2018 Ram 3500 towing capacity.

The 2018 Ram 3500 tows 10,830 - 31,210 lbs depending on engine, cab, drivetrain, wheel class, axle ratio, GVWR, GCWR, and box configuration.

Find your towing capacity Look up your exact 2018 Ram 3500 configuration → Compare engine families Compare 2018 powertrain and guide groups → View full comparison chart Open 2018 full chart →

Built from official Ram 2018 towing guides. Source pages cited below.

2018 Ram 3500
2018 TOWING RANGE
10,830 - 31,210 LBS
PEAK PAYLOAD
7,940 LBS
MAX GCWR
39,100 LBS
POWERTRAIN

Towing Capacity by Engine

Your engine determines your base towing limit. Start here to see the 2018 ratings for your specific Ram 3500 setup.

Highest Capacity
6.7L Cummins HO Diesel Peak payload 6,580 lbs
Range: 16,600 - 31,210 lbs
Max rating 31,210 LBS
6.7L Cummins Diesel Peak payload 6,720 lbs
Range: 15,400 - 22,550 lbs
Max rating 22,550 LBS
6.4L V8 HEMI Peak payload 7,940 lbs
Range: 11,970 - 16,480 lbs
Max rating 16,480 LBS
5.7L V8 HEMI Peak payload 4,980 lbs
Range: 10,830 - 13,910 lbs
Max rating 13,910 LBS
TONGUE LOAD CONV / 5TH-WHEEL
10% / 15%
Conventional vs. 5th-wheel/gooseneck
TRAILERING HARDWARE EQUIPMENT WEIGHT
75 / 70 / 250 LBS
Conventional / gooseneck / 5th wheel
RECEIVER LIMIT CLASS V MAX TONGUE
1,800 LBS
Published receiver-hitch cap for this guide
RATING METHOD STANDARD
SAE J2807
Industry tow-rating standard
VIEW ALL FINE PRINT
GUIDE FINE PRINT

Ground rules behind every 2018 Ram 3500 towing rating.

These guide rules define the payload, trailering hardware, and limits behind every 2018 Ram 3500 towing rating on this page.

FIG. 2018 LOAD Baseline Weights

Weights Ram already counted in every rating

  • Passenger weight: 300 lbs counted for driver + passengers.
  • Options weight: 100 lbs counted for factory-installed options.
  • Conventional tongue: 10% of gross trailer weight.
  • 5th-wheel / gooseneck tongue: 15% of gross trailer weight.
FIG. 2018 CALC Payload Formula

How Ram derives payload from base weight

  • Formula: Payload = GVWR - Base Weight
  • Values: Published as estimated values.
  • Rounding: nearest 10 lbs.
FIG. 2018 HITCH Hitch Loading

Hardware weight deducted from payload

  • Conventional hitch: 75 lbs of equipment weight.
  • Gooseneck: 70 lbs of equipment weight.
  • 5th wheel: 250 lbs of equipment weight.
FIG. 2018 LIMIT Commercial / Hitch Limits

Chassis-cab and receiver limits

  • Body-completion weight: 80 lbs per foot from end of cab to end of frame.
  • Class V receiver max tongue: 1,800 lbs.
  • Heavy-trailer thresholds: see the published guide notes for the threshold language in this legacy guide.
FIG. 2018 STD Rating Standard

SAE J2807 compliance

  • Trailer Weight Rating and Tow Vehicle Trailering Weight are calculated as specified in SAE J2807.
FIG. 2018 WARN Warnings

Manufacturer safety warnings

  • Payload and Trailer Weight Rating are mutually exclusive.
  • GAWRs, GVWRs and GCWRs should never be exceeded.
  • Payload and GAWR should never be exceeded and must account for all of the above weights, including the appropriate trailering equipment and tongue weight.
FIG. 2018 NOTES Policy Notes

All published notes from the 2018 towing guide

  • Payload and Max Trailer Weights are ESTIMATED values. p.6
  • All values are shown in pounds unless otherwise stated. p.6
  • Payload and Max Trailer Weight values are rounded to the nearest 10lb. p.6
  • Payload = GVWR - Base Weight p.6
  • Payload and Trailer Weight Rating are mutually exclusive. p.6
  • GAWRs, GVWRs and GCWRs should never be exceeded. p.6
  • Trailer Weight Rating and Tow Vehicle Trailering Weight are calculated as specified in SAE J2807. p.6
  • Passenger Weight = 300 lb p.6
  • Options Weight = 100 lb p.6
  • Trailering Equipment Weight: 75 lb for Conventional Hitch, 70 lb for Gooseneck and 250 lb for 5th Wheel. p.6
  • Tongue weight: 10 percent of the gross trailer weight for Conventional Hitch, 15 percent of the gross trailer weight for a 5th Wheel or Gooseneck hitch. p.6
  • Payload and GAWR should never be exceeded and must account for all of the above weights, including the appropriate trailering equipment and tongue weight. p.6
  • Box Off Body Completion Weight = 80 lb per foot from end of cab to end of frame. p.6
  • The maximum tongue weight for Class V (receiver hitch) is limited to 1,800 lb. p.6
  • A fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch is required for trailers over 20,000 lb. p.6
  • Maximum Capability p.6
NOTES: These ground rules apply to every published towing and payload rating. Your specific truck configuration may have additional constraints.
Technical Audit

Data sources

These citations show the Ram guide pages used to build the 2018 Ram 3500 overview and guide-policy notes.

Show source pages for the 2018 guide
DOC_ID: ram-3500 DOCUMENT BASIS

2018 Ram 3500 Towing Guide

Audit Scope PAGES: 1-10