Thank-you!
I empathize with the poster and hope he can find a good solution. I do not think it's hopeless at ALL, though I sense he feels that way.
I hesitated to mention, but 5 years ago I bought a very nice 2003* Ram 3500 dually Laramie (leather/wood interior-very comfy) w/ some engine blow-by (oil smoke from breather vent) at a very attractive price, with a 6spd manual transmission (that I was looking for). Other than the blow-by, the truck was sweet with around 100k miles. The previous owner kept it garaged, and hauled his show horses around in it using a gooseneck trailer (B+W frame mount installed). I'm NOT a bells-and-whistles kinda' guy, but this truck had them (so far so good on them except for one power window switch).
I spent about $10,000 having a remanufactured engine (turned out it had only one broken piston ring), overhauled transmission (didn't need it, but it was out, so what the heck?), clutch kit, all belts/hoses/water pump/high capacity lift pump and pre-filters, fan clutch, and many things that now escape me. I also have installed new driveline U-Joints and a center carrier bearing (recently).
I installed Stable Loads, and Firestone air bags for T/C use.
I ended up with a super nice truck with basically a new engine and drive train for less than $20k, and it's been absolutely trouble-free (except for the $60 window switch that was intermittent when I bought the truck) for 5 years now-not even wiper blades. (I DID have some driveline shudder recently and did the U--joints and center bearing as largely a precaution, but I did that myself)
I use it for trailers, 5th wheel, and my T/C (just replaced my heavy 11'6" Lance I bought 4 years ago used ONCE (P/O's wife hated it-still had original carpet plastic and genset w/ 4.9hrs on the clock) I paid $6500 for (I admit it was the deal of the century) w/ a lighter weight 9.5ft one-owner Big Foot in mint shape I bought for $9000 so I can tow trailers and my Jeep behind w/ the T/C in place) more easily. I MADE money on the Lance when I sold it, BTW, which off-set the cost of the BigFoot.
I am not boasting, or suggesting that this is what anyone else would actually WANT to do (I know, even my wife calls me CHEAP), but just saying that there are other solutions to buying a new $60k truck and a $40k camper.
My truck would now have a realistic $16k re-sale due to the new mechanicals (not that I would sell it, period, given the low mileage running gear), and my T/C would probably return the full $9k I spent on it, and when I subtract the profit I made on the Lance, I am almost break-even for 5 years of use (not counting tire wear and fuel).
There are many ways to skin a cat, and I am perfectly happy to have older things if they are in like-new condition, because even buying new, one soon is the owner of used things.
I'd hate to see anyone quit this pastime feeling there was, "no way out," and hope that a combination of things will allow Freedom 49 and his wife to continue to enjoy truck camping.
Bob
*I specifically wanted a 2003-2004.5 24v CRD diesel because of ALL the engines out there, they have the lowest specific fuel consumption (pounds of fuel consumed per horsepower produced by the engine) and with no Cat Converter, EGR, or other add-ons, tend to be quite reliable. I get 15-16mpg hauling my 5th wheel, and on a recent 2600mi TX-WA trip averaged 19mpg towing a small travel trailer behind my Big Foot T/C. Again, your mileage may vary (and I drive VERY conservatively, and never exceed 60mpg), as most people would go nuts cruising at a constant 58mph (the best mph for my combination). I get used to watching folks blast by me, cuz I pass them again while they are stopped buying fuel, anyways.