He said the Raptor can't be towed 4 down, so presume that. New raptors have a awd/4wd t case that I'm not familiar with, but likely the reason it can't be flat towed.
Springing for a 40' pusher, will be able to tow.
Personally I'd opt for the raptor so you can really explore. 6 months on the road and you own a raptor, you're going to hate yourself when you get to the multitudes of locations with off road opportunities if you don't bring it!
Idk how you fit 7 comfortably in a cc pickup, but I'm not the seat belt cops.
Towing a toad on a trailer isn't going to be appreciably harder than flat towing. IMO that's the best option. Buy a used trailer, you have time to shop for a deal. With the raptor you have more options, doesn't need to be a tilt deck since you have the baddest stock 1/2 ton made!
Plus you could be out zero $ for the trailer. Sell it after the trip. And if you get into a tight area, like you said, you can unhook and the truck can take the trailer wherever you need. AND you could have room for extra "stuff" or toys in the truck bed or on the trailer.
