Ram 1500 Towing Capacity Chart 2026: Official Ratings

The 2026 Ram 1500 tows up to 11,610 lb with the standard-output 3.0L Hurricane twin-turbo I6, according to Ram's official 2026 Ram 1500 payload and towing chart. The returning 5.7L HEMI V8 is rated for up to 11,320 lb, the 540 hp High-Output Hurricane for up to 10,000 lb, and the 3.6L Pentastar V6 with eTorque for up to 8,130 lb. Those are best-case figures for one configuration each. The chart below lists every rating Ram publishes by engine, axle ratio, GCWR, cab, bed and drive, so you can find the number for your own truck.

All figures come from Ram's 2026 Ram 1500 Payload & Towing chart (SAE J2807 compliant), cross-checked against the Ram 1500 capability page and Ram's 2026 Ram 1500 4x2 engine page.

Ram 1500 towing capacity by engine

Ram offers four engines in the 2026 Ram 1500. These are Ram's headline maximums:

• 3.0L Hurricane twin-turbo I6, Standard Output (SO): 420 hp, 469 lb-ft. Up to 11,610 lb towing and 1,930 lb payload.
• 5.7L HEMI V8 with eTorque: 395 hp, 410 lb-ft. Up to 11,320 lb towing and 1,650 lb payload.
• 3.0L Hurricane twin-turbo I6, High Output (H/O): 540 hp, 521 lb-ft. Up to 10,000 lb towing and 1,490 lb payload.
• 3.6L Pentastar V6 with eTorque: 305 hp, 269 lb-ft. Up to 8,130 lb towing and 2,360 lb payload (Quad Cab 4x2).

The order surprises many buyers. The most powerful engine, the 540 hp High-Output Hurricane, is not the strongest tower. In Ram's chart it appears only in 4x4 configurations with lower GCWRs (15,160 to 16,220 lb) than the 17,000 lb GCWR available with the standard-output Hurricane and the 3.92 axle. Horsepower is one input to a towing rating. The combined weight rating and the truck's own weight decide the rest.

Ram 1500 towing chart by configuration

Each cell shows the 4x2 rating, then the 4x4 rating, in pounds. "NA" means Ram does not list that combination. The three body columns are Quad Cab with a 6-foot 4-inch bed, and Crew Cab with either a 5-foot 7-inch or a 6-foot 4-inch bed.

4x2/4x4, lb. NA = not listed; — = no entry. Source: Ram 2026 Ram 1500 Payload & Towing chart.

3.6L Pentastar V6 with eTorque

The V6 uses the 850RE (Gen 2) TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic. With a 3.21 axle and 11,900 lb GCWR it is rated for 6,470 lb (Quad Cab 4x4) to 6,570 lb (Crew Cab 5-foot 7-inch 4x2). With a 3.55 axle and 12,900 lb GCWR it rises to 7,340 lb to 7,660 lb. The V6 maximum, 8,130 lb, is a Quad Cab 4x2 with a 13,370 lb GCWR. If you tow a mid-size travel trailer, the V6 truck you are looking at may be rated for less than 7,000 lb, so check the axle on the window sticker.

3.0L Hurricane Standard Output

The standard-output Hurricane has the widest spread and the highest rating in the lineup. With a 3.21 or 3.55 axle and a 13,900 lb GCWR, it is rated for 8,100 lb to 8,510 lb. With a 3.92 axle and 17,000 lb GCWR, it jumps to between 11,200 lb and 11,610 lb. That is more than 3,000 lb of difference from the axle ratio and GCWR alone. The 11,610 lb maximum is a Quad Cab 4x2 with the 3.92 axle. The Crew Cabs with the same axle are rated for 11,200 lb to 11,490 lb.

5.7L HEMI V8 with eTorque

Ram brought the HEMI back for 2026 on select Ram 1500 models. The chart lists it only in the Crew Cab 5-foot 7-inch body. With the 3.92 axle and a 17,000 lb GCWR, the 4x2 is rated for 11,320 lb. The 4x4 with the 3.92 axle has a 15,850 lb GCWR and is rated for 9,590 lb, about 1,700 lb less. With a 3.21 axle the 4x2 is rated for 8,220 lb, and with a 3.55 axle the 4x4 is rated for 7,640 lb. A HEMI 4x4 with the wrong axle is rated for less than a 3.55-axle V6 Quad Cab 4x2.

