I have seen a lot of these being used by Contractors in my area.
My company has switched from Ford to RAM, after getting hosed by Ford warranty.
Our shop truck is a 2008 RAM 4500 with 290K on it.
Great truck, low maint.

Any mention of a Ram 4500 with a regular sized bed like that of the F-450. That would be nice.

What is the payload on the small Dumper?

The Ford F450 pickup is just an up-rated F350- doesn't have the 19.5 wheels like the other 450/550 trucks have. To make a proper 4500 pick-up, Ram would have to come up with a special frame that has a shorter WB. The 3500 already offers a 14k GVW- How heavy a load do you want to put in a stamped steel bed? I think a better special project would be to offer the MegaCab on the Cab/Chassis models.
@RR- Well, the truck itself has a 19k (8.4t) GVW. Probably weighs around 10k (4.5t)- so 3.5 to 4ton, I would guess.

@Robert Ryan,
This looks like a light duty rigid.

In the US the actual model number by the manufacturer has little to do with it's capability, other than denote it's generally a larger vehicle, sometimes not.

The Ram looks nice with the little tipper body. Don't like the front end on the Rams. They look similar the Ssyangyong Actyon front ends in basic styling. This could have some thing to do with Daimler's involvement in the Dodge/Ram trucks. Daimler also has an interest in Ssyanyong. Odd that.

@Chase,
Our licencing and vehicle weight classes are related. 4.5 tonnes and under can be operated by a car licence. So any vehicle with a GVM over 4.5 tonnes requires a light rigid truck licence.

This is essentially equivalent to a small Izuzu, Canter, Hino, etc.

We generally have a FWD control or as you call them a cab over configuration. This allow for a larger bed.

Our engine sizes in this class range from 3 litre turbo diesels to over 7 litre turbo diesels, some even over 10 litres.

@Chase, leigh, awlone.
This wouldn't be on the Australian Governments website.

Try looking at State and Territory websites.

@Chase,
I checked out your information. It's spun.

Some 5500s do fit into our MDT classification, but most 4500s and 5500s are Light Rigid trucks here.

Sorry.

Oh, look at our Izuzu NPR range. Same situation some are Medium Duty, but most are Light Duty.

Now I suppose you will attempt to spin your way out of it.

Another thing. I have terminated our discussion as you will attempt to worm your way around.

G'day child.

@Chase,
Look at payload. This determines what a trucking company buys.

Really, child, learn about business and what requirement are needed.

The Ram 4500 and 5500 fits into our LDTs, not MDTs.

So you are a Ram fan?.

Don't look at payloads? You tell everyone you are a "trucker".

What a trucker, you must be HemiV8 who is consfused between payload and gross vehicle weight.

If Ram keeps winning Work Truck magazine's annual Truck of the Year award, I will consider the Ram 4500 when I am ready to purchase my next truck.

FAFO got owned!

@Chase,
Thanks 9,000lbs sounds somewhere at the top end of a Light Truck and a Light MDT.
Some of the Euro Cab chassis's are getting into this market but not as a Dumper, the Japanese own the light Dumper market here

@Robert Ryan,
The largest payload I saw for a 5500 was around 5500kg.

Most were in the 3.5-4.5 range. That is payload

Not a big truck.

Chase appears to be confused between gross weight and payload.

Maybe he considers a truck that weighs more loaded it must be better than a truck with the same load that weighs less.

And Aull1 tried to tell us he worked at Cummins. He don't know trucks.

So, he would consider a 4x4 crew cab pickup a better business vehicle for carrying a load in the bed, even though the load would be less than a single cab 2WD. I suppose it's each to their own.

I know if I had a business payload, FE and overall running costs would be my biggest concern. Not so for Chase.

I noticed on the Canadian site the tow limits wouldn't be accepted here, even with the same truck.

Canadian truck sites are good they give figures in both metric and Americano.

@Chase and @Big Al from Oz,
A funny perception about what is a light truck here, involved Dawn Frazer a 1950's Olympian for Australia.
She entered a Fuel Efficiency test for a RV Magazine. Driving her Longreach Motohome with her grandson as a passenger, she was going well until police pulled her over and discovered she did not have a Medium Rigid Licence for her 19,000lb GVWR, 27,000lb GCVWR Motorhome. Assuming as many Australians do it was a "Light Truck"
http://www.hinterlandmotorhomes.com.au/img/showcase-longreach.jpg?version=54f2388aba0ef
URL=http://s11.photobucket.com/user/RobRyan7/media/image.jpg1_zpshuk5pdrg.jpg.html][IMG]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a186/RobRyan7/image.jpg1_zpshuk5pdrg.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Correction Longreach interior
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a186/RobRyan7/image.jpg1_zpsvuofi7xq.jpg

