[JRTJH]

There's a "similar thread" currently discussing the same issue, but in the half ton segment... There, it's the V-6 1500 vs the V-8 1500... General consensus is that "upgrading the powerplant" doesn't gain much in overall towing capacity, when there's only a "modest" payload increase, even though the GCWR goes up several thousand pounds....

Seems like what you're contemplating is a similar "TV upgrade" in the 1 ton SRW category.... Will gaining a couple/few hundred pounds of payload and possibly the same in RAWR provide "enough additional capacity to offset the investment in dollars" ????

Much the same question, with, IMHO, very similar suggestions forthcoming: Buying in the same truck segment will produce similar results, just with upgraded truck features....

So, if I were investing "thousands in a truck upgrade" I'd want that money to do as much as possible for me. That, to me, means a truck upgrade not a segment upgrade... Cut to the chase and upgrade to a dually. Your choice of years (Bosch issues) and option levels may dictate the actual vintage and cost, but capacity wise, upgrading to a dually will resolve the "careful monitoring of weight capacity".....