Trying to decide...
 

I've searched and read, so I know this has been debated often, but I'm looking at the 7.3 Ford or the 12 valve Dodge. (looking to spend somewhere around $8-12K). I wouldn't be opposed to the 24 valve if that was a good option, but I wasn't sure which years to buy/avoid.

This would not be driven daily, but would need to tow. Usually, the load wouldn't be too much; heavy loads would probably be somewhere around 10-13K. When not towing, I would use it a few times a week to run to town.

I'm not into modifications and just need something relatively low maintenance and durable.

From reading, the 12 valve appears to be the better engine, but I also have a family. So the bigger Ford cab is a bonus.

Am I beating myself up too much over this? Should I worry about things like automatic instead of standard in the Dodge? Is the Dodge that much better than the Ford, or will even notice? I'll probably be looking at trucks over 100K miles; anything I really need to watch for? Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

You and I are in the same boat