c5500 vs c6500 chip truck

[arbor pro]

I need to buy a bigger chip truck. The rear axle of my f350 is WAY overloaded when the 9' chip box is full and with my 9000# vermeer 1800 chipper in tow.

I'm probably going to buy a used asplundh truck with a man cab on it so I can remove the man cab and make a platform for carrying my mini skid steer.

After looking at the manufacture specs of both the c5500 and c6500 chassis, I think that either truck's rear end suspension should handle the cargo weight plus the tongue weight of the chipper but I'm wondering if anyone on here has an opinion on either. It seems to me that a 6500 diesel would be better than a 5500 gasser but will a 5500 with a 7.4l vortec make an acceptable truck for pulling my 18" chipper around (only local work -very little long distance work) or do I need to go with a 6500 and consider diesel?

thanks for your opinions...

 

[coolbrze]

Don't know nothing about the 6500 but a buddy of mine runs a RWD C5500 and it's a pretty nice truck. His tops out at 60 mph, is SLOOOW off the start, and only has a 10' chip box, but the man cab and storage compartments more than make up for that. You can sure hold a lot of gear in that truck. We have an F450 & an F550 dump trucks and they're a PITA w/o storage compartments. We've had some weight in his truck and pulled his chipper w/ no problems whatsoever. Sorry I couldn't be more help.