2016 Ram 3500 HD Takes on the 30,000 Lbs Super Ike Towing Review

2016 Ram 3500 HD
2016 Ram 3500 HD

It’s time for the 2016 Ram 3500 HD dually to take on the 30,000 lbs Super Ike Gauntlet towing challenge. The “Super Ike” is all about maxing out every truck on towing load, or payload, or GVWR, or GCWR, or all of the above. It’s also a chance for us to do something new and try out different features of every truck. This run is our opportunity to manually shift the transmission on the way and on the way up. We have tried the automated cruise control systems with other trucks, but we wanted to see whether we can control this heavy load the old-fashioned way – they commercial truckers do it.

This 30,000 lbs load is the heaviest gooseneck trailer that we have ever setup. It’s also the maximum rating for our Big Tex 3xGN gooseneck trailer. The tongue weight for this test was right at 5,000 lbs.

The high output of the 6.7L Cummins I6 motor produces 385 hp @ 2,800 rpm and 900 lb-ft of torque @ 1,800 rpm. The heavy duty 6-speed Aisin automatic transmission is focus of this test. The goal is to slow the truck down enough on the way down, so that the gearing and the exhaust brake combine to control the speed of the truck and trailer.

Going up the Super Ike Gauntlet highway to an elevation of 11,158 feet above sea level is about using every lb-ft of torque on the initial acceleration, and using every horsepower to maintain the speed. We wanted to keep the engine near its 2,800 rpm horsepower peak for maximum performance.

Get all the results and details in the video below.

Andre Smirnov
Andre Smirnov is an Automotive Enthusiast, Producer, Reviewer, Videographer, Writer, Software Engineer, Husband, Father, and Friend.