Back in 2000 I decided to buy a pickup truck to be my daily driver, but also for the purpose of pulling my camping trailer. I own a 34' 5th wheel trailer with 3 slide outs that weighs almost 12,000 lbs when it is loaded. At the time, I researched all of the big 3, because I am not at all a "brand loyalist".

At that time, GM was just bringing out the Duramax with the Allison tranny. I thought long and hard about this rig- sounds like a great vehicle. However, I decided against buying that truck because the engine was new, and it has aluminum heads, and I just felt like it wouldn't be a good idea to buy a brand new product that was, at the time, unproven. Also, I had owned several GM products up till that time, and I was somewhat displeased because I seemed to have lots of problems with things like electronics (radio, brake light modules, alternators, computers, etc), and that is something I very much wanted to avoid.

I also looked at Dodge. But, I wanted a 1 ton with single rear wheels, and I don't believe Dodge offered that at the time. Also, I had heard from lots of Dodge owners who tow, and at that time, the tranny seemed to be a very weak link for that truck. The cummins diesel is great, but I was a little scared of the tranny.

I finally opted for a 2000 F350 SRW long bed 4x4 crew cab with the 7.3 liter powerstroke diesel. I heard from some people that there were problems with the diesel, and problems with the tranny, but I felt it was probably the best choice at that time.

It is now 5 years and 100,000 miles later, and I am very pleased with the truck. I have used this rig to tow my trailer without any problems. I tow at a fast speed- typically around 75mph, and I have no problems. I pass semi's going up hills, and have no problems slowing down hills. I have pulled the trailer to Florida 4 times, and have pulled it to Michigan, Wisconsin, all over Arkansas, and all through the Ozarks in Missouri on numerous occasions. And much more. I have never had one problem.

During the week my truck is used daily back and forth to work and errands. The drive to and from work is in heavy, stop and go traffic. Again, I have not had any major problems, and have had only 3 relatively minor problems during these 5 years. Twice I had a high pressure oil line come loose, but I suspect both were due to an accident I had with the truck. The only other problem I have encountered was a switch that failed in the steering column that caused the airbag light to come on, and which caused the horn and the cruise control to become inoperational. That cost me about $300 to reapir. So, in 5 years and 100,000 miles, my repair costs have amounted to about $500. None of these repairs caused me to be stranded.

Today, the truck runs absolutely great despite the rigors that I put it through on a daily basis. The engine runs just like it did the day I drove it home from the dealer, and the tranny continues to perform flawlessly. Yes, the Powerstroke is louder than the newer Dodges and the Duramax, but it sounds great and performs great as well. The truck rides nice, too- not like a Cadillac, of course, but not what you might expect from a heavy duty truck. Our long road trips are easy- none of us have experienced back discomfort or anything- even after 2 day, 1100 mile journey's pulling the camper.

I have been very pleasantly pleased by this truck. I have no doubt that the new Dodge is a fantastic vehicle, and I know the Duramax and Allison combination are great for GMC. But, after the great service I have enjoyed with this Ford, I seriously doubt that I could justify moving to another brand. It has all of the power and all the features I want and need, and it has been probably the most reliable and trouble free vehicle I have ever owned with the possible exception of a Honda Accord I once owned. But, I've owned the truck longer, and treated it MUCH more harshly than I treated the Accord, of course, and to only have $50