Matching Towing Vehicle and TT Beginner

You ask a nearly impossible question for others to answer. I know you are just looking for others educated opinions here too so in that respect......find the floor plan that fits you and the doggies. It almost sounds as if a class A coach would suit your needs better than a travel trailer. The options between class A and 5th wheel and bumper pull rigs are all over the map and cost varies wildly between them all. Figure you will be spending a lot of time in your rig, what ever it turns out to be, so comfort and livability is paramount or you will be miserable. That's no way to enjoy your retirement.

With a fixed income and limited funds making a mistake in this choice could be very expensive so analyze your needs carefully here. Visit dealers and go through all types of units, take your time and sit in them for a little while and see what fits you and the dogs, THEN figure out a tow vehicle. Good luck.

Van = 2wd unless you get crazy with the conversions. You're planning on spending year round in Canada. Presume you already know how to drive in snow, but 2wds are much more limited in what/where you can go.

You might also want to look at full-sized vans. They typically have (or at least can be configured to have) quite good tow ratings and better load carrying capacity than SUVs. The Nissan NV would probably be my choice for this sort of thing these days, though not the only possibility.

This is a huge question!

Let me give you a few of "my" thoughts.

There is almost 0 reason for you to get a 1 ton for the trailer you're thinking of getting. If you want one and can afford one, get it. But you have 0 "need" for one.

I would get a 3/4 ton because your going to be doing a lot of traveling from the sound of it. I would also get a 4 door to haul your furry friends to make it easy to load and unload.

You're going to save about 30% on fuel if you buy a diesel. Depending on the cost of diesel vs gasoline you might save a lot of money or you might save next to nothing. Where I live I save a lot of money by owning a diesel.

Another thing about a diesel is you won't lose horse power on the hills like you will with a gasoline engine (excluding ecoboost). This can be big where you travel if you have a lot of mountains.

How much money do you want to spend on your rig? Some think 10 thousand dollars is a lot of money. Some think 100 thousand is a lot of money. TT'ers lose a LOT of value so if you buy used you can save a LOT of money. Not so much for a diesel truck because they hold their value so much.

If you decide to get a diesel truck read all the reviews you can on the engine. Some on here say that all diesels are the same and they are all good. This is not true. Some engines have design problems and can cost big bucks if something goes out. Tread lightly when looking at diesels.

Have fun!

You can't really get many/any SUVs with good payload, power and towing capacity in new or newer models. Actually payload and axle capacity is the limiting factor since 400hp is readily available.
Clean slate, figure out what camper you want first or at least narrow it down and size the truck accordingly. But if you have the means, just skip all the calculating and get a 3/4 - 1 ton pickup. Diesel if you want effortless towing, gas if you want safe,but slow once you get in the mountains. Doesn't matter brand, if going new, just pick one. All are solid and pull like a semi. (The diesels anyway)