Crummy stock tires wore out at around 30k on my '14 Laramie 4x4 Crew Cab. I replaced them with the Falken Wildpeak AT3 and have been very pleased. They've gone through multiple snow seasons here in New England as well as light off road and some beach driving in Outer Banks. The truck is now at 73k and they still have life left. I'm going to replace with the same tire whenever these finally wear out. The biggest thing is they've been relatively quiet and smooth on the highway. I did have to rebalance them after a few thousand miles as folks suggested. After that, just regular rotations have kept them wearing evenly. Very, very happy.
As for your comments about sidewalls, these tires were roughly 44lbs each when I bought them (if I recall correctly). I had the chance to check them out before they were mounted and the sidewalls are THICK. They've had their fair share of scrapes and pokes and they don't show any damage yet.
After buying mine, a buddy mounted them on his Toyota and had similar praise. Very good value for the money. At the time, I puchased them from Walmart online. Free shipping to store and then mount and balance for about $20/tire with lifetime road-hazard and rotation. I think they were about $650 Out the Door. They've gone up in price, but I'd still go that route again. Just make sure they are sold by Walmart, not a 3rd party, then have them shipped to store free. Make sure that store has a tire center. Take all the money you saved and get the alignment done somewhere else... Firestone maybe?