Ram Truck Pulls the Trigger : All 2015 Pickups J2807 Compliant

All Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickups are now J2807 compliant, meaning they meet or exceed the Society of Automotive Engineers' agreed upon standard and criteria for measuring and rating tow standards. In fact, Ram states that all of its current tow ratings will stay the same, and in some special instances, will actually be up-rated with the new requirements.

"Ram Truck has been preparing for integration of the SAE towing standard over the past few years and adding heavier 3/4- and 1-ton trucks to the criteria gives it more teeth," said Mike Cairns, director of Ram truck engineering, in a statement. "For too long, an uneven playing field existed and towing capacities went unchecked. We're happy to be the only pickup truck manufacturer to align with the SAE J2807 towing standard across our pickup truck lineup."

Here's a sample of the current maximum towing capacities for the full range of 2015 Ram trucks:

•     Ram 1500 V-6 with 3.6-liter gasoline Pentastar: unsurpassed 7,600 pounds
•     Ram 1500 V-6 with 3.0-liter EcoDiesel: best-in-class 9,200 pounds
•     Ram 1500 V-8 with 5.7-liter gasoline Hemi: 10,650 pounds
•     Ram 2500 V-8 with 6.4-liter gasoline Hemi: 16,300 pounds
•     Ram 2500 with 6.7-liter Cummins diesel: best-in-class 17,970 pounds
•     Ram 3500 V-8 with 6.4-liter gasoline Hemi: 16,420 pounds
•     Ram 3500 with 6.7-liter Cummins diesel: best-in-class 30,000 pounds

The new standards, which have gone through several subtle changes in recent months, are now likely to officially encompass vehicles with 14,000-pound gross vehicle weight ratings, including all three-quarter- and one-ton pickups. Ram is the first truckmaker to announce that its full lineup of pickups adheres to the criteria, so you can expect others to follow suit shortly. Even now, we've heard rumblings that since both GM and Ford knew these changes to HD pickups were coming, they've been preparing for this requirement for some time. We're sure there will be more to announce later.

From www.pickuptrucks.com