2017 Ram 2500 Towing Capacity: 2026 Chart by Engine and Axle Ratio

The 2017 Ram 2500 tows up to 17,980 pounds when equipped with the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel, the 68RFE automatic transmission, and a Regular Cab Long Box 4×2 configuration. That number drops with the manual transmission, a Crew Cab or Mega Cab, or either Hemi V8 engine, since cab size, drivetrain, and engine all change the published rating.

This guide breaks down the official 2017 Ram 2500 towing capacity chart by engine, transmission, and cab configuration. It also explains why the number on your own door sticker may sit lower than the chart maximum, a detail most towing guides skip entirely.

For towing data across every model year, see our complete Ram 2500 towing capacity breakdown.

2017 Ram 2500 Towing Capacity for Every Engine Option

Here is the quick answer before the full breakdown by cab and drivetrain. These are the highest verified numbers for each engine, achieved in the lightest Regular Cab Long Box 4×2 configuration.

• 5.7L Hemi V8: up to 13,880 pounds
• 6.4L Hemi V8: up to 16,320 pounds
• 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel: up to 17,980 pounds

A Crew Cab or Mega Cab with the same engine tows several hundred to nearly two thousand pounds less, since the heavier cab and longer frame reduce available payload. The chart below shows the more common Crew Cab Short Box numbers, which is the configuration most used 2017 Ram 2500 listings are built on.

2017 Ram 2500 Towing Capacity Chart by Cab and Drivetrain

The table below shows official 2017 Ram 2500 figures for the Crew Cab Short Box in both 4×2 and 4×4, sourced directly from Ram’s official 2017 towing chart. All figures are calculated to the SAE J2807 standard, which standardizes how every manufacturer measures trailer weight ratings so the numbers can be compared across brands.

2017 Ram 2500 Crew Cab Short Box Towing Capacity

Source: Ram 2017 Trailer Towing Chart (SAE J2807 compliant). Payload and max trailer weight are estimated values rounded to the nearest 10 lb. Regular Cab and Mega Cab models run close to these numbers but are not identical; see the source chart for every cab and drivetrain combination.

Every figure above assumes a properly equipped truck with the maximum tow package and minimal options. Aftermarket weight, dealer-installed accessories, and trim level can lower your real number, which the next two sections cover in detail.

How Transmission Choice Changes 2017 Ram 2500 Cummins Towing Capacity

The 2017 Ram 2500 offers the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel with two transmissions, and the choice changes both output and towing capacity. The 6-speed manual G56 produces 350 horsepower and 660 lb-ft of torque, while the 6-speed automatic 68RFE produces 370 horsepower and 800 lb-ft of torque.

Ram intentionally limits the manual transmission’s output to protect its clutch, which means the automatic actually tows more in nearly every cab and drivetrain combination. In a Crew Cab Short Box 4×2, the manual is rated to tow 16,430 pounds against the automatic’s 17,500 pounds.

For more on how the 2017 Ram 2500’s transmission options affect daily driving and towing setup, see our 2017 Ram 2500 transmission guide.

How Axle Ratio Changes 2017 Ram 2500 Hemi Towing Capacity

Both Hemi V8 engines in the 2017 Ram 2500 offer a choice between a 3.73 and a 4.10 axle ratio, and that choice swings the towing number by 2,000 to 3,000 pounds. Payload and GVWR stay identical between the two ratios, since axle ratio changes gearing, not the truck’s weight rating.

In a Crew Cab Short Box 4×2 with the 5.7L Hemi V8, the 3.73 axle tows up to 11,520 pounds while the 4.10 axle reaches 13,520 pounds. The 6.4L Hemi V8 in the same cab jumps from 12,940 pounds with the 3.73 axle to 15,940 pounds with the 4.10 axle.

The taller 4.10 gearing trades a little highway fuel economy for meaningfully more trailer weight. Check your Ram 2500 gear ratio chart to confirm which axle your specific truck has before towing near its rated maximum.

Why Your Door Sticker Shows a Lower Towing Number

The official chart sets a ceiling for each engine and cab combination, calculated with minimal options under SAE J2807 standards. Your specific 2017 Ram 2500 carries its own VIN-specific rating based on the exact equipment it left the factory with.

One owner of a 2017 Ram 2500 Cummins Laramie reported a door-sticker payload of 2,160 pounds and a 17,460-pound towing capacity, close to but not identical to the chart’s published figures. Another owner with a 2017 Limited trim Mega Cab 4×4 Cummins reported a payload sticker of just 1,551 pounds, several hundred pounds under that configuration’s published maximum.

