Ok, I'm putting this topic to rest. I live in Texas and I just got back from the Ram dealership, where I had the fuel filters serviced. I took the opportunity to pick the mechanic's brain. I've only owned pre-emisions diesels before now, and this is my first RAM.
My first question to him was, "What are the most common issues you encounter on 2500 diesels. His response was, "There's very little that goes wrong with these trucks, with the exception of the emissions systems. Emissions faults are absolutely the most frequent issue I see. They fault frequently and without warning."
I told him that was interesting and that I had been trying to determine whether or not to delete mine. He didn't even allow me to finish my sentence when he said "Delete it, absolutely no question. Especially since you're living in Texas. Texas recently dropped its emissions testing requirements, so the you dont have the regulatory concerns anymore. That was really the only major negative to begin. Just don't overtune it. You want a bulletproof worry-free truck? I'm telling you... delete it."
I had thought all dealerships refused to work on deleted trucks. He said, "This is East Texas. It ain't new york. We'd probably be out of business if we turned deleted trucks away."
That response is from a 30-year RAM diesel mechanic. I'll take his word for it over someone that's clearly grasping at straws. There's also the fact that my
best 6.7 Powerstroke delete kit friend has a 2014 2500 that's deleted. It now has 572k miles on it. Zero issues.