You guys are truely unbelievable. It's amazing that this is a truck board in a technical forum and all you guys want to do is take cheap jabs.
It's comforting to know that all you guys are concerned with my finances. I have a full time job and I run my own business.....I'm not going to have a problem with paying for it. Jesus christ, you guys....
To be honest, I hate the Dodge truck. I've wanted a Ford for a long time and I still do. The 6.0 has a ridicoulous rash of problems and I'm not willing to spend this kind of coin on a truck that will be constantly at the dealer. I think the Ford looks far better. The interior on the new Dodge is really cheap looking in my opinion. I tried to not let that bother me when I went to drive it. It's a truck. It doesn't have to be fancy inside and it IS comfortable and that is what I figured I should base my purchase on.
I have been reading on TDR and have heard of few problems relating to these trucks. A few guys with major issues but nobody complained of the nickel and diming that the 6.0 PSD seems to have.
I drove a Cummins truck and I was somewhat disappointed with what seems to be a narrow powerband, but it had 4.10 gears, so I'm opting for the 3.73s.
It sucks that the only option in a straight axle truck is the Dodge. It doesn't have a CAD anymore so I don't have to worry about that I guess.
Onward to the Chevy, I wouldn't own that if it was the only truck on the road just because I want a solid axle so I don't have to deal with all those moving parts.
It's not about the Dodge guys, it's about the Cummins.
As to the 12v idea, it's out of the question. There are enough problems with NV 4500s in Cummins trucks, and besides, I'm not buying this truck to pull sleds, I'm buying this truck to pull my trailer. I'm not going to BOMB the **** out of a brand new truck and fry the clutch 3 times a year just to pull the sled.
All the better, the I6 sounds better anyway.
RJFGuitar,
When I'd said that, I'd never drove an 02 or newer Dodge with a Diesel. The 96-02s like yours are absolutely horrible trucks. They're cool looking on the outside and that's about where my interest ends with those rigs. I drove a 99 CTD/5 speed truck and compared to the 04 that I drove it was an absolute night and day difference. After driving that 99 I can definitely understand why I had said I wouldn't drive a Dodge if it was the only truck on the road. Daimler has done quite a bit to improve the trucks.
Joez warned me about that, but it wasn't clear until I drove the truck, then it was obvious. The new Dodges have come a long way.
Sorry to disapoint you but the new gens aren't that better than the '01's and '02's as you think. 
Oh, BTW, brush up on your dodge trucks, the 3rd gen cummins trucks never recieved the new body style until '03, not '02. 
