2016 Ram 3500 Video
Posted by Mark Williams | October 30, 2015
We had the chance to get behind the wheel of the 2016 Ram 3500 to do some max-load towing at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' proving grounds in Chelsea, Mich., and, as you might guess, we had a blast. Ram's regular-cab 4x2 long-bed model is the pickup truck that wears the heavy-duty segment crown; it has a max gooseneck towing capacity of 31,210 pounds, which beats the Ford F-450 Super Duty by just 10 pounds.
At the proving grounds we drove a brand-new Ram 3500 Limited crew cab with Ram's chief engineer for heavy-duty and chassis-cab trucks. As you can imagine, we had plenty of engineering details to discuss.
Cars.com photo by Mark Williams
Video Produced by Matt Avery
Comments
10lbs... LOL!!!
I'm surprised you found a Ram tester that wasn't in the shop for TSBs...
How does Ram keep adding towing capacity to a 3500 chasssis
at some point it can't be 3500 would think unsafe to haul that much with a 3500 chassis or is it just a badge and really a 4500 chassis smoking mirrors sounds like to me. when ford does it with 450 chassis
Gack--my eyes! Looks like that thing got poked right in the mug with two ugly sticks!
A friend of ours works for an electrical company and they have a max tow Ram 3500 for pulling a heavy boom lift. They got it because it was less hassles than getting a commercial truck and having to get employees certified with a commercial licence. He was saying that it was scary to drive. The load is too much for the truck.
Per the last article Mark posted, the 31,200lb tow rating on this should be 9,000lbs. If you believe that article, which I do not....
Let's see, Cummins Engine, Aisin transmission, AAM rear axle, I guess the only thing Fiat engineered is that ugly grill and tailgate.
@Lou_BC If your friends company did that they are still breaking the law.
"A driver needs a CDL when towing a trailer or other vehicles with a GVWR of 10,001 pounds or more when the gross combination weight rating (GCWR) is 26,001 pounds or more."
The Electric Company I work for has slowly become a transportation company becuase of all the CDL requirements. The only way you can get away with it on this RAM is if you are not a comercial operation.
Also the 1500/2500/3500 names are just names at this point. They no longer represent the capability of the vehicle.
Dave - 5th wheel/goose neck is different but the rules still apply. The pin weight of the trailer plus the weight of the cargo in the truck should not exceed the ratings for the truck.
The problem here is the fact that most manufacturers do not post gross combined weight ratings.
Ford lists GCWR for all of its pickups. I cannot find those ratings for Ram or GM. Toyota's site does mention GCWR in its tow guide.
PUTC needs to list all of those specs for pickups and continue to list them and call out any discrepancies.
PUTC also needs to test as per SAE tow standards.
Cummins Owner - sorry, I forgot to mention that several of their drivers have "heavy towing" endorsements on their licences. It means that they can tow heavy loads as long as the vehicles aren't airbrake equipped and can't tow multi-trailer commercial set-ups.
The "heavy tow" endorsement is cheaper for the company since they don't need to worry about covering the cost of medicals and other CDL associated regulations. It is a chicken sh!t way of doing business.
Most companies around my part of the world tend to go with commercial MDT's because any savings from using a pickup based vehicle gets flushed down the toilet due to shortened life spans and increased wear and tear.
The vast majority of HD duallies I see are personal use pulling campers, toy-boxes and horse trailers.
"How does Ram keep adding towing capacity to a 3500 chasssis
at some point it can't be 3500 would think unsafe to haul that much with a 3500 chassis or is it just a badge and really a 4500 chassis smoking mirrors sounds like to me. when ford does it with 450 chassis"
Who defines what the ratings are for any truck designation? Bracket creep has been going on for years. All of the new 1500/150's can be configured to pull as much or more than any 2500/250 from 1990. Is that bad? The standard power in all of the 1500/150's is more than the maximum power available in in pickup from 1990. Couple that with 6 or more speed transmissions, integrated brake controllers and other new systems and the new trucks are far more capable.
