What Can You Tow With Each 2026 Ram 3500 Configuration in Ontario?
The 2026 Ram 3500 is not one truck with one tow rating. It is a menu of cab, box, engine, axle and rear-wheel choices, and each combination carries its own maximum trailer weight. At the top, a Regular Cab dual-rear-wheel 4x4 with the 6.7L Cummins High-Output turbo diesel is rated for 36,610 lbs (16,606 kg). At the other end, a Crew Cab single-rear-wheel 4x4 with the 6.4L HEMI V8 and 3.73 axle is rated for 14,560 lbs (6,604 kg), nearly 3,000 lbs (1,361 kg) above the 11,570 lbs (5,248 kg) maximum of the 2026 Ram 1500.
Picking the right configuration starts with the trailer, not the truck. This guide walks through every 2026 Ram 3500 maximum trailer weight rating by engine, cab, box and rear-wheel setup, then explains where the fifth-wheel and gooseneck thresholds fall so you can match a build to a large fifth-wheel camper, a skid steer on a deck trailer or a gooseneck full of livestock.
Two Engines, Two Very Different Ceilings
The 6.4L HEMI V8 is the standard engine, rated at 405 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque and paired with the TorqueFlite HD eight-speed automatic. It is offered with 3.73 or 4.10 axle ratios, and the 4.10 adds more than 2,000 lbs (907 kg) of trailer weight in every body style.
The 6.7L Cummins High-Output inline-six turbo diesel makes 430 horsepower and 1,075 lb-ft of torque, and it comes only with the 3.42 axle. The diesel is what pushes the Ram 3500 past 20,000 lbs, and adding the dual-rear-wheel axle is what pushes it past 30,000 lbs. Every 2026 Ram 3500 also comes with standard trailer brake control and standard adaptive cruise control.
6.4L HEMI V8: 405 hp, 429 lb-ft, 3.73 or 4.10 axle, up to 18,150 lbs (8,233 kg)
6.7L Cummins HO: 430 hp, 1,075 lb-ft, 3.42 axle, up to 36,610 lbs (16,606 kg)
Dual rear wheels (3500 only) apply on every build with a 14,000 lbs GVWR
2026 Ram 3500 Maximum Trailer Weight by Configuration
| Engine | Rear wheels | Axle | Cab and box | 4x2 | 4x4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cummins HO | Dual | 3.42 | Regular Cab, 8-ft box | NA | 36,610 lbs (16,606 kg) |
| Cummins HO | Dual | 3.42 | Crew Cab, 8-ft box | 34,490 lbs (15,647 kg) | 33,890 lbs (15,377 kg) |
| Cummins HO | Dual | 3.42 | Mega Cab, 6-ft 4-in box | NA | 33,890 lbs (15,372 kg) |
| Cummins HO | Single | 3.42 | Regular Cab, 8-ft box | NA | 26,080 lbs (11,828 kg) |
| Cummins HO | Single | 3.42 | Crew Cab, 8-ft box | 25,490 lbs (11,566 kg) | 25,180 lbs (11,418 kg) |
| Cummins HO | Single | 3.42 | Mega Cab, 6-ft 4-in box | NA | 24,080 lbs (10,926 kg) |
| Cummins HO | Single | 3.42 | Crew Cab, 6-ft 4-in box | 23,950 lbs (10,868 kg) | 23,950 lbs (10,868 kg) |
| HEMI V8 | Dual | 4.10 | Regular Cab, 8-ft box | 18,150 lbs (8,233 kg) | 17,760 lbs (8,057 kg) |
| HEMI V8 | Single | 4.10 | Regular Cab, 8-ft box | 17,730 lbs (8,042 kg) | 17,330 lbs (7,862 kg) |
| HEMI V8 | Dual | 4.10 | Crew Cab, 8-ft box | 17,550 lbs (7,963 kg) | 17,200 lbs (7,802 kg) |
| HEMI V8 | Single | 4.10 | Crew Cab, 6-ft 4-in box | 17,340 lbs (7,866 kg) | 17,010 lbs (7,719 kg) |
| HEMI V8 | Single | 4.10 | Crew Cab, 8-ft box | 17,170 lbs (7,788 kg) | 16,800 lbs (7,621 kg) |
| HEMI V8 | Dual | 3.73 | Regular Cab, 8-ft box | 15,750 lbs (7,144 kg) | 15,360 lbs (6,968 kg) |
| HEMI V8 | Single | 3.73 | Regular Cab, 8-ft box | 15,490 lbs (7,026 kg) | 15,100 lbs (6,850 kg) |
| HEMI V8 | Dual | 3.73 | Crew Cab, 8-ft box | 15,150 lbs (6,872 kg) | 14,800 lbs (6,713 kg) |
| HEMI V8 | Single | 3.73 | Crew Cab, 6-ft 4-in box | 15,100 lbs (6,850 kg) | 14,770 lbs (6,700 kg) |
| HEMI V8 | Single | 3.73 | Crew Cab, 8-ft box | 14,930 lbs (6,772 kg) | 14,560 lbs (6,604 kg) |
Ratings are SAE J2807 maximums for a properly equipped base-trim configuration. A fifth-wheel hitch is required above 23,000 lbs (10,432 kg), and a gooseneck hitch is required above 30,000 lbs (13,608 kg).
