySierra in the Same Picture as 2 REAL TRUCKS. The LEAST GovtMotors could do is put a REAL CHEVY with BALLS there instead of their GovtMoCo ObamaMobile.

I STILL WANT MY MONEY BACK! NO COMPANY NEEDS 2 DAMN LINES OF TAXPAYER FUNDED TRUCKS. I HATE GM"C". I Hate that MY U.S. DOLLARS went to pay for it! I Hate that it ONLY EXISTS to PROP UP CHINESE EUROPE OPERATIONS through OPEL and REBADGED BUICKS. UN-AMERICAN.

@HEMI V8, @Half A Semi Hemi: I know I'm not alone in stating how sick I am of seeing your worthless babble. I could hardly care less that RAM is your favorite brand. You like it? Buy it and shut up about it.

How about instead actually taking a look at what this article said and consider the implications of this capability in the truck you so love. I'll tell you now that if I know you're behind the wheel of one, I'll do anything I can to stay as far away from you as I can--so I don't get involved in the inevitable catastrophe you'll cause through your unskilled handling of some common driving hazard.

This would be just as true if you were driving a Ford, one of the GM twins or even a Toyota. So please, PLEASE stop with the mynah bird imitations and either shut up or start making reasonable conversation.

Just to clear things up - Nobody gives a rat's a** about a truck's manufacturer payload ratings.

If you pay for 30,000 lbs towing at registration, and none of your axle / tires are overweight, they'll happily let you tow that with your RAM 3500.

That's how TOWING works. No standard Freightliner is rated to tow 250,000 lbs. But you buy that permit, then you're legally allowed to tow that!

GUTS
GLORY
THE CLASS LEADING TOW KING
RAM!

maybe ram is just trying to put an end to the numbers war. most people won't tow that much but if your truck has that potential, why buy anything else for that price.

"But is the new Ram 3500 half as strong as a Peterbilt or Freightliner? Semitrailers can have 24.5-inch steel wheels with air brakes, engine brakes and tandem twin-screw axles. Transmissions can be eight to 18 speeds. Axle ratios are similar, with mostly 3.55:1 and 4.10:1 gears; however, the 850 lb-ft of torque on the Cummins Ram HD versus the 1,200 lb-ft of torque generally found on semitrailers isn’t even close."

Last time I checked, 850 was well over half of 1200.

In addiiton, the author seems to be imagining problems because of the new ratings before even checking to see if it is a problem. I'd much rather see an article that states a potential problem and then describes how it is solved or if it is in fact a problem and not just a potential problem.

Also, gooseneck and fifthwheel trailers typically have 20% of the weight on the hitch, not 25%. That's 6,000 lbs rather than the stated 7,500.

Even if twas 20%, or 6000 lbs, this is more than the stated payload. This leaves no room for passengers and cargo - let a lone any accessories, 250 lbs for a 5er hitch, etc.

The pictured Ram CrewCab Long Horn has a 5900 lb payload.

The Tow rating is 29,320.

Say you did the 29,000 x 20% = 5800 lb. You got 100 lbs left for the 250 lb hitch, accesories, all people, and cargo?

Ram is great at hiding the truth.

Unless Ram increases the payload a lot more, at best you are going to tow around 24000-25,000 lbs like the Chevy and Fords are rated for. This leaves you some payload wiggle room.

Unless Ram increases the payload a lot more, at best you are going to tow around 23000-24,000+ lbs like the Chevy and Fords are rated for. This leaves you some payload wiggle room.

Ya, I had a ford once. The ignition switch overheated and caught fire. Melting the dash onto the carpet. Did not recieve the recall till i traded it. Lost thousands. NEVER WILL OWN ANOTHER FORD. PERIOD. FORD IS THE FIRE KING.

