A 2026 Ram 2500 is rated to tow up to 20,000 lb: Crew Cab with the 8' bed, rear-wheel drive, and the High-Output 6.7L Cummins diesel. With the 6.4L HEMI gas V8 the most is 17,740 lb. Every other build tows less.
Ram 2500 Towing Capacity by Year, Engine and Configuration
At a glance
- Most it can tow: 20,000 lb, a 2026 Crew Cab 8' bed 4x2 with the High-Output Cummins diesel and the 8-speed automatic.
- Gas or diesel: the 6.4L HEMI tops out at 17,740 lb but carries more weight in the truck, because the diesel engine itself eats payload.
- Hitch limits: a 2026 Ram 2500's receiver hitch takes up to 2,000 lb of tongue weight, and trailers over 20,000 lb need a fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch.
On this page (9)
- How much can a Ram 2500 tow, year by year
- Which 2026 Ram 2500 tows what
- Cummins or HEMI for towing
- Can a Ram 2500 pull a large travel trailer
- Fifth wheel and gooseneck trailers
- Hitch, trailer brakes and weight distribution
- Why a Ram 3500 is rated higher
- Finding the figure for your own truck
- Common questions
How much can a Ram 2500 tow, year by year
Find your model year below. Each figure is the best build that year, always a diesel, and every other build tows less.
| Model year | Most it can tow | Engine |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 17,980 lb | 6.7L Cummins diesel |
| 2017 | 17,980 lb | 6.7L Cummins diesel |
| 2018 | 17,980 lb | 6.7L Cummins diesel |
| 2019 to 2023 | Not published by Ram online | No Ram chart reachable |
| 2024 | 20,000 lb | 6.7L Cummins diesel |
| 2025 | 20,000 lb | 6.7L Cummins High-Output diesel |
| 2026 | 20,000 lb | 6.7L Cummins High-Output diesel |
Your own truck's figure depends on its cab, bed and axle. Ram's chart for each year lists every combination, starting with the 2016 Ram 2500 trailer towing chart. Ram has no chart online for the 2019 to 2023 trucks, so those years stay blank rather than borrow third-party figures.
The gas 6.4L HEMI rates lower. A 2024 to 2026 HEMI tows at most 17,720 to 17,750 lb, depending on the year, and a 2016 to 2018 HEMI 16,320 lb.
Which hitch: on a 2026, the receiver hitch (bumper pull) is rated to the full 20,000 lb, with up to 2,000 lb of tongue weight. On a 2024 or 2025 truck, any trailer above 18,000 lb needs a fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch, so those trucks reach their 20,000 lb top rating only that way.
Which 2026 Ram 2500 tows what
The diesel tows the most; the gas HEMI carries the most. The table gives each 2026 engine's best towing figure and the most payload Ram offers with it; each needs the right cab, bed, axle and GVWR.
| Engine | Most it can tow | Max payload |
|---|---|---|
| 6.7L Cummins High-Output diesel | 20,000 lb | 3,600 lb |
| 6.4L HEMI V8 gas | 17,740 lb | 4,580 lb |
| 6.4L HEMI V8 (Power Wagon) | 10,530 lb | 1,570 lb |
Ram's 2026 Ram Heavy Duty payload and towing chart lists every cab, bed, axle and GVWR combination, so it has the row for your own truck. If you see 17,750 lb for the gas truck, that is Ram's 2026 Ram 2500 capability page rounding; this page follows the chart.
The top figures need the right build. The 20,000 lb rating is for rear-wheel drive only; the best four-wheel-drive Cummins tows 19,930 lb. Every current Cummins has the 3.42 axle, and the lowest-rated one is a Mega Cab 4x4 at 14,630 lb. The HEMI reaches 17,740 lb only with the 4.10 axle. With the 3.73 axle the same truck tows 15,540 lb. The highest payloads come with the 11,040 lb GVWR on the door label.
Tip: the 20,000 lb truck and the 3,600 lb payload truck are different builds, and a truck cannot carry its maximum payload while pulling its maximum trailer.
