Topkick 6500 Towing Capacity
by Erik ArvidsonThe GMC Topkick C6500 was a medium-duty truck jointly developed by General Motors Corporation and Monroe Truck Equipment, built for a variety of commercial uses. The Topkick and the Chevrolet Kodiak constituted the medium-duty truck business for GMC until 2009, when GMC discontinued the trucks.
Hauling and Towing
The 2006 GMC Topkick, which had a curb weight of 11,300 pounds, was about 3,000 pounds heavier than the heavy-duty trucks from Ford or Dodge. The Topkick had a total payload of about 5,000 pounds, and a towing capacity of 14,300 pounds.
Function
The GMC Topkick was designed for heavy-duty commercial work such as cargo and dump trucks do. It came with a powerful 300-hp, 6.6-liter turbodiesel engine, and 520 pound-feet of torque at 1,600 rpm. That engine power came with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-rated fuel economy of just eight to nine mpg.
Discontinued
In June 2009 during its historical economic difficulties, General Motors announced that it had been unable to find a buyer for its medium duty truck business, and so it was discontinuing production of both the Topkick and the Chevrolet Kodiak. General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson said that the company struggled to sell medium-duty trucks because of their lack of options as compared to their competitors.
References
Writer Bio
Erik Arvidson has 12 years of professional writing experience, including six years as a senior reporter at the Massachusetts Statehouse for several suburban dailies, and most recently as PR Manager of a telecommunications company near Boston. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English/communications from North Adams State College.