@Lou

concerning the air suspension on the ram. let me explain. the air bags are filled by a COMPRESSOR. if you do a lot of bouncing around and driving over ruff stuff well since the air bags are "self leveling shocks" the compressor has to keeping come back on more frequently. the compressor motor will likely overheat, and if the shocks (air bags) potentially run out of air it could probably damage the air bags as well. it is pretty much the same thing used on the lincoln town cars. you know everyone cried that ram needs to bring this out, then when it comes out, everyone bitches because they don't know how to use it responsibly. and people would bitch more and say ram had no quality if ram did not install the light in the trucks and some ametur broke it, just like the raptor frames bending because people jump off of cliffs with them. the purpose of this suspension is not a desert baja like Four Wheeler Magazine did, but rather for the casual off roader that needs more ground clearance for the trails but wants the aerodynamic benefits when traveling on the road. the suspension might also serve well for towing long distances for the best comfort and control (provided you don't overload the truck to over heat the compressor or air bags. tires with no air in them tend to overheat and come apart if you have no air in them you know.). when you have to service a lincoln with air ride you have to turn it off. this could be the same. people who opt for this suspension have to be mature adults not people like Hemi V8 that would jack the suspension up on off road 2 and drive off a cliff screaming "guts, glory, ram" hoping their favorite truck will just bounce and survive the trama.

Ram HD blows past Ford tow ratings, capacity

Posted on January 9th, 2013 • by David Zatz

This morning, Dodge released towing and weight ratings for the 2013 Ram Heavy Duty pickups and Chassis Cab trucks. The Ram 3500 Heavy Duty pickup is rated at up to 30,000 pounds of trailer capacity, blowing by Ford, GMC, and Chevrolet; its closest competitor’s maximum tow capacity is 23,100 pounds.

The Ram 3500’s capacity increase was enabled by a new 50,000 pounds-per-square-inch, high-strength steel frame, a stronger transfer case, a higher-load transmission (Aisin AS69RC), larger front drive shafts and U-joints, an upgraded 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine with a best-in-class 850 lb.-ft. of torque, and other upgrades.

“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 — Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico, Chrysler Group LLC. “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.”

The Ram 3500’s Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) — the maximum combined weight of the truck, payload and trailer — has been raised to 37,600 pounds, which far surpasses the closest competitor’s 30,500-pound GCWR.

The 2013 Ram 2500 also saw towing and combined weight rating boosts; at 18,350 and 25,000, Ram 2500’s towing and GCW ratings are also best among ¾-ton pickups.

Ram Chassis Cab trucks also deliver maximum capability with best-in-class towing and GCWR figures 29,600 pounds and 37,500 pounds, respectively, in the top-end Ram 5500.

Ram Heavy Duty added a number of new features for 2013, including a factory-integrated fifth-wheel and gooseneck hitch mount, a 17,000-pound Class V hitch with 1,800 pounds of tongue weight, class-exclusive electronic stability control (ESC) for dual-rear-wheels, and a new Center High-Mounted Stop Light (CHMSL) –positioned camera, the first of its kind in the heavy-duty pickup category, to provide a full view of the bed for easier hook-up of fifth-wheel or gooseneck trailers as well as monitoring cargo.

For 2013, all Ram Heavy Duty diesels have a new cooling system whose high-efficiency fan, dual radiators, dual transmission coolers, and low-slung charge air cooler provide 25% more heat-rejection capacity. Lower operating temperatures deliver improved performance, durability and lower operating costs. Cummins Turbo Diesel-equipped Ram trucks also provide best-in-class 15,000-mile oil change intervals.

The exclusive Ram Active Air intake system draws cooler air from the front of the vehicle when it senses extreme heat; it also engages at high altitudes for superior throttle response in low oxygen environments. When conditions are wet, the system pulls air from an under-hood inlet, clear from snow packing and water.

A new front and rear suspension system with advanced geometry builds upon the chassis improvements and greatly improves overall roll stiffness. An advanced three-link front suspension on the Ram 3500 is necessary for the vehicle’s higher GVWR and for use with heavy front loads, including snow plows. A newly designed Hotchkiss leaf spring rear suspension on the Ram 3500 offers improved ride and handling while delivering higher towing and payload capability.

