All the Pickup Truck News: Ram 3500 Tradesman Tows, Ram 1500 Ups Crash Cred and More
Towing may not be the sole reason someone buys a pickup truck, but for a 2019 Ram 3500 Tradesman dually with the optional high-output Cummins diesel and the necessary supplies to tow a maximum of 35,100 pounds, towing is nearly its entire reason for existing. We got a chance to drive one and challenge its towing prowess — and it never broke a sweat.
Related: More Pickup Trucks News
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Shop the 2019 RAM 1500 near you
With 3,400 pounds of weight in the bed — note that the payload capacity of this truck is not the highest of the Ram heavy duties because of all the added weight of the diesel and towing gear — and about 17,000 more pounds being towed behind the truck … that was it. The Ram 3500 just shrugged and went about its business. Our writer even said the most noticeable thing about all the weight was that the ride quality improved considerably.
Fuel economy, of course, went down, and for safety’s sake so did travel speeds; but other than those two negatives, the Ram 3500 passed with flying colors. That wasn’t the only test a Ram aced this week, either, as the 2020 and late-production 2019 Ram 1500 pickup crew cab earned a Top Safety Pick Plus award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety thanks to revisions to its available headlights. The Ram 1500 is the first full-size pickup to be so awarded under the current set of IIHS guidelines.
In other pickup truck news this week, you can also find out one reason why pickup prices are going up, as we recently examined the reasons destination fees are increasing for all vehicles. Meanwhile, the week’s recall roster includes the 2013-14 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500; 2014-18 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra; and 2019 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana. Additional truck tidbits include our Car Seat Check of the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 for you pickup-truck families out there, an update on the promised sub-$50,000 Tesla pickup truck, our recommendation of the Ram 1500 as one of the best new-car deals you can get in September, and the lowdown on the things we liked (and the things we weren’t in love with) about the 2019 Ford Super Duty F-250 XL.
And there’s even more where all that came from. Catch up now on all the truck news covered on both Cars.com and sister site PickupTrucks.com in the past week:
With Improved Headlights, 2020-2019 Ram 1500 Crew Cabs Ace Safety Test
How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500?
The Week in Tesla News: Model S to Put a Ring on It, Tesla Truck Teased, Tesla Car Insurance
What’s the Best New-Car Deal for September 2019?
This $56,000 Ram 3500 Tradesman Simply Laughed at What We Towed
Why Are Destination Fees for Pickups Picking Up?
10 Biggest Pickup Truck Stories: 2020 Toyota Tundra Pricing Bucks GMC Sierra, Ram Diesels
2019 Ford Super Duty F-250 XL: 5 Things We Like and 3 Things We Don’t
2013-2014 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 Pickups: Recall Alert
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