The Ram 3500 towing capacity Ram Canada prints for the 2026 model year is up to 36,610 lb (16,606 kg) with the High Output 6.7L Cummins, and up to 18,150 lb (8,233 kg) with the 6.4L HEMI V8. Both numbers belong to one build each, not to every 3500, so read this page with the truck you are looking at in mind, or browse our new Ram 3500 inventory and bring the window sticker of the one you like. If you are still deciding between the two heavy duty trucks, our Ram 2500 vs 3500 comparison is the place to start.

Every figure below comes from Stellantis Canada, read on October 28, 2026: Ram Canada's 2026 Ram 3500 capability page, the 2026 Ram Heavy Duty Payload and Towing Guide (the specification sheet that breaks the ratings out by configuration) and, for the 2027 model year, Ram Canada's 2027 Ram 3500 capability page.

Out here the question is rarely a brochure number. It is a loaded stock trailer pulling off a gravel grade onto Highway 16, a grain auger moved between yards before freeze up, or a heavy fifth wheel on Highway 1 west of Portage la Prairie with a crosswind coming off open stubble. The rating that matters is the one for your truck and your hitch.

Key Takeaways

• 2026 Ram 3500, per Ram Canada's capability page: up to 36,610 lb (16,606 kg) with the High Output 6.7L Cummins and up to 18,150 lb (8,233 kg) with the 6.4L HEMI V8.
• 2027 Ram 3500, per Ram Canada's 2027 capability page: up to 36,620 lb (16,611 kg) with the High Output 6.7L Cummins. For a 2027 with the 6.4L HEMI V8, read the window sticker of the exact truck.
• The top figure is one configuration. In the 2026 guide it sits on a four wheel drive, dual rear wheel row with the Cummins and the 3.42 axle ratio, towing with a gooseneck hitch.
• Single rear wheel trucks top out lower: the highest single rear wheel Ram 3500 row in the 2026 guide is 11,828 kg (26,080 lb), with the Cummins and four wheel drive.
• Your truck's own number comes from its row in the guide, its window sticker and its door jamb labels, and our team can go through them with you.

Ram 3500 Towing Capacity by Engine

These are the headline figures from Ram Canada's 2026 Ram 3500 capability page.

6.4L HEMI V8 with the eight speed automatic. Maximum towing 18,150 lb (8,233 kg). Maximum payload 7,590 lb (3,445 kg), per the 2026 guide. 405 horsepower and 429 lb ft of torque. Ram Canada lists it as standard on the Regular Cab and Crew Cab.

High Output 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel I6 with the ZF eight speed automatic. Maximum towing 36,610 lb (16,606 kg). 430 horsepower and 1,075 lb ft of torque. Ram Canada lists it as standard on the Mega Cab and available on the Regular Cab and Crew Cab. The 2026 guide's highest Cummins 3500 payload is 2,745 kg (6,050 lb), on a four wheel drive, dual rear wheel Regular Cab.

Ram Canada's footnote on these maximums reads: "When properly equipped. Max payload/towing ratings shown for base configuration. Additional options, equipment, passengers, and cargo weight may affect payload/towing weights. Contact dealer for details."

Ram Canada's 2026 Ram 3500 page and Stellantis Canada's 2027 press kit list only the High Output Cummins, not a standard output version. An older 3500 has its own figures on its original window sticker.

The 2027 Ram 3500. Ram Canada's 2027 Ram 3500 capability page lists the High Output Cummins at up to 36,620 lb (16,611 kg) of towing, with the same 430 horsepower and 1,075 lb ft. That is a maximum for one configuration when properly equipped. For a 2027 with the 6.4L HEMI V8, or any 2027 you plan to tow near the top figure, read the window sticker of the exact truck or ask our team.

Where the 36,610 lb Comes From

Ram Canada's 2026 Heavy Duty Payload and Towing Guide is a grid: engine, rear wheels, axle ratio and gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) down the side, a column for each cab and box, and every cell split into two wheel drive and four wheel drive.

The top row. 16,606 kg (36,610 lb) appears once, on a four wheel drive, dual rear wheel row with the High Output Cummins, the 3.42 axle ratio and a 6,350 kg (14,000 lb) GVWR, in the guide's Regular Cab column with the eight foot box. Two wheel drive is marked not available on that row. The same row prints a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 20,412 kg (45,000 lb).

Dual or single rear wheels. The guide states: "Vehicles with a GVWR of 6,350 kg (14,000 lb) and greater are DRW." On the single rear wheel Cummins rows, the highest Ram 3500 figure is 11,828 kg (26,080 lb), four wheel drive. That gap is why a 3500 shopper ends up asking about a dually, and our dually vs single rear wheel guide works through that choice.

Axle ratio. Every Cummins row in the 2026 guide is a 3.42 axle. The HEMI rows are 3.73 and 4.10, so on a gas 3500 the axle line on the sticker is worth reading.

Cab and box. A crew cab weighs more than a regular cab, and in a towing rating extra truck weight comes off the trailer. A 3500 Crew Cab 4x4 with the Cummins, like the 2027 Tradesman in our photo, has its own row and a number below the top one.

