Ram Mega Cab, Crew Cab & Regular Cab Towing Differences
Crew cab, regular cab or a Ram mega cab? The cab size you want on your new Ram truck is important. But if you are buying a truck for towing capacity, its cab size, in addition to a few other elements, which will factor into its towing capacity.
The two heavy-duty Ram truck models with the highest towing capacities are the Ram 2500 and 3500 models. Both of these trucks come in a regular cab, crew cab or mega cab, and other features like its engine, extra add-ons, axe ratio and drive train can be customized to give buyers the towing capacity and features they need. Read below to learn more.
Cab Size
How does cab size affect towing capacity? Well, it may be the opposite of what you think. Many of us would assume that a bigger truck like a Ram mega cab can tow more, but this isn’t always the case. The bigger the cab, the heavier the truck and that extra weight takes away from the weight the truck is able to pull.
That is why the identical Ram 2500 or 3500 models with a two-door regular cab can tow more than the crew cab, and the crew cab models tow more than Ram mega cab models. Although, the mega cab can still tow a large amount of weight, its towing capacity is slightly less than the other cab configurations due to its large size.
For example, the 2016 Ram 2500 SLT with a 6.7-liter I6 Cummins Turbo diesel engine with a 8-foot truck bed, 4×2 drivetrain, 3.42 axle ratio with a regular cab has a maximum towing capacity of 17,600 pounds, but the exact same truck with a crew cab has a maximum towing capacity of 17,300 pounds, and the same truck with a Ram mega cab has a maximum towing capacity of 17,150 pounds.
Engine Size
The engine size is another factor that plays a large part in how much the truck can tow. Basically, the bigger and more powerful the engine, the more it can tow. There are four engine options for the Ram 2500 and the Ram 3500 including a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 CNG engine, a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine, a 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine, and a 6.4-liter V8 HEMI engine. In this case the amount the truck can town varies from least to greatest, starting first engine and going up to last engine mentioned.
To put it in perspective, the Ram 2500 Tradesman crew cab with a 5.7-liter V8 HEMI VVT can tow a maximum of 11,500 pounds; the same model with a 5.7-liter V8 HEMI CNG has a towing capacity of 7,200 pounds; when equipped with a 6.4-liter V8 MDS the truck can tow up to 12,950 pounds; and the engine with the most towing capacity is the 6.7-liter I6 Cummins Turbo Diesel engine and it has a maximum towing capacity of 17,550 pounds.
Options
Trims also have a surprising effect on how much your truck can tow. The same exact truck with the same cab and engine still varies when it comes to towing. But how and why? Well, the reasoning behind this is the same as cab size. Different trims have other additional features, some of which cause the truck to weigh more, and as previously mentioned, the more the truck weighs, the less it can tow.
Additionally, there are a couple of other items that have an impact on a truck’s towing capacity. The type of drive has a huge impact on how much a truck can tow. Generally, a 4X2 truck can actually tow more than 4X4 truck because without the additional weight of 4X4 equipment the 4X2 truck is slightly lighter.
Also, the axle ratio is important to pay attention to when purchasing a truck, especially if you plan to tow a lot. A higher axle ratio is able to add some more weight to the towing capacity, as well as help with achieving faster acceleration when towing.
Now that you have a better understanding of towing capacities, you are probably ready to pick out a perfect new Ram for you. Whether you want a Ram mega cab, crew cab or regular cab, we have something for you at Kendall Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram. You can search all of our Ram 2500 and 3500 inventory here.
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