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Maybe you regularly take your boat to the lake, or you have a trailer you plan on towing all the time. You want a pickup truck that can do that easily, right? You have a lot of options when choosing your next pickup truck, so how do you choose between all the trucks for towing that are out there? When you’re looking at which vehicle to buy for towing purposes, you’ll want to consider its Gross Combined Weight Rating, or GCWR. This is the rating that tells you how much your pickup can tow, including its own weight, passengers, everything you’ve packed in, and the weight of whatever it is you’re towing. If you’re looking for the pickup that can tow the most, these are your three best options.

A red 2021 Ford F-450 towing a boat down the highway.
2021 Ford F-450 | Ford

The 2021 Ford F-450 Super Duty can tow a ton – well, way more than a ton

According to MotorTrend, the 2021 Ford F-450 can tow more than any other pickup truck. To determine what each pickup is capable of towing, MotorTrend took the manufacturer listed tow rating, and assumed that you’re looking at a base model pickup with no added equipment. Anything extra adds weight, and therefore lowers the GCWR. MotorTrend also notes that each rating adheres to the SAE J2807 standard.

Based on this algorithm, the 2021 Ford F-450 comes out on top. You can get the F-450 Super Duty with the regular or crew cab. It has a 6.7-liter V8 engine that can do an astonishing 475-hp, and can tow up to 21,800 pounds with the standard hitch. The crew cab can tow u to 24,200 with the standard hitch. If you opt for a gooseneck hitch with the crew cab, those numbers become 34,600 for 2WD, and 32,600 for 4WD. Regular cab F-450s do even better; the 2WD can tow up to 37,000 pounds, while the 4WD can tow 36,400.

The 2021 Ram 3500 HD is one of the best trucks for towing

As you might imagine, it’s a big deal to car manufacturers which can tow the most. And while the Ford F-450 previously held that title, the 2021 Ram 3500 has swept in and upped their game by using a gooseneck hitch. With the gooseneck hitch, the 2021 Ram 3500 HD can tow 37,100 pounds. For those of you keeping score at home, that’s a full 100 pounds more than the 2021 Ford F-450. If you’ve ever had to leave the marshmallows at home because you just couldn’t fit one more thing, then this might win you over to the 2021 Ram 3500 HD. The 2021 Ram 3500 HD comes with a 6.4-liter V8 engine that makes 410-hp and 1,075 lb-ft of torque.

The 2021 Ford F-250 Super Duty is a 3/4 ton truck that can tow a lot

Even though the 2021 Ford F-250 can’t tow as much as the 2021 Ford F-450 or the 2021 Ram 3500 HD, it can still tow a lot. The Super Cab and crew cab models can tow up to 20,000 pounds. However, with a gooseneck hitch, the 2021 Ford F-250 Super Duty 2WD can tow 22,800, and the 4WD model can tow up to 21,800. The 2021 Ford F-250 has a 6.7-liter V8 that can do 385-hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. This is way more than most other pickup trucks its size, and makes it a great option if you need to tow a lot, but not quite 30,000+ pounds.

Any of these pickup trucks would be a great option for you if you’re looking for something that can tow a lot. And if you won’t need to tow quite so much, you have even more options. As long as your pickup can handle the job, which truck you buy really comes down to preference.

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