Boy... we lost a lot of objectivity here, didn't we?
That happens when you talk about 'murican trucks.
My final thoughts:
Dodge: Junk interior, junk truck, fair gas engines, great diesel, good transmissions that are very expensive to fix.
Chevy: Good ergonomics with cheap interior materials, good gas engines, great diesel, allison transmission is great.
Ford: Good ergonomics with excellent interior materials, great gas engines, great diesel (excluding 6.0L), and better than average transmissions.
This is after 20 years of owning multiple examples of all three, being in charge of (and daily driving) a fleet of 106 trucks from all three manufacturers (and being in charge of compiling their repair costs).
Fuel mileage aside, diesel ALWAYS put way more money back in your pockets than gas. Sure, diesels cost 60% more to buy and 20% more to maintain, but they also bring 300% more at resale when they have 300k on them. The only gas trucks that came close were 97-02 F150s with the 4.6L. They don't rust as much, the 4.6L with the two coils (instead of coil-on-plug) were so reliable they are boring. They're also a bit wimpy, but that means the 4R70W lasts forever.
My solution (which has a ton of data and research behind it... which means nothing when it comes to the emotional choice of an American truck) is this:
A) a pristine 99-ish F150 with the 4.6L. You can tow 7k with it easily, you just won't top the mountain at 70 mph. It will run forever and you'll only pay $5000 for it. Seriously. My buddy has one in Los Angeles with over 500k. I've had two; one with 180k and one with 230k... both were as reliable as taxes.
B) a nice 04-05 LB7 Duramax with the injectors already replaced. Many diesel guys avoid the LB7 because of its injector issues, but there was an extended warranty campaign during which many were replaced. Buy one with 150k that has new injectors for cheap, and drive it for another 150k. Then sell it for what you paid for it.
C) How about a really low-mileage 7.3L powerstroke? Super reliable. Not only do you get the same HP as a 4.6L, you have double the torque and almost double the MPG. I have had a few of those as daily drivers. I loved them.
D) Darn near any of the GMs will suit you. I think the Fords are a better choice, but if you're only doing 3k a year, GMs will suit. The things that disappoint me about the GMs are the low quality choices of upholstery (leather or cloth), the tendency for interior pieces to rattle and buzz, and the tendency for little nitpicky electrical issues to crop up. For instance, the onboard brake controller on dad's 08 Dmax dually is toast at 20k. The radio on our 04 Dmax always plays the 4th CD in the radio when you turn on the key; regardless of whether or not you selected it. You might be listening to the local classic rock station, turn the key off, fill up with fuel, and then David Allen Coe starts blasting when you get back in. Mom's 09 Cadillac likes to unexplainably begin to crush you against the steering wheel like Christine.
As a former GM tech, I get so disappointed when I see their small-gauge wiring, the cheap Korean relays that are barely adequate, cheap switches, etc.
My eyes were truly opened when I started managing general repair shops. Once you tear into the guts of a vehicle, all brand loyalty goes out the window. After 13 years of running 17 shops, and several years of fleet maintenance data to back it up, I feel pretty confident in what I would buy.