Cummins or HEMI for towing
The diesel pulls a heavier trailer; the gas truck carries more in the cab and bed. The High-Output 6.7L Cummins makes 1,075 lb-ft of torque against 429 lb-ft for the 6.4L HEMI, and torque is what gets a heavy trailer moving. The diesel and its hardware are heavier, and that weight comes out of payload.
Note: on the same Crew Cab 4x4 truck, the Cummins carries about a thousand pounds less than the HEMI: 2,260 lb against 3,320 lb.
Can a Ram 2500 pull a large travel trailer
Yes, but with most travel trailers you run out of payload before trailer weight. Passengers, fuel, firewood, a generator, bikes and the trailer's tongue weight all count against your truck's payload.
Ram recommends tongue weight of 10 percent of the loaded trailer, so a 9,000 lb travel trailer puts about 900 lb (calculated) on the hitch. Subtract that from your payload figure to see what is left for people and gear. The payload capacity guide shows how to weigh it all.
Fifth wheel and gooseneck trailers
Your truck's rating applies whichever hitch you use; only the heaviest trailers need a fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch, as above. The king pin weight must stay within your payload and axle ratings. As a guide, plan on 15 percent of the trailer's weight, the figure in Ram's 2016 to 2018 charts, so a fifth wheel uses more payload than a travel trailer of the same weight. The guide to fifth wheel hitches explains the hardware.
Ram's factory Fifth-Wheel/Gooseneck Tow Prep Group adds the mounting points and bed wiring, not the hitch, and no rating depends on it. Mounting the hitch to the frame is a job for a qualified shop.
Hitch, trailer brakes and weight distribution
Stay inside these limits too:
- Receiver hitch tongue weight: up to 2,000 lb on a 2026, 1,800 lb on 2016 to 2018 and 2024 to 2025 trucks.
- Trailer brake controller: standard on the 2026 Ram 2500.
- Axle, GVWR and combined ratings: never exceed them, even when the trailer is under your truck's rating.
When a trailer needs its own brakes is set by your state's law, not by Ram. Ram's heavy duty charts say nothing about weight-distributing hitches, though Ram recommends one for heavier trailers on the Ram 1500. NHTSA's towing guidance covers general practice.
Optional Auto-Level rear air suspension does not raise what the truck may pull.
Why a Ram 3500 is rated higher
A 3500 has higher weight ratings, so it tows more: up to 36,610 lb for 2026, on a Regular Cab 4x4 with dual rear wheels. A 3500 can weigh up to 14,000 lb loaded (its GVWR), against 11,040 lb for the 2500, and its receiver takes more tongue weight. Full figures are on the Ram 3500 page.
Finding the figure for your own truck
Your truck's GVWR and axle ratings are on the label in the driver's door jamb, which federal rule 49 CFR 567.4 requires on every vehicle. Match that GVWR, plus your engine, axle ratio, cab, bed and drive, to one row in Ram's chart for your model year; that row gives both your towing and your payload figure.
Common questions
How much can a Ram 2500 tow?
Up to 20,000 lb on a 2026 truck with the High-Output Cummins diesel and rear-wheel drive, and 2024 and 2025 trucks match it. A 2016 to 2018 truck tops out at 17,980 lb. The year-by-year table above has each model year's best figure.
How much can a Ram 2500 Cummins tow?
A 2026 Ram 2500 Cummins is rated 14,630 to 20,000 lb, depending on the cab, bed and drive. With four-wheel drive the most is 19,930 lb. Ram's chart, linked above, has the row for your own truck.
How much can a 6.4 HEMI Ram 2500 tow?
Up to 17,740 lb for 2026, and only with the 4.10 axle. With the 3.73 axle the same truck tows 15,540 lb, and the Power Wagon 10,530 lb. Ram's chart for your model year has your own truck's figure.
Why can a Ram 3500 tow more than a 2500?
A 3500 is built to weigh more when loaded, up to 14,000 lb against 11,040 lb for the 2500, and comes with dual rear wheels. That lifts its 2026 maximum to 36,610 lb. The Ram 3500 section above has more.