Tow Ratings Towing capacity for every US vehicle, 1991 to today

2012 Ram 3500 Crew CAB towing capacity

The 2012 Ram 3500 Crew CAB is published in 16 configurations, with tow ratings ranging from 16,450 to 20,950 lb depending on cab, bed, drivetrain, and hitch class. The peak figure (20,950 lb) sits in serious heavy-duty pickup territory.

The table below lists every trim of the 2012 Ram 3500 Crew CAB with the engine, drivetrain, axle ratio, horsepower, torque, GVWR, curb weight, and payload that go with that trim's headline tow rating. Manufacturers often publish more than one tow figure per truck — a conventional bumper-hitch rating, a weight-distributing rating, and a gooseneck or fifth-wheel rating — so the highest number here is the maximum across all hitch classes the source carries for the trim.

Per-trim breakdown

Configuration Engine HP Torque Axle Tow (lb) GVWR Curb Payload
Laramie Pickup 4D 6 1/3 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 650 — 16,600 — 7,323 —
ST Pickup 4D 6 1/3 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 650 — 16,750 — 7,169 —
Lone Star Pickup 4D 6 1/3 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 650 — 16,650 — 7,241 —
Big Horn Pickup 4D 6 1/3 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 650 — 16,650 — 7,241 —
SLT Pickup 4D 6 1/3 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 650 — 16,650 — 7,241 —
Outdoorsman Pickup 4D 6 1/3 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 650 — 16,650 — 7,241 —
SLT Pickup 4D 8 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 650 — 20,650 — 7,708 —
Outdoorsman Pickup 4D 8 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 650 — 16,450 — 7,454 —
Lone Star Pickup 4D 8 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 650 — 20,650 — 7,708 —
Big Horn Pickup 4D 8 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 650 — 20,650 — 7,708 —
ST Pickup 4D 8 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 650 — 20,950 — 7,663 —
Laramie Longhorn Edition Pickup 4D 6 1/3 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 800 — 16,550 — 7,302 —
Laramie Longhorn Limited Edition Pickup 4D 6 1/3 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 800 — 16,550 — 7,302 —
Laramie Longhorn Limited Edition Pickup 4D 8 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 800 — 19,050 — 7,965 —
Laramie Pickup 4D 8 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 650 — 19,350 — 7,986 —
Laramie Longhorn Edition Pickup 4D 8 ft 6-Cyl, Turbo Diesel, 6.7L 350 800 — 19,050 — 7,965 —

How to interpret the headline tow figure

Tow figures this high require a gooseneck or fifth-wheel hitch installed in the bed of the truck, and a corresponding trailer setup. Conventional bumper-pull towing on the same vehicle is typically capped well below this number — usually under 15,000 lb. Always check the door-jamb sticker and owner's manual for the maximum permitted on each hitch class before hooking up.

How this year compares to 2011

The 2011 Ram 3500 Crew CAB carried a maximum tow rating of 16,900 lb. The 2012 model adds 4,050 lb on top of that — usually a sign the manufacturer added a tow package option, refreshed the powertrain, or revised hitch class certification. See the 2011 Ram 3500 Crew CAB page for the full per-trim breakdown of the prior year.

Other 2012 Ram models

The rest of Ram's 2012 lineup, ranked by maximum tow rating. Click through for the per-trim breakdown of any of these.

Model Max tow (lb)
2012 Ram 3500 Regular CAB 22,300
2012 Ram 3500 Mega CAB 18,350
2012 Ram 2500 Regular CAB 15,050
2012 Ram 2500 Crew CAB 14,650
2012 Ram 2500 Mega CAB 14,300
2012 Ram 3500 13,850

All figures sourced from manufacturer documentation. See our methodology for how the dataset is compiled. Always confirm against your vehicle's door-jamb sticker before towing.