Maybe the confusion comes from...
The OP lists his location as Colorado. And he specified he wants to drive his rig MOSTLY IN THE MOUNTAINS.
My opinion is based on those parameters. And if I lived in Colorado and drove my F53 towing 3,000 Mostly in the mountains around there, I would not enjoy that set up. But nowhere did I advise that the rig wouldn't make it up the hills and down.
To me there is a big difference between Living in the southeast or midwest, and taking your rig up and down a mountain once in a while and then compared to living in the rockies and asking your rig to do it MOST OF THE TIME. And also a big difference between towing up mountains in the east or south or Midwest, than towing in the rockies. Now those a real mountains. Unlike many in the south, east, or upper midwest. But that is my opinion and I don't apologize if it varies from others. If you like your Gasser screaming at 4000 RPM's MOST of the time, good for you.
The OP has my opinion and he has yours. So I trust that he can make up his mind as to what he wants to do. And only he knows his circumstances.