3.0L Hurricane High Output

The 540 hp H/O engine appears in three 4x4 configurations, all with the 3.92 axle: 8,360 lb for the RHO (Crew Cab 5-foot 7-inch, 15,160 lb GCWR), 9,240 lb for the Limited Crew Cab 5-foot 7-inch (15,420 lb GCWR), and 10,000 lb for the Limited Crew Cab 6-foot 4-inch (16,220 lb GCWR). The RHO's 8,360 lb is the lowest of the three H/O ratings.

Payload: the number that runs out first

Ram's footnote says trailer weight and payload ratings are "mutually exclusive." Tongue weight, passengers, cargo and accessories all come out of payload. Ram's chart lists these payload figures (4x2/4x4, lb):

4x2/4x4, lb. NA = not listed; — = no entry. Source: Ram 2026 Ram 1500 Payload & Towing chart.

Look at the pattern. The engines with the highest towing ratings do not have the highest payloads. The V6 Quad Cab 4x2 has 2,360 lb of payload but tows 8,130 lb at most. The HEMI Crew Cab has 1,650 lb (4x2) or 1,630 lb (4x4) of payload. A 11,320 lb trailer at 10 percent tongue weight puts 1,132 lb on the hitch, which leaves about 500 lb for the driver, passengers and everything in the cab and bed. Your truck's exact payload is on the tire and loading information placard in the driver's door jamb, and it is often lower than the chart because options add weight.

Tongue weight, hitch and weight distribution

Ram's chart attaches three conditions to every trailer rating:

• Tongue weight is calculated at 10 percent of the trailer weight for a conventional hitch.
• The Class IV hitch receiver is limited to 1,100 lb of tongue weight. Tongue weight must also never exceed any other manufacturer recommendation, including payload and GAWR.
• A weight-distributing system is recommended for trailers over 5,000 lb.

The 1,100 lb receiver limit has a direct consequence. At 10 percent tongue weight, it corresponds to an 11,000 lb trailer. Ram's top ratings, 11,320 lb to 11,610 lb, are above that, so a trailer at those weights would need a tongue weight under 10 percent to stay inside the receiver limit. In practice, plan on staying under about 11,000 lb on a conventional hitch even if your truck's chart rating is higher. Ram also says weights may change due to a product audit or product change.

How Ram calculates the ratings

Ram describes its trailer weight figures as compliant with SAE J2807, the industry recommended practice for tow-vehicle trailer weight ratings. SAE says J2807 sets minimum performance criteria at GCWR and a calculation method for trailer weight rating, for vehicles up to 14,000 lb GVWR. Ram's footnote says the 1500 trailer weight capacities include a passenger weight of 300 lb. All weights are rounded to the nearest 10 lb and apply "when properly equipped."

Every pound you add beyond that 300 lb allowance, such as more passengers, a bed cover, a toolbox or camping gear, reduces what you can tow before reaching the GCWR. The GCWR is the maximum weight of the loaded truck and loaded trailer together, and it explains most of the differences in the chart.

Why GCWR explains the chart

Group the ratings by GCWR and the chart becomes easier to read:

• 11,900 lb GCWR (V6, 3.21): about 6,300 to 6,600 lb trailers.
• 12,900 to 13,370 lb GCWR (V6, 3.55): about 7,300 to 8,100 lb.
• 13,900 lb GCWR (Hurricane SO or HEMI with 3.21 or 3.55): about 7,600 to 8,500 lb.
• 15,160 to 16,220 lb GCWR (H/O, and HEMI 4x4 at 15,850): about 8,400 to 10,000 lb.
• 17,000 lb GCWR (Hurricane SO or HEMI 4x2 with 3.92): about 11,200 to 11,600 lb.

Within each group, the heavier the truck, the lower the rating: a Crew Cab 6-foot 4-inch weighs more than a Quad Cab, and 4x4 adds weight compared with 4x2. If you want the most towing capacity from a Ram 1500, the formula in Ram's chart is simple: the 17,000 lb GCWR, which means the 3.92 axle with the standard-output Hurricane or, in a 4x2 Crew Cab 5-foot 7-inch, the HEMI.

How to find your Ram 1500's configuration

1. Engine: V6, HEMI, Hurricane SO or Hurricane H/O. The window sticker names it.
2. Axle ratio: 3.21, 3.55 or 3.92. It is on the window sticker or build sheet. Our guide to getting a window sticker by VIN explains how to retrieve one for a used truck.
3. Cab and bed: Quad Cab 6-foot 4-inch, or Crew Cab 5-foot 7-inch or 6-foot 4-inch.
4. Drive: 4x2 or 4x4.
5. GVWR and payload: on the door-jamb labels. Our guide to the door-jamb sticker explains which label is which.

