Tesla may have saved weight and money with the frame, but it’s not as strong as an old RAM 2500 van
March 13, 2025 at 3:00 p.m.

–>
- During the towing stress stress test, the Cybertruck frame endeavored to clean.
- The same test was carried out on an old ram, and it resisted even more pressure.
- Tesla has built the light aluminum cybertruck soup cybertruck to reduce weight.
Last year, Youtuber Whistlindiesel made the headlines after having broken the frame of its Tesla Cybertruck during one of its sad sustainability tests. Quick advance until today, and another youtuber, also owner of Cybertruck, has decided to take him to see if Tesla’s electric truck is really as solid as he claims.
Unlike traditional vans based on solid steel frames, cybertruck is built with cast aluminum. Tesla has received numerous praise for the pioneer of the use of Gigacasting technology in the automotive industry, but the choice to use a cast aluminum frame begins to raise certain concerns with each new test.
Plus: Eagle Cap Camper Snaps RAM 3500 DULLY in two, MOPAR refuses a repair bill of $ 17,000
According to Tesla, the Cybertruck has a maximum towing capacity of 11,000 pounds (4,990 kg). To test how strong the frame is, youtuber Jerryrigevery Attached a crane scale to measure the amount of force to which the team was subjected. The force came from a massive excavator growing on the team.
Towing capacity vs language weight
Something that we must emphasize (word game) here is that this test measures the weight of the language, not the towing capacity. The weight of the language refers to down strength Executed by the trailer on the hitch, while the towing tests assess the weight of the vehicle which can pull in a horizontal direction. These are distinct constraint tests, so the comparison of the two can be misleading. As numerous manufacturers point out, for ball -mounted splints, the weight of the tongue is generally 10 to 15% of the total weight of the loaded trailer.

Back in the test, after a sustained pressure, the team started to crack and, at just over 10,000 pounds (4,536 kg), it has completely broken. As if that was not enough, aluminum has no fatigue limit, which means that it gradually becomes lower each time it is stressed. Steel, however, does not have this problem. This means that, at least in theory, cybertrucks are constantly by towing heavy loads could potentially see their frames weaken over time – ideally ideal for a vehicle marketed as hard and durable.
Watch: Whistlin Diesel Snip
Of course, as mentioned above, the weight of this test was applied downwards, while most of the towing force would be applied to the outside. This means that the cybertruck should not have major problems if it maintains its trailer load under capacity.
However, as JerryrigeVery points out, striking a large puff-in-a-piece in, let’s say, 80 mph (129 km / h) with a load of 11,000 LB could generate enough force to damage Cybertruk’s frame.
For comparison, the team also tested an old RAM 2500, which survived a weight load of 10,500 lb (4,763 kg) without a hiccup. So yes, Tesla could have a little work to do when it comes to cybertruck a real workhorse.