Drove a unique 4500 today.......
 

I am currently in Des Moines until the end of September. I found a Laramie 4500 at a local Dodge dealer and set up an appointment to test drive it today.

It is a maroon 2008 Laramie 4500 4x2. I was under the impression from the dealer website and emails with the salesperson that it is a C&C. Upon arriving, we soon discovered that indeed it is a C&C but that the dealer has added a $9000 Warner pickup bed. It is a snazzy looking truck but totally not what I am looking for. I am looking for a 4500 C&C that I can add a hauler bed to. With this pickup bed added to the C&C, the tops of the sides are sticking 61 inches in the air. My fifth wheel trailer would have to be taller than that upon hooking up. That would create an intolerable situation with the trailer being towed nose up quite a bit.

The MSRP was $51,000 and add to that the $9000 for the pickup bed. They were giving $15,000 off, but that still means $45,000 for nearly a three year old truck.

I emailed the sales person back and thanked her for allowing me to drive it and that I loved the truck and would they consider selling it to me without the pickup bed on it so that I could install a hauler bed of my choosing? I'd bet they won't.

I also stated that I thought this was the reason that the truck had not sold. It was too fancy for a business to purchase as a work truck. It was the wrong bed and set up wrong for a person to purchase as a fifth wheel hauler.

We shall see what she says.

Anyways, it rode great. It was not near as harsh as some have said on other sites. Being a 4x2, it did not have the mud tires so that may have had something to do with it. There was no wandering on the freeway. We loved the truck. I doubt we will be doing business with this dealer though.

Joe

Man, that's sharp. I agree with this bed being too high.

I agree 100%. I cant stand seeing trucks towing w/ their load not level...whatever it is. And I cant help but think that the axle flip on t.t. and 5ers is not exactly safe. Would it not create even more chance for a rollover or flip in a turn...not to mention dangerous in high winds???

My wife is originally from the central coast of Cali.(right down the street from Pismo dunes) Everytime we visit I see guys that have MASSIVE lifte trucks and Jacked Up t.t and 5ers. I just think it looks very unsafe.

Other than that, beautiful truck.

Originally Posted by Joezilla Red 450!!!
(That would create an intolerable situation with the trailer being towed nose up quite a bit.)

Sounds like an possible opportunity -- You still might need a low profile hitch. Reese has a low profile hi-load hitch that looks really good.

Boaterman,

The low profile hitch would not work with this bed, the sides are too high. However, on a hauler bed, a lo profile hitch would be the bomb.

Joe

Even with a $9,000 bed I think that's way too expensive. Plus, as you say, it's useless as a work truck.

so is the bed, deeper then a stock bed, looks like my 3500. Or is the springs that make it hi?

Here's a link to the Warner site if anyone's interested. I've never seen a pick-up bed on the 4500 but I like it.



http://www.warnerbodies.com/Pickup_Conversion.html

I heard back from the salesperson today and they do not want to remove the bed and sell the truck to me as a C&C only. They do not get it that the sides are too high to be used as a 5th wheel hauler. The sides as they sit are 58 inches from the ground. With my 5th wheel trailer leveled, the overhang is 57 inches from the ground. So you can see that this pickup bed has to go in order to be used as a 5th wheel hauler. Even if I raise the front of the fifth wheel to hookup, there would be no clearance room between the fiver and the pickup sides.

They just called and her boss wants to bring the truck over to see for himself. So tomorrow at 1:30 they will be here and see for themselves what I have been saying.

Joezilla

Joe,

Contact the guys at:

http://www.usautosales.com/

They will give a good price to barter with at the other dealers..

They will even arrange airfare if you do in fact buy the truck from them..

Do you need a truck prior to departing Iowa or can you shop in route to your new destination?

Here is an option for the bed to go on the C&C they are located in Kansas..

http://turnoverball.com/custom.asp

Hope this helps

I've checked the inventory at Dave Smith and they do not have a Laramie 4 door 4500 in stock. I'll just wait until we get back to Texas and check the stock of the local DFW dealers. Either that or I will then order a 2010 so that I can get the exact truck I want.

I do not really need a new truck now, but would like one soon.[laugh]

Joe

Well, the salesperson called about 1:00 to tell me they would not make their 1:30 appointment with me to bring the truck to the campground. They said they were going to fix the small imperfections in the bed first. I thought that since they were going to "fix" the bed, that really means they are not going to sell the truck to me. I doubt I will hear from them again.

Oh well, it just means that it is their loss. No one is EVER going to buy that truck. Unfortunately, it also means that I will have to continue to drive a Ford truck too.[verymad]

Joezilla

Hang in there Joe,

There's a new truck in your future..[coffee]

Have you done a search via the Dodge site to find one?

Colo_River_Ram,

It almost seems that I'm spending all my time doing internet searching for a truck on the Dodge site. My problem is that I'm finding that the Dodge site for each dealer's inventory is not always up to date. Case in point..... Boaterman sent me a link to a dealer's website in North Carolina that lists probably 15 4500's and 10 or so 5500's. NONE of them show up on the Dodge inventory site for that dealer. I'm wondering how many 4500's I'm not seeing that are really there?

Joezilla

Hey Bud.... I have the truck that you are looking for. Please call 1-336-248-5191 ...... Tell them that Jeremy Brown sent you :cool: ..... Inferno Red, Laramie, Quad Cab, with a sweet hauler bed already installed.... Let me know if you have any problems contacting them. They close at 6:30 PM today....