Trim names alone will not get you there, with two exceptions: the chart names the RHO and Limited for the H/O configurations. If you are not sure which trim you have, our guide to telling what trim your car is helps. For towing, the engine, axle and GCWR matter more.

Towing technology on the 2026 Ram 1500

Ram's chart lists the available towing technology: Trailer Hitch Assist, Trailer Reverse Guidance with Dynamic Gridlines, a Digital Rearview Mirror with Tow Mode, an Integrated Trailer Health Monitor, and Power Telescoping Trailer Tow Mirrors. These help with hitching, reversing and monitoring the trailer. None of them changes the trailer rating, payload or GCWR.

Ram 1500 vs a heavy-duty truck

A Ram 1500 at its best is rated for about 11,600 lb, and its payload tops out at 2,360 lb. If your trailer is near 10,000 lb or more, the payload and the 1,100 lb receiver limit are likely to constrain you before the trailer rating does. That is the point where a heavy-duty truck becomes worth considering; at the top of Ram's range, our Ram 3500 towing capacity chart shows ratings from 14,600 lb to 37,020 lb. If you are comparing half-tons, our Ford F-150 towing capacity chart uses the same configuration-by-configuration approach for Ford's truck.

Tires and equipment

A towing rating assumes the truck is properly equipped, and that includes the tires. If you replace tires on a truck used for towing, match or exceed the original load rating. Our guide to load range vs load index explains how to compare them. Recommended tire pressures are on the door-jamb placard, and the owner's manual covers any towing-specific guidance.

Common mistakes with the Ram 1500 chart

• Assuming the 540 hp engine tows the most. It tops out at 10,000 lb, below the standard Hurricane and the HEMI.
• Ignoring the axle. The same Hurricane SO engine ranges from 8,100 lb to 11,610 lb depending on axle and GCWR.
• Assuming a HEMI 4x4 matches the 4x2. With the 3.92 axle, the 4x4 is rated for 9,590 lb, versus 11,320 lb for the 4x2.
• Forgetting the receiver limit. 1,100 lb of tongue weight on a Class IV receiver equals an 11,000 lb trailer at 10 percent.
• Treating payload as an afterthought. On a HEMI Crew Cab, a maximum trailer leaves about 500 lb of payload for people and cargo.

Frequently asked questions

What is the max towing capacity of a 2026 Ram 1500?

11,610 lb, with the standard-output 3.0L Hurricane I6, the 3.92 axle and a 17,000 lb GCWR in a Quad Cab 4x2.

How much can a 2026 Ram 1500 HEMI tow?

Up to 11,320 lb as a Crew Cab 5-foot 7-inch 4x2 with the 3.92 axle. The 4x4 with the 3.92 axle is rated for 9,590 lb.

How much can the Ram 1500 RHO tow?

Ram's 2026 chart rates the RHO (High-Output Hurricane, Crew Cab 5-foot 7-inch 4x4, 3.92 axle) for 8,360 lb.

Why does the 540 hp Hurricane tow less than the standard Hurricane?

In Ram's chart the High-Output engine is listed only in 4x4 configurations with GCWRs of 15,160 to 16,220 lb, below the 17,000 lb GCWR available with the standard-output engine and 3.92 axle.

How much can a Ram 1500 V6 tow?

Up to 8,130 lb in a Quad Cab 4x2 with a 13,370 lb GCWR. Other V6 configurations are rated from 6,340 lb to 7,660 lb.

What is the maximum tongue weight for a Ram 1500?

Ram limits the Class IV hitch receiver to 1,100 lb of tongue weight and calculates chart ratings at 10 percent tongue weight.

Do I need a weight-distributing hitch on a Ram 1500?

Ram recommends a weight-distributing system for trailers over 5,000 lb.

What is the payload of a 2026 Ram 1500?

Up to 2,360 lb with the V6 (Quad Cab 4x2), 1,930 lb with the Hurricane SO, 1,650 lb with the HEMI and 1,490 lb with the Hurricane H/O. Your truck's label has the exact figure.

Are Ram 1500 towing ratings SAE J2807 compliant?

Yes. Ram's 2026 chart says its trailer weight capacities are SAE J2807 compliant and include a passenger weight of 300 lb.

Sources

• Ram: 2026 Ram 1500 Payload & Towing chart (PDF)
• Ram: 2026 Ram 1500 capability
• Ram: 2026 Ram 1500 4x2 engines
• SAE International: J2807 recommended practice