Chevrolet 4500 vs ford 450

The Wentzville Mo. plant builds the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans and the midsize Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups.


Chevrolet has partnered with Navistar to continue the production of the Chevy Cutaway and upping production rate of the vehicle.

We may see more Chevy Based RVs.

I think GM has frustrated the RV builders with their on-again-off-again interest in cutaway chassis. I've heard that the 4500 van cutaway is built on a line shared with the Colorado pickup, and demand for the Colorado has caused GM to make more pickups and less cutaways.

As a potential owner or buyer, I don't believe GM's spotty production record should keep anybody from owning one. It's still a GM vehicle with probably 90-pct-plus of the chassis, body, and cockpit parts shared with other GM truck and van products.

chiefneon wrote:
Howdy!

One problem I see is Chevrolet no longer makes the 4500. Last one was 2008 or 2009. ...
"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon

Not true in the van cutaways. Ours is a 2014.

I like my heavily modified Gillig chassis. Tough to beat an 855 N series PT Cummins engine. Zero electronics. I did switch to top-stop injectors sort of like the hydraulic valve lifter of Cummins Injectors. The unit does have a waaaaay heavy 50 MT Delco starter motor. A gear reduction Nippondenso weighs 1/4 as much. But the Fuller 10/5/13 trans and aux will take that bus places only a Unimog can match. Only have to run the overhead every 50K if that. Means valve and injector tweaks. Can't have everything. I'll be sending images of an all teak interior including marine head. The patio is 15x7 fully enclosed with floor but it is packed with silica gel and rodentcide. 237 lbs. 3 hours to erect the shelter. My how things morph when a person ages. Sad.

Had 2 E450 chassis, now have a Chev 4500, I don't believe you could give me another E450 ! The Ford rides and handles like a farm truck, cab ergonomics are something you don't want to expose anythe but crash dummies to.

The older 4500 that Chief is on about was based on the Kodiak chassis, a full blown mid-duty truck. The new ones are a beefed up Chevy Evpress van chassis.

chiefneon wrote:
Howdy!

One problem I see is Chevrolet no longer makes the 4500. Last one was 2008 or 2009. I had a 5500 MDT we used to tow or 5er. Was a great TV but started had little problems finding parts for it. So I traded it in on our now 4400 International.

"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon

The Chevrolet/GMC website says otherwise. ;) I don't know precisely when they restarted production, but it's been at least a couple years.

Komfort 23TS wrote:
What truck for a class c motor home? Chevrolet 4500 or ford 450? I lean towards the Chevrolet. Need advice. Thank you

I only have half ton Silverado so dont know about those big rigs,,but fwiw in these 9 years never had any serious issues with this truck..
If you Drive smartly truck will always last long time

Howdy!

One problem I see is Chevrolet no longer makes the 4500. Last one was 2008 or 2009. I had a 5500 MDT we used to tow or 5er. Was a great TV but started had little problems finding parts for it. So I traded it in on our now 4400 International.

"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
My God.
The price of those individual spark plug coil amplifier noodgies. I love -riding- in a V10 Ford van - the engine idles so smooth I can't even feel it. But I make myself scarce at the gas pump and I grin and shrug when one of those nightmare spark plug conspiracies goes seppuku.

Coil-on-plug units are not particularly troublesome, generally speaking. Many modern gas engines use them. They eliminate the plug wires, and their periodic replacement and other annoyances. I'm not quite sure what you mean about their price, either; aftermarket ones can be had for $5 apiece or so, and Ford OEM ones for under $40 with a very quick search online.

Dealing with the spark plugs on a Ford E series chassis is no walk in the park, I'll grant, since they're all but inaccessible. I suspect the Chevy engine installation might be a bit easier to deal with for that, though I haven't checked for myself.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
I love -riding- in a V10 Ford van - the engine idles so smooth I can't even feel it.

Hot rumor is the V10 is going out to pasture soon. New engine will be based on the existing 6.2L, but larger displacement and more power.

Not sure what transmission GM is using in that size vehicle, but the Ford 6R140 is used in everything up to the F750 so it is pretty strong.