reading through all the post has got me thinking about my work truck. i truly have no insight as to which is a better choice for towing, i guess it comes down to need / price /and want. it was all the posts about maintenance, oil testing and the like that prompted me to share about my 2001 F350-Gas-SWR. i work for a utility company in Florida and run all over the whole state. the truck as of this am has 286,000 miles on it. I tow a 7000lb tandem axel trailer , about 5000lbs of steel equipment lashed to it about 50% of the time. I would classify the use as sever duty, i typically run at about 78-79 MPH, unless on Alligator Alley where 85+ is the norm. The company i work for does not believe in preventative maintenance, and are very conservative on they spend in keeping vehicles running (cheap). when on jobsites throughout the summer months the truck will idle 6-10 hours a day, for the inverter to keep computers and fusing equipment running.
the oil gets changed at about 10,000 miles. since the truck was new the only parts changed on it has brake pads/rotors, battery's, one serpentine belt, and 2 evaporators on the a/c system and a bunch of wiper blades. EVERYTHING else is original to the truck, Starter, alternator, coolant, water pump, hoses. it has never had a trans flush or a filter. it has the original idler pulley on it. the plugs and coil paks are original.it was had maybe 3 air filters in its lifetime. it does not use a drop of oil, there are no leaks and it runs like a top. it averages 15mpg not towing,11 towing.
To say that vehicles are constructed better and last longer is an understatement. i am a 100% Chevrolet guy, many corvettes over the years,trucks and some blazers. But for the reasons above... i believe in Ford Tough... great trucks !!!
as for maintenance on my own things, i am a fanatic, just like the rest of the you reading this post and will continue to be, even though it most likely overkill