The hitch. The guide says: "A fifth-wheel hitch is required for trailers over 10,432 kg (23,000 lb). A Gooseneck hitch is required for trailers over 13,608 kg (30,000 lb)." So the 36,610 lb rating is a gooseneck rating, and on a conventional hitch the trailer stays at or under 10,432 kg (23,000 lb).

Why Your Truck Tows Less Than the Brochure

The guide's footnote explains the method. Ratings are calculated "as specified in SAE J2807", and a "Max Trailer Weight Rating represents a properly equipped base trim configuration." The guide's own assumptions include a passenger weight of 136 kg (300 lb) and an options weight of 45 kg (100 lb). A truck with a heavier option list, more people or a full box starts behind that line.

The guide also states that "Payload and Trailer Weight Rating are mutually exclusive." A truck cannot carry its maximum payload and pull its maximum trailer at the same time.

Then there is the pin. The guide assumes 15 percent of the gross trailer weight on a fifth wheel or gooseneck, and it lists the fifth wheel hitch itself at 113 kg (250 lb). Our arithmetic on those assumptions, as an example only: a loaded gooseneck stock trailer at 9,072 kg (20,000 lb) puts about 1,361 kg (3,000 lb) on the ball. That is payload, along with the hitch, the people and whatever rides in the box. Compare the total with the payload on your door jamb before you look at the tow rating. Our Ram 2500 and 3500 payload guide works through a full example.

Towing a Ram 3500 in Manitoba

A rating is set under controlled conditions, and a prairie fall is not one.

The gravel grade. A loaded stock trailer leaving a yard on a wet grid road asks for traction and a slow, steady pull more than for the last thousand pounds of rating. A grain auger moved between yards before freeze up is light against any 3500 rating; the trouble there is a soft shoulder and a tight field approach.

The crosswind. A tall fifth wheel on Highway 1 between Portage la Prairie and Brandon, with a west wind across open fields, works the truck harder than the same trailer on a calm day. That is where margin under the rating earns its keep.

The cold. Four wheel drive helps a loaded truck get moving on snow; winter tires help it stop and steer. We are a participating retailer in the MPI Winter Tire Program.

Set Up the Truck Before You Hitch

Ram Canada's 2026 Heavy Duty Payload and Towing Guide lists an available Fifth Wheel/Gooseneck Tow Prep Group: factory installed provisions for fifth wheel and gooseneck mounts, engineered for the truck's structure, with an additional 7 pin wiring harness in the bed and a 12 pin connector. Whether a given truck has it is on the window sticker.

Our service department installs hitches and does brake work. You can book a visit with our service team before the next long tow, and ask our service team what a fifth wheel or gooseneck setup on your truck would involve.

FAQs

What is the Ram 3500 towing capacity?

Up to 36,610 lb (16,606 kg) for the 2026 model year with the High Output 6.7L Cummins, and up to 18,150 lb (8,233 kg) with the 6.4L HEMI V8, according to Ram Canada's 2026 Ram 3500 capability page. Ram Canada's 2027 Ram 3500 capability page lists the Cummins at up to 36,620 lb (16,611 kg). Each is a maximum for one configuration when properly equipped.

Which Ram 3500 tows the most?

In Ram Canada's 2026 Heavy Duty Payload and Towing Guide, the top figure of 16,606 kg (36,610 lb) is on a four wheel drive, dual rear wheel row with the High Output Cummins and the 3.42 axle ratio, in the Regular Cab column with the eight foot box, towing with a gooseneck hitch.

How much can a single rear wheel Ram 3500 tow?

The highest single rear wheel Ram 3500 row in Ram Canada's 2026 guide is 11,828 kg (26,080 lb), with the High Output Cummins and four wheel drive. Other cabs, boxes and drives are rated lower, so read the window sticker of the exact truck.

Do I need a gooseneck hitch to tow the maximum?

Yes. Ram Canada's 2026 guide says a fifth wheel hitch is required for trailers over 10,432 kg (23,000 lb) and a gooseneck hitch for trailers over 13,608 kg (30,000 lb).

How do I find the towing capacity of my own Ram 3500?

Start with the window sticker for the engine, axle ratio, cab, box, drive and rear wheels, then find that row in Ram Canada's towing guide for the model year. The door jamb labels carry the GVWR and axle ratings for the truck as built. Our team can go through the numbers with you.

Does Dunn Ram Trucks install hitches?

Yes. Our service department in Portage la Prairie installs hitches. Ask our service team what a fifth wheel or gooseneck setup on your truck would involve when you book.

The Bottom Line

Ram Canada's 36,610 lb is real, and it belongs to one dual rear wheel Cummins truck on a gooseneck. Your number is on your truck's row, and payload can run out first.

Tell our team the trailer, its loaded weight and how it hitches. Start with the new Ram 3500 inventory, or look at the new Ram 2500 inventory if the trailer is lighter. If your current truck is short on capacity, see what it is worth with our trade-in value tool, and you can apply for financing online before you visit. Any approval, rate or term is on approved credit. We deliver anywhere in Manitoba with road access.

Tyler Dunn, Dunn Ram Trucks, Portage la Prairie