One Ton · Leaf-Sprung · Plow Prep Standard
Ram 3500 Work Trucks in Maine
The 3500 is the truck you buy when the 2500 has run out of rating. It is a one-ton: gross vehicle weight runs from 11,040 lbs up to 14,000, and the 2500 range stops at exactly 11,040. Where the two overlap you can have either; above it, only this one exists.
We keep them at Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat in Bangor, mostly in Tradesman fleet spec, gas and Cummins diesel. Snowplow prep is standard on every one, which in Maine is less a feature than a prerequisite.
Every unit counted here is on the ground today. We don’t list in-transit or factory-ordered vehicles on this website. Ask the fleet team what’s inbound.
What it means for your business
The 3500 starts exactly where the 2500 stops
Ram publishes the ranges plainly: the 2500 runs 8,565 to 11,040 lbs of GVWR, the 3500 runs 11,040 to 14,000. They meet at a single number. If the build you need sits at 11,040 either truck will do it and the 2500 will ride better getting there. Anything above that and the conversation is over — it is a 3500, and no amount of options on a 2500 will close the gap.
Leaf springs are the whole difference
The 2500 rides on coil springs at the back and the 3500 on leaves. That one change is why maximum gas payload goes from 3,930 lbs on the 2500 to 7,590 on the 3500 — near enough double, from the same 6.4L HEMI. The trade is real and it is felt every day: coils are more comfortable when the bed is empty, leaves carry more when it is not. Decide by how the truck spends most of its week, not how it feels on the test drive.
Gas carries, diesel pulls, and here the gap is enormous
Maximum payload is 7,590 lbs on gas against 6,050 on the diesel — the Cummins weighs enough to cost you 1,540 lbs of load. Towing runs the other way and not subtly: 18,150 lbs on gas against 36,610 with the High-Output Cummins, which is 18,460 lbs of extra trailer. That is the trade in plain numbers. For most of the businesses we sell to the payload figure is the one that decides it — the 36,610 lb rating is a maximum reached on a specific heavy-tow build, not a number a working truck meets on a Tuesday. Haul material in the bed and the HEMI is both cheaper and more capable.
Plow prep is standard, and the alternator is the useful part
Every 3500 comes with the Snowplow Prep Package — plow wiring and, more importantly, a 220-amp alternator. That alternator is what makes the truck viable for a plow, but it is equally the reason it will run a liftgate, beacons or an inverter without complaint. Ram offers a 400-watt inverter and a 2.4-kilowatt option on top if the bed needs to be a power source. On a 4x4, add the transfer case skid plate before the first storm, not after.
Tradesman is what we stock, and usually what you want
Twelve of the thirteen on the ground are Tradesman, which is the fleet specification: the equipment that earns its place and none that does not. It is the cheapest way into the rating, and on a truck that gets shared between crews, plowed with, and loaded every day, the interior is the first thing to stop mattering. Eight are gas and five are Cummins diesel, so the engine decision can be made on the work rather than on what happens to be on the lot.
Powertrain & capability
Manufacturer figures for a properly equipped truck. Your specific build will rate differently — confirm the ratings on the unit before you buy a trailer or a body to match it.
Engines
- 6.4L HEMI V8 gas
- 7,590 lbs payload · 18,150 lbs towing
- The payload engine, and the cheaper truck to buy and maintain. Eight of the thirteen we have are gas.
- High-Output 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel I6
- 430 hp · 1,075 lb-ft
- Best-in-class base diesel torque, and the engine behind the 36,610 lb tow rating. Costs payload to get it.
- Transmission
- TorqueFlite HD 8-speed automatic
- With an available automatic smart exhaust brake — worth having on a loaded descent.
- Fuel capacity
- 31 gal standard · up to 50 gal
- The 50-gallon tank is a Crew Cab with the 8-foot bed. Largest in the class, and it shows on a long haul.
Hauling & towing
- Max GVWR
- 14,000 lbs
- One-ton class. The range runs 11,040–14,000 — the 2500 tops out exactly where this begins.
- Max payload
- 7,590 lbs gas · 6,050 lbs diesel
- The diesel’s own weight is the difference. Your build will be lower than either.
- Max towing
- 36,610 lbs diesel · 18,150 lbs gas
- The diesel figure is with the High-Output Cummins, on a gooseneck or fifth wheel.
- Rear suspension
- Leaf springs
- The reason it carries close to twice the 2500’s gas payload. The 2500 uses coils.
- Curb weight
- 6,072 lbs – 8,600+ lbs
- Regular Cab through Mega Cab. Heavier cab, less payload left under the rating.
- Bed lengths
- 6 ft 4 in · 8 ft (98.3 in)
- The 8-foot box is Crew Cab, and it is also what unlocks the 50-gallon tank.
- Snowplow Prep
- Standard · 220-amp alternator
- Plow wiring and the charging capacity to run it, on every truck.
Which trim for the work
Trim on a work truck is a budget decision, not a luxury one. What we actually have on the ground is marked.
The fleet spec and almost everything we stock. Vinyl or cloth, the equipment that earns its place, and the lowest cost per truck when you are buying more than one.
A step up in cabin without moving into luxury pricing. Sensible when one person is assigned to the truck and lives in it all day.
Leather and the comfort features. Defensible for an owner-operator or a client-facing truck; hard to justify on a pooled plow vehicle.
A premium interior on a one-ton chassis. Bought by people who tow heavy every weekend as much as by businesses.