Exisiting discussion is located here
http://www.allpar.com/forums/topic/147734-ram-to-build-most-capable-trucks-ever/

Just to clear things up - Nobody gives a rat's a** about a truck's manufacturer payload ratings.

If you pay for 30,000 lbs towing at registration, and none of your axle / tires are overweight, they'll happily let you tow that with your RAM 3500.

That's how TOWING works. No standard Freightliner is rated to tow 250,000 lbs. But you buy that permit, then you're legally allowed to tow that!

GUTS
GLORY
THE CLASS LEADING TOW KING
RAM!

GUTS
GLORY
BLOWING AWAY THE COMPETITION
HALF A SEMI
2013 RAM HD!

Posted by: HALF A SEMI HEMI | Jan 13, 2013 10:37:58 AM

Is this Frank?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FECFb1_YdII

ROTFLOL

This isn't complicated.

If the vehicle rating isn't being exceeded by the trailer and hitch weight you're safe to tow up to the max weight. If any of the vehicle parameters are exceeded you need to lighten up or readjust weight distribution.

We can go around in circles about it but it is what it is.

I think 30K is insane but if you load that truck right you're good to go.

This truck will move the weight around, and at above highway speeds, but for how long and how safe.

The problem I see is what modelling parameters were set for the risk assessment was used by the engineers. All you have to do is change assessment parameters to give you what you want. With a few minor engineering changes this kind of stuff occurs all the time.

Ford increased the global Ranger's tow capacity by 150kg by adding two welds to the chassis. That's how fine chassis's are engineered. Why didn't they do this on the vehicle's launch? Because it had the title for 6 months until the Colorado came out with a higher tow value.

To give a basic understanding of what I'm saying - take ladders, they are rated in kgs or lbs on how much weight they can support. A ladder that can handle 250lbs was tested to 750lbs which allows a 300% margin for failure (I plucked this figure out of my A$$). But keep on putting that 250lbs on it through cyclic stress it will eventually fail.

Ram engineers aren't stupid, the boss says gee we need some good promotion to outdo Ford and GM, so they work out an average of vehicle use and realise most of these vehicles might be lucky to tow 10 000lbs if anything thoughout its life cycle through trending of data. Yes some will tow more but we will manage this.

MDTs are used more as trucks and not huge SUVs so the limits are much more generous. A broken truck will cost lots more than a broken ute.

Its called risk assessing.

Whilst the bigger is better people on this use this information to try and enlarge their penus, the reality a Ford or GM product with a 20 000lbs tow capacity might be safer with the 30 000lbs than the Ram. It's how the engineers go about calculating.

You can create as much fudge as you want.

What is required is more definite and realistic formulas for calculating these figures, its called a regulatory framework because manufacturers are about selling vehicles, even at the expense of your safety.

@Josh - valid point but I bought a pickup to take me and my family camping and travelling the backcountry. I'm not going to offroad hardcore with a pickup but traveling a few hundred miles down a gravel road with a load and having my suspension overheat isn't my idea of fun. How will they hold up in -35 to -45C weather? Air compressors have a habit of entraining water. Water inside airlines freeze. Rubber or whatever material is used to make the airbags will become more brittle. There are those that will say, if you don't like it - don't buy it. That is true. The only two big advantages to the 2013 Ram's are the air ride and 8 speed. If the airbags are going to make me nervous, I won't buy a truck with them. That leaves only one advantage to the new Ram 1500's. If testing indicates the 8 speeds aren't a huge advantage, what reason would a guy have for buying one other than preference and price?

I highly doubt that anyone who buys these trucks will ever be presented with an opportunity to tow a trailer that weighs 30k. BUT what these new trucks do offer is for people like myself who have horses and a 5k stock trailer the ability to tow 10k more efficiently and safely. My next truck will be a ram 3500, i will never tow 30,000 lbs but i will tow 10-12k with confidence and peace of mind knowing that my truck is equipped to handle quite a bit more.

