Ram 3500 vs Ford F-350
Belle Fourche CDJR comparison
Ram 3500 vs Ford F-350
A one-ton is the truck you buy when a 2500 runs out of payload. People search Ram 3500 vs F-350 for that job. The Ram 3500 and the Ford F-350 both do that work. They do not do it with the same published numbers.
The 2026 Ram 3500 capability page lists the High Output 6.7L Cummins at 430 horsepower and 1,075 lb-ft of torque, with max towing of 36,610 pounds and max diesel payload capacity of 6,050 pounds. The 6.4L HEMI is 405 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque, with max towing of 18,150 pounds and max gas payload capacity of 7,590 pounds. Max GVWR is 14,000 pounds. Fifth-wheel and gooseneck prep is available. A 50-gallon tank is available on the Crew Cab with an 8-foot bed. Come test drive a Ram 3500 before you decide the Ford F-350 chart wins.
Ford splits the 2026 Ford F-350 into single-rear-wheel and dual-rear-wheel trucks, then splits those charts again by cab, axle, and engine. A number from Ford’s Super Duty family page is not the rating on every Ford F-350. Some posts still say every Ford F-350 tows 37,600 pounds or carries 8,000 pounds of payload. That is not how Ford’s own Ford F-350 charts read. If you are cross-shopping, bring the Ford door sticker and we will put it next to a Ram 3500. Pulling a heavy gooseneck is the job. The payload capacity left after people and options is the check.
Start here
The short version
Ram diesel tow
Up to 36,610 pounds with the High Output Cummins, when properly equipped.
Ram gas payload
Up to 7,590 pounds. The diesel payload max on the same page is 6,050 pounds.
F-350 is two trucks
SRW and DRW use different charts. A dually is what carries the big gooseneck numbers.
Already in the Ram line
If a 3500 is more truck than you need, read our Ram 1500 vs 2500 vs 3500 guide.
What Ram publishes for 2026
| 2026 Ram 3500 | High Output Cummins | 6.4L HEMI |
|---|---|---|
| Output | 430 hp / 1,075 lb-ft | 405 hp / 429 lb-ft |
| Max towing | 36,610 lbs | 18,150 lbs |
| Max payload | 6,050 lbs | 7,590 lbs |
The gas truck wins the payload line on Ram’s page. The diesel wins the tow line. Snowplow prep is listed as a package on the 3500 page, which is different wording from the 2500 page. Ask which truck on our lot has it before you assume it is standard.
How to read an F-350 chart
Ford’s 2026 F-350 SRW conventional chart is a grid, not one number. On the High-Output diesel rows, some crew-cab cells sit in the mid-20,000-pound range. A regular-cab cell on the same engine is lower. An off-road package and the tire size change the cell again.
The big gooseneck figures live on the F-350 and F-450 dual-rear-wheel chart. That chart includes a 40,000-pound gooseneck cell on a High-Output diesel row with a 48,000-pound GCWR. Ford’s family table says the 40,000-pound rating requires the 40K gooseneck tow package. It is not the rating of a single-rear-wheel F-350, and it is not the rating of a gas truck.
So the fair comparison is truck to truck. A Ram 3500 with the High Output Cummins, properly equipped, against the Ford configuration you would actually buy. Pin weight still has to fit in payload. A 36,000-pound trailer does not fit on a truck that has already used its payload on a crew cab, a diesel, and four people.
Which one-ton class truck to start with
Start with the Ram 3500 if
You want the Cummins, a published tow rating up to 36,610 pounds, or the gas truck’s higher payload. That is the truck we can put you in at Belle Fourche. Compared with the Ford chart, the Ram 3500 page gives you one power figure for each engine. Pulling the trailer is the job. Pulling it with people in the cab, on the road you actually drive, is the check. The truck is built as a one-ton.
Keep the F-350 in the conversation if
You already know you want a Ford dually and the 40K package. Match that sticker to the Ram before you decide the brochure won.
See a Ram 3500 in Belle Fourche
Wareing Belle Fourche Ford CDJR is at 30 5th Ave, Belle Fourche, SD 57717. Call the main line at (605) 892-2643 or sales at (605) 210-6091. Sales hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Common questions
How much can a Ram 3500 tow?
Ram lists up to 36,610 pounds with the High Output 6.7L Cummins and up to 18,150 pounds with the 6.4L HEMI, when properly equipped.
Does every F-350 tow 40,000 pounds?
No. That figure is on Ford’s dual-rear-wheel chart and requires the 40K gooseneck package. A single-rear-wheel F-350 uses a lower chart.
Which Ram 3500 has more payload, gas or diesel?
Ram lists a higher max payload on the gas truck, 7,590 pounds, than on the diesel, 6,050 pounds. The diesel lists the higher tow rating.
Do I need a 3500, or is a 2500 enough?
If the pin weight and the people in the cab fit in a 2500’s payload, you may not need the one-ton. Our Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 guide walks through that choice.
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