INDIANAPOLIS. A host of new options are being added to Ram Truck’s 2012 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 medium-duty Class 4 and 5 chassis cab vehicles to give them all more versatility and capability in various work applications.
Ram Trucks made the announcements during the NTEA’s Work Truck Show here.
For starters, the 2012 model Ram 4500 and 5500 chassis cab now get an optional 30,000-lb. gross combined weight rating (GCWR), an increase from 26,000 lbs. as part of an optional “Max Tow” package available on both regular and crew cab models and in 4x2 and 4x4 configurations.
The 30,000-lb. GCWR gives the Ram chassis cab a 4,000-lb. increase in trailer-towing capabilities, the company said, and up to a maximum of 22,300 lbs. on a Ram 4500 or 5500 chassis cab equipped with a new 6-spd. automatic transmission option.
Ram added that the “Max Tow” package includes a new transfer case gear set and chain and sprocket upgrades, recalibrated transmission software and an enhanced collection of thermal management devices. The company added that 2012 Ram truck models with Max Tow will reach dealerships in the third quarter of 2011, with pricing for this option announced at that point.
For the 3500 powered by its 5.7-liter HEMI V-8, there is also a new 6-spd. automatic transmission option to increase GCWR to 20,000 lbs. – a 3,000-lb. increase – as well as provide for an increase in fuel economy. The company noted the 6.7-liter Cummins turbocharged diesel engine remains as an option.
A Ram spokesman explained that having six gears – as opposed to just four or five – gives truck operators better ability to “stay in gear” at highway speeds under load, thus maximizing fuel economy without sacrificing pulling power.
