Customizing a truck to be exactly what you want is all personal taste. Most of the OP's choices sound fine on paper, (not a mopar guy) but lower gears, bigger tires that can be aired down in soft sand, lockers, a winch and lights are all pretty standard if you're going to be wandering.
For desert dwelling a ladder rack might be great. You can set it up where the platform can be turned upside down in transit, flipped over with a chair & even maybe a way to rig shade. Mount some big lights on top above the cab on the front of the rack for jamming down the desert roads heading back.
Buy the best side wall tires, carry two spares, and self recovery equipment. Not having concerns about getting stranded will give you the freedom to wander where you want and enjoy yourself. There's usually a lot of unseen gems hidden.
