Chevy 4500

[GAmedic1506]

We are about to order our second, and have had good luck with the first. We have 25,000 miles on the first set of brakes and still have lots of life left in them. No transmission problems. Any one else tried one ?

[emtb4life]

we found out if u didn't get air ride, your in trouble, even though our salesman talked us out of it and waited for these "special shock" and reducing the air in the rear tires. the medics don't appreciate getting thrown thru the ceiling every time u hit a pothole or anything else. even with these "special shocks" and reduction of air still a hard ride.

just for everyone warning :twisted:

[island emt]

You need to remember that these "TRUCKS" are designed with a 19,500 GVW so that contractors can have them mounted with dump bodies and such on them. They are much too stiff to be used for ambulance service. The same can be said for the international & freightliner chassis. does'nt matter if you have the air ride rear suspension added , they're still dump trucks. :evil: :evil:

[future medic 48_234]

what about the 2500 or 3500 series? If you want a heavier truck like the 4500 series for a squad, maybe you could add on a rescue service. Have an extra large squad and outside of the unit would have compartments to hold jaws and other stuff to take up the extra weight.

[Dale]

The GM C4500/5500 series chassis is gaining in popularity. It offers heavier duty components and handling versus the typical light duty pick up truck chassis normally used (i.e.- Ford F-350, GM C3500) with better engines, transmissions, brakes, and maneuverability. There are trade-offs on any kind of chassis one may select. I will not go into a detailed engineering comparison here (unless someone wants me to) but the GM C4500 chassis can be spec'ed to have as little as a 16,000# GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) which is comparable to the Ford F-450 chassis with the same size of tires and wheels (19.5").

The GM C4500 has a multitude of chassis options not available on the F-series chassis (nor even offered by International, Freightliner, Sterling) when it comes to a medium-duty chassis application. The C4500 can be ordered as a 2-door "cutaway" chassis design (like the Ford E-series chassis), a 2-door Cab/Chassis model (with a closed cab back), and a 4-door Cab/chassis model (also with a closed back.) The cab/chassis models are also available with factory-installed 4x4 for applications requiring it. And the GM chassis offers a multitude of wheelbase options to accommodate anything from a 10' long body for a small rescue truck, 12' ambulance body, 14' ambulance or rescue body, etc. There have been a good many of these rigs built by a couple of manufacturers on 4-dr. chassis for special uses like hospital neonatal and critical care units. Mecklenburg County EMS (MEDIC) based in Charlotte is converting their entire 40+ fleet of vehicles to a 4-dr. chassis. Their crews work 12-hour shifts and carry many ride-a-longs, students, etc. during those shifts. Comes in handy for a clean place to relax between calls, too!

Customers order this size of chassis when they want extra durability, longevity, and handling but it does come at a trade off when it comes to ride. They are built to be a "truck" but with certain factory-installed modifications for the specific "vocation", it can provide great service. Some unsuspecting folks are still "sold" a chassis that is a stripped down freight truck version by am ambulance vendor that may be trying to keep down the initial cost of the vehicle (units with this size of chassis do cost more initially.)

First, order 12 ply tires. They provide a much better ride without the stiffness of 14 or 16 ply tires. We don't need the bigger must be better mentality here. And keep the correct "loaded" air pressure in those tires. Don't decrease the air pressure thinking you will get a better ride- you only worsen handling and can cause premature wear and even failure of those tires!!!

Ensure that when you order the optional rear air ride suspension system (mandatory for the vehicle to be "KKK" compliant for cot loading height in most states),

you order the air ride with "dual" height control valves so each air bag can be independently adjusted based upon your final loaded weight of the finished vehicle once you have it in service. Folks tend to load one side of the rig more than others and this can create handling and premature suspension problems when crossing rough railroad tracks, potholes, etc. There are several available air rides for this particular chassis so order the one that provides you with the smoothest ride. And remember that you will have to "adjust" the height control valves once you get the vehicle loaded so the rear air bags maintain their proper inflation for each side. If you keep each air bag inflated to its maximum height, the vehicle will "bounce" and folks will develop the wrong image about the rig and complain.

Dual "ping" tanks can also be installed that provide additional air reservoirs for each rear air bag. When the bags are compressed (like when crossing a set of railroad tracks), the air is released from each bag into the "ping" tank, thus providing more available air for compression, thus softening the ride even more.

Okay, some of you ask why all of this is not made standard on any such vehicle they order. Simple- Price. Some folks don't understand that a chassis such as this (along with the International, Freightliner, etc.) are really spec'ed from the ground up from a basic set of minimum requirements To develop a chassis that has the ride, handling, and responsiveness needed for ambulance, some optional cost items must be added. Some vendors will attempt to keep the price down on such a chassis by not offering the customer these options or even informing them that they are available (usually a first time customer for this kind of chassis.) See if they can really "talk" truck chassis- most ambulance dealers can't and simply try to offer the "same" chassis to all customers no matter what the application (road trips, local responses, mountains, cold weather, payload, ride, etc.)

I can park two of the same brand of medium-duty chassis side by side in a parking lot and most folks can't tell the difference between the two externally. Yet, those same two chassis can have a $10-30,000 cost difference between due to the features and options installed on each truck to make it more applicable to the duties they are expected to perform. Everything from axle ratings, tires, engine, transmission, alternators, air ride, framerails, etc. will affect the final price.

I have heard many horror stories over the years by folks such as yourselves who either feel "taken" or distrustful after being "sold" a medium-duty truck that does not perform like they expected. Some ambulance manufacturers either "stock" or order a single chassis spec package and may push that onto their dealers to sell for all customer applications. that is usually what I find has occurred. Find a reputable dealer who has good support from the ambulance manufacturer when it comes to designing a chassis for your specific needs.

It all depends on your needs and how the chassis is spec'ed. Is it spec'ed for show (they all look alike so they must be alike mentality) or is it spec'ed for go (with user friendly options, responsiveness, superior handling, heavier duty components) needed for emergency service response?