Truck shopping C4500-C5500 questions

[STLfirewood]

I'm shopping for a new work truck. I'm going to have to increase my work load and I need a newer truck. I'm looking at Chevy/Gmc 4500 and 5500 trucks. I want it to have a 12ft Landscaping bed with a dump. Do you guys know if there are any problem areas with these trucks. I'm going to try and be in the 05/06 year range. Please give me your opnions of these trucks.

Thanks Scott

 

[John464]

I have (3) 4500's an 05, an 06, an 07. I had injectors go in the 05. Common problem for 04-05 GMC/Chevy.They issued an extended warranty on the injectors for I think 6 years. There was a known problem and they stand right by it. Injector started leaking. Dealer picked truck up, replaced, was back the next day. They do charge $100 deductible for this on trucks out of the normal factory warranty.

The Durmax Diesels and Allison tranny. GMC/Chevy No better medium duty truck on the market IMO. I am planning on slowly coverting my fleet of all 8 trucks to all 4500's. Aside from the bucket truck.

 

[STLfirewood]

Do you think it is worth going to a 5500 ver the 4500. The max I plan on hauling is 4 cord of wood. That's on the truck and a trailer.

Scott

 

[John D]

Do you think it is worth going to a 5500 ver the 4500. The max I plan on hauling is 4 cord of wood. That's on the truck and a trailer.

Scott

5500 is over 18K GVWR,so Im told you will need to run a log book,where a the 17500 GVWR 4500 doesnt need to.Maybe im wrong,but my cousin went with a 4500 and this was why.

 

[John464]

Do you think it is worth going to a 5500 ver the 4500. The max I plan on hauling is 4 cord of wood. That's on the truck and a trailer.

Scott

Here's an example of my heaviest rig. Bed of length logs rounded over with rachet straps. Pulling a 12,000lb trailer loaded. Hauling a skid loader(6,000lbs) and Carlton SP7015(Im guessing around 4,000lbs) It has no problem at all.

4 cords of wood. No problem at all.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

4 cord will weigh 12-16,000 lbs dry. You sure you will still be legal with that? My F-450 is heavy with 1 1/2 cords. I'm talking full cords 4x4x8 stacked neatly. Besides 1 cord thrown in my 9' bed is pretty darn full. Just wondering.... Mike

OOPPS ... just read, truck AND TRAILER!!!! Shouldn't be a problem. I'd go with the 5500 if your gonna put 2 cords on the truck though.....

 

[abmitchell1020]

multi purpas truck

just wandering if any one has bought a truck from royal truck in pa.the reason i am asking.i am thinking very series about buying a truck thay will have at this weeks expo.it is a grapple- hook lift -chipper truck combo.

 

[STLfirewood]

4 cord will weigh 12-16,000 lbs dry. You sure you will still be legal with that? My F-450 is heavy with 1 1/2 cords. I'm talking full cords 4x4x8 stacked neatly. Besides 1 cord thrown in my 9' bed is pretty darn full. Just wondering.... Mike

OOPPS ... just read, truck AND TRAILER!!!! Shouldn't be a problem. I'd go with the 5500 if your gonna put 2 cords on the truck though.....

The bad thing is my wood trailer weighs 5k empty. Right now I pull it with a 1-ton Dodge diesel. I put 2 cord in the trailer and 2/3 of a cord in the bed. I have more volume in the truck but that's a lot of weight already. Sometimes I haul 2 2/3 cord in just the trailer. I don't stack anything everything is thrown in. I need more capacity and more truck. These trucks have come down a lot because of the economy. I need to be able to deliver 4 cord in a day. I'm tired of doing 2 2/3 and being don't for the day at noon. Thanks for all the input. I missed the truck I needed on e-bay the other day. I'm not quite ready to pull the trigger. They sold a 2007 4500 with 56 miles yes 56 for $27,600 with a 12ft landscaping dump. It had the diesel engine and everything. Exactly what I want.

Scott

 

[ASD]

just wandering if any one has bought a truck from royal truck in pa.the reason i am asking.i am thinking very series about buying a truck thay will have at this weeks expo.it is a grapple- hook lift -chipper truck combo.

What dose the truck weigh ???

Hook lifts are heavy and so are grapples the combo may not leave you much pay - load!!!!

 

[abmitchell1020]

ASD. the truck is 33000

 

[LAH]

The Chevy site says this concerning the C4500 GVWR & GCWR:

GVWR: 16,500-lbs. (standard on 2WD Regular Cab and Crew Cab, Motor Home and Commercial Cutaway models)
GVWR: 17,500-lbs. (standard on 4x4 models)
GVWR: 15,000-lbs. (optional on Regular Cab, Crew Cab and Commercial Cutaway models)
GVWR: 16,000-lbs. (optional on Commercial Cutaway and 2WD Regular Cab models) (1)
GVWR: 17,500-lbs. (optional on 2WD Regular Cab and Crew Cab models, Motor Home and Commercial Cutaway models)

GCWR: 26,000 lbs
GCWR: 30,000 lbs with available Allison 2350 Series transmission on 4x2 models.

