Ram Heavy Duty (fifth generation)

The Ram Heavy Duty (also known as the Ram HD) is the 4.5 generation of the Ram Pickup, a series of heavy-duty pickup trucks produced by the Ram Trucks division of Stellantis. Slotted above the Ram 1500, the Heavy Duty trucks range from the Ram 2500 to the Ram 5500. The Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 are offered as pickup trucks, while the Ram 3500 through Ram 5500 are offered as chassis cabs.

Introduced in January 2019 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, the current Ram Heavy Duty trucks are based on the Ram 1500 (DT). Ram Heavy-Duty models are produced at Saltillo Truck Assembly in Saltillo, Mexico.

Cab configurations


The Ram Heavy Duty is available in three different configurations: a two-door regular cab with a long bed, a four-door crew cab with either a standard bed or a long bed, or a four-door Mega Cab (a crew cab extended by 11.1 in allowing the rear seats to recline or offering more in-cab storage ) with a standard bed.

Trim levels
The Tradesman trim level is the most basic trim level with halogen headlamps, incandescent tail lamps, a black plastic grille, and vinyl or cloth seats.

More up-level than the Tradesman, the Big Horn comes standard with everything on the Tradesman plus fog lights, chrome grille, bumpers, and door handles, as well as a leather-wrapped steering wheel. In Texas, this trim level is called Lone Star. On chassis cab models, this trim level is called SLT.

The off-road oriented trim level, Rebel, offers an electronic locking rear differential, 33-inch tires, and tow hooks. This trim level is not available on chassis cab models.

The other off-road oriented trim level is the Power Wagon. Only available on the 2500 model, the truck is equipped with standard four-wheel drive, it also includes a unique interior trim, front grille, exterior decal package, and larger off-road tires with unique aluminum-alloy wheels. The name "Power Wagon" refers to the first Dodge Power Wagon trucks that were produced in 1946.

The Laramie is the mid-level trim. It features LED headlamps and tail lamps as standard, heated and ventilated leather seats, a standard Uconnect 4 8.4-inch touchscreen, 7-inch digital cluster display, and a memory feature.

An upgrade from the Laramie, the Laramie Longhorn features more luxurious features such as standard navigation, LED projector headlamps, chrome side steps, and genuine wood and leather in the interior. This trim level is not available on chassis cab models.

The Limited trim level is the most luxurious model. A 12-inch touchscreen is standard, as well as safety features such as blind spot monitoring, rear cross path detection, and trailer detection, and a four-corner air suspension.

Powertrain
The standard engine choice on Ram Heavy Duty trucks is the 6.4L Hemi V8 gasoline engine, with an available upgrade to a Cummins-sourced ISB I6 diesel engine. The Hemi V8 is expected to be discontinued in 2024 in favor of the Cummins I6 diesel engine for 2025 onwards.

The standard Hemi V8 produces 410 hp and 429 lb.ft of torque. For 4500 and 5500 models, the engine is downrated to 370 hp but retains the same torque. The engine is equipped with Variable Cam Timing (VCT) and a Multi-Displacement System (MDS) which shuts down four of the engine's eight cylinders when less power is required, saving fuel. For 2500 and 3500, it is mated to a ZF-sourced eight-speed Torqueflite 8HP75 automatic transmission. Optionally on the 3500 and standard on the 4500 and 5500, it is mated to an Aisin-sourced six-speed AS66RC automatic transmission.

The Cummins turbo-diesel is offered in both standard and high-output versions. The standard-output tuning produces 370 hp and 850 lb.ft of torque. A high-output tuning, only used on non-chassis cab 3500 models, produces 420 hp and 1075 lb.ft of torque. The standard-output version is mated to a Chrysler 68RFE automatic transmission. Chassis cab trucks and high-output tuning are use an Aisin-sourced six-speed AS69RC automatic transmission.