Sleds, augers, shelters and a trailer to carry them: a Nova Scotia winter setup asks two things of a truck. It has to carry weight in the box and pull weight behind it. The 2027 Ram 2500 answers both, but the engine and configuration you pick decide which job it does best.
This guide ranks the two powertrains by what they do for hauling, so you can match the truck to your actual load.
2027 Ram 2500 Powertrains Side by Side
Maximum figures apply to properly equipped trucks.
|
Spec |
6.4 L HEMI V8 |
6.7 L Cummins HO Turbo Diesel I-6 |
|
Output |
410 hp |
430 hp |
|
Torque |
429 lb-ft |
1,075 lb-ft |
|
Transmission |
TorqueFlite 8HP75-LCV 8-speed automatic |
TorqueFlite HD 8-speed automatic |
|
Max towing |
17,740 lbs (8,047 kg) |
20,000 lbs (9,072 kg) |
|
Max payload |
4,580 lbs (2,077 kg) |
3,990 lbs (1,810 kg) |
How to Read These Numbers
The table shows a trade. The Cummins diesel tows 2,260 lbs (1,025 kg) more than the HEMI. The HEMI carries 590 lbs (268 kg) more in the truck itself.
Payload is everything riding in the truck: passengers, fuel, hitch equipment and gear. A crew of four with coolers, augers and a loaded box eats into it quickly. Towing is a separate number, for the trailer behind you.
That split is the whole decision. If most of your weight sits on the trailer, torque matters most. If most of it sits in the cab and bed, payload does.
The diesel’s 1,075 lb-ft is the figure to notice. It is more than double the HEMI’s 429 lb-ft, and it is what makes a heavy trailer feel settled on a grade.
Matching the Truck to Your Winter Gear
If you haul sleds on a trailer. A tall, heavy trailer with two or more sleds is a towing job. The 6.7 L Cummins diesel, with its 20,000 lbs (9,072 kg) maximum, leaves the most margin. You are choosing the engine that works least hard at your load.
If you carry gear in the truck and tow light. Ice-fishing shelters, sleds in the box, fuel and a full cab of people lean on payload. The 6.4 L HEMI V8 offers 4,580 lbs (2,077 kg) and still tows up to 17,740 lbs (8,047 kg). For most single-trailer weekend setups, that is plenty of truck.
If you want one truck for both. The HEMI’s payload lead is real, and so is the diesel’s towing lead. Add up your heaviest trailer first, then the weight in the cab and box, and let the larger of the two pick the engine.
Cab and Bed Choices That Matter on the Ice
Bed length shapes how you load. The Regular Cab comes with an 8-foot bed. The Crew Cab offers either a 6-foot 4-inch bed or an 8-foot bed, which gives you rear-seat room for the group and a long box for gear. The Mega Cab pairs its extra cab space with a 6-foot 4-inch bed and is offered in 4x4 only.
The 2500 is offered in 4x2 or 4x4. For snowy trails and unplowed access roads to a lake, 4x4 is the configuration to look at, and it is the only one with the Mega Cab.
The Laramie adds an optional RamBox cargo management system, with relocatable anchor points and LED lighting. Wet augers and tie-down hardware stay organized and lit when daylight is short.
Towing Technology Worth Having
A few options make a loaded trailer easier to live with:
- Fully digital rearview mirror with tow mode, optional, which keeps the view past a tall trailer clear
- Trailer reverse steering control, for backing a trailer down a boat-launch-style ramp or into a tight lot
- Blind-spot Monitoring with Trailer Tow Detection System
- Trailer-Tow Pages for trailer monitoring
The rear end gets attention too. The 2500 rides on a five-link coil suspension, and an automatic-leveling rear air suspension is optional. It helps with load-leveling and bed loading, so a heavy tongue or a full box does not leave the nose pointed skyward.
Trims and Packages for 2027
For 2027, a Warn electric winch is a standalone option on Rebel and Power Wagon with the 6.4 L HEMI V8. The Power Wagon also gains an optional beadlock-capable wheel package. The Sport Appearance and Night Edition packages now reach trucks with Level 1 and Level 2 equipment groups. These are styling and trail-ready touches; the powertrain and cab choices above are what set your hauling capacity.
Choosing Your 2027 Ram 2500
The diesel is the pick for the heaviest trailers, with 20,000 lbs (9,072 kg) of towing and 1,075 lb-ft behind it. The HEMI is the pick for gear-heavy trips, with the top payload at 4,580 lbs (2,077 kg). Either way, a Crew Cab with an 8-foot bed and the right options gives you a truck sized for winter hauling.
Visit Atlantic Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Halifax to walk through the 2027 Ram 2500 configurations, and bring your trailer and gear list so the team can help you match the engine, cab and bed to your load.
