Ford, Ram Fight Over HD Truck Tow Ratings - AutoGuide.com
The Ram 3500 heavy-duty pickup is rated to tow up to 30,000 lbs and today Chrysler said that rating is sufficient to give it a best-in-class tow rating. “We leave no doubt with customers that the F-450 pickup truck has best-in-class towing of 31,200 pounds whether tested using our own internal towing standards or SAE J2807,” Ford product development chief Raj Nair said in an official statement. Chrysler also said today that its Ram 3500 heavy duty pickup truck has best-in-class tow ratings with capacity for pulling up to 30,000 lbs with the Ram 3500. Both Ram and Ford claim the trucks in question qualify as class 3 trucks. Ford’s claim is based on a comparison to the Ram 3500 4×4 Crew Cab, which isn’t the highest-rated truck in the Ram lineup. When comparing top tow ratings despite the body style of truck, the F-450 out tows the Ram 3500 by just 1,200 pounds. A class 3 designation stipulates that the truck in question must sit at or below a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 14,000 lbs and according to specifications released by Ford, the F-450 falls exactly at that number. Ford has fallen under fire in the past for how it justifies the ratings it releases for its trucks. Ram’s claim to the best-in-class rating implies that the F-450 isn’t legitimately a class 3 truck. Source: www.autoguide.com
