Agree with most of the replies above regarding diesels and trucks in general. In my first reply above, I did not recommend Dodge trucks because I am not sure about just how long Chrysler will be around. Not that GM and Ford aren't in trouble, but Chrysler is hurting. The Dodge trucks with the Cummins engine are great trucks and you could probably get that Cummins serviced most anywhere that handles diesels, but warranty repairs on a truck, no matter how good, built by a company no longer in business may be sketchy.
For zsqure, hey who callin' a fish geek guy?
Just because I have a "Be a Geek" (from reef Geeks in CA) bumper sticker on my F150 doesn't mean I'm a fish geek. Even if I am.
Generally speaking, for heavy duty towing diesels really are the way to go and while the premium is 7-8K for the Navastar built Powerstroke in a Ford, it is the way to go when towing and should command somewhat of a premium when you sell it. Yeah, the 14-15 I get around town on my 4.6 3V F150 with the 6 speed tranny sucks compared to a diesel but for my use, the Super Duty w/diesel just didn't make econimic sense.
I wouldn't want to use my 1/2 ton F150 for regular towing; it is a great truck for my little painting/handyman/light hauling business but there is a reason that landscapers, masons, construction firms use Super Duty Fords, 3500 Dodges, or heavy duty Gm Silverado/Sierra trucks-they would kill a 1/2 ton pretty quickly doing their typical workload.