The gap comes from options weight. Leather seats, sunroofs, larger wheels, and trim-level equipment all add curb weight that the published chart does not account for, since the chart uses a base, lightly equipped truck to calculate its numbers.

Before you assume your 2017 Ram 2500 hits the chart maximum, check the actual sticker on your own truck.

2017 Ram 2500 Payload Capacity Versus Towing Capacity

Payload and towing capacity are not the same number, and the chart treats them as mutually exclusive. Payload covers everything carried inside the cab and bed: passengers, cargo, and the hitch or fifth-wheel hardware itself.

On a Crew Cab Short Box 4×2 with the 6.7L Cummins and 68RFE automatic, payload tops out at 2,670 pounds even though the same truck can tow up to 17,500 pounds. Tongue weight from a conventional trailer, typically 10 percent of the trailer’s gross weight, comes out of that payload figure. A fifth-wheel or gooseneck setup uses 15 percent instead, which is why heavier fifth-wheel campers eat into payload faster than a similarly rated bumper-pull trailer.

For a full year-by-year payload breakdown across every Ram 2500 cab and engine, see our Ram 2500 payload capacity chart.

How to Confirm Your Exact 2017 Ram 2500 Towing Number

The fastest way to know your truck’s real number is to check the driver-side door jamb. Ram prints a yellow certification sticker there with your truck’s exact GVWR, GAWR, and payload, all calculated for that specific VIN.

Cross-reference that sticker with your trailer’s GVWR before every trip, then subtract your truck’s actual base weight, passengers, and cargo from the door sticker’s GVWR to get a real payload number. Never exceed the GCWR either, since that combined limit caps truck and trailer weight together regardless of how the individual numbers add up.

Aftermarket additions matter too. A winch, steel front bumper, or bed-mounted toolbox can each remove 100 to 300 pounds from usable payload, which indirectly limits how close you can safely get to the chart’s towing maximum.

Frequently Asked Questions About 2017 Ram 2500 Towing Capacity

What is the towing capacity of a 2017 Ram 2500 with the 6.7 Cummins?

The 2017 Ram 2500 with the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel tows up to 17,980 pounds in a Regular Cab Long Box 4×2 with the 68RFE automatic transmission. A Crew Cab Short Box 4×4 with the same engine and transmission is rated at 17,370 pounds. Your exact number depends on cab, drivetrain, and transmission.

Can a 2017 Ram 2500 tow 15000 lbs?

Yes, most 2017 Ram 2500 configurations with the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel clear 15,000 pounds, and several Hemi V8 configurations with the 4.10 axle ratio do too. The Crew Cab Short Box 4×4 Cummins, for example, is rated at 17,370 pounds. Always confirm your specific door sticker before towing near that weight.

What is the difference between 2017 Ram 2500 4×2 and 4×4 towing capacity?

4×2 models carry a slightly higher payload and max trailer rating than 4×4 models in the same cab and engine, since the 4×4 drivetrain adds weight that reduces available payload. In a Crew Cab Short Box with the 6.7L Cummins and 68RFE automatic, 4×2 is rated at 17,500 pounds versus 17,370 pounds for 4×4.

Does axle ratio affect 2017 Ram 2500 towing capacity?

Yes, on the 5.7L Hemi V8 and 6.4L Hemi V8, switching from the 3.73 axle ratio to the 4.10 axle ratio raises the max trailer weight rating by roughly 2,000 to 3,000 pounds. The 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel uses a fixed 3.42 axle ratio, so this comparison does not apply to diesel trucks.

Where do I find my 2017 Ram 2500’s exact towing capacity?

Check the yellow door-jamb sticker on the driver-side B-pillar, which lists your truck’s specific GVWR, payload, and GAWR figures. These VIN-specific numbers can differ from the published chart maximum, especially on higher trims with added equipment.

Choosing the Right 2017 Ram 2500 Setup for Towing

The 2017 Ram 2500 towing capacity ranges from roughly 11,000 pounds on a base 5.7L Hemi V8 to nearly 18,000 pounds on a 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel in the right cab and drivetrain. Engine, transmission, axle ratio, and cab size all move that number, sometimes by thousands of pounds within the same model year.

The published chart sets the ceiling, not your truck’s actual rating. Check your door-jamb sticker before assuming your specific 2017 Ram 2500 matches the maximum covered above.

If you are shopping for a used 2017 model with serious towing in mind, the 6.7L Cummins with the 68RFE automatic and a 4×2 drivetrain gives you the most trailer weight to work with.