can you register and drive it everywhere you wanna go without CDL, stopping at every weigh station, and all the encumbrances of it being assumed as commercial at that size?

im from the right coast, but caught wind in a thread a day or three ago about + 1ton stuff in cali being assumed as and treated as commercial regardelss of how its owned or used...

 

Here in washington the minimum weight you can register it at is 1.5 times the scale weight of the vehicle. Get a weigh slip from a certified scale, multiply by 1.5, and as long as that is less than 26k you are non-commercial. I have a friend with two deuce-and-a-halfs that are registered non-commercial, no problems.

 

I've "heard" adding a p/u box is a pita.... personally, I'd flatbed it...

 

I'm stuck on it looking like a regular pickup.

The C&C trucks have 2 issues when putting a bed on.

1. The framerails are straight. This works great for upfitting purposes, but requires a decent amount of fabbing to get bed mounts that line up right.

2. The wheelbases do not match the pickups. The SWB C&C will have a 3-4" gap between the cab and bed if you line the bed up with the axle.

That's the kind of info I'm looking for. I suppose I could scoot the rear axle forward to fix the WB issue.

I thought the cost was like $10k+ more than a 3500. For what you're doing, you're so far within the "comfort zone" of a 3500 I'd just go with that and save a ton of money.

MSRP on a 3500 DRW SLT is 46.5K, on a 5500 C&C SLT it's 50.8K. So it's an extra $4300 for the truck and then $2-3K for a bed. It might be up around $10K more by the time it's all said and done.

The 5500 is a WAY tougher truck than a DRW 3500. Bigger axles, brakes, suspension, 19.5 wheels, lower gearing etc.

 

The C&C trucks have 2 issues when putting a bed on.

1. The framerails are straight. This works great for upfitting purposes, but requires a decent amount of fabbing to get bed mounts that line up right.

2. The wheelbases do not match the pickups. The SWB C&C will have a 3-4" gap between the cab and bed if you line the bed up with the axle.

 

x2^^ and plus the truck will be heavier in stock form I believe. We have a Dodge 5500 Cab and Chassis and 3500 Dually

 

I thought the cost was like $10k+ more than a 3500. For what you're doing, you're so far within the "comfort zone" of a 3500 I'd just go with that and save a ton of money.

 

Check if you can get insurance with your normal carrier.. All my buddies who went over a 1 ton had to get commercial insurance. Both had businesses so it was no big deal.

 

I love mine, 4500 with alum alcoas, I also have a 07 3500 dually and theres no comparison when towing. With all my welding equipment on it it wieghs almost 14k and still pulls better than my 3500. Go through the fleet manager at the dealer, always cheaper, paid 42k for mine with the upgraded wheels.

 

Oh and also have you gotten a quote form Dave Smith Motors in Idaho??

 

Last summer Smith had a Laramie 5500 4x4 with a dodge bed extended for the gap. looked awesome and were asking 58k IIRC. also had a 100 gal tank in the bed. With the extended bed and tank, you still had almost a full 8' bed.

 

We have a 4500 at work, it really is "that much more truck" than a 3500, but it still rides great and drives well. Brakes are huge, transmission is bigger, wheels/tires are bigger and last longer. Fuel economy is about the same, but all our trucks have big ambulance boxes on the back and get around 10 MPG. I would get one over a regular pickup truck any day.

 

I saw that 310/600 vs 350/800. That's gotta be just tuning though. Can it be un-DEF'd?

 

Subscribing

 

Are the transmissions in the 4500/5500 bigger than the 3500? For both auto and manual?

 

The 3500 C&C and 4500/5500 autos are an Aisin, not the 68RFE. My understanding is that the aisin offers a PTO, where the 68RFE does not. The Aisin had a factory 180k mile warranty I've read as well.

The manual is the same.

 

you also could just put the bed on the C&C and find a nice aux fuel tank nor tool box to put in between the gap of the cab & bed.

 

In some magazine, I remember seeing a Ram 4500/5500 set up that way from the factory. "Long haul edition" or something to that effect.

EDIT: 2011 Ram Long-Hauler Concept http://youtu.be/-48eKO-s4GA

 

just stretch the bed like the BFT concept from a few years back

 

That Long Hauler is one big fucking truck...