2020 Ram 3500 towing capacity.

The 2020 Ram 3500 tows 13,660 - 35,100 lbs depending on engine, cab, drivetrain, wheel class, axle ratio, GVWR, GCWR, and box configuration.

Find your towing capacity Look up your exact 2020 Ram 3500 configuration → Compare engine families Compare 2020 powertrain and guide groups → View full comparison chart Open 2020 full chart →

Built from official Ram 2020 towing guides. Source pages cited below.

2020 Ram 3500
2020 TOWING RANGE
13,660 - 35,100 LBS
PEAK PAYLOAD
7,680 LBS
MAX GCWR
43,000 LBS
POWERTRAIN

Towing Capacity by Engine

Your engine determines your base towing limit. Start here to see the 2020 ratings for your specific Ram 3500 setup.

Highest Capacity
6.7L I6 Cummins HO Turbo Diesel Peak payload 6,570 lbs
Range: 23,000 - 35,100 lbs
Max rating 35,100 LBS
6.7L I6 Cummins Turbo Diesel Peak payload 6,840 lbs
Range: 19,500 - 22,670 lbs
Max rating 22,670 LBS
6.4L V8 HEMI MDS Peak payload 7,680 lbs
Range: 13,660 - 18,210 lbs
Max rating 18,210 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
HITCH THRESHOLDS TRAILER LIMITS
23k / 30k LBS
5th-wheel / gooseneck required above this weight
RATING METHOD STANDARD
SAE J2807
Industry tow-rating standard
VIEW ALL FINE PRINT
GUIDE FINE PRINT

Ground rules behind every 2020 Ram 3500 towing rating.

These guide rules define the payload, trailering hardware, and limits behind every 2020 Ram 3500 towing rating on this page.

FIG. 2020 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. 2020 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. 2020 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. 2020 LIMIT Commercial / Hitch Limits

Chassis-cab and heavy-trailer thresholds

  • Body-completion weight: 80 lbs per foot from end of cab to end of frame.
  • 5th-wheel required over: 23,000 lbs trailer weight.
  • Gooseneck required over: 30,000 lbs trailer weight.
FIG. 2020 STD Rating Standard

SAE J2807 compliance

  • Trailer Weight Rating and Tow Vehicle Trailering Weight are calculated as specified in SAE J2807.
FIG. 2020 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. 2020 NOTES Policy Notes

All published notes from the 2020 towing guide

  • Payload and Max Trailer Weights are ESTIMATED values. p.8
  • All values are shown in pounds unless otherwise stated. p.8
  • Payload and Max Trailer Weight values are rounded to the nearest 10lb. p.8
  • Payload = GVWR - Base Weight p.8
  • Payload and Trailer Weight Rating are mutually exclusive. p.8
  • GAWRs, GVWRs and GCWRs should never be exceeded. p.8
  • Trailer Weight Rating and Tow Vehicle Trailering Weight are calculated as specified in SAE J2807. p.8
  • Passenger Weight = 300 lb p.8
  • Options Weight = 100 lb p.8
  • Trailering Equipment Weight: 75 lb for Conventional Hitch, 70 lb for Gooseneck and 250 lb for 5th Wheel. p.8
  • 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.8
  • 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.8
  • Box Off Body Completion Weight = 80 lb per foot from end of cab to end of frame. p.8
  • A fifth-wheel hitch is required for trailers over 23,000 lbs. p.8
  • A Gooseneck hitch is required for trailers over 30,000 lbs. p.8
  • Maximum Capability p.8
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 2020 Ram 3500 overview and guide-policy notes.

Show source pages for the 2020 guide
DOC_ID: ram-3500 DOCUMENT BASIS

2020 Ram 3500 Towing Guide

Audit Scope PAGES: 1-8