D Team Brothers
Expert Expediter
Anyone out there have any experience with the GMC W4500 crew cab? GVW averages 16000 and can easily carry a 16 foot box with liftgate. Would possibly make a great HD B unit with a small sleeper area.
Crew Cab GMC W4500
- Thread starter D Team Brothers
- Start date
I've thought many times a 17' Aerocell body on a 4500 chassis would be a great unit although not dock high and requiring logs which are both negatives.
Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
I looked at two W GMCs with sleepers one was a crew cab. One in Canada at and the other in Indy. I thought that this is cool but I could not find who made the sleepers. The one in Canada I drove and it was just like driving an Isuzu (DUH! of course) which has one thing that I really can't stand - no room for me to tuck my left foot under the seat. The one in Indy was sold when I arrived, found it in truck paper. One sleeper was a coffin sleeper and one had a stand up 60 or so inch space. You crawled (not like an FL70 with that hole) because of the engine hump through the center of the cab.
I saw a Tri State (I think) W5500 in Monroe a while ago with the sleeper in the box. The only thing was that you had to get out of the cab.
I would think that over 10K, you need a legal sleeper.
I saw a Tri State (I think) W5500 in Monroe a while ago with the sleeper in the box. The only thing was that you had to get out of the cab.
I would think that over 10K, you need a legal sleeper.
Jefferson3000
Expert Expediter
Hmmm....W4500. Isn't that the cabover? I've been seeing a bunch of those crew cabs lately. I'm sure that those are NOT dock high, as I believe that they have 16" wheels. Now as far as the 4500 Kodiak, I believe that it IS dock high.
BTW, there is a small freight forwarder in my town that runs a couple of Mitsubishi cabovers w/ a 15 ft box that are dock high, from what I can tell. Looks like they jacked up the back of the truck, probably with a extra leaf spring thrown on.
Drive Safe!
Jeff
BTW, there is a small freight forwarder in my town that runs a couple of Mitsubishi cabovers w/ a 15 ft box that are dock high, from what I can tell. Looks like they jacked up the back of the truck, probably with a extra leaf spring thrown on.
Drive Safe!
Jeff
Hi,
The W-series Crew Cab ( GMC-Isuzu-Chevy) come in 2 sizes... a 4500 @14,500GVWR and a 5500 @17,950 GVWR..both can support a 16' Dry freight box....(max)
The 4500 (Isuzu badge NPR-HD) will have 16" rims
The 5500 ( Isuzu badge NQR) will have 19.5" rims..
Both trucks have a I-4 turbocharged (5.1L) diesel
None of these units will be true "dock-height trucks...you need 22.5" wheels to accomplish that ...
Frank In Pa.
"The Beast in the East"
The W-series Crew Cab ( GMC-Isuzu-Chevy) come in 2 sizes... a 4500 @14,500GVWR and a 5500 @17,950 GVWR..both can support a 16' Dry freight box....(max)
The 4500 (Isuzu badge NPR-HD) will have 16" rims
The 5500 ( Isuzu badge NQR) will have 19.5" rims..
Both trucks have a I-4 turbocharged (5.1L) diesel
None of these units will be true "dock-height trucks...you need 22.5" wheels to accomplish that ...
Frank In Pa.
"The Beast in the East"
My former truck was a 1997 Ram 3500 cab/chassis with a 12' Supreme box. It had 16" tires. When I bought the truck used it was 43" from ground to floor of box. I took it to Lonnie's Truck & Trailer in Indy and they raised the box 5" by adding a few pieces of steel between the chassis and the box and reapplied the U-Bolts. They also had to extend the fuel fill line. It was level to 99% of the docks I backed up to. The box was too short to drive a fork truck on (which was a plus) so I carried a pallet jack. It was a great setup especially when doing some of the UAW plants that required a dock-high truck for everything i.e Visteon-Indpls, Ford-Claycomo, Visteon-Sterling Heights ugggh : (
I recently purchased a used Penske GMC Savana with a 10,000 GVWR. The old Dodge was starting to nickel and dime me w/529,000 miles and I was tired of messing with the logs. I have not pursued making the new truck dock high as it would be more of a project since the van body and box are connected. So far I have not noticed a decrease in the number of runs offered (non dock-high vs. dock-high) although it was more convenient loading and unloading directly at the dock even though it was with a pallet jack.
I am sure you could make a GMC 4500 or 5500 dock-high without much of a problem.
I recently purchased a used Penske GMC Savana with a 10,000 GVWR. The old Dodge was starting to nickel and dime me w/529,000 miles and I was tired of messing with the logs. I have not pursued making the new truck dock high as it would be more of a project since the van body and box are connected. So far I have not noticed a decrease in the number of runs offered (non dock-high vs. dock-high) although it was more convenient loading and unloading directly at the dock even though it was with a pallet jack.
I am sure you could make a GMC 4500 or 5500 dock-high without much of a problem.
greg334
Veteran Expediter
I have to tell you that after driving the GMC 7500 for my road test, I like it a lot. I would order either a 6500 or 7500 to make it dock high.
It was like driving my van with a little more nose on the front and a box on the back. Comfort was a little less than I would order, being a rental it has minmal creature comforts. I would order it with air suspension and better seats with either an autoshift or automatic.
As for a W series, I saw an expediter version last night when I went to Wal-Mart. he was pulling out on the far end of the lot. I didn't catch the company name but he had a sleeper on the truck.
It was like driving my van with a little more nose on the front and a box on the back. Comfort was a little less than I would order, being a rental it has minmal creature comforts. I would order it with air suspension and better seats with either an autoshift or automatic.
As for a W series, I saw an expediter version last night when I went to Wal-Mart. he was pulling out on the far end of the lot. I didn't catch the company name but he had a sleeper on the truck.