Some people might not like what I am about to say,but here it goes......

A couple years ago when these trucks came out,they were the greatest thing going....alittle bigger than a 3500...more braking power...crew cab...companies doing nice conversions...$65-$75,000 list prices...dvd...air seats...hauler bed...leather trim.. etc..etc..etc... it was a great idea by GM to put these trucks out...but since then the market has not been good to them.....as of today....trade in values are very low.....they are not holding there value.....I have dealt with people who have traded their C4500 in with less than 10,000 miles & are taking $15,000/$20,000 hits.....This is true....NO BS.....to be very frank....the truck is nothing more than a over sized dually.....Your dealers are making alot of $$ on the consumer....but the consumer is not getting it back on the back end......It is true....

hav2ride already has my opinion of the C4500. Monroe sent me one last summer and I towed several trailers with it. The big test was to see how the Monroe bed would fit under horse trailers. The tailgate was around 58" for the 2 wheel drive which is lower than a 4 x 4 Ford F150 04 and newer. It fit under the 8 or 9 horse trailers fine with 8" or more bed rail room. My only negative experience was the ride was rougher than a GM 3500. Like all wide trucks, M2, International, Pete etc. they have a wide front end so the shoulder of dirt roads can be spooky.

But the C4500's frame is 80k psi about 3 times more than a 3500, more fuel tank options, more axle ration options, (2500/3500 only have the 3.73 axle with the Duramax). C4500 has 15" disc brakes all around, I think the 3500 is 12". Tip forward cab with swing out components, this also gives you great visibility. The C4500 can have factory air seat, air cab, and rear air suspension, the 3500 not.

C4500 will turn dramatically tighter than a 3500, I drove this one thru bank drive-ups, McDonalds drive-thru's, parked it at Walmart, drove it everywhere and used the air horn alot. The cab is gigantic since it is a full size van cab, this gives you a dog-house to get to the back of the engine, large windows, tall enough ceiling to almost stand up in. The rear seat is larger than Dodge Mega-cab and you can look out the rear picture window and see the gooseneck ball.

It's diesel power is rated lower than a Duramax in the 2500/3500 because as with most medium trucks it's designed to be loaded 90% of the time not 10%. But with the lower axles, you still have excellent towing ability. The C4500 comes with a factory standard exhaust brake. Now for tow ratings it's about equal to the 3500 because of CDL 26,000 GVW laws. It should be rated to tow 10,000#'s more than a 3500 and have argued with GM on that point. We might see that in 2008 (January) I could go on an on, but I suppose to be writing an article about the 2005-6-07-08 C4500/5500.

And that's my story and I'm stickin to it.

I may be the one you're referring to. I bought one last year and I LOVE it!

Anyone who thinks it's just an "overgrown" dually has never driven one very much. The handling and, most importantly, the BRAKING  is soooo far over that of a dually. Having the exhaust brake option I find myself hardly using the regular brakes. These trucks do ride a bit rougher than a pickup but HEY they're NOT pickups! I've driven mine in and around New Orleans where the roads are absolutely terrible and I've made 2 trips in it from NC to LA. Once with a trailer, once empty. Nope, not like a Sunday drive in Pa's lincoln but certainly not bad enough to be unhappy with the truck. I have very little experience pulling trailers in the mountains but took a trip up last month and actually enjoyed the drive. Being able to just let off the pedal and have instant "braking" is awesome. In the past pulling a trailer down grades has left me feeling a little out of control but with this truck there is no question. I can't describe the feeling of security you have when stepping up to a medium duty truck when pulling.

That said these trucks aren't without their issues. The best place to learn more about them is the chevy medium duty diesel forum - http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=34 however take what some of these guys say with a grain of salt. I think many of them are expecting too much out of these trucks. If you intend to work it every day then maybe you'd be better off spending quite a bit more to step up to a international or freightliner. I found some of their posts a little scary and spent the first month or two waiting for problems. I've put quite a few miles on her now (and it had 15K on it when I bought it) and have yet to be disappointed. My dealer has also been really good about fixing the small issues that I have had.

My rig weighs in at almost 19K completely empty. We run 26000 lb farm tags on it. There is some discussion (to which no one seems to have a clear answer) as to what type of tags/lic you need in order to be legal. In addition to my horse trailer we also pull a big flatbed farm trailer with tractors and other equipment. I'd be happy to talk in more detail via email if desired. tfarmer @ esn.net.

Here's a pic of my rig sitting on the scales. I know, the trailer's tiny compared to what a lot of you guys pull. I shudder now whenever I see a really big trailer hooked to a Dually! Did I mention that I LOVE my truck? LOL!

Just like in a Ford F450/550, the C4500/5500 only one diesel option. And that is the comparison. C4500 is a class 4 truck just like a Ford F450. So it's not a fair comparison to put these 1 1/2 ton trucks in the class with Freightliner M2, Ford 650, Pete 330 and International 4300/4700 all class 6 trucks and above. These semi-truck manufactures take their over the road trucks, lower the classification on the springs and offer hydraulic brakes and make them hauler trucks. This is where the momentum is growing, folks are getting larger trailers, so all the truck manufactures are looking to sell there. Also be aware of what the excise tax (12% like an over the road tax) is. The IRS raised the weight limit and clarrified that last year.

