2015 Ram 2500 Towing Capacity Chart by Engine and Cab 2026
The 2015 Ram 2500 towing capacity tops out at 17,970 pounds, and that number belongs to one specific build: a Regular Cab, Long Box, 4×2 truck with the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel. Most 2015 Ram 2500 trucks on the road today rate lower than that, because cab size, drivetrain, and axle ratio all pull the real number down.
The 5.7L V8 Hemi and 6.4L V8 Hemi were also available that year, each with its own ceiling well below the diesel’s. Dealer sites and aggregator articles tend to flatten all of this into one headline figure, which is exactly how owners end up overestimating what their specific truck can pull.
This guide breaks the 2015 Ram 2500 towing capacity down by engine, cab style, and axle ratio, using Ram’s own published SAE J2807 towing chart. It also covers payload, the door-sticker numbers that override any published chart, and the factors that quietly eat into your real-world rating.
2015 Ram 2500 Max Towing Capacity by Engine
Regular Cab, Long Box, 4×2, SAE J2807 ratings
Payload 3,040 lbs
GCWR 20,300 lbs
Payload 3,970 lbs
GCWR 22,800 lbs
Payload 3,170 lbs
GCWR 25,300 lbs
How Much Can a 2015 Ram 2500 Tow by Engine
The 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel is the clear ceiling for the 2015 Ram 2500. In its strongest configuration, Regular Cab Long Box 4×2 with a 3.42 axle ratio, it pulls a maximum trailer weight of 17,970 pounds and a Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of 25,300 pounds.
The 6.4L V8 Hemi sits in the middle. The same Regular Cab Long Box 4×2 build tops out at 16,300 pounds of max trailer weight with a 4.10 axle ratio, against a 22,800-pound GCWR.
The 5.7L V8 Hemi is the entry engine for the 2500 that year, and it shows in the numbers. The same body style caps at 13,870 pounds with the 4.10 axle, well behind both the 6.4L Hemi and the Cummins-equipped trucks in the heavier-duty lineup.
That gap exists for a simple reason: the 2500’s GVWR rises with each engine step up, from 9,000 pounds on the 5.7L Hemi to 10,000 pounds on both the 6.4L Hemi and 6.7L Cummins. A higher GVWR gives Ram more room to rate the GCWR, and the GCWR is what ultimately sets the max trailer weight.
Those are best-case figures for the lightest body style Ram offered. Current Ram 2500 towing capacity ratings have climbed well past these 2015 numbers, which is worth knowing if you are cross-shopping model years. Cab and bed length change the 2015 math fast, and the full chart below shows exactly how much.
2015 Ram 2500 Towing Capacity Chart by Configuration
The table below lists the Regular Cab, Long Box, 4×2 ratings for all three 2015 Ram 2500 engines, since this body style posts the highest number for each engine. Payload drops as GVWR climbs on the heavier engines, and axle ratio swings the max trailer weight by thousands of pounds within the same engine.
| Engine | Axle Ratio | GVWR (lbs) | Payload (lbs) | GCWR (lbs) | Max Trailer Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.7L Hemi V8 | 3.73 | 9,000 | 3,040 | 18,300 | 11,870 |
| 5.7L Hemi V8 | 4.10 | 9,000 | 3,040 | 20,300 | 13,870 |
| 6.4L Hemi V8 | 3.73 | 10,000 | 3,970 | 19,800 | 13,300 |
| 6.4L Hemi V8 | 4.10 | 10,000 | 3,970 | 22,800 | 16,300 |
| 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel | 3.42 | 10,000 | 3,170 | 25,300 | 17,970 |
Ram’s chart also notes that Regular and Crew Cab diesel trucks built on 17-inch wheels carry a 23,000-pound GCWR for conventional trailers only, a detail many secondhand listings leave out. Crew Cab and Mega Cab versions of the same engines post lower numbers, covered next.
