Thanks for keeping us updated on your truck. I own a Jeep XJ and I've done some mods on it to increase fuel efficiency, so I'm pretty interested in what people do to their trucks and SUVs to achieve results.
In my experience, my "old" Jeep (1997) has held up very well. I haven't ever had a major problem in the 7 years I've had it, though there were some big maintenance items like replacing the entire cooling system and replacing the rear main seal. It is my daily driver and it can go off roading. I know I'm comparing apples to oranges here, but if I were in your shoes, I would figure out a way to do the job myself.
...or buy a Jeep Cherokee
