Need tow vehicle advice

Since I have never had a diesel it's a little intimidating. But the more I read about them they are not as bad to work on as I thought, at least the Duramax motors. Just expensive on some of the major parts. I just don't want to get a diesel and start having problems because my truck has 141k miles and has not been any trouble. I know with anything used it's always a gamble because without detailed service records there is no way of knowing how good it was kept up. I know that a diesel all around would be better. My mileage now is 11 in town, 14 on the highway, and 8 towing my camper.

The only problem with the Ford is the CP4 fuel pump and they're still using it in their 2017+ models. Google it and you'll get an eyeful. It probably only blows on a small percentage of trucks when but it does it's a major problem. GM finally went to a different fuel pump on their new Dmax and hopefully it performs better going forward. Cummins is still using the older but more reliable CP3 unit. In terms of performance they all kick butt so you can't go wrong in that regard.

Seriously, depends how much you're looking or spend how New you want as to which trucks have what issues.
Diesels I'd consider to be reliable or not have fatal flaws (not just the engine but the whole package) are roughly in this order.
'14-up anything. ('15 -up Pstroke for the exhaust brake)
'11-up Dmax
02-07 Dmax
94-07 Cummins, stick shift only
99-03 7.3 Pstroke. Stick shift preferably.

First time this has ever come up...
Good question!

I did read somewhere that Ford started building the 6.7 in house because of how bad the 6.0 and 6.4 motors were. I would have a Ford with that motor but right now those trucks are priced more than I can afford right now.

" I know to stay away from the Fords. "
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Certainly get whichever brand you prefer, but the Ford 6.7 has been rock solid since 2011. Earlier Ford diesels certainly had more than their share of trouble. But they got the 6.7 L right.

I have done a lot of research and I have figured out that the maintenance and quality of fuel is the biggest thing with diesels. Correct me if I'm wrong. I have always ran Mobil 1 extended performance synthetic in my truck now and change the oil with the DIC reminder so the oil changes were on the expensive side for me anyway.

With pulling hills I learned real quick that I don't try to pass anybody on a hill. When I first started pulling I was going down the interstate and tried to pass a tractor trailer going up a hill and it didn't work too well. I also learned that I needed to gain speed on the downhill to be able to get up the other side without the truck gearing down and the motor screaming like it is about to come apart.

I have always been a Chevy guy so I was looking for a Duramax. I have researched the Dodge/Ram and have seen some good reliability out of them besides the weaker transmissions in the early 2000's. I know to stay away from the Fords.

Ditto on that. The main extra cost that I've seen is the larger volume of oil required for a diesel when you change the oil. Filters are also a bit more expensive. But this is hardly a major cost. I'm spending under $100 for synthetic oil and the fuel filters runs about $60. Oil filters are the same as a gasser. Other than that there have been no extra costs. I did change the air filter but that was 10 or 15 bucks. I have 84K on the truck.

That truck pulls my 34ft 5ver up the mountains out west like they aren't there. One word of advice, get a one ton not a 3/4 ton. When you look at the price difference vs the total price of one of these trucks the difference is tiny. The people who say: you don't want too much truck are just people who bought a 3/4 ton and are trying to justify their purchase to themselves. The trucks look the same, handle the same and burn the same amount of fuel. Why be limited by a 3/4 in the future if you want a bigger trailer? Remember that diesel will last a long long time if you treat it well.

You will LOVE IT!!!! I used to have an '04 Chevy 2500 HD with 6.0L. It was very reliable towing my 7600lbs TT. The primary issue was it as 2WD. The other issue was driving to Bristol TN and traversing the hills in eastern VA and Daniel Boone National Forest. There were many inclines where I had to listen to it rev at 4200RPM for long stretches as we climbed. It never failed, but man that was nerve racking :(

Now I have a '14 RAM with 6.7L CTD. What a dream towing in the mountains. Also, I've already upgraded to a 5er that's more than 2X heavier than than my TT and it just chugs up the hills.

As for maintenance, it's really not all that different. 3 gallons of oil versus 6 quarts. Yes it's more, but I do 1 oil change in the CTD for every 2.5 to 3 that I did in the Chevy. Rotella T6 5W40 synthetic is about $21/gallon and a filter is $12. All said an oil change is under $80. I always used Mobil-1 5W30 in the 6.0L and 6 quarts and a filter ran about $35. So basically 2 Chevy oil changes equal 1 in the CTD.

Yes fuel filters, at least on the newer RAM, are pricey. The truck has 2 of them and the cheapest I've found is a package deal for $100. They aren't difficult to replace and I have to do them about once per year.

DEF is certainly an additional cost. A 2.5 gallon jug of Peak Blue DEF is about $12 and will last a long time with regular driving. Towing a tank will last about 3,000 miles, maybe more I just haven't tracked it too close. Regardless it's not really a huge expense.

If you encounter problems with DPF, injectors, HPFP, or turbo it can be expensive to fix. However, I think for the most part problems in Ford, GM, and RAM trucks are pretty well known with years and models having more common issues are out there so you'll know what to avoid as you're shopping. Overall I think most of them are pretty reliable and do a fantastic job towing.

Consider the grand scheme of what you're going to spend on the truck, fuel, insurance, maintenance, and depreciation....add all that up and it's a lot of money, and the cost difference between diesel versus gas is a wash. Performance is not a wash, though - you can't beat a newer diesel in terms of towing performance. You can see the conclusion I reached in my sig, and I couldn't be happier.