friend of mine has a 97 f250 ext cab 7.3 with an automatic.i know he has over 200k on it and trans has never given him any problems.the only major issues he has had that i know of are cam position sensor,and glowplug harness which runs under the valve cover.otherwise it has been rock solid.i'd buy one in a heartbeat if one came up close to me at a decent price.i will ask this how big is your 5'er??i have a 36 ft and found that a 1 ton with duals works lots better in crosswinds etc.