Thanks for wondering sreigle! I haven't done a good job of keeping this post up to date.
After much reading I have found the white smoke problem at start up could be many things. The most likely is air getting into the fuel system. This air can be sucked into the system anywhere between the fuel tank and the lift pump including the pump itself.
The easiest way to find the problem is to pressurize the system with really low pressure air. that way everything that is normally in a vacuum is pressurized.
But that is not normally easy. For me the previous owner had a fuel tank mounted in the bed with a hose that is now blocked off. I took a valve stem for a rim and worm clamped it into the pipe. Then I used a battery powered air pump to slowly air up the system. right away I found a little special made rubber hose that goes between the lift pump and the fuel heater leaking.
The hose has a 90* bend in it which made using just a piece of fuel line impossible so I had to buy one from the Dodge dealership but it was only $6.95 which was a surprise! I did not think they sold anything under $20. there.
But this is where the story ends for now. I have not had the time to put the hose on due to that pesky thing called work so both trucks are put away snugly in the barn and the Montana is parked next to the barn pointing into the prevailing winds to help prevent it from being blown over. (I know that it is going to take a really strong wind, more than the 30MPH blasts we normally get during the winter but it makes the DW happier. She always is afraid it is going to blow over every time the wind blows hard
)