Reg Cab vs Crew Cab vs Mega Cab Towing Differences
Regular Cab Long Box trucks post the highest number for every engine because they carry the least curb weight. Add a back seat and a second row of doors, and that weight comes straight out of the GCWR budget that would otherwise go to the trailer.
A 2015 Crew Cab 6.7L Cummins with the factory tow package and rear air suspension carries a door-sticker rating of roughly 17,200 pounds and a payload of about 2,350 pounds, according to an owner who posted the figures on a Ram diesel owner forum. That sits a few hundred pounds below the Regular Cab Long Box maximum of 17,970 pounds, exactly the kind of gap cab style creates.
Mega Cab trucks carry the heaviest body of the three and the most unusual quirk in Ram’s own numbers. Owners on a Cummins diesel forum thread noted that their 2015 Mega Cab 4×4’s published tow rating ran about 1,600 pounds lower than the GCWR-minus-curb-weight formula would predict for every other 2015 Ram 2500 cab style, with no clear explanation from Ram for the gap.
None of this means a Crew Cab or Mega Cab is a poor tow vehicle. It means the Regular Cab Long Box numbers in the chart above are a ceiling, not a guarantee for every 2015 Ram 2500 on a used lot. Axle ratio moves that ceiling even further within the same cab.
How Axle Ratio Changes Your 2015 Ram 2500 Tow Rating
Axle ratio is the single biggest swing factor most owners overlook. On the 6.4L Hemi Regular Cab Long Box 4×2, moving from a 3.73 axle to a 4.10 axle takes max trailer weight from 13,300 pounds to 16,300 pounds, a 3,000-pound jump from gearing alone.
The 5.7L Hemi shows the same pattern on a smaller scale: 11,870 pounds with the 3.73 axle versus 13,870 pounds with the 4.10 axle, a 2,000-pound difference.
The 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel only came with a single 3.42 axle ratio in this chart, so there is no axle choice to make on the diesel. What does change on Cummins trucks is the transmission. Crew Cab Cummins configurations offered both the 6-speed manual G56 and the 6-speed automatic 68RFE, and the automatic carries a slightly higher GCWR in Ram’s own published numbers.
A lower axle ratio number (4.10 versus 3.73) means more pulling power and a higher tow rating, at the cost of slightly lower highway fuel economy and higher RPM at cruising speed. The axle ratio is stamped on the door sticker alongside the rest of your truck’s specific ratings.
Engine, cab, and axle ratio combine to set your towing ceiling. Payload works on the same set of rules, just in the opposite direction.
2015 Ram 2500 Payload Capacity by Engine and Cab
Payload is the maximum combined weight of cargo, passengers, and gear your 2015 Ram 2500 can carry, and it is calculated as GVWR minus base curb weight on Ram’s own chart. Towing and payload are mutually exclusive ratings on the same truck. A truck loaded to its max payload cannot also pull its max trailer weight at the same time.
The 6.4L Hemi Regular Cab Long Box 4×2 carries the highest payload of the three engines at 3,970 pounds, since it combines a 10,000-pound GVWR with a relatively light gas V8.
The 5.7L Hemi comes in at 3,040 pounds of payload on a lighter 9,000-pound GVWR. The 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel, despite sharing the same 10,000-pound GVWR as the 6.4L Hemi, drops to 3,170 pounds of payload because the diesel engine itself adds several hundred pounds of curb weight that the Hemi does not carry.
For a brand-wide comparison across other Ram pickups and model years, the Ram payload capacity chart breaks down how these same tradeoffs play out across the lineup. Your own truck’s exact payload number is on the same door sticker that lists its tow rating.
How to Find Your Exact Tow Rating on the Door Sticker
The fastest way to confirm your exact 2015 Ram 2500 towing capacity is the certification label on the driver’s door jamb. It lists GVWR, front and rear GAWR, and the axle ratio actually installed on your specific truck, not just the engine’s general range from a published chart.