I love the factory load leveling suspension. I wish that every truck made had that, at least as an option.
You know if the stupid comments were not on here, it would be a much better site. " My truck is better than yours, wah, wah. " Maybe children shouldn't be allowed!
@Lou_BC
Ram has always published GCWR, max trailer weight, and payload numbers. It's broken down by series, cab, engine, transmission, drive (4x2 or 4x4), axle ratio, and SRW vs DRW for the 3500.
2016 Ram 1500: http://chryslermedia.iconicweb.com/mediasite/specs/2016_Ram_1500_Towing_Charta6uiodh2o5dhjpjg6m536e3f2j.pdf
2016 Ram 2500: http://chryslermedia.iconicweb.com/mediasite/specs/2016_Ram_2500_HD_Towing_Chart8218vd6lo9rbe4qpoj6g7ok9pv.pdf
2016 Ram 3500: http://chryslermedia.iconicweb.com/mediasite/specs/2016_Ram_3500_HD_Towing_Chart754lg0r8uuak2lm6flegmk5jb9.pdf
Love the truck...hate the grill. Good grief!
recalls coming!
Just wish they weren't made in Mexico, Italian owned and hq'd in England, and wish they had better reliability. That is all.
RoadTrip - thanks for the links. When I look at Ram's web site all I could find is this:http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/towing_guide/
Ram makes the info very hard to find on purpose.
@greg, most people would also wish Chevy and Ford frames werent made in mexico but they are
@roadtrip - I was looking at those tables and they list drivetrain configurations but not chassis configurations.
Wish my Tacoma wasn't built in Mexico either.
This is way too much weight for any pickup truck.
Yup! Ford is still chasing the KING OF BEASTS in the Heavy Duty class. That's right LMAO Ram is continuing to use proven hardware with the same Cummins under the hood for over 25 years.
HEMI V8:
The '17 Super Duty will send the Ram back to Turin. Enjoy 3rd place while it lasts...
This is a HD pulling a load.
Everything in the Northern Territory is bigger and better than in Texas.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/57/52/5b/57525b5553a26e405249bc410c996c26.jpg
A heavy duty trailer!
http://www.australianmining.com.au/getmedia/329c0d2c-c737-4c0e-a419-318e13699b2d/image003_1.aspx?width=600&height=337
In Australia we tend to use trucks as trucks. So, if you own a business with a frontend loader/backhoe you will tow it with a tip truck (dump truck)................makes lots of sense.
http://www.eurobodallatreeservices.com.au/upl/website/services/13365448320.jpg
http://www.australianmining.com.au/getmedia/e9d86fd2-26f8-4d92-8f3d-27aa195be98b/image001.aspx?width=600&height=337
@Big Oxi from Oz - umm, I've seen hauls like that here too.
You do realize that Australia would be like the heartland of the USA or Canada?
It doesn't have large mountains or huge changes in elevation. It is easy to tow heavy on flat ground.
"Australia is the lowest continent in the world with an average elevation of only 330 metres. The highest points on the other continents are all more than twice the height of Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko which is 2228 metres above sea level."
How did they ever find a Ram not in the shop for repairs?
HEMI V8:
The '17 Super Duty will send the Ram back to Turin. Enjoy 3rd place while it lasts...
Posted by: redbloodedxy | Oct 30, 2015 3:30:13 PM
Sure thing. lol
http://special-reports.pickuptrucks.com/2014/08/ultimate-three-quarter-ton-hd-challenge-and-the-winner-is.html
Third Place: 2015 Ford F-250 Super Duty. :-(
Lou,
Doh! Really?
Australia is mainly a plateau? Boy, you are really smart. I wanna be a little Lou one day.
You are good!
@Big Al, The air is real thin up there EH!