In the real world (day in day out where trucks really live) I've found the one tons C30/F350 will haul 3 tons & the F450 will haul 4 tons. Add a trailer with 4 tons of payload and you will have all you want. And please I don't claim to know it all but I have made my living around trucks for 40 years.

I didn't check the specs on the 5500 but I would guess a 5-6 ton payload would be about right. I've drove and repaired class 7 trucks and 8 to 10 tons was all they wanted in the on/off road hauling we did.

 

[mini14]

Hino and dont consider anything else.u wont have to worry about injectors, egr cloging, allison tranny blowups, go on to chevy truck forums and read...i wont buy durajunk.Also think about fuel economy on that v8 diesel u will get better performace outa a straight 6, and better econ.

 

[MNClimber]

I have an 05 5500 4x4 with a 16yd wood/chip dump on it and I love it. No problems yet except the roof lights leaked so the dealer replaced them all. I get around 8mpg overall including all my idle time. I should add it has 5.13 gears in it. My truck empty weighs 13400lbs no engine or tranny problems so far on thiis one or my 03 1ton dually.

 

[mini14]

i drive by the chevy/gmc dealer every day and the same trucks are allways sitten in the repair lot....doesnt make me wonder why the big 3 are now the little bankrupt 3.

 

[John D]

i drive by the chevy/gmc dealer every day and the same trucks are allways sitten in the repair lot....doesnt make me wonder why the big 3 are now the little bankrupt 3.

Your kidding right? All truck break something eventually. As if Toyotas are any better? The problems they have with the current Tundra were worse than any ive seen for the big 3 in a long time.Between the tailgates breaking with a 500 lb ATV loading into them,thin weak frame,camshafts,transmission problems. GMC/Chevy builds good trucks,I guess ill have to tell my younger bro his 01 Chevy 1500 z71 is junk,since its only given him 240K trouble free miles,and still dont burn any oil in its original 5.3.

 

[mini14]

lets compare apples to apples, i am pro american too, i have 2 dodges and a gmc.....but 4 u to start talking about a tundra when were talking dump trucks,cumon. i would have loved to buy american, but i got the truck atta gmc dealership 9 years ago and even the salesmen said they wouldn't buy any truck on the lot except the hino..they are the largest truck co, in the world. yes some trucks breakdown and some breakdown allot more then others.Please go on the truck forums and do yer research, ive owned several diesel trucks over the years.even had a c60 for 5 years.all the trucks nowadays are under rated spec wise...u will also need bill of lading, its a d.o.t. thing if they want to bust balls.they want to know where from and where too.

 

[mini14]

http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/showthread.php?t=225546


From above link yeah used to drive and isuzu it was wore out junk at 170k then a hino with 421k I drove when the isuzu junk was in the shop all the time.


We drive four cylinder Isuzu tiltcabs at work. No offense to Japanese folks,but the owner's manual states that our automatic is a "Japmatic". This is on a 1990 model. We purchased Hinos two years later that have been excellent vehicles w/Allisons that shift like the day we purchased them. Currently most Hinos have 250-300,000 miles on them. They have held up much better than the Isuzus.

 

[Moss Man]

http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/showthread.php?t=225546


From above link yeah used to drive and isuzu it was wore out junk at 170k then a hino with 421k I drove when the isuzu junk was in the shop all the time.


We drive four cylinder Isuzu tiltcabs at work. No offense to Japanese folks,but the owner's manual states that our automatic is a "Japmatic". This is on a 1990 model. We purchased Hinos two years later that have been excellent vehicles w/Allisons that shift like the day we purchased them. Currently most Hinos have 250-300,000 miles on them. They have held up much better than the Isuzus.

Geez Louise, I know I live way the heck up in Maine, but I nevah seen a "Hino"?

Get something like this STL and save yourself some serious greenbacks. Just put good liability insurance on it and haul all you want.

 

[LAH]

Alright Moss Man, tell us about the Chevy.

 

[Moss Man]

Alright Moss Man, tell us about the Chevy.

I stole that image off google! I just am not a big fan of the new truck prices and the costs that go along with them. I have an old 87 GMC 3500 and did 60cords delivery with it with no issues and I'd just started thinking a bigger one like the C70 would be more efficient.

To each his own, I just wonder how many cords you need to sell to pay for a $30,000 truck? And don't get me wrong STL, I would LOVE to have a new truck! The last time I bought a brandy new one was in 1986!