I think that Ram is the class leader pointing the direction all of the automakers will head towards.

Posted by: Lou | Apr 13, 2012 3:14:19 PM

@Lou

well the coil spring suspension is SUPPOSED to be impressive enough off road. but as far as the air bags what i meant was that they are probably good for things like camping, hunting, maybe mudding or slow minor rocks and obstacles but not extreme stuff like the rubicon or a baja race or anything that requires an optima battery lol. good point about weather. i think the key points to the air ride are ground clearance, comfort, and aerodynamics. i do not think of it as the suspension of all suspensions. if i were out west my biggest issue would be the grille shutters. they are for aerodynamics but if they don't work properly they might make the engine and transmisson overheat beacuse they limit airflow through at some points. i also think people are paranoid and don't realize these are options, (i am not talking to you) and do not come standard. most trucks on the lot nearest me are expresses. all trucks on the lot are hemis with 65rfes and no tech crap. i personally would only get the air ride with an outdoorsman. also modern trucks come with a lot of standard stuff now days so an express would be more than enough for me. the eight speed is nice, but until chrysler starts BUILDING them, i don't think i am enterested.

air ride, grille shutters, eight speed, aisin transmisson, cummins all options for best in class AVALIABILITY. and it is interesting tech and i am glad they got it first. but until it has been reformed in the next generation ram i will hold off. all i want right now is a quad cab standard bed 4x4 3.92 antispin 9.25 axle with the 545rfe/65rfe 5.7 hemi. or a reg cab standard bed 2wd 3.92 antispin 9.25 axle 545rfe/65rfe 5.7 hemi. i recently wrecked my current truck, so i don't have anything. oh yeah lol, maybe they should put nitrogen in the air ride!

active air is a good idea, but like the grille shutters, is this flawless? and is active air standard on the cummins? will it be avaliable on hemi, it would be great for the powerwagon.

Grill shutters are going to make any differance on a 7500 lb truck, not pushing three cubic feet of air is nothing

All of this discussion of how the 2013 Ram 3500 will have nearly half the rating of a semi-tractor trailer is misleading.

The 80,000 lb gvw for a semi is not set by the manufacturer of said semi manufacturer (Freightliner, Peterbilt etc..), this is a federally mandated weight limit. Which is highly influenced by the capability of our interstate system and bridges. They are designed to accommodate those weights at various climates, temperatures, speed, traffic, safety for all the other motorists etc... I would assume the semi truck manufacturers put a gvwr on their trucks and that it would be much higher than 80,000 (I just don't know what they are). Because drivers get permits all the time for "oversized loads" all the time and much higher load than 80,000 lbs. So either the semi has a much higher manufacturer gvwr or all these trucks you rolling down the highway with flags, chaser car, flashing lights and placards saying "OVERSIZED LOAD" are way over the capability of these semis.

So my point being, while yes the 37,600 lb gvwr (which is the maximum manufacturer rating) of the 2013 Ram 3500 is close to half the legal 80,000 lb semi-tractor trailer. It is still no where close to the manufacturer maximum gvwr for a semi.

If I am wrong on any of this, I apologize and if so, would someone mind to clarify or correct any of my comment.

With all that said I don't believe Ram is going to put out numbers like that if this truck cannot truly handle it! It would be a legal nightmare if they did! I think Ram just said, the heck with all this bull s%^$ towing/hauling wars between the of increases of a couple hundred pounds every year by the big three and just went for the true maximum capability of their new 3500 while still leaving plenty capability for legal wiggle room for those people who exceed their ratings. And I would say Ford & GM's true maximum is somewhere close to Ram's new ratings and they will both match it or exceed it within a year.

MoparMadness wrote...,"CHEVY is DONE FOR by the hand of GovtMotors. And FORD IS NEXT! And WHY is that POS TAXPAYER WASTE OF MONEY GovtMoCo SissySierra in the Same Picture as 2 REAL TRUCKS. The LEAST GovtMotors could do is put a REAL CHEVY with BALLS there instead of their GovtMoCo ObamaMobile.

