2018 Ram 3500 claims best-in-class torque, fifth wheel towing

Ram announced today an uptick in power for its 2018 Ram 3500 which edges it past Ford for bragging rights to best-in-class torque.

The ramped up Ram delivers 930 lb. ft. of torque, or five more foot pounds than the 2017 F-350. The truck can also tow up to 30,000 lbs. with its fifth-wheel hitch, which is 2,500 pounds more than a fifth-wheel equipped 2017 F-350.

“Ram maintains capability leadership by delivering the highest-ever torque rating for a pickup truck and heaviest fifth-wheel trailer towing capacity,” said Mike Manley, head of Jeep & Ram Brand, FCA Global. “We understand the attributes most important to our customers within the heavy-duty segment; they demand hard-working, long-lasting capability.”

Working closely with Cummins, the 2018 diesel improvements include higher boost limits through a variable geometry turbo and flow rate increases through the fuel delivery system enabling the 6.7-liter I-6 to produce an additional 30 lb.-ft. of torque. This improvement ranks the Cummins engine ahead of the competition with 930 total lb.-ft. of torque.

The 30,000-lb. fifth-wheel towing uprating is made possible by an in-house hitch design from Ram Engineering. The upgraded capability allows the Ram 3500 to haul the heaviest travel trailers in the industry. Ram reports that unlike the competition, its new hitch will allow customers to move away from Class 4 and 5 trucks to haul trailers that would have otherwise been limited to 24,000 lbs.