2021 Ram Heavy Duty is the New Towing Champ

You think Ram would let the competition rule the heavy-duty pickup game? Wrong.

With the Ford Super Duty and Chevrolet Silverado HD now offering towing capacities of up to 37,000 pounds and 36,000 pounds, respectively, the company decided to make key upgrades to the Ram Heavy Duty for 2021, elevating its workhorse to class-leading status in two key areas.

• Also: 2021 Ram 1500 TRX: Think Really, Really Big
• Also: FCA Confirms Electrified Ram Pickup is on the Way

Maximum torque is increased from 1,000 to 1,075 pound-feet (versus Ford’s 1,050 lb-ft), while towing capacity with a gooseneck hitch is up from 35,100 to 37,100 pounds. With a conventional hitch, the max rating is 23,000 pounds.

These numbers are obviously achieved with the 2021 Ram 3500 equipped with the 6.7-litre inline six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, which benefits from higher boost limits through a variable geometry turbo and flow rate increases through the fuel delivery system.

Credit also goes to an in-house hitch design from Ram Engineering, plus an upgraded rear-axle structural crossmember to accommodate the increased towing capacity. The optional fifth-wheel and gooseneck hardware is fully integrated into the production box floor. Additionally, the standard 4/7-pin trailer connector at the bumper and an additional 7-pin connector are integrated into the rear of the bed.
Also new for 2021, a digital rear-view mirror displays video in real time from a rear-facing camera and can be turned off to revert back to a traditional reflective mirror.

In other highlights, drivers can monitor everything from the 8.4- or 12-inch centre touchscreen (with Uconnect 4 infotainment instead of the brand new Uconnect 5 system), while an available covered 120V power source is located at the left rear corner of the bed.  

The 2021 Ram Heavy Duty lineup, including Ram 2500 and 3500 models, will arrive in dealerships later this month.