2027 Ram Chassis Cab

3500, 4500 or 5500?

All three share the same cabs, engines and interiors. What changes is the hardware under the frame and the weight ratings that come with it.

The 3500 carries a front axle rated at up to 6,000 lb (5,500 lb on HEMI trucks), and the 4500 and 5500 offer an optional 7,250-lb front axle for snowplows and heavy front loads. Because the 4500 is offered at up to 16,500 lb GVWR, some 4500s fall into Class 5 rather than Class 4, so match the rating on the door-jamb label to your licensing and registration needs. Curb weights run from about 6,000 to 9,000 lb before a body is installed.

HEMI or Cummins: chassis-cab tunes

These are not the pickup tunes. The Ram 3500 pickup gets a 405-hp HEMI and a 430-hp, 1,075 lb-ft Cummins High Output; the high-output Cummins is not offered on any chassis cab. Every truck uses an electronic column shifter. The TorqueFlite HD transmissions belong to the ZF PowerLine family and are the ones that open up PTO. Four-wheel-drive models use a part-time, electric-shift transfer case with a 2.64 low range, and every 4500 and 5500 4x4 has an electronic front-axle disconnect. An anti-spin rear differential is standard.

Towing, payload, GVWR and GCWR by model

Maximum ratings from Ram's 2027 information, in pounds. Each maximum applies to one specific configuration, not every truck in the line.

• 5500 Max Tow Package: diesel 5500 only. It adds a max-tow electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case and a trailer brake controller, and it's the only way to reach 34,540 lb and the 43,000-lb GCWR.
• 3500 HEMI: the 15,980-lb rating uses the standard 8HP75 transmission and a 22,000-lb GCWR. The optional TorqueFlite HD raises the GCWR to 25,000 lb and towing to 18,860 lb.
• 5500 HEMI GVWR: 18,000 lb standard, or 19,000 and 19,500 lb with the Max Payload Package. At 18,000 lb GVWR the GCWR is 26,000 lb.

Ram's payload and towing ratings assume a base truck plus a 150-lb driver. The weight of your body, toolboxes and upfit equipment comes out of payload, so the figure that matters is the payload left after the upfit.

Cabs, cab-to-axle lengths and wheelbases

Ram offers two cabs, four cab-to-axle lengths and nine wheelbases. Regular Cab seats 3 and Crew Cab seats 6. There is no Mega Cab chassis cab.

On the 3500, Tradesman is 4x2 with 4x4 optional, and Big Horn is 4x4 only. The 4500 and 5500 come in 4x2 or 4x4 on both trims. Overall length runs from 235.3 in (3500 Regular Cab 60 CA) to 296.3 in (4500/5500 Regular Cab 120 CA). Cab-to-axle length decides what body fits: a 60 CA suits a shorter flatbed or service body, while the 108 and 120 CA frames take longer bodies such as stake beds and larger dump bodies.

Built for upfitters

• Frame: 34-in rail spacing, up to 97% high-strength steel and eight crossmembers. The rear frame is a flat-top C-channel with nothing above the rails and pre-drilled holes, and rear frame-to-ground height is 34.3 to 36.9 in.
• PTO: both TorqueFlite HD transmissions offer left- or right-side PTO on 4x2 and 4x4. The Cummins PTO package adds a split-shaft PTO (two speeds, stationary or in motion), stationary elevated idle and hard-wired remote start/stop. Gas PTO is available on the HEMI with the TorqueFlite HD only, with the same content minus split-shaft. A 3500 HEMI with the standard 8HP75 can't have PTO.
• Electrical: the standard VSIM upfitter module has more than 70 inputs and outputs, with six programmable auxiliary switches (the sixth becomes the PTO switch), bulkhead pass-through wiring and rear upfit circuits for cameras and park assist.
• Alternators: 220-amp standard, available dual alternators on the HEMI, and 480-amp dual 240s on the Cummins with the On-Board Power System.
• 2.4-kW On-Board Power System: three 110-V outlets, shipped separately so it can be mounted to the body.
• Fuel: a 52-gal rear tank is standard, a 22-gal mid-ship tank is optional, and both together give 74 gal.
• Fleet settings: a dealer-programmable engine shut-off timer (1 to 60 minutes) and maximum-speed settings of 65, 70 or 77 mph.
• Ambulance Prep Group: remote rear heat and A/C, an A/C line tap and coolant access.
• Plows: snowplow prep is standard on the 3500 and available on the 4500 and 5500, with a predrilled front frame.

A chassis cab can't take a pickup bed; Ram says the straight 34-in rails and CA lengths call for a flatbed, utility or custom body. Ram's commercial program is Ram Professional, and Ram publishes a Body Builder's Guide for upfitters. Need a van-based body instead? See the ProMaster Cutaway.

Trims, cab comfort and safety

An 8.4-in Uconnect 5 touchscreen is standard and a 12-in Uconnect 5 NAV screen comes in packages, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop, full-speed Forward Collision Warning-Plus and Ready Alert Braking are standard; Ram says ACC with Stop works down to 0 mph, even with a trailer. The available Safety Group adds pedestrian automatic emergency braking, LaneSense Lane Keep Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Drowsy Driver Detection and auto high beams. The ParkView rear camera is optional, along with a cargo-view camera for fifth-wheel and gooseneck hookup and a relocatable CHMSL camera on the 4500 and 5500. Tire-pressure monitoring covers up to 6 truck tires and up to 12 trailer tires.

What's new for 2027

• Night Edition package: black wheels, black badging and a sport performance hood, plus a body-color grille surround, bumper, flares and door handles and front and rear ParkSense on Big Horn. It requires Big Horn Level 1, 2 or 3 (including Laramie), on 3500, 4500 and 5500 Regular and Crew Cab, with the HEMI or Cummins. Orders open in Q4 2026, with availability later.
• 270-degree surround camera: a new option, with trailer reverse guidance.
• Serrano Green: a new color, bringing the list to nine: Bright White, Ceramic Gray, Flame Red, Diamond Black Crystal, Forged Blue, Granite Crystal Metallic, Molten Red, Silver Zynith and Serrano Green. Ask us about fleet colors.
• Gas PTO: now listed as its own option for the HEMI with the TorqueFlite HD.

Engines, transmissions, dimensions and brakes carry over from 2026, and towing and payload ratings moved by only a few pounds. 2027 trucks are built at Ram's Saltillo plant in Mexico. If you're timing a commercial purchase around the calendar, see our year-end planning guide for Ram commercial trucks.

Ram Chassis Cab vs Chevrolet Silverado chassis cabs

In Class 3, the Silverado 3500HD chassis cab has the stronger diesel and a higher maximum GCWR, while the Ram 3500 carries more payload. In the medium-duty classes, the Ram 5500's 43,000-lb GCWR is above the 37,500-lb top rating Chevrolet lists for the 4500HD and 5500HD, the Cummins (360 hp / 800 lb-ft) is a close match for the medium-duty Duramax (350 hp / 750 lb-ft), and Ram offers a gas engine on the 4500 and 5500 where Chevrolet lists diesel only. That gives Sacramento-area fleets running short local routes a gas option in the heavier classes. Chevrolet's chassis cab pages still show 2026 information.

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