Dodge 4500/5500 a reality.
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From: Connecticut
That article stated that GM had 53% of the market share for this segment and Ford only had 40%. I swear for every GM 4500 I see on the road, I see ten F-450/550s.
Anyway, kudos to Dodge for finally entering this class. I believe they will sell enough of them to make the other two brands stand up and notice.
Anyway, kudos to Dodge for finally entering this class. I believe they will sell enough of them to make the other two brands stand up and notice.
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I will be gald when some of you get your truck companies started. What is the excact lenght of a "real" crew cab? Ford has many many frame combos and they are near bankrupcy.
Dodge has been in the medium duty bussiness for less than 24 hrs and many have condemed them for not making their dream truck.
With the channel frame, just go to a truck builder and have it stretched. They cab will be inpractical to change though.
The 26K number is to avoid the CDL requiment.
My are we spoiled with torque and HP numbers. If they use a 4.88:1 or a 5.13:1 or some such rear end this thing will be a pulling Mother. It has only been a few years ago that the over the road trucks had HP and torque numbers like these. That was pulling much more weight than these are designed to pull. The next cry will be for a 2.83:1 or a 3.14:1 rear end to help with mileage.
Bryan
Dodge has been in the medium duty bussiness for less than 24 hrs and many have condemed them for not making their dream truck.
With the channel frame, just go to a truck builder and have it stretched. They cab will be inpractical to change though.
The 26K number is to avoid the CDL requiment.
My are we spoiled with torque and HP numbers. If they use a 4.88:1 or a 5.13:1 or some such rear end this thing will be a pulling Mother. It has only been a few years ago that the over the road trucks had HP and torque numbers like these. That was pulling much more weight than these are designed to pull. The next cry will be for a 2.83:1 or a 3.14:1 rear end to help with mileage.
Bryan
I agree totally with your post. I think these trucks are gonna be great! I have run the 3500 c&c's quite a bit now and I think the 305hp engine has plenty of pep. I drug 26,000lbs with one the other day and it was awesome, better than anything Dodge has done to date. I swear, Dodge fans are the most whining complaining bucnh of guys I have ever heard. I was lookin over on TDR and they are complaining too. But thats how it always is everytime Dodge comes out with something new. Everbody moans and complains and then three months later goes out and buy one.
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From: West of Seattle
I swear, Dodge fans are the most whining complaining bucnh of guys I have ever heard. I was lookin over on TDR and they are complaining too. But thats how it always is everytime Dodge comes out with something new. Everbody moans and complains and then three months later goes out and buy one.
. But you should cruise over to this site. Predominantly Ford owner there. But you should read all the whining about Ford
. Then there is all the bashing of Dodge
, just like there is Ford bashing here. I’m new to this site, so I just sit and read all the Ford bashing, but agree with about 99 % of it! 
http://forums.thedieselstop.com/ubbthreads/
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From: Connecticut
I agree, Ford owners complain a lot too. They are just as juvenile about brand wars, too.
It stinks when you can't mention another brand in a positive light without getting the "Why are you even here" treatment.
It stinks when you can't mention another brand in a positive light without getting the "Why are you even here" treatment.
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From: Oklahoma
Whats up with building a 4500 and 5500 and giving it a gcwr the same as the 3500. Whats the point? Who cares if you need a special license if you don't want to get it then stick with the 3500. Do the ford 4500 and 5500 guys need a commercial license also?
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From: South Dakota
Its not the same. 45/5500 is 26000 and 3500 is 23000 I think? The big difference is the gvwr. 12,500? on 3500 and 19,500 on 5500.
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From: Connecticut
According to the DOT, you need a CDL to operate a "commercial" vehicle that is registered/rated for 26,001lbs or more.
If you are not operating a "commercial" vehicle, the regulation does not apply to you and you do not need a CDL. A CT DOT/State Police trooper even went so far as to tell me that any Joe Blow can drive a tractor-trailer that is registered "commercial" if while he is driving it he is not engaged in commerce of any kind (the example he gave me was some guy borrowing a tractor-trailer to move his twin daughters to college).
No commerce, no CDL required.
If you are not operating a "commercial" vehicle, the regulation does not apply to you and you do not need a CDL. A CT DOT/State Police trooper even went so far as to tell me that any Joe Blow can drive a tractor-trailer that is registered "commercial" if while he is driving it he is not engaged in commerce of any kind (the example he gave me was some guy borrowing a tractor-trailer to move his twin daughters to college).
No commerce, no CDL required.
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All the complaints about the GCWR of the Dodge 4500 & 5500 is pretty funny to me. If they need more, a larger truck would be better suited to it. There is the Freightliners and Sterling brands under DC. I really thought the 4500 & 5500 were going to be like light Freightliner M2s and if you needed more than the basic, light setup, you would get steered to a Freightliner dealer. I don't really know why so many people are stuck on a pickup form factor. Once you add a box body or attach a big rv, you have a lot of the body sticking up where on a medium duty more of it can be incorporated into the aerodynamics of the truck body.
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From: St. Louis Metro Area, MO
I just got back from the Chicago Auto Show - they had a couple of 4500s and 5500s there with different beds - the ones I remember were a stakebed and a rollback wrecker.
UNFORTUNATELY Dodge (as well as Ford and Chevy) decided that they didn't want anyone poking around the engines, so they disconnected the batteries and removed the hood release latches. I talked to a Dodge rep and he said (at least for Dodge) it was a liability issue. Kids (unsupervised of course) getting their hands slammed in hoods, stuff getting stolen off the engines, people trying to reconnect the disconnected batteries, etc.
I didn't take any pics of them 'cuz I was too upset about not being able to see the 6.7 actually in the engine bay. Sorry....
UNFORTUNATELY Dodge (as well as Ford and Chevy) decided that they didn't want anyone poking around the engines, so they disconnected the batteries and removed the hood release latches. I talked to a Dodge rep and he said (at least for Dodge) it was a liability issue. Kids (unsupervised of course) getting their hands slammed in hoods, stuff getting stolen off the engines, people trying to reconnect the disconnected batteries, etc.
I didn't take any pics of them 'cuz I was too upset about not being able to see the 6.7 actually in the engine bay. Sorry....
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From: Utah
The C&Cs they had the Utah Auto show did not have different beds on them. But the Dodge boys were proud of their 6.7. They popped their hood every chance they had. They stood over like a hawk. But still, I saw it. The engine bay looks just like the pics posted. =)
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From: West of Seattle
. My F-550 has been setting on a consignment lot for a week now.
When it comes to the truck market, I’ll bet Dodge just drove the last nail in Bill Ford’s coffin!
