Call me crazy, but I'm looking at some 2006-2007 6.0 trucks. Once the trifecta of the coolant/EGR cooler/oil cooler is taken care of, these are pretty solid but that's a $3000 bill right there.
Not crazy at all. The 6.0 isn't a terrible engine and can be a darned good one with a few mods. I'd definitely skip the '03 and early '04 models though, as they have a crappy HPOP pump and other issues. The '05-'07 gets most of the factory upgrades on the engine, as well as the Dana 60 front axle with coil springs. The '06 and '07 are the most desireable.
It depends on the owner, too. If you have access to a shop that can do the upgrades for a good price and you figure it into the cost of the truck you will be in good shape. If you can do your own work they are even better/cheaper. The key is monitoring the 6.0 and knowing what to look for. Their achilles heel is the oil cooler that plugs up, overheating the EGR cooler which then ruptures and pumps coolant into the engine which blows head gaskets. If you watch your engine coolant temp. to engine oil temp. differential you can prevent that from happening. Flushing the cooling system, changing to ELC coolant, and deleting the EGR cooler can save a lot of trouble. At some point one should consider replacing the TTY head bolts with ARP studs, but it isn't necessary unless there is an issue or you're going to add big power.
The 6.0 gave a lot of folks heartburn when they came out, and for good reason. But they have been out long enough that the issues (and root issues) are known. There are plenty of folks making parts and fixes for them and the parts prices have come down quite a bit. They are a bit unusual so understanding how the HPOP and injectors work, as well as the FICM, can make ownership easier. Monitoring is really the key on the 6.0.
None of the trucks from that era are perfect. The Dodge has a great motor (but not perfect, just check into the folks who have washed out the #6 cylinder), but you have to deal with a small cab on the 4 doors and their crappy auto transmission. That's before you even start throwing money at the front end. The GM might be the best of the 3, but you have to be OK with the IFS on the front and the less-than-great clearance. They also have their own set of things to watch for and injectors cost as much or more than the Powerstroke.
The biggest consideration may be the price. That generation of Cummins and Duramax have kind of a 'holy grail' status so they demand a premium price. Last I looked the GM and Dodge were around $8K more than a comparable Ford. That's a lot of cash to put toward upgrades/repairs that may or may not be needed. And that's assuming the Dodge and GM won't need anything...which is a pipe dream.
Just like anything, condition/maintenance/ownership history is key to all of those trucks.