2020 RAM 1500 Big Horn Towing Capacity Chart – Payload
Some people think that trucks are indestructible and so strong nothing can hurt them. Unfortunately, that is not the case, even tough trucks like the RAM 1500 Big Horn has their limits, and overloading it will eventually damage the truck or engine.
The towing and payload capacity will depend on the type of trim this model of Dodge truck comes in. It will also depend on the type of engine that is under the hood. Not every 1500 is made the same.
To learn more about this topic, just keep reading our article. It has a chart to help you quickly see those capacities. Plus, there are 4 engine styles that are available for this truck. Keep reading to get all of this important information.
RAM 1500 Towing Capacity 101
2020 RAM 1500 Tow Capacity Chart
In this chart, we will be going by engine style not trim. The different trims should have one of these 4 engine styles under the hood.
| Engine | Towing Capacity | Payload Capacity | HP/Torque |
| 5.7L HEMI® V8 Engine with eTorque | 12,750 pounds | 2,300 pounds | 395/410 |
| 5.7L HEMI® V8 Engine | 11,670 pounds | 1,970 pounds | 395/410 |
| 3.6L Pentastar® V6 Engine with eTorque | 7,730 pounds | 1,830 pounds | 305/269 |
| 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 Engine | 12,560 | 2,040 | 260/480 |
2020 RAM 1500 Towing Guide
It seems that Dodge has given the 1500 different towing and payload capacities no matter the trim. In order to find your specific towing capacity, etc., you should either look in your owner’s manual or contact a Dodge dealer giving them the engine, transmission, and axle ratio you have installed.
For example, the 4 x 4 Quad Tradesman with a 6 x 4-foot box had 9 different towing capacities depending on the type of motor that was under the hood. Their towing weight ranged between 7700 to 12750 pounds.
The other 5 trims for the Tradesman option had 8 different weight capacities and none of them reached 12,000 pounds. The lightest was at 6220 pounds. Having the information above will shorten your search.
What Can a 2020 RAM 1500 Tow?
This will depend on the type of 2020 Dodge RAM 1500 truck you have purchased. Out of 50 different Tradseman, there were something like 15 to 20 different towing weight capacities. We are on the conservative side of that estimate.
How much you can tow will depend on the type of engine you have under the hood. Only 2 of the diesel motors installed in this truck went over 10,000 pounds. There are a lot of other factors involved with this model of truck that determine how much you will be able to tow.
We haven’t even talked about the other 10 trim options whose towing capacity ranged between 6000 and 13000 pounds with over 6 options for each trim.
Can a 2020 RAM 1500 Tow a Fifth Wheel?
There should not be a problem in towing a 5th wheel trailer with this truck. The trailer would have to be under the towing capacity as well as the other weight limits assigned to this vehicle.
The thing to watch out for will be clearance and not so much weight as clearance is very important when you try to turn a corner or maneuver the trailer into its parking position.
You will also have to make sure your 1500 can handle the bed weight when you hook up the 5th wheel. Check the owner’s manual to see if a 5th wheel can be towed by the model of 1500 you want to buy or already own.
RAM 1500 Gooseneck Towing Capacity
The towing capacity will be determined by the axle ratio and drive type but some dealers do not recommend that you pull a gooseneck trailer with a 1500. Then some shops won’t install the hitch for those trailers either.
But it can be done and you will be lucky if you can tow up to 10,000 pounds with this style of hitch. But before you go out and buy the hitch and trailer, make sure you know the axle ratio and the drive type.
Those figures play an important role in if you can tow a gooseneck or not. If you are not sure of those figures, talk to a trusted mechanic.
2020 RAM 1500 Tongue Weight
Usually, the standard for tongue weight is 10% of the gross trailer weight. However, with the 1500 there are 2 figures given for two hitch styles. These hitch styles are the weight distribution and the dead weight types.
For the weight distribution hitch, you are looking at a maximum of 663 pounds. Then for the dead weight hitch, you are looking at 500 pounds. These figures come from a 5000-pound dead trailer and a 6360-pound weight distribution trailer hitch.
You will have to talk to a good mechanic or the dealer to get the specifics for your individual model of the 1500. Double-check your owner’s manual as well to see if it gives this important information.
2020 RAM 1500 Payload Capacity Chart
| Engine type | Payload Capacity (pounds) |
| 5.7L HEMI® V8 Engine with eTorque | 2,300 |
| 5.7L HEMI® V8 Engine | 1,970 |
| 3.6L Pentastar® V6 Engine with eTorque | 1,830 |
| 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 Engine | 2,040 |
You may find different figures for this category as there are different charts out there that may or may not align with the one we used for this and the previous chart. The capacities will change due to the type of trim, axle ratio, and other factors.
This is due to the fact that Dodge made the 1500 in a variety of models. When looking at the different charts available online, many of the different models had the same axle rating but different towing and payload capacities.
The payload capacities that we saw for all the different types ranged between 1400 and just over 2300 pounds.
2020 RAM 1500 Suspension Upgrade For Towing
There are different options for this part and depending on where you buy it, your cost will be different as well. One model we saw was for 4-wheel drive vehicles and it was rated for 8600 pounds.
There are many different options for this part available and you just have to pick the rating you need. At one outlet, prices were between $200 and $300. These suspension upgrades are supposed to help smooth out your ride by absorbing more bumps and drops.
Also, they are supposed to help stabilize your vehicle to make sure you are not going all over the road when driving conditions get tough. There are different outlets that have these parts in stock and many will install them for you.
Just do some comparison shopping to make sure you get the right rating and the right price.
2020 RAM 1500 Towing Mpg
The spec sheet that listed a variety of trims all gave the same rating for the regular, driving when empty mpg. That rating was 20 for the city and 25 for highway driving. The Big Horn 4 x 4 Crew Cab 5 x 7 bed was lowered to 19 and 24.
The actual mileage you will get will depend on your driving conditions, how much weight you are towing, the design of the trailer, and your own driving habits. What has been reported is one owner got between 8 and 10 mpg.
Another got 11 while still more got between 14 and 16 mpg. Your results will differ or be similar to these results. One owner reporting getting only 15 mpg on the highway in the winter and when empty so the time of year may influence your results as well.
2020 RAM 1500 Manual Download
The first place to check would be Dodge. They should have a record of their manuals and you just need to contact them to get access to them. 2020 is not that long ago so they should have those manuals on file for you.
Then because this is a 2020 model year, you will find a lot of websites that have these models. One example is this website. Its business is providing manuals to the public but be wary, you may have to pay a fee to download one.
A quick search on the internet brought dozens of websites with manuals for this vehicle. You will not have a hard search but picking the one you want to use may be difficult. Some will be free, some you can view and others you have to pay for the download.
Some Final Words
Towing weight must be met. If you do not stay under the stated capacities, even though friends may tell you it is okay to overload, you can and will damage your vehicle.
Stick to the listed weight limits until you get a tow package and other upgrades that help you tow more weight. Also, double-check to make sure the tow weight limit you were told matches the trim and engine of the 1500 you own.