"Ford says the F-450 has a base curb weight of 8,611 pounds and a maximum payload of 5,450 pounds. Add them up, and it comes to 14,061 pounds -- 61 pounds over the 14,000 limit to keep it a Class 3 pickup.
A Ford spokesman insists, though, that the F-450's gross vehicle weight rating is 14,000 pounds. He explained that Ford bases its maximum payload claim not on the base curb weight, as Chrysler does, but on the weight of the base vehicle after various items are deleted from a base F-450.
Ford shaved 154 pounds from the weight of the F-450, he said, by removing items that have the possibility of being deleted from a vehicle order. Among the items removed were the spare tire, tire jack, radio and center console.
Ford said it uses this practice to set the maximum payloads for all F-series pickups."
http://www.autonews.com/article/20140728/RETAIL03/307289955/ford-ram-quarrel-over-heavy-duty-pickup-towing-title
2015 Ram 3500 Packs More Torque, Better Capabilities Than the 2015 Ford F350. :-(
Ram Beats Ford in Torque, Payload and Towing
The 2015 Ford F350 Super Duty is powered by a 6.7L PowerStroke diesel that delivers 440 horsepower and 860lb-ft of torque which, in the right configuration, allows owners to haul an impressive 7,090 pounds in the bed and tow 26,700 ponds on a 5th wheel setup. The 2015 Ram 3500 is powered by a 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel that delivers “only” 385 horsepower, but with 865lb-ft of torque, it is the most powerful option among ¾ ton and 1 ton trucks. The 2015 Ram 3500 is capable of towing the same 30,000 pounds as the 2014 models with slightly less torque, but the payload capacity is increased to 7,390 pounds…meaning that while the Ram doesn’t pack the raw horsepower, it has the power to out-tow and out-haul the Ford F350 and the Chevy Silverado 3500HD in their strongest configurations.
http://www.torquenews.com/106/2015-ram-3500-packs-more-torque-better-capabilities-2015-ford-f350
BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR!
2015 Ram 2500 holds best-in-class 17,970 pounds of towing capacity, while adhering to SAE J2807 test criteria.
http://social.cummins.com/model-year-2015-cummins-powered-ram-trucks-deliver-best-in-class-865lb-ft-torque/
2016 Ram Heavy Duty Widens its Leadership Gap With a Triple-Decker Presence: Best-in-Class Power, Towing Capacity and Payload Capacity.
2016 Cummins 6.7-liter calibration hits a best-in-class 900 lb.-ft. of torque. The most torque ever offered in a mass-production vehicle
2016 Ram 3500 crushes the competition with up to 31,210 pounds of SAE J2807-spec. towing capacity, beating the closest competitor by more than two tons
2016 Ram 2500 holds best-in-class ¾-ton towing title with 17,980 pounds of capacity
Ram 3500 maintains best-in-class payload of 7,390 pounds with 6.4-liter HEMI® V-8
Ram 3500 raises its best-in-class Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) to 39,100 pounds
Ram maintains credibility and customer confidence as the only automaker to align with SAE J2807 towing standard across its entire pickup truck line
Fuel economy is top of mind for Ram 1500 customers and the exclusive 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine continues to crush the competition with an amazing 29 miles per gallon (mpg)
The first 2016 Ram Heavy Duty trucks begin rolling off the factory line third quarter of 2015
Unsurpassed powertrain warranty – five years/60,000 miles on gas engines and five years/100,000 miles on diesel engines
Ram continues as "King of the Hill" in the heavy-duty battleground with the introduction of the 2016 model year Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty pickups. The capability leaders further build on a list of best-in-class claims.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2016-ram-heavy-duty-widens-its-leadership-gap-with-a-triple-decker-presence-best-in-class-power-towing-capacity-and-payload-capacity-300102317.html
Meet the New Boss!!!!
@Greg/Cummins/crazy or whoever you are,
All Ford frames are made in Mexico! The frame is half the truck!
