The 2013 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty gets a towing capacity of 30,000 pounds
This morning the Chrysler Group announced the new
specifications for the 2013 Ram Heavy Duty lineup and the numbers are stunning –
with the Ram 3500 being the most powerful and the most capable non-commercial truck
on the market today. The 2013 Ram 1500 is
currently racking up awards for being the most efficient and highest tech truck
on the half ton market and now the Heavy Duty ¾ ton and 1 ton models will likely
receive similar recognition for being the most capable trucks on the market.
The heart of the 2013 Ram Heavy Duty lineup is the 6.7L
Cummins Turbo Diesel engine that has been revised for 2013 to make a best in
class 850lb-ft of torque. This new
Cummins engine utilizes a beefed up cooling system that includes a high efficiency
cooling fan, dual radiators and a new intercooler that all work together to
improve the heat rejection capacity by some 25%. A cooler engine is a stronger engine and
with the help of the cooler engine intake air, the new Cummins engine is the
most powerful option in all the land. The new Cummins engine in the 2013 Ram 2500
and 3500 also features the Ram Active Air intake system which draws intake air
from the outside of the engine bay when the engine needs to cooler air but when
the engine is cold and the air is too – the engine draws its intake air from
the warmer engine bay to improve start-up performance.
In addition to the revised Cummins engine, the 2013 Ram
Heavy Duty lineup benefits from an improved transfer case, a high strength steel
frame, a higher load transmission with dual transmission coolers, stronger
front axle shafts, stronger U Joints and a fully revised suspension system that
is designed to handle the massive towing loads of the new Ram Heavy Duty.
“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 result of these changes to the 2013 Ram Heavy Duty
lineup is a Ram 3500 that can tow a whopping 30,000 pounds with a Gross
Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of 37,600lbs.
This towing capacity is 7,200 pounds more than the strongest Ford F350
and 6,900 pounds more than the strongest Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD. While we are comparing, the 2013 Ram 3500 can
also tow 5,300 pounds more than the Ford F450.
In terms of GCWR, the Ram 3500 offers a combined weight rating that is
7,600 pounds better than the Ford F350 and 7,100 pounds better than the
Silverado 3500HD. The Ford, Chevrolet
and Ram trucks have been going back and forth over the past few years, beating
the cross town rivals by a few hundred pounds here and there but with the
recent leap in Ram HD towing and GCWR – Ford and GM are going to have their
work cut out for them if they want to compete with the Ram and the mighty
Cummins.
Over in the ¾ ton class, the 2013 Ram 2500 also boasts of
having the best maximum towing capacity and GCWR in the class of 18,350 pounds
or 25,000 pounds – respectively. The most
capable Ford F250 can tow 16,800 pounds with a GCWR of 23,500 pounds while the
strongest Silverado 2500HD tows a max of 17,800 pounds with a GCWR of 24,500
pounds. While the Ram 2500 doesn’t offer
the huge advantage that the Ram 3500 does over its competition, it is still the
most capable truck in the ¾ ton truck market.
