The Ram 1500 Better Watch Its Back
Fans of pickup trucks make a big deal out of maximum tow ratings. And while these numbers may not be as important for half-ton trucks, Ram’s reputation as a trailer-pulling best probably helps sales. But with recent redesigns of its Ford and General Motors competitors, the Ram 1500 has fallen to last-place in maximum half-ton tow ratings. To make matters worse, the all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra is biting at the Ram 1500’s heels.
Which half-ton truck can tow the most?
The Detroit Three tend to trade maximum tow ratings with each new redesign. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the 2021 Ford F-150 currently holds the number one spot for maximum tow rating with an EcoBoost V6 that can pull 14,000 pounds.
General Motors’ half-ton twins are just 1,000 pounds behind Ford. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500, with an I6 turbodiesel, can pull 13,300 pounds. GMC chose to test the 4WD variant of the same truck and got a maximum rating of 13,000 even.
You can see the rest of the tow ratings in the table below:
| Make and Model | Max Towing Capacity | Configuration |
| Ford F-150 | 14,000 pounds | 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 13,300 pounds | 3.0-liter turbodiesel, double cab, 2WD, max trailering package, and 20-inch wheels |
| GMC Sierra 1500 | 13,000 pounds | 3.0-liter turbodiesel, double cab, 4WD, max trailering package, and 20-inch wheels |
| Ram 1500 | 12,750 pounds | 5.7-liter HEMI V8 with eTorque |
| Toyota Tundra | 12,000 pounds | 2WD SR5 with the tow package |
| Nissan Titan | 9,320 pounds | King Cab 4×2 |
The Ram 1500 can tow 12,750 pounds
Ram’s highest half-ton tow rating goest to a 5.7-liter HEMI truck equipped with eTorque. This fifth-generation Ram 1500 proved it could tow 12,750 pounds. This is not far behind the GMC Sierra’s highest tested towing capacity. But it still puts the Ram in third place among the Detroit Three.
There’s a good chance that we’ll see the Ram 1500 take back the number one spot with its next redesign. But in the meantime, Ram has some competition from Japan.
The 2022 Toyota Tundra can tow 12,000 pounds
Toyota redesigned its full-size, half-ton Tundra pickup truck for the 2022 model year. This third-generation Tundra abandoned its naturally-aspirated V8 in favor of an EcoBoost-like 3.44-liter turbocharged V6. The resulting Tundra SR5, when configured with 2WD and the max tow package can pull 12,000 pounds.
Next, Toyota is working on a hybrid version of this drivetrain, similar to Ford’s Powerboost. This upcoming i-FORCE MAX promises even more power than the standard V6. That said, a heavy battery pack and electric motor/generator may decrease its tow rating.
Will we see the new hybrid Tundra overtake the 2022 Ram 1500’s tow rating mid-year? Most likely not, but we will just have to wait to find out.
See the new Tundra in a tow-off against the Ram 1500 in the video below:
