DirtyHarry,
I purchased a 03 Ford, F-250, FX4, Crew cab in may of 03. I currently have 19,000 miles on the truck and have had only one minor problem with it. I tow a 38 foot Montana travel trailer, all fiberglass, with three slides. The truck handles to load great. The little 6.0 outperforms all of the 7.3s (even with the Banks conversion). I don't know how I would perform in the dirt with a Dodge, but there is no way they can run with me on the highway. I'm not real please with mileage, I get almost 15 with or without the trailer, but otherwise I'm please with the truck.
This was the first Ford I've owned since about 1979, but I would buy another one.