I STILL WANT MY MONEY BACK! NO COMPANY NEEDS 2 DAMN LINES OF TAXPAYER FUNDED TRUCKS. I HATE GM"C". I Hate that MY U.S. DOLLARS went to pay for it! I Hate that it ONLY EXISTS to PROP UP CHINESE EUROPE OPERATIONS through OPEL and REBADGED BUICKS. UN-AMERICAN"

At least you admit your a hater. Actually that siisy GMC HD truck beat the other 2 "real" trucks in every HD tow/haul comparisons for the last 3 years, get over it.

@Lou

i see why you say besides the tech, why get the ram because you are a practical open minded man, i assume. the reason i would consider one, imo, best looks, best mpg for the power ratio, considerable price, i never tow over 10,000 lbs (really not even that), the hemi is a relatively simple design. i do not want a DOHC motor or even an OHC motor. the hemi has decent quality and can easily outflow a chevy small block because of cross flow vs reverse flow. meaning if i want room to expand in the hp area i can get the most out of my motor with relative simplicity and price. popular hot rodding has several good articles on the modern hemi. and i don't think it's fair that summit and jeg's always cater to gm small blockers first and mustang owners second, leaving mopar fans nowhere. chrysler has come a long way, but i realize they still have a little ways to go. chrysler won't be complete until about 2017.

@Lou, I doubt that a gravel road is going to overheat the RAM air suspension. Not enough to cycle. Remember 4 wheeler was trying to kill the 2013 RAM truck. How do you drive yours? Remember FURD & CHEBY DECLINED THE 4 WHEELER TEST. LOL. Their is a drier on most air controlled systems to control moisture. How do big rigs travel on the ice roads of Canada with their air brakes AAAAAAAAA? Remember CANADA buys lots of RAM trucks. Air suspension is an option not standard. Their is no reason to check RAM off your ford list just because of air suspension Louis. RAM 2013 4 wheeler truck of the year. RAM 2013 Motor trend truck of the year. RAM was ranked 99 tie with G.M.C. in quality.

@Mike
I think you are quite correct in the way heavy duty trucks are managed. The same philosophy is used governing motor racing, rigid parameters and guidelines are set.

I know in Australia even the distances between axles can change the loading on axles, even if the axles are identical assemblies.

I saw an interesting documentary on highway construction several years ago with regards to axle loading on a road surface and it was a comparison between German autobahns and the US Federal Highway System.

The Germans had a minimum standard of 600mm (2') of concrete thickness before the road went down and the US is only 300mm (1') thick. I don't know the difference between German and US semi trailers, but I have noticed European semi trailers are mainly single axle, the US has dual axle and in Australia we have 3 axle configurations.

I read that you guys have a 40 short ton limit or about 37-38 tonnes limit. Here in Australia with the prime mover having dual drive axles and the trailers with tri axle we have a 42.5 ton limit. So it appears you guys have higher axle loading and the Europeans might even be higher still.

As I wrote above the Ram might be able to move that much weight no doubt, just like the Tundra move the Shuttle.

My concern is from a safety perspective regarding licencing and the durability of the truck.

How safe is the combination of unskilled drivers moving a lot of weight on a vehicles with safety margins so low. If I was a truckie or any other road user I would be worried.

Hey guys, here is a scary thought, MOPARMADNESS with his Ram 3500 towing 29,999lbs of PROZAC, down ol Wolf Creek Pass, and him not taken his hourly dose!

people don't realize the trucks that tow these numbers are the trucks that most people never get. the 30,000 lbs is for a reg cab long bed drw rwd 3500 with a cummins ho aisin and 4.10 with differential cooling fins and extra engine and transmisson cooling. you probably have to get a low trim level to save weight as well. this is the same with all trucks everywhere. big numbers just mean maxed out, but how many people do that, especially without ordering one.

