Weight and Truck

@apt....GVWR= 6500. I am confused now about what dry means.

This is my label plate:

6500 pounds gets complicated. If it was 9k dry, easy you need 3/4+ ton. If it was 3000 pounds then nearly any half ton. 6500 pounds dry is not the same as GVWR and 5k dry. If you are looking at a dedicated tow vehicle, used from 10+ years ago, Ford V10 or GM big block will yank that around with pleasure.

@Dodge.. Yep Thanks. Looks like that's what I will get. I have to wait to get the truck so I can have that all factored in. Your the first to OK a 90's model. I did have my eye on that 90 f-250.
http://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/cto/4590316794.html
The price just went down. Gotta wonder why.
Yes - the break controller is another thing. Is that not the standard round slotted (6-ish connections?) plug? Or is it more than just a plug?

Here is a link to a WD hitch WD hitch You will want one of these. As far as what kind of 3/4 ton.....any of the big 3 from the 90`s will be good. brand is a personal preference. the F250`s and GM`s are good buys if in good shape. Dodges are also a good bet, but sold less so they will be harder to find, but are still a good buy.

BTW, you will also need a brake controller to control the brakes on the trailer. Prodigy is the #1 recommended brake controller.

@Dodgeguy. RV comes with 2 equalizer bars. I assume they were used with a standard hitch. Is the weight distribution hitch something that is plugged into the standard hitch?

@Dodge Guy....need I ask what brand 2500 you'd buy?

Thanks for the welcome. I am loving this forum. Really great answers. I suspected I was borderline. But check out my last post about payload. This one is making me wonder about getting something like an F-150 XLT for example. Some of the hitches I've seen were only up to III. I am pretty sure I require a IV? Oh...my uncle mentioned the Weight distributing hitch. Oyyyy....something else to look up. Thanks so much for the feedback. Good stuff.

First, welcome!
OK, your 6500lb dry weight camper will be at least 7500lbs loaded. that is border line 1/2 ton. I would look at a 2500 also. lots out there in your price range. diesel is not necessary but nice to have, a bigger gas V-8 or V-10 is necessary. just look for a well cared for truck. you don`t want a piece of junk. yes most any truck will have a class 4 hitch which is a 2" opening. you will also want to use a Weight Distributing hitch with any truck you get.

Tow rating is just that, how much the truck can tow.
GVWR, the most the truck can weigh with all people, cargo and trailer tongue weight with hitch attached.
GAWR, the most each axle can weigh, this number usually adds up to more than the GVWR. these are the numbers you don`t want to exceed!
CCC, the weight a vehicle can carry. this will be the difference between curb weight (weight the truck or trailer weighs when sitting in your driveway) and the GVWR. for instance, my trailer has a 7100lb dry weight and an 11,200lb GVWR for a CCC of 4100lbs.

You will learn a lot here, both good and bad LOL! so keep on reading and you will slowly learn some great things.

@pitch...

Yes...I am doing a lot of reading on all this. I am getting closer to understanding. You took me somewhat over the top with the comment "Every truck no matter the nominal rating,Eg,150/1500,250/2500 has a different rating". I am starting to see this. Really just baffles me why they bother calling them 150, etc. Should really be F-10000 or whatever for total towing capacity. So...payload (is that same as towing capacity?) is equal to truck plus rv? Here is a working example...(not that I am getting a 2015)....Sample.
Maximum Conventional Towing=19,000 lbs
Maximum Payload=7,260 lbs.
Maximum GVWR=14,000 lbs.
Please make sense of these numbers.

You need to do a lot of reading to know what you want.
You refer to Toms River,so I assume most of your towing will be east coast.
What are your plans for the camper?
Every truck no matter the nominal rating,Eg,150/1500,250/2500 has a different rating.
Pay load is the number most important to you at this point. Pay load can be determined by looking at a sticker on the driver side door jamb. The sticker will have a statement something to the effect of: Weight of passengers and cargo should not exceed xxxx pounds.
Tongue weight is the amount the front of your trailer is placing on your truck when hooked up. Needs to be 10 to 13 percent of the loaded weight of your trailer. Ball park on a 6500 empty trailer will probably be 1000 to 1200 lbs. You then have to figure the weight of everything you put into the truck. This includes passengers,after market equipment,camping gear, firewood and the chicken mcnugget under the seat.
I hope this helps a little bit.
As an aside I think that I would skip the Silverado, just because the guy is looking for a dirt bike in trade. Just my prejudice, but I think a dirt biker would have been hard on a 4wd truck.

@ol' grouch-

I would have thought 1500/2500 had something to do with weight. But what about the Fords 150/250? From what I've read 150/1500 is 1/2 ton and thereby can carry 1000 1bs in the bed. Did not think it equated to towing capacity. Actually someone is selling a F-150 that the manual states has a 8100 towing capacity. Therein remains the utter confusion. :h

Yes - equalizer bars they are called. I def will use them.

As far as pulling the load and handling it....I'd prefer to exceed it. I had a 92 Ford explorer pulling a pop up (both were loaded with stuff) and that thing dogged on the slightest prolonged upward incline.