The Ram 2500s are definitely a step up from the 1500s in terms of towing capacity and capability, and I wanted to take all of the information I could find online and compile it in a resource guide style format for those of you out there that want to do a little bit of research.
In this article, I gathered all of the information from different sources like owner's manuals, brochures and Ram HD PDFs that I found online and compiled all of the information in an easy-to-read format that I think a lot of people out there will find helpful. Let's get started!
Overview of the Data For the Ram 2500's:
Engine Choices: The engine choices for the Ram 2500 pickup trucks really didn't differ over the years as far as the overall choices go, but they did differ for certain model years. The three main engines that were offered were the 5.7 L Hemi engine, the 6.4 L Hemi engine and a 6.7 L diesel engine.
Configurations: There were many different configurations for these trucks over the years which did affect the capacity numbers to some extent, some more than others. Things like cab style, four-wheel drive or two-wheel drive options, along with different engine options, axle ratios, bed length and gross combined weight rating metrics were just a few of the different configurations that were available for these trucks.
Towing Capacity: The towing capacity really differed for the Ram 2500 over the years, but the good news is that the newer models seemed to have more and more capability and is where we see the highest capacity numbers overall.
Some of the lowest maximum trailer weight ratings were from the earlier models and were reserved for the 5.7 L engines, while the higher weight ratings were exclusively for the models equipped with a diesel engine.
I grouped some of the model years below together because they shared the same engine options, but the charts were very different, and I posted different charts for each model year. This is how I organized the data and thought that it was the most efficient way of displaying it.
Be sure you always read your owner's manual to get all of the up-to-date information directly from Mopar so that you are informed and comfortable when it comes to operating your RAM truck.
2021-2019 Models:
The 2021-2019 Ram 2500's had a towing capacity that ranged from 10,580–20,000 lbs., depending on a couple of different things like the axle ratio you had equipped, what engine you had in your vehicle, the gross combined weight rating and a couple of other things.
I listed the three different charts below and grouped them together because they had the same engine options available for these three model years, but you will have to look at your specific model year's chart because the figures are slightly different and these charts differ from each other.
I thought it was nice that Dodge made the columns bold for the capacity numbers that were the highest in the chart, which makes it really easy to scan through the data and shows you which models had the superior capacity ratings.
2021 Chart
2020 Chart
2019 Chart
2018-2014 Models:
The 2018-2014 models had a towing capacity range from 6,820–17,980 lbs., which was quite different than what we saw for the 2019 to 2021 models, both on the low-end and high-end of the spectrum.
Some of the lowest numbers in the charts came from the 5.7 liter Hemi engine, which I thought was kind of bizarre but made sense when we compared that to the much larger 6.7 L engine that also happens to be a diesel-powered motor. On a side note, a 6.4 L Hemi engine was also available for these model years and these engines had respectable tow numbers too.
The highest capacity ratings came from the 6.7 L engine, which makes a lot of sense since it is much larger and diesel-powered, so it had that higher compression ratio. I was surprised that the difference between these model years and the newer model years was quite significant, having a difference of more than 2,000 lbs. when we compare the highest ratings in the charts.
2018 Chart
I was not able to find a chart for the 2017 model years, so I could not post those figures in this article, but if I do happen to come across it, I will update this post as soon as possible.
2016 Chart
2015 Chart
2014 Chart
2013-2008 Models:
The 2013-2008 models had a towing capacity of 7,650-18,350 lbs. and you had two different engine options for these model years which were the 5.7 L Hemi engine or the much larger 6.7 L diesel option, which was definitely the "power house" option in the lineup, having much higher capacities overall, compared to the 5.7 liter engine.
The charts were all different for each of the model years and is why I posted separate charts, so be sure you check your specific model year's chart to get the most accurate information possible.
Keep in mind that you will also need to have your cab Style, axle ratio, bed length and other things that are specific to your vehicle to plug into the charts, so you get your specific maximum trailer capacity weight rating.
2013 Chart
2012 Chart
2011 Chart
2010 Chart
2009 Chart
2008 Chart
GVWR, GCWR and GAWR Specs...
The gross combined weight rating specifications were listed in all of the charts, which is always nice and makes it convenient when calculating those more complicated weight ratings.
In order to find the gross vehicle weight ratings and the axle weight ratings, you will have to look on the safety certification label that is located on the driver side door pillar or door itself. This is pretty typical for most vehicle manufacturers and is often times where you will find these two metrics.
On a side note, you can also find other helpful information including the VIN, your tire size and pressure ratings, paint colors used for the vehicle and other information.
Mopar's GVWR and GAWR
A Note On Trailer Brakes...
Trailer brakes are required for all Mopar Vehicles, including the 2500 trucks if your trailer weighs over 1,000 lbs. This is pretty typical to see for all vehicle manufacturers, but I was able to find a little snippet in the owner's manual of a 2019 Ram 2500 that I posted below that mentions this.
Keep in mind that some local laws may require your trailer have its own braking system installed if it weighs less than 1,000 lbs., it just depends on your local laws, so be sure you check with your county or state to see if they differ from what Mopar recommends.
Resources I Used:
I used a lot of different resources for this article, including the owner's manuals, the specific brochures for the different model years and other literature I found online.
You can find some of the owner's manuals directly from Mopar's website, although they do phase out some of the older model years every year and only seem to keep a record of about 10 years, so some of the older models will not be available through their website, but you can still find them via a third party.
The Ram HD PDFs also came in very handy, but they were hard to find through Mopar's website and I had to find them through a third party source, but the information in the brochure seem to be accurate and directly from the manufacturer.