I have a 04.5 that just turned 39K. I understand that I have the cannister mounted fuel pump on my year and that it is pretty much a lock that it will fail. So, what makes more sense?

1) Replace it now with some aftermarket pump (please recommend) and avoid being stranded somewhere.

2) Wait for it to die on its own and let the dealer install the in-tank model under warranty.

My truck is not a daily driver. But, still, I woudn't want to be towing my fifth wheel and have the pump fail. Are there any warning signs when it's about to die?

 

Longer starting, hesitation, missing, sometimes noisy lift pump - the CP3 injection pump will draw fuel from the tank, as in the DMax and Jeep CRD systems - sometimes it will draw thru the failed lift pump somethimes it won't - if you have a bypass setup to jump around the dead pump, you could make your decision when it failed - Glacier Diesel or the other vendors carries the special fitting for the fuel cannister used for installing external lift pumps

If you install the external pump, you'll need the fitting anyway - advantage = easy to replace when failed again

If you wait for Dodge to do it (my recommendation) it's all free = new pump\module, filter head, everything to make it like the '05-'06 - advantage = oem and free

 

If you do a frame rail mounted pump, you won't have to fool with any of the modifications later due to the intank pump. It is really 6 one way 1/2 dozen the other. In my opinion though.....do a frame rail pump yourself. One way or another, you can put almost any other pump in it's place along side the road if it were to fail. Autozone, Napa, about all parts stores would have a pump to go in its place with little or no modifications. No chance on doing that with an intank pump! Heck......I keep a spare in the toolbox and hose/clamps and the sort to change it if needed!