That sticker is the real owner example covered earlier: a 2015 Crew Cab 6.7L Cummins with the tow package showed a 17,200-pound rating and 2,350-pound payload on its own door jamb, numbers that come directly from that specific build rather than a generic chart lookup.
For a more precise lookup, Ram also offers a VIN-based method that pulls the exact ratings tied to your truck’s build sheet rather than a general configuration. You can look up your exact tow rating by VIN if your door sticker is faded, missing, or you bought the truck without paperwork.
A few factors can still pull your real-world number below even that sticker rating, and they are worth checking before you hitch up.
What Reduces Towing Capacity on a 2015 Ram 2500
Ram’s published chart already assumes 300 pounds of passenger weight and 100 pounds of options weight baked into every rating. Add a few more passengers, a full tank of fuel, and a bed full of gear, and that buffer disappears fast.
Aftermarket changes matter just as much. A lift kit, oversized tires, or a heavy front bumper and winch combination add real weight that the factory rating never accounted for, and none of it shows up on the original door sticker.
The 2015 Ram 2500 Power Wagon is the clearest factory example of a lower-rated build. Despite sharing the 6.4L Hemi V8 with the standard 2500, the Power Wagon’s GCWR caps at 17,500 pounds and its max trailer weight at 10,000 pounds, a significant drop from the standard 6.4L Hemi 4×4’s rating. Owners on Ram and Power Wagon forums attribute the gap to the truck’s softer off-road suspension and added winch and locker weight rather than any difference in the engine itself.
Trailer tongue weight is the other number worth tracking. Ram’s chart caps the maximum tongue weight at 1,800 pounds for a Class V receiver hitch, and exceeding that figure stresses the rear axle and suspension even when the total trailer weight stays under the published max. Weight distribution hitches help spread that load more evenly across both axles on heavier conventional trailers.
Knowing your real number now, including any aftermarket changes, means no surprises at the scale on your way to the campground or job site.
Getting the Right Tow Rating for Your 2015 Ram 2500
The 2015 Ram 2500 towing capacity tops out at 17,970 pounds on the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel, but that ceiling only applies to a Regular Cab Long Box 4×2 with the right axle ratio. Cab style, axle ratio, and drivetrain all move that number, sometimes by thousands of pounds.
The door sticker on your specific truck is always the final word, ahead of any published chart or online estimate. Check it before you assume your Crew Cab or Mega Cab matches the headline number for its engine.
If you are comparing the 2015 model year against newer Ram 2500 trucks, the towing capacity chart by year covers how these ratings have shifted across other model years.
2015 Ram 2500 Towing Capacity FAQs
What is the max towing capacity of a 2015 Ram 2500?
The max towing capacity is 17,970 pounds, achieved with the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel in a Regular Cab, Long Box, 4×2 configuration with a 3.42 axle ratio. Other cab styles and the gas engines rate lower.
Does the 2015 Ram 2500 5.7 Hemi or 6.4 Hemi tow more?
The 6.4L Hemi tows more, topping out at 16,300 pounds versus 13,870 pounds for the 5.7L Hemi in the same Regular Cab Long Box 4×2 configuration. The 6.4L Hemi also carries a higher GVWR and payload rating.
What axle ratio is best for towing on a 2015 Ram 2500?
The 4.10 axle ratio rates higher for towing than the 3.73 axle on both Hemi engines, adding 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of max trailer weight depending on engine. The 6.7L Cummins only came with a 3.42 axle, so there is no ratio choice on the diesel.
Can a 2015 Ram 2500 Power Wagon tow as much as a regular Ram 2500?
No. The Power Wagon’s GCWR caps at 17,500 pounds and max trailer weight at 10,000 pounds, well below the standard 6.4L Hemi 4×4’s rating, due to its softer off-road suspension and added winch weight.
Where do I find my exact 2015 Ram 2500 tow rating?
Check the certification label on the driver’s door jamb for your truck’s specific GVWR, GAWR, and axle ratio. A VIN-based lookup gives an even more precise match to your truck’s original build sheet.
