Drive the 3 brands and pick the one you like or you’ll second guess forever. If you tow 2 – 4 times per year for less than 2 hours, get the gas. But with the gas you’ll run in 5th on the flat, 4th uphill and 6th downhill. I did it for years with an underpowered F-150, and we’re just ecstatic over the towing power of the Ford 6.7 with our 9400 lb. fifth wheel. One of the best things about a new truck IMO is the 6 speed transmission (compared to the 4 speeds of years ago). The top two overdrive gears are close in ratio, so a downshift doesn’t result in screaming engine. You’ll still get a 6 speed with a new gas engine but you’ll spend more time in lower gears to multiply the torque back to the wheels. The problems that you read on the web are the very few minority. Knock on wood we have had zero problems with our 2012 F-350 CCSB SRW in 34000 mi. Also, the OP is wise to be looking at 350/3500 size trucks—250/2500 trucks run out of pin weight capacity long before towing capacity.
