You want to be really careful if you will be towing a fifth wheel at some point to have plenty of cargo rating. If you will stay with travel trailers, then a 2500 should offer plenty of cargo rating, and still carry a maximum of 1,400 pounds hitch weight.
Yet even the smaller 30' fifth wheels can exceed 3000 pin weight when fully loaded. So if any plans include a fifth wheel in the next 6-10 years, I would go for the extra $900 and get the SRW 3500 truck.
I have heard that a 3500 SRW Dodge is less expensive than the 2500 set up for towing. This is because the diesel is standard on the DRW 3500, and the SRW 3500 is a deduct option to remove the two extra wheels, and fenders, so it became less expensive MSRP than the 2500 diesel all optioned up (that came with gas engine standard, and a expensive diesel option).
You can not beat any of the big trucks put out this year. My sister just traded in her F-150 Ecoboost for a new 2016 diesel F-350 dually. She was impressed with the power of the EB, but now is REALLY impressed with the power of the 6.7L diesel.
Before she had a Expedition that was traded in for a 1500 GMC crewcab, and was not impressed with it's ability to overheat on a short run into the mountains east of Phoenix towing her boat. The F-150 did much better towing the 8,000 pounds. But the F-350 dually is much better than both of those!
Yes the news is out on the 2017 F-350's with aluminum body. That should be about 700 pounds lighter than the current 2016. No word yet on how many months one will need to wait to get the 2017's though. They normally come out with the next model year in June or July, but nothing it out yet on the delivery dates.
With the 2014 / 2015 F-150's Ford had two factories to convert. They did the first one in August, and Kansas City I think in October. So KC plant could still produce the 2014 F-150 late into 2014, producing around 5,000 trucks a week in either plant. With the F-250 through F-550 plant, they have to convert it all at once. Hopefully sooner than later!
Good luck,
Fred.
