King of the Hill - 2017 Ram Heavy Duty Wins Gold Hitch Award From The Fast Lane Truck (TFLtruck)

April 3, 2017 , Auburn Hills, Mich. -  The Fast Lane Truck (TFLtruck) has honored the 2017 Ram 3500 with a Gold Hitch award for the heavy-duty segment. The 6.7-liter Cummins diesel-powered Ram 3500 Heavy Duty took top honors for outstanding pulling power, braking, fuel economy, comfort and handling under extreme towing conditions.

To score the trucks, TFLtruck editors took to the notorious Eisenhower Pass “Ike Gauntlet” located outside Denver with a loaded gooseneck trailer in tow. The grueling climb reaches elevations in excess of 11,000 feet with increasing grade near the peak. At the end of the haul, the Ram 3500 Heavy Duty excelled.
 
“The 2015 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty was loaded with a 21,600-pound trailer for Gross Combined Weight of nearly 31,000 pounds,” said Andre Smirnov, technical editor at TFLtruck. “The Ram dually came out on top based on its confident downhill performance, consistent uphill climb and leading observed fuel mileage among the competitors.”

The Ike Gauntlet drive is not the sole criteria to determine the winner in each category. The Ram 3500 Heavy Duty also was judged on its overall performance unloaded.

Gold Hitch Award-eligible trucks include 2017 model-year pickups (or trucks from previous model years that have not significantly changed for 2017). Trucks are only eligible for the award if they were tested before March 1, 2017.

About TFLtruck
TFLtruck is the most popular online video reviews, news and views publication. Nearly 2.5 million truck buyers watch TFLtruck video reviews and tests every month. This includes the signature "TFL Ike Gauntlet" extreme towing test, which challenges the trucks to the absolute maximum of their performance capability. Simply put -TFLtruck is All Trucks All The Time.
 
Ram Truck Brand
In 2009, the Ram Truck brand launched as a stand-alone division, focused on meeting the demands of truck buyers and delivering benchmark-quality vehicles. With a full lineup of trucks - the Ram 1500, 2500/3500 Heavy Duty, 3500/4500/5500 Chassis Cab and ProMaster - the Ram brand builds trucks that get the hard work done and families where they need to go.

Ram continues to outperform the competition and sets the benchmark for:
  • Best-in-class standard horsepower 
  • Segment-first 1,000 lb.-ft of torque with Cummins Turbo Diesel
  • Most luxurious: Ram 1500 Tungsten with real metal and leather elements and a new 14.5-inch Uconnect touchscreen
  • Best ride and handling with a double wishbone front suspension and five-link solid rear axle with available, segment-exclusive, active-level, four-corner air suspension
  • Best-in-class available rear leg room
  • The most cargo space available in any traditional full size cargo van
  • Most capable full-size off-road pickup – Ram Power Wagon
  • Most awarded light-duty truck in America
  • Highest owner loyalty of any half-ton pickup
The latest J.D. Power APEAL study, which rates the emotional bond between customers and their vehicles, named the 2023 Ram 1500 as the best full-size light-duty pickup.

Ram is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Ram and company news and video on:
Company blog: http://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Media website: http://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Ram Truck brand: www.ramtrucks.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RamTrucks 
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ramtrucks 
Twitter: @RamTrucks, @StellantisNA
YouTube: www.youtube.com/RamTrucks, https://www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

Contact Information

Nick Cappa
Office: (248) 512-4266
Cell: (248) 202-8039
David Elshoff
Office: (248) 512-2690
Cell: (248) 797-2300
Download Video Embed