I have a 95 stroke' 2WD with a manual tranny. I will never go back to a gas motor. With my 9 1/2 Lance and towing my sled it's still like nuthin' is back there!!! The only drawback is when the bolt ons start to die they are expensive, $325 for a water pump, $550 for a starter, $175 for a vacuum pump, and the glow plug relayed died and ate the glow plugs too, that was about 4 or 5 bills with the labor. I have 146,000 on mine and all that stuff happened in the last 50K. There is a web site (Ford-Diesel.com) that has a discussion board like this and every time I read it I want to spend more money!! Can't go wrong with the diesel as far as towing stuff, I really don't think it matters if you go Ford or Dodge. Chevy has a new one out that I have not heard anything about one way or the other. Oh ya, I get 18 without the camper and boat and 14-15 with depending on hard much foot I have in it.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff