First..:welcome: to AGO!
Sounds like a *beast* of a new Cummin's ya' got there... rollin' coal.
First things first....
- As others have said, get used to a 2BM (2 bucket method). Get grit guards for both. In fact... you'll need a third bucket for your wheels.
- Daytona brushes, and/or Wheel Woolies are a must have.
- IRON-X is a MUST on a new vehicle that has been shipped via train and truck.
- Wash, then rinse, then IRON-X, then rinse again.
- Nanoskin pad in fine for your GG6, break it in on the windshield and side glass BEFORE you put it on paint. You can also get the Nanoskin hand held sponges in both medium and fine to use everywhere your pad and DA can't reach.
- NOW... you use your Nanoskin, with just a splash of CLEAN lightly soapy water.
- Pads for your GG6. And I mean AT LEAST a dozen pads. Your RAM has fairly hard paint, so you'll probably be safe with orange and white Lake Country flat, or Lake Country CCS pads. (As already mentioned, get a 5" backing plate and 5½" pads.)
- Get 6 of each, orange, and white.
- If you want a softer/less cut/more of a finishing pad... either blue or black, 4 should work as long as you go FIFO when using them.
Now when it comes to compounds and polishes.... you have a TON of choices, but keep in mind that if it's SMAT (Meguiar's) you'll be working less with each primed pad (4~7 passes) *or* if it's DAT (Everyone else, mainly Menzerna, Wolfgang, etc.) you'll need to work each pad all the way through the cycle (often 8~10 passes at least).
Could be that FG400 would be perfect, because it'll cut nice that first couple of passes, then finish down (on that hard paint) as good as you'll likely need it to be. One trick with FG400 is to prime two pads, one cutting pad (orange) then another lighter cut pad (white or blue) and work both pads on your test spot for the full cycle (8~10 passes). Then clean both pads "on the fly" and sit the finishing pad to the side. Now, go back and put 4~5 drops of product on your pad and work your section only HALF WAY through the full cycle, then take your finishing pad and put it on the machine and finish the cycle. Takes a bit of practice, but can end up with stellar results.
First time though... I'd just work all your sections completely through with your choice of either orange or white pad. (Depending on what your test spot told you before you started doing the entire vehicle.
As for sealing the paint up, providing long lasting protection. I'd say I'd fall into the coating group for a daily driver as coatings last MUCH longer, and most can be topped with a decent sealant (or spray sealant/wax) along the way. Stay away from the Blackfire coating as a first timer because it has a much harder learning curve. That being said, Cquartz, Pinnacle Black Label, DP, Wolfgang Uber, Optimum Gloss Coat, Duragloss Enviroshield.... are all pretty much idiot proof, and will give you tons of gloss and shine.
