I know the tranny was always the week part of the dodge trucks. So far no problems with my truck and it has 66k miles on it. I figure when it goes, I'll put in a heavy duty aftermarket unit. Id also like to do the airbags plus Im gonna switch out the hitch it has now for a Class V weight Distribution hitch for a lil more stability. I'd rather overprep the truck than have that Oh Sh!t issue arrise.

Good call on getting a class V. My 05 dodge and my current 08 dodge 3500 each came with 10,000lb hitches even though the truck is rate like 15k "properly Equipped."

The tranny on the 05 sucked. You had to let off the gas to help it shift. Although the 5.9 cummins got crazy good fuel economy. My 08 is also a SRW 3500 and the newer transmission is much better.

Also, the exhaust brake on the newer trucks is awesome. Truck slows itself down to about 35mph before you ever hit the brakes.

My 36' Apache is probably pretty comparable to the cafe as far as towing weight. Most of my towing issues have been related to driving to fast and blowing tires. Now, I try to keep the speed between 65-69mph on the highways and have much fewer trailering issues.

Not sure about your state but in Missouri you vehicle is supposed to be licensed for the GCW of your rig. So I have 24k plates on my truck I believe the ticket here is $1100 or so.