Al - Actually, Chase was spot on. GVWR INCLUDES the weight of the payload. The variances in payload ratings are due to variances in how the base chassis is equipped within the GVW class. Thus why max payload ratings are always calculated using the lightest possible chassis variation in the class and the ratings go down from there as options are added that add weight to the chassis such as larger cabs, 4wd, or in many cases a bigger heavier diesel engine. In the US, payload is an irrelevant figure when buying a truck for a business as they are classified by GVW. Everything from taxes to registrations, to licensing is done using GVW, not payload here. That is why you will see the 350/3500 trucks eventually hit a point where they cannot add anymore payload or they will exceed the GVWR for their class and be unavailable for buyers with a regular drivers license. Once trucks exceed a certain GVW taxes change and drivers may require a different licesnse to operate them. That is one reason Ford is going with aluminum. MPG is one benefit, but the bigger one is being able to up payload while maintaining class GVW and towing. As a business owner would you rather buy a truck with a GVW that an employee with a normal drivers license can drive that fits your payload requirements or have to step up to a truck with a GVW that requires a special license to haul the same payload? Bear in mind drivers having the license to operate the higher GVW earn more pay per hour because of it.

I don't see where Chase said anywhere that a heavier chassis truck loaded is better than a lighter chassis with the same weight in payload. He is stating that the numbers on our trucks do in fact indicate their class ratings.

@DeverMike/Paul/Tom Lemon/Greg Baird/TRX4Tom/Dave/Hemi V8/Tom Terrific/sandman 4x4/lautenslager/zveria/Bob/US Truck Driver/Glenn/Jason/Hemi Rampage/smartest truck guy/Maxx/SuperDuty37/Ken/Ron/johnny doe/jim/ALL/Frank/Idahoe Joe/The Guy/AD/Casey/papa jim/Young Guy/BeeBe/Steve/Chris/The truck guy/Alex/Mr Chow/Yessir/All Americans/Scott/Buy American or say Bye to America/Ram Big Horn 1500/Hemi Monster/Tom Wilkinson at Chevy/mark49/Tom#3/Truck Crazy/carilloskis/Aull1/Chase or whoever you want to call yourself.

Quit the crap, really.

It's getting long in the tooth.

You want to debate, but it has to be on your terms.

Learn to debate with good information, then we might be able to have a decent debate.

Opinions are good, but if they are only your view to support the UAW, then how good are they. Look at what you guys have done to Detroit.

Terror tactics (union tactics) don't work on me.

If PUTC wants the UAW or whatever to control this site I suppose it's their decision.

It's not kids like I've been told by PUTC.

@Fit Al from Oz,
Thank you! At least someone here gets it. I am also glad that you are physically fit ;)

@KeithCT,
You are stating all Ram 4500s and 550s are MDTs in Australia?

Doubt it. Have another read. Some are.

Sort of like stating Holden utes can do around 180mph. This is also a bending of the truth.

One model of Holden does 180mph, not all.

Al - Chase said "just about all 550/5500s" would fall be an MR vehicle. He even said the 450/4500 would fall in the LR class as well. All of what he posted is true. You keep adding 450/4500 models into your MR arguement for whatever reason.

TBH IDGAF about what class those trucks are in Australia, Al. You stated the numbers have no relevance which is false. They do have relevance here in North America. You stated payload is a dtermining factor here in North America which is false. We don't use payload as a rating for anything as it is not an accurate representation of the actual capability of the truck. GVW is the combined max payload including the weight of the actual vehicle. You can have many payloads within a GVW class. Anything the end user adds to the base chassis delivered. For example, a dump body will have less payload than a box or flatbed version due to the weight of the dump body. Another example would be different payloads for utility bodies depending on materials used and configuration. The payload varies, but the GVW remains constant.

Relating it to pickups, every accessory added reduces payload over the delivered GVW. Add a grill guard, running boards, skid plates, bed cap, and so on and you reduce payload. The GVW is still the same.

@Big Al - vehicles followed the weight classes more closely up until the '70's. As panic set in from the Oil Embargo and emissions were becoming an issue we first started seeing GVW based emission standards. Prior to this 1/2 ton pickups were pretty much that, 1/2 ton pickups and easily fit into class 1 or where small trucks now sit. Class 1 vehicles had more stringent emission standards and CAFE first appeared. Car companies predictably started gaming the standards by upping the capacities of 1/2 tons. They moved closer to the capacities of traditional 3/4 ton trucks i.e. class 2.

The F150 did not appear until 1975. It was an F100 prior to that. Chevies were all C/K 10's until '72. Back then GMC trucks were the true " work grade" trucks and were already 1500's.

I'm not sure why all the fuss with what Chase said. He is correct.

@Chase, KeithCT .

The sound of silence is deafening.........................

chirp....................chirp.......................chirp