Welcome to AGO DD!
Very nice choice on that truck btw. :dblthumb2: Is it the V6 'puffer'?
I do know that Dodge/RAM has done one heck of a job making those trucks both true pulling beasts but they've really stepped up their quality in the last few years.
(Not to mention the amazing selection of power plants!!!!!!) 
rops:
Leseee here. First, pads.... although you've already ordered 4 tangerine, that's not many. And the fact that they have less cut than the orange, (but more than white) means you'll need to play around with your compound to get the most out of them. And on the crimson, they literally have ZIP, less than black.
When you start (and do your test spots to find out just how much cut you'll need for correction) if you plan on doing that truck all at once, getting it done with anything less than 6~8 cutting pads is going to be a chore. Not to mention the MASSIVE amount of square footage that beast has.
When compounding the pads will build up heat pretty fast, and the heat will DESTROY a pad. Especially the hydro's (as they are a bit softer)! It's not heat on the face of the pad that gets you, it's the heat that builds up inside the pad, and between the pad and backing plate. Say you divide the hood into 6 sections (big ones at that). Then after doing each section (which can take 6, 7, 8 passes) you "clean on the fly". You'll need to pull the pad after as few as 2 sections, maybe 3 depending on how warm it outside/in your garage.
When pulling the pad, put the back of it up against your cheek. If it's anything even more than slightly warm DO NOT continue to use it!!!!!!!!!!!!! The foam will begin to collapse and you'll end up with the middle of your pad ½" thick.
After cleaning on the fly, and pulling the pad, move to another one. Then do 2~3 sections with that one and pull it. Move to another one. If...... after you pull the third pad the first one is back to room temp, then you can put it back into work duty. With 4 it's a lot easier, but not a lock. In the grand scheme of things pads are cheap, but you don't want to damage them by working them too long, too hot, too dirty.
Speaking of dirty. Work when compounding and polishing "surgically clean". The pads will get dirty from spent product, abraded paint, abraded dirt and contaminates being removed from the paint. Not cleaning often enough will end up causing micromarring.
OHHHH... did you get a pad cleaning brush? You'll need one. :xyxthumbs:
Back to how many pads.
If you do find out that the tangerine pads provide enough cut, then you're good to go. If not, you'll need orange pads. I would normally say there is nothing wrong with the CCS pads, but with the Porter Cable you'll have a harder time spinning them. So that pretty much means flat pads, those will do just fine.
For polishing duties you really need a medium pad. Be that white or blue, (maybe black but probably not on that paint) but something in the medium range. You have the crimson, (which are a bit softer than black). Those will likely do nothing at all (other than spread sealant or wax) on that paint. (Which is far from a 'soft' paint.)
For polishing you can probably get away with 4 for the entire truck, just remember to keep swapping them out.
All in all I like to say 12 (if not 24) pads to be enough to a family with 2 vehicles. Remember, both will not have the same needs for pads. (Unless they both have the same paint system.)
With 6~8 (of the right color/cut) for compounding, 4 of 2 different colors/cuts for polishing, 2~3 for sealant/wax spreading.
One thing about your sealant and/or wax spreading pads. Once you start using one for that duty, mark it with a magic marker (before using it) and dedicate that pad for ONLY applying sealant. Reason being... you'll NEVER get it all washed out afterwards. Trust me, it will NEVER completely wash clean.
One last thing there on pads, needed pad equipment.
Get yourself 6~12 of those little packs of Zippy Pad Cleaner. If you do it that way, when you're getting them dirty, you just toss them in the bucket of cleaner and keep going. Don't stick your hands in that stuff though. However with gloved hands you can have your pads floating in it, grab one and give it a few squeezes, dunk it a few more times, few more squeezes, then go rinse them in hot water, then cold water. Take them back out to your PC and hold them down in a bucket and spin 'um up to sling all the extra water out. The roll each one up inside a terry towel for another good squeeze and sit them out on top of a milk cap, detergent measuring cup or something, VELCRO SIDE UP to dry.
What else do you need?
I would wholeheartedly suggest a Nanoskin pad and the twin-pack of red and blue hand held Nanoskin sponges. Claying is a thing of the past once you move to Nanoskin. Several reasons it's better. The first AND MOST IMPORTANT is it really does save you a TON of money in the long haul. You can clay that truck a dozen times with a Nanoskin pad. Second, if you drop it (maybe this should be first) all you have to do is wash it off and you can keep using it. TRY THAT WITH CLAY!
Clay cost what $25 (or more) with Nanoskin running twice that, but lasts 5 times as long. AND you can WASH it.
Third, the time savings with Nanoskin when doing an entire vehicle is incredible. You can do that entire truck, top to bottom, front to back in 30 minutes, 15 when you get the hang of it. With clay you'll still be doing the roof 30 minutes in. :laughing:
Ahhhhhh and now the age old problem of microfiber.
Do yourself a HUGE FAVOR and head to Microfiber Tech and grab a couple dozen 360GSM towels, maybe a couple dozen 530GSM towels as well. Put their 360's next to others that are asking $5.99 each and you will never believe why the others are so expensive.
The 530's come in large sizes as well. They are actually a darned good drying towel!
There are of course other options, like Korean waffle weaves (which Microfiber Tech also has). And of course the perennial favorite drying towels are the Cobra (foam core) Guzzlers. Only place to get them, or anything like them for that matter is here at Autogeek. (No way to do huge price savings there, but they ARE good at what they do.)
Then there is also The Rag Company. Between Microfiber Tech and The Rag Company there really isn't a need for looking anywhere else. (
Although most here know which one is my favorite.) :laughing: Whether or not you'll need something along the lines of the split weave Korean design is totally up to you, the ones from MFT are 500 GSM (although they say 470 on their site) and are a bargain. They also have ultra-fine thread 400 and 500 units as well. Once you have the 530's in hand though you'll probably not want the 500 ultra-fine's.
And Microfiber Tech has some EXCELLENT green glass towels. :xyxthumbs:
General duty microfiber towels ya' say? Costco Kirkland gold, 36 pack for under $15 can't be beat. Door jambs, interior, you name it. At less than 50¢ each you can throw them away when they get dirty.
