2017 Ram HD 2500 6.4L HEMI Work Truck Maxed Out on the World’s Toughest Towing Test (Video)

2017 ram hd 2500 hemi towing tradesman
2017 Ram HD 2500 on the Super Ike Gauntlet

How will a 2017 Ram HD 2500 regular cab 2WD 6.4L HEMI V8 Tradesman truck do going up and down the Ike Gauntlet™, world’s toughest towing test? How about when it’s loaded near the maximum with a 11,900 lbs of trailer and 2,500 lbs of payload? We call these special “fully loaded” towing tests “Super Ike Gauntlet”. This is not meant to compare one truck directly against another. It’s not part of our annual Gold Hitch Awards. This is a truck competing against itself and against the mountain.

The route takes us up and down a 7% grade of I-70 from Dillon, Colorado and all the way to 11,158 feet above sea level and the Eisenhower/Johnson memorial tunnels. This is also the Continental Divide in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.

This is an extremely difficult test for any truck, and you will find out all the results right here.

You asked us to test more base trucks, and we are happy to oblige. This Tradesman retails for just over $36,000 with several optional features, such as the chrome package. Under the hood is a 6.4L HEMI V8 with a rating of 410 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque. The engine is backed up by a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Check out all of the antics in the video below.