@Josh
That isn't the argument, if that is the case then give them a suitable tow limit that is measured identically against all pickups.

Make a regulation that states categorically the limits. There will be a business that will tow 30 000lbs. Maybe the limit should be no more than the GVM, a simple formula.

@Big Al From Oz
"Here in Australia with the prime mover having dual drive axles and the trailers with tri axle we have a 42.5 ton limit."
I think it is a 68 tonne limit overall for over the road Trucks.

http://www.ntc.gov.au/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=86
"The decision means that when implemented, six axle semi trailers would increase from 42.5 tonnes to 45.5 tonnes, B-Doubles would increase from 62.5 to 68 tonnes, and triple roadtrains would increase from 115.5 to 125.2 tonnes.

Paul Hogan Vs Australian Tax Office - A Current Affair interview (part 1 of 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiyD2BCTIYY

Here in Australia, the ATO are legalized thiefs,

What does he get back from the government worth millions of dollars ?

Im sure he does not use public transport or public hospitals,

Paul does not even live in the country full time.

Australians are taxed the highest in the world and for what our roads are no good, our transport is crap and our hospitals are falling apart, ect, ect.

Where is all OUR money going?

@HEMI V8
Paul Hogan??? He was caught trying to defraud the ATO. guess he is not happy.

@Hemi V8
Our overall rate of taxation as a product of GDP lies between the US and Canada.

At the moment we are fortunate enough to have enough taxation to cover our expenses (no borrowings). I just hope this can continue.

Who the hell owes 156 mil in taxes? This is crazy talk. Paul Hogan could rebound the economy of a third world nation with this type of cash. Gov’t is money stealers.

Looks like this matter was settled:
http://news.yahoo.com/crocodile-dundee-star-paul-hogan-ends-tax-battle-235338901.html

Maybe the most important factor is the Ram not only has less capable tires, it has 1/3 the amount.

Australia Sucks part 1 [MUST SEE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9KqTEHIU30

Oii!

This article is completely wrong . All those questions has been answered by RAM engineers in the RAM 3500 design process. RAM has the best engineers in the truck industry. Nobody beats the RAM in towing capacity.
Go back behind the drawing board engineers from GM and Ford, if you wanna compete with RAM engineers. Otherwise shut up and take it.
RAM has the best chassis , best 8speed transmission and best engines.

I see a problem with this tow rating. Idiots are going to think they can drive their new Ram load to its rating and take it on the road, then they think that they can stop on a dime. What the idiot drivers will forget is that they will take longer to stop the truck with that much weight and ride on peoples bumper. I will almost guarantee that when this happens, someone will try to sue Chrysler.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gRh0bLoDWw

Yeah that's what most Australian's are like mate.

Oi!!!!

@ TNT
Well, I see idiots like that every day. And they don't drive this trucks yet. They drive Impala Prius or BMW and think, that ABS is going to save them from crush on icy road. I see every winter at least 15 semi-trucks in the ditch between Calgary and Lethbridge , because of fogy , icy road and very, very windy conditions. Every year.
I have seen a half ton truck with travel trailer completely destroyed in the median, because of no weight distribution and sway control bar, driving on the 10 Miles completely straight road but with strong head and side wind, crying with his wife and small kids, because he was rushing for the long weekend and racing with everybody. Nothing was left from the trailer, it was still hooked up though. Luckily, no one was hurt. He could kill himself, family or somebody else.
I have a small 21' aluminum trailer, but I installed a weight distribution hitch with sway control friction brake, even the salesman told me I don't have to. I feel very confident, when I drive in any conditions and it has saved me in many situations, when passing or correcting some other guys or ladies mistakes. And let me tell you, there where a few on my 7500km US trip 2 years ago. Specially when driving in curve in multiple lines. They don't know to hold the lines, but know to ride crazy fast.
So don't blame RAM. Idiots are all around us and nothing is going to stop them from shooting another people or doing stupid things.
And some of them are going to learn hard way,
but it's nothing to do with RAM towing numbers.