Engine and general problems or fixes for our farm pickups

I hear you on the more nimble nature as well as ride with a 1/2 ton and better fuel mileage due to being a lighter pickup. While it may be an unfair blanket statement to say but I get the impression some of the 1/2 ton trucks struggle with much weight as per the rear end sinking down and typically the crew cab 4x4 half tons do not have a very good payload number. Turn to the HD pickups of whichever brand and away goes the ride and worse in some brands than others but I have not been in the latest versions of them to get a feel for their rides. Gas or Diesel, each comes with its good and bad and if it wasn't for all the pollution shit they put on the diesel these days it would make them even more popular as that has caused some buyers to turn back to gas trucks. Sadly too many of the gas engines have had some major reliability issues as per bad lifters in the GM 5.3 and 6.2 and seems Ram has also had its share of the similar theme, now with Ford in the 7.3 gas.

The question is, do some of you rely on warranty and trading before that runs out and play that game vs being saddled with the expense of major diesel fuel system issues or lifter issues in the gas trucks or the expensive transmissions crapping out. Or do you intend on keeping it for the long term and deal with the issues each truck has.

Meskie, without a doubt the dealers are being pushed to sell the high end pickups or at least some brands are. You mentioned sunroof, all I ever hear when I hear anything about sunroofs is issues, the glass breaking or leaking into the cab between the layers and causing damage and I have no practical use for one. The rear sliding window, I imagine that just obstructs view as well as potential leaks or wind noise and crappy to clean with a squeegee I am speculating and yet with GM it seems as soon as you try and choose any options in the cab they throw that darned thing into the package. Thankfully the auto running boards seem to be an item one can bypass for the most part as all I see is issues with something like that in my mind anyway. Bumpers, they sure want to push painted bumpers these days and after seeing my brother deal with someone backing into his truck and in that case that person actually paid my brother directly to avoid using his insurance but the rear bumper was insanely expensive as they do not come pre painted, a body shop had to paint it and they also chip easily from what I have seen. From a practical stand point I still think a chrome bumper is better. Wheel size, that's another one that GM anyway pushes one to larger rims if in a higher trim level or if choosing items unrelated to what wheel size it has and go and throw in larger wheels. I know the larger wheel size tires are more expensive and the sidewall lower and to me I would assume ride rougher if anything. If only the options could be chosen one by one and not forced into getting what you don't want so that you can get what you do want. 

Is there anyone with some Ford leaning thoughts over other brands ?

I am not surprised at your findings of the heavy diesel truck doing as well as the light duty gas trucks fuel wise empty and actually doing better when pulling a load, never mind the fact that the 1/2 ton segment gas engines are not designed to pull heavy constantly and I get the idea their cooling system is lacking also.

Interesting that there didn't seem to be a noticeable difference in ride between the two tire/rim sizes, then again tire pressure carried is a big factor. 

I do like the fact that on average anyway, the HD brands of trucks sit up higher and in theory can fit under the truck to service it where as certainly some of the GM 1/2 trucks are low, definitely with running boards. 

Surprises me that a sunroof is that important to buyers, perhaps its the light falling down on them or they are smokers and like sun roofs and rear sliding windows open to get the stench out ( yes that would make me a non smoker ). 

Painted bumper, well I guess I am not the only one that has figured out it can be nice to look at off the show room floor and as long as its clean but in use and gravel road driving etc, not so nice.

Back to the topic of payload and gearing options, for whatever reason in the last few years and certainly within the last year GM has done something that is completely retarded in my mind in the world of 4x4's . Truck buyers have literally driven off the show room floor "assuming" of course their 1/2 ton GM has high and low range ... GM always used to have that. Well some buyers never caught that the truck they bought had no low range, high range only but with the 4 auto engage system and a traction control system setting but no low range. But that is only part of the picture as most of the trim levels will not allow the two speed transfer case to be mated to the max tow package. So if you want the max spring payload and tow package and the lower gearing ( 3.73 vs the 3.23 in the case of the 3.0 diesel ), they don't let you get the two speed transfer case. I haven't determined if they might package the two together with a high country or denali for the current model year as they don't say one way or the other on the websites but any lower trim levels don't seem to allow it currently, but they used to ... not sure what gives. One factor in all of the 1/2 ton and lower segment is that they have to meet some over all fuel mileage goal as far as I know, where as the HD trucks don't have to meet anything in that regard that I am aware of.