2011 Ram 2500 tow rating vs. 2012 Ram 2500

[smib]

Hello. Question about tow rating of my TV. I own a 2011 Ram 2500 4x4 with the 5.7L with factory tow package and 3.73 gears. The tow rating shows 8500lbs. I was looking at the Trailer life tow ratings online, and the exact same truck in 2012 model shows it can tow 10000lbs. So I spent some time looking at the specs of the 2012 truck (Dodge's website and other forums) and cannot find anything different. Same horsepower and torque rating and etc. same weight.. So I am confused on what I am seeing. The same truck in 2008 (with 4 speed auto mine is 5 speed/70 less horsepower) shows 8900 lbs

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

[ependydad]

Dodge obviously felt there was a reason to change the tow ratings. It could be anything from structural changes to marketing to lawyers. You'll never get an engineer on the phone to directly ask and you'll get a ton of conjecture on internet forums.

IMO, you go by the ratings on *your* truck.

[SimchaSabre]

The data is correct. We started truck shopping in 2011, but by the time we figured out what to order, the 2012's were available and we were happy to find out that the tow rating did actually increase.

The big reason was the 6 speed trans. In our case we also ordered it with the 4:10 rear which gives us ~13,900 lbs. tow rating.

[SaskCampers]

Originally Posted by smib

Hello. Question about tow rating of my TV. I own a 2011 Ram 2500 4x4 with the 5.7L with factory tow package and 3.73 gears. The tow rating shows 8500lbs. I was looking at the Trailer life tow ratings online, and the exact same truck in 2012 model shows it can tow 10000lbs. So I spent some time looking at the specs of the 2012 truck (Dodge's website and other forums) and cannot find anything different. Same horsepower and torque rating and etc. same weight.. So I am confused on what I am seeing. The same truck in 2008 (with 4 speed auto mine is 5 speed/70 less horsepower) shows 8900 lbs

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

The 08's had the exact same tranny, the 545RFE and 38hp less as the 08 2500 had 345 and 11 has 383. The 1500 is rated for more hp than the 2500 due to the way they are tuned as it seems half ton owners like bragging rights. The numbers you read for the 08 were probably for the quad cab vs the 11 being a crew cab and the crew cab in those years was rated pretty close to the Megacab spec wise. Dodge/Ram for some reason kept it's rating down and you could only get decent numbers with the 4.10 gears. In 12 they increase the front axle capacity as well as give the hemi a version of the 68RFE (66RFE for the Hemi) that has a bit better gear spacing and is much heavier duty than the 545RFE so that stuff probably accounted for the increases in ratings.

FWIW the 1500 got a 6 speed as well kinda. They reprogrammed the 545RFE to allow 2nd prime to be used as gear all the time as 3rd and not just when downshifting and called it the 65RFE.

[Herk7769]

To say that only ONE thing changed the tow rating is pretty "out there."

There is really no way of knowing what (or even IF) anything is different.
There may be a constellation of changes that are not readily apparent (like a portion of (or all) the frame was beefed up and/or different springs used).