@Greg/Cummins/crazy or whoever you are,
All Ford frames are made in Mexico! The frame is half the truck!
Posted by: BIG HEMI FROM CALI | Oct 30, 2015 7:02:01 PM
Technically the Frame is only a small percentage of the truck. not 50%. But in this world now nothing is pure US made or whatever. Everyone outsources parts and pieces for their vehicles. In many cases the same vendors makes parts for several different competing companies. Global economy.
"All Ford frames are made in Mexico!" - Hemi
False.
Ford gets frames from a plant in Elizabethtown, Ky., operated by Mexico-based Metalsa S.A.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20150807/OEM01/150809863/ford-hires-second-supplier-to-help-with-f-150-frame-production
nalysts said Ford divided its F-series frame business between Metalsa and Magna International, with Metalsa handling the F-150 and Magna taking the Super Duty. Metalsa bought the plant from Dana Corp. in 2010.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20150807/OEM01/150809863/ford-hires-second-supplier-to-help-with-f-150-frame-production
-----
New Ford trucks a boon for local industry
Bowling Green Metalforming to produce some parts of next-generation pickups
http://www.bgdailynews.com/news/new-ford-trucks-a-boon-for-local-industry/article_230e5abd-b09a-503d-ad16-8b6ffb7e5e7e.html
_______
Magna is Canadian and builds the super duty frames in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
There you have it.
Ford does not make their frames in Mexico, at least not all of them like Fiat-Ram makes all of their HDs in Mexico.
F-150 and Super Duty frames are made in the USA.
@greg, most people would also wish Chevy and Ford frames werent made in mexico but they are
Posted by: Nitro | Oct 30, 2015 1:25:58 PM
I AGREE.
GUTS
GLORY
BEST IN CLASS HD
AMERICAN BRAND SOLD BY AMERICANS
AND FULLY BOXED
RAM
fRED, FORD FRAMES ARE MADE IN MEXICO1
F-150 frames made in Oh and Ky.
Super Dutry frames in Ky.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20151030/OEM01/151039988/ford-juggles-seat-shortage-overtime-to-boost-f-150-supplies
The Ford F-450 has higher towing capacity, because it already comes in crew cab configuration and with 4x4 standard. The RAM 3500 would lose around 1000 lb of towing capacity, in that configuration.
How come ford engineers didn't make their truck better than RAM? How come they are behind Fiat engineers?
Are they lacking some capacity or knowledge? Just asking.
As ugly as that new Limited grill is, it's still far better looking than the front end of the 2017 Ford Super Duty, did Ford hire a fired GM designer, is that how that front end is even uglier than the Silverado front end. Ford and GM need to stop hiring blind designers! LOL
I still think it's funny that the Ford F350 isn't even in the same class as the RAM 3500, Ford has to use their 450 to compete!
Hey ford, look how rear fenders are done properly.
@LOU
Mark says that driving this load with RAM is boring, in a good way.
Who cares if it's the class leader!?!
What I care about is throttle response!! I've got a '14 Ram 3500 with the Aisin transmission, and even though it could pull a house down, the throttle response is a slug!!! There's a huge disconnect between foot press versus the engine response and it feels like an accident waiting to happen!!!
@Lou, Big Al has at least 10 of those in his driveway, he drives those around for fun! Well at least he can find pictures of big trucks using Google, so I hope you're as jealous of him as he wants you to be :)
@Lou_BC
Not sure what you mean by "frame configuration" - all the possible wheelbases are accounted for with each cab and bed combination. The green headings in the charts identify the cab and box length for every available version of that series (e.g. 1500 Crew Cab 5'7" bed, 2500 Regular cab 8' bed, 3500 Mega Cab 6'4" bed).
That backhoe and trailer weight aprox 25,000 lb, maybe they added some dead weight? Could have picked an excavator, bulldozer or grader to make it 32,100 lb. The previous marketing pics with the RAM 3500 towing two New Holland tractors were more impressive.
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