I know the C4500 is a tall truck, so we tend to compare it with semi-trucks. Compare it to F450's and the new HD 3500 C&C Dodge coming this fall. Ford owned this market for so long with GM coming late and Dodge coming later. I dream of M2's too. And if I towed heavy trailers all the time, I'm sure I'd have one. I'm thinking of getting a 3/4 ton now and might even get a gas engine as much as I love diesels. But it's an ecomonic decision not emotional. Yeah right.

Mr Truck....you may take my M2 for a test drive if you are ever in my area.

They finally came out with the Steer Safe for the M2 so no more of that abrupt grab the shoulder and go. I had it on my 02 FL 60 Sportchassis and could not believe it could take so long to become available for the M2. It is the greatest gadget since the microwave. Now we just float across the bumps and potholes. I recommend the Steer Safe for any medium duty hauler or motorhome. I think it was about $695 installed.

MR TRUCK......WHY HAVE YOU NOT DONE A REVIEW ON THE HOTTEST & FASTEST SELLING HAULER TRUCK ON THE MARKET YET???***** M2 SPORT CHASSIS ******  I KNOW THE BOYS OUT THERE IN CLINTON,OK WOULD WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS...JUST WONDERING.....

Guys, what are you talking about. I'm a moderator here and have read the posts several times on this thread looking for what you are talking about and don't see it. I don't know why the witch hunt for dealers. Did you buy your truck and trailer directly from the manufacture? Did you buy your horse from it's mother? In this thread I don't see a vilian. I know a few hundred truck and horse trailer dealers and the majority of the ones in the business for a while are a wealth of  trailer information. They deal daily with the issues we talk about here. Of course you have to be wise when buying and negotating, no different then following along in the Bible so your preacher doesn't sneek in his slant on things Sunday morning.

I do appreciate dealers that identify themselves when posting. But I also want their imput on questions. We don't have folks here pass a test before they give advice. So as on any forum, advice needs filtered by your own common since and research. I don't have time to be in every post and don't know how anyone could spend all day every day. If you want to debate this in private, send me a PM.

Thanks for sharing your story Tx. Vaquero. Folks with direct experience with the topic are what folks are looking for with their questions and with the size of this forum, we should have experience with just about every trailer/truck question. 

That's the post that got my attention and why I posted. I wanted a more fair view of what the C4500 was and why in a latter post I say it's not a fair comparison putting class 4 trucks against class 6 trucks. I think hav2ride was also in other posts asking about M2's trying to decide between the two. So the two trucks do get talked about together often. We're not consumer reports here. My trailer reviews do show the unique points of those trailers. I report what most folks don't get the chance to see as the trailers are being built. With trucks you can compare 5 truck brands and pick a winner. How do you accurately compare 150 trailer brands? We do the best we can. I write for magazines also and show me the truck review in any of the major truck magazines from any writer that is harsh on the truck manufacture. We are civilized. Large forums on the other hand can have a vocal small group that likes to bash dealers and manufactures. We haven't been strict on enforcing kindness here like most large forums end up doing. I've learned in my life that being negative never works. Something I learned from Zig Zigglar. Doesn't work with kids, spouses, bankers, horses.

HWB I am glad you read my last three reviews. You can read them all and the truck and accessory reviews at http://www.towingreview.com/ . In my Hart review last month at the beginning I asked for comments about what folks wanted to see in the reviews. I didn't get any suggestions from your there. It's not an easy task. But we try.

No, TxV....I am giving an HONEST account of my experience of medium truck shopping from a middle age female's perspective. I am simply sharing MY rationale for MY choice. It is a proven fact that most women want alot of creature comforts that most men consider unnecessary. More women haul the kids to shows and trailrides than men. I am sure alot of women reading this thread can relate to that. Women also are bigger on preventive maintenance and prefer  to haul their horses down the road without having to worry about potenial breakdowns and not getting the tool kit out. I am not trying to turn this into women vs men. But, some of you guys are intend in trying to overpower others opinions. I answered this post because more women ARE going to the larger trucks for pulling their LQ trailers and I thought they would be interested in how I arrived at MY choice.  

Diesel sites and FROM G.M. Read the G.M ads.They state its  rated as a LIGHT duty.So is the 6.0.That why the optinal engine in a 650 series Fords is a B series Cummin.Both of those I believe  is a 250k overhaul and the B series is 350.They can and will go longer in pickups as they are  not in  a continous run at max rpm application.Now that 4500 with a CAT and a REAL Allison would be worth looking at.

As I said in my original post in this thread, GM rates the Duramax lower horsepower and torque in the C4500/5500 vrs. HD 2500/3500. This was common on 2 ton trucks in the past and you will see this with a gas engine in a 1/2 ton verses the same gas engine in a 3/4 ton. The reason given by GM management as well as a common practice in the past was because the larger class 4 and above cab & chassis trucks where designed to be loaded or towing 90% of the time verces 10% of the time for a pickup truck. Detuning the engine was to increase life.

Ford and GM rates their diesels in class 2 and 3 trucks at 250,000 miles life expectency and Dodge rates their diesels in class 2 and 3 trucks at 300,000 miles. As is a published press release from the manufactures. The real question with modern diesel trucks isn't how long will the engine last but how long will the transmission last. Allisons have an edge there. Cat is pushing their auto tranny in RV's this year. We'll see how well the new 6 speed auto from Dodge does this fall.