Its been a few years, but our old truck, 3/4 ton GM with the 8.1 and Alison. Traded that in 2015 for a Chev Duramax. My first Diesel. I won't go back to gas. So much nicer when towing. Actually, nicer all the time. No issues with maintenance. Haven't had anything maintenance wise that would be different between a Diesel and Gas. The dealer I bought it from does free oil changes for life, so no cost there. I have to buy DEF, but that's pennies, maybe 5 gallons per 5K miles.
I thought the 8.1 was great, until I got a Diesel. I really appreciate the power, torque, and gas mileage. This was purchased as a daily driver for my wife and she loves driving it.