The top of the range. Full capability underneath, with an interior that makes a long tow a lot less tiring.
Bodies that go on this chassis
A 3500 pickup takes a plow and a dump insert readily, and the bed can come off for a service body or flatbed if you would rather have a working chassis. Standard snowplow prep and the 220-amp alternator mean the electrical side is already there for most equipment. Ram also publishes a Body Builder’s Guide with upfitter wiring documentation, which is worth handing to whoever does the installation. If the truck will pull a gooseneck or fifth wheel, the prep package adds a factory structural crossmember over the rear axle — order it with the truck rather than retrofitting it. Tell the fleet team the body or the plow and they will spec the truck around it.
In stock now
Nothing is marked down on this model today. Here is what is on the ground across the group. Showing 12 of 13.
New · Stock RM7942
2026 Ram 3500
Tradesman
$54,247
Save $3,938 off MSRP
Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat Bangor
New · Stock RM7970
2026 Ram 3500
Big Horn
$71,230
Save $9,000 off MSRP
Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat Bangor
New · Stock RM7948
2026 Ram 3500
Tradesman
$54,997
Save $3,188 off MSRP
Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat Bangor
New · Stock RM7943
2026 Ram 3500
Tradesman
$54,247
Save $3,938 off MSRP
Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat Bangor
New · Stock RM7965
2026 Ram 3500
Tradesman
$56,699
Save $3,326 off MSRP
Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat Bangor
New · Stock RM7966
2026 Ram 3500
Tradesman
$56,677
Save $3,053 off MSRP
Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat Bangor
New · Stock RM7947
2026 Ram 3500
Tradesman
$54,075
Save $3,815 off MSRP
Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat Bangor
New · Stock RM7988
2026 Ram 3500
Tradesman
$57,635
Save $3,145 off MSRP
Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat Bangor
Used · Stock BC500971
2020 Ram 3500
Tradesman
$38,589
Save $636 off MSRP
Quirk Motor City Used Vehicle Center Bangor
New · Stock RM8256
2026 Ram 3500
Tradesman
$70,891
Save $6,164 off MSRP
Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat Bangor
New · Stock RM8279
2027 Ram 3500
Tradesman
$64,150
Save $500 off MSRP
Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat Bangor
New · Stock RM8238
2026 Ram 3500
Tradesman
$65,532
Save $5,698 off MSRP
Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat Bangor
Where they are
Questions businesses actually ask
Should I buy the 2500 or the 3500?
By the numbers, not the badge. The 2500 covers 8,565 to 11,040 lbs of GVWR and the 3500 covers 11,040 to 14,000 — they meet at one figure. Maximum gas payload is 3,930 lbs on the 2500 against 7,590 on the 3500, because the 3500 uses leaf springs where the 2500 uses coils. If the truck runs loaded most days, buy the 3500. If it is usually empty and the load is occasional, the 2500 rides better for the same work.
Thanks — good to know.
Sorry that didn't answer it. Want to ask the commercial team directly?
Gas or the Cummins?
Gas if you carry, diesel if you pull. The 6.4L HEMI gives you 7,590 lbs of payload and 18,150 lbs of towing; the High-Output Cummins gives you 6,050 lbs of payload and 36,610 lbs of towing. So the diesel costs about 1,540 lbs of load and buys about 18,460 lbs of trailer. It is also the more expensive truck to buy and to service, which matters over a fleet.
Thanks — good to know.
Sorry that didn't answer it. Want to ask the commercial team directly?
Is snowplow prep really standard?
Yes, on every 3500 — the Snowplow Prep Package includes the plow wiring and a 220-amp alternator. The alternator is the part that matters most: it is the charging capacity that lets the truck run a plow, and the same capacity handles beacons, a liftgate or an inverter. On a 4x4 the transfer case skid plate is a separate option and worth adding.
Thanks — good to know.
Sorry that didn't answer it. Want to ask the commercial team directly?
How much can a Ram 3500 actually carry?
Up to 7,590 lbs with the 6.4L HEMI, which is the maximum for the range rather than the figure for any given truck. Cab size, drivetrain, engine and trim all come off it — a Mega Cab diesel starts from a much heavier curb weight than a Regular Cab gas truck. The doorjamb label on the specific unit is the number to plan against.
Thanks — good to know.
Sorry that didn't answer it. Want to ask the commercial team directly?
Can I get it set up for a gooseneck?
Yes, and it is better ordered than added. The Fifth-Wheel/Gooseneck Prep Package puts a structural crossmember over the rear axle at the factory with the mounting hardware in place, which is what the 36,610 lb rating assumes. Tell us at order time and the truck arrives ready for the hitch.
Thanks — good to know.
Sorry that didn't answer it. Want to ask the commercial team directly?
What do you have on the ground?
Thirteen Ram 3500s, twelve of them Tradesman and one Big Horn — eight gas and five diesel. Almost all are at Quirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat in Bangor, with one at our Motor City used vehicle centre. Nothing is marked down on this model today, so what you see is standard Quirk pricing; for multiple units the fleet team quotes separately.
Thanks — good to know.
Sorry that didn't answer it. Want to ask the commercial team directly?
Tell us what the truck has to do
What you carry, what you tow, whether a body or a plow is going on it — that decides the build. The commercial team specs it, quotes multiple units, and handles factory fleet ordering.
Capability figures compiled from Ram Trucks — 2026 Ram 3500 capability, specs & FAQ, checked 2026-10-01. Ratings vary by configuration and are not a guarantee for any specific vehicle — confirm before purchase.