Heavy duty work trucks are serious business. Not just because of what they are or what they do, but because they sell well based upon their merits…whether the customer truly uses them or not is completely irrelevant. That’s why for the last few years, GM, Ford and Ram have been in the middle of a gigantic measuring contest with their heavy-duty series of trucks. It’s not just one factor that they compare each other with, either. Everything from which SAE measuring scheme used to which model actually competes with which model is thrown out in the name of one-upping the other guy.
Ram, in particular, has been on the leading edge of this war of words and torque. It’s been their bread and butter since 1989, when the Cummins inline-six was mated to a Ram D250 to create a work truck that had some serious grunt. And now Ram has taken “grunt” to a level never seen before in a factory pickup truck: 930 ft/lbs of torque. Last year it was 900 ft/lbs. And we fully expect to see an even 1,000 foot-pounds of twist when the upcoming “DT” Ram truck’s heavy-duty form appears.
In additon, there is a new fifth-wheel setup that will allow a Ram 3500 HD to tote around 30,000 pounds. The goal is to get customers to to move out of trucks like Ford F-450s and Chevrolet Kodiaks, which up until now were needed to carry that kind of load.
August 11, 2017 , Auburn Hills, Mich. – Ram takes heavy-duty towing and hauling seriously. With the start of 2018 model-year production, the Ram 3500 will offer a segment-dominating 930 lb.-ft. of torque and the exclusive ability to tow 30,000 lbs. with a fifth-wheel hitch.
“Ram maintains capability leadership by delivering the highest-ever torque rating for a pickup truck and heaviest fifth-wheel trailer towing capacity,” said Mike Manley, Head of Jeep and Ram Brand. “We understand the attributes most important to our customers within the heavy-duty segment; they demand hard-working, long-lasting capability.”
Working closely with Cummins, the 2018 diesel improvements include higher boost limits through a variable geometry turbo and flow rate increases through the fuel delivery system, enabling the 6.7-liter I-6 to produce an additional 30 lb.-ft. of torque. This improvement ranks the Cummins engine ahead of the competition with 930 total lb.-ft. of torque, while maintaining the diesel’s hallmark durability and efficiency.
The 30,000-lb. fifth-wheel towing uprating is made possible by an in-house hitch design from Ram Engineering. The upgraded capability allows the Ram 3500 to haul the heaviest travel trailers in the industry. Unlike the competition, Ram’s new hitch will allow customers to move away from Class 4 and 5 trucks to haul trailers that would have otherwise been limited to 24,000 lbs.
Mopar Part number: 82215769
MSRP: $1395
Also available as an upfit package for the Ram 3500.
Ram 3500 Heavy Duty maximum gooseneck and conventional hitch maximum trailer weight ratings for 2018 are 31,210 lbs and 20,000 lbs., respectively.
2018 Ram Heavy Duty pickup trucks will be available in dealerships in August.
Gee all they need now is 30 year financing
I find it interesting they shoot for these high torque figures for the 2500/3500 models but de-rate them for the 4500/5500…I\’m assuming for durability. Back before the diesel horsepower wars all engines made the same power; the diesel you had in a 2500 model was the same as the 5500. HP sells I guess, but I\’ll take the durability.
As a diesel power enthusiast it’s nice to see the manufactures giving the people what they want. Now they need to sell stripper models for a “reasonable” price. The last truck I got for my dad’s business cost a fortune, but we didn’t have a choice you can either tow or loose the job. Now the crew are able to enjoy leather seats and have carpet to destroy, but we kept a huge contract.