Regular Cab: The Heaviest Ratings in the Lineup
The Regular Cab with the 8-ft box is the lightest body, so it posts the highest trailer weight in every engine and axle pairing. With the Cummins and dual rear wheels it reaches 36,610 lbs (16,606 kg) on a 45,000 lbs (20,412 kg) GCWR. With single rear wheels the same cab tows 26,080 lbs (11,828 kg). On the HEMI side, the 4.10 axle brings the Regular Cab to 18,150 lbs (8,233 kg) with dual rear wheels and 17,730 lbs (8,042 kg) with single rear wheels. This is the build for the largest gooseneck equipment and livestock trailers.
Crew Cab: The Working Middle Ground
The Crew Cab is offered with both box lengths and seats up to six. With the Cummins, dual rear wheels and the 8-ft box, it tows 34,490 lbs (15,647 kg) as a 4x2 or 33,890 lbs (15,377 kg) as a 4x4. Single-rear-wheel diesel Crew Cabs run from 23,950 lbs (10,868 kg) with the 6-ft 4-in box to 25,490 lbs (11,566 kg) with the 8-ft box. HEMI Crew Cabs range from 14,560 lbs (6,604 kg) with the 3.73 axle to 17,550 lbs (7,963 kg) with the 4.10 axle and dual rear wheels. Rear legroom is 1,022 mm.
Mega Cab: The Most Room, With Ratings to Match
The Mega Cab pairs the 6-ft 4-in box with the largest rear seat in the lineup, at 1,096 mm of rear legroom and 1,869 L of rear interior volume. It is offered with the Cummins as a 4x4 only: 33,890 lbs (15,372 kg) with dual rear wheels and 24,080 lbs (10,926 kg) with single rear wheels. For a family that tows a large fifth-wheel and wants back-seat space for a long trip, the dual-rear-wheel Mega Cab gives up only 2,720 lbs (1,234 kg) to the Regular Cab.
Payload Follows the Same Pattern
Payload and trailer weight are separate ratings, and the truck has to carry the hitch pin weight as part of its payload.
HEMI, dual rear wheels, Regular Cab 4x2: 7,590 lbs (3,445 kg)
HEMI, dual rear wheels, Crew Cab 8-ft box: 6,990 lbs (3,171 kg) 4x2 or 6,640 lbs (3,011 kg) 4x4
Cummins, dual rear wheels, Regular Cab 4x4: 6,050 lbs (2,745 kg)
Cummins, dual rear wheels, Crew Cab 8-ft box: 5,890 lbs (2,672 kg) 4x2 or 5,530 lbs (2,510 kg) 4x4
Cummins, dual rear wheels, Mega Cab 4x4: 5,380 lbs (2,440 kg)
A fifth-wheel hitch places about 15 percent of gross trailer weight on the truck, so a 34,000 lbs trailer needs roughly 5,100 lbs (2,313 kg) of payload before passengers and gear.
Towing Equipment That Comes With the Truck
Every 2026 Ram 3500 has trailer brake control and manual telescoping trailer-tow mirrors as standard. Available upgrades include the Fifth-Wheel/Gooseneck Tow Prep Group with factory-installed bed mounts and a 7-pin harness in the bed, the 360-degree surround view camera that shows both sides of the trailer on screen, Trailer Reverse Steering Control, the Digital Rearview Mirror 3.0 with side camera integration, Blind-spot Monitoring with trailer coverage, and a 2.4 kW bed-mounted inverter with two 110-volt outlets.
Match the Trailer to the Build
Gooseneck equipment or livestock trailer above 30,000 lbs: Cummins, dual rear wheels, Regular Cab 4x4
Large fifth-wheel camper in the 25,000 to 34,000 lbs range: Cummins, dual rear wheels, Crew Cab or Mega Cab
Fifth-wheel or heavy deck trailer up to 25,000 lbs: Cummins, single rear wheels, Crew Cab 8-ft box
Conventional bumper-pull trailer up to 18,000 lbs: HEMI V8 with the 4.10 axle
Daily work truck with occasional 14,000 to 15,000 lbs loads: HEMI V8 with the 3.73 axle
Spec Your Ram 3500 at Wellington Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
Every rating above depends on cab, box, axle and rear-wheel choices working together, and the right combination is easier to settle with the trailer weight in hand. Bring your trailer specifications to Wellington Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Guelph and build the 2026 Ram 3500 configuration rated for the load.
