I know this thread is a little moot as ken already has his new truck. But as discussions about "which brand is better" can seem to go on forever I thought I would chime in.
yes...I know...extending the conversation! ha! Also this is my first post here so go easy on a newbie okay?
I do think some folks just like one brand over another. I also think every mfr. has had its share of lemons over the years...if you bought one of them you probably switched to a different brand and will not look too kindly on the mfr of the lemon you owned. But I think they are all pretty decent and have friends who like each one for their own particular reasons. I happen to like GMC/Chevy's. Doesn't mean Fords suck or Dodge's suck to me...I just like GMC's better.
Of course I tease my Ford/Dodge friends about why they need to jack their trucks up for looks where GMC/Chevy engineers figured out that real men just want a truck that works and don't need to be jacked up high to look cool.
And they tease me the same way...yesterday I mentioned the pillowtrack "device" to a Dodge friend of mine...I said it might be good and getting unstuck...his reply was that as a GMC/Chevy guy I should be interested in devices like that...but he as a Dodge guy just doesn't get stuck in the first place.
That all being said I wanted to mention something that I think may have been mis-stated here (or maybe was just referring to previous models I am not sure) about ground clearance. While Dodge and Ford trucks are higher in total height this has nothing to do with ground clearance. In the 70's with the first F-250's ford had their transfer cases mounted under the frame which pushed the body much higher up. Chevy mounted them between the frame rails which allowed them to sit lower. I dunno if that is still the case but here are the ground clearances for each of the big three from their ewbsites currently:
Ford F-250 Super Duty 8.1" to 8.5" (depending on version)
Dodge Ram 2500HD 7.8"
GMC Sierra 2500 9.5"
Now this is not the be all and end all on off road capabilities by any stretch, but just wanted to throw that out there.
I am really enjoying this site! My last offroading in the west was around Silverton when the family and I over a few days did the Alta trip, CA Pass and some others.