1st of many questions to come

as for snow, check your state laws. in many states chains are required on trailers when traction tires or chains are required on vehicles. Commonly known as "drag chains". big issue is what happens when you try to stop. without chains it's very easy for the trailer to jacknife.

as for the truck. check the actual cargo weight and towing weight limits for the specific vehicle. for your sized trailer the colorado diesel may be a very good choice. If it was between a half ton and 3/4 ton it's a no brainer, the 3/4 ton diesel. But the colorado is enough smaller that it should be nicer around town etc.

Buy at least 3/4 ton truck diesel. You will regret having a truck without enough power and capacity to tow safely and comfortably. The difference between driving around town in a 1/2 vs a 3/4 ton is minimal and IMHO is not worth the trade. I have owned a 1/2, 3/4 and now 1 ton Dodge and the difference is minimal but when towing with my 1 ton, it is safe and comfortable. Towing weight is only 1 part , the ability to keep the trailer stable in winds and passing 18 wheelers and really important is stopping the trailer and truck.

The Colorado has pretty darn good payload for a midsized, just over 1,500lbs for a Z71 diesel crew cab long box. That's plenty for a 5k wet trailer as long as you don't have 4 big adults and a bed full of stuff. As far as power, TFL towed 7,000 over the Ike gauntlet with the diesel and it was slower than the v6 but made it just fine. Personally unless I was driving long miles with the truck empty I'd save the money and get the gasser.

Don't pay a lot of attention to advertised towing capacity. You'll run out of payload before you get close to that number. When manufacturers calculate towing capacity, they don't allow any weight for aftermarket accessories, passengers, or cargo. As you load accessories, people and cargo, your available payload and max towing capacity are going down, pound for pound.

Your true towing capacity is limited to the weakest link in the combined ratings on the truck. That weak link is normally payload. A weight distributing hitch and trailer tongue weight are counted as cargo weight on the truck.

When you look at trucks, open the drivers door and check the tire / loading sticker. It will show a number for max occupant / cargo weight (payload). That is the truck's capacity to carry everything and everybody you put in it or on it. That number will vary from one truck to another, depending on installed options.

Example:

Say the sticker says max occupant / cargo weight is 1200 lbs. If you have 500 lbs of people, 200 lbs of tools and stuff in the truck bed, and 100 lbs of weight distributing hitch, you only have room for 400 lbs of tongue weight. That would limit loaded trailer weight to about 3000 lbs. The same truck with only a 150 lb driver and the WD hitch would have room for 950 lbs of tongue weight.

Check the rating on the hitch receiver. It will have max weights with and without a weight distributing hitch.

The closer you get to max weight on payload or towing capacity, the more unpleasant the towing can be.

What is the payload capacity of the truck. That is a very important item. While the rig may be capable of towing 7700 lbs it may not have enough payload to support 10-15% of the weight of trailer plus you and the wife and whatever else you put into the truck.

I prefer diesels also, but that's just my preferences. As for range, look at the size of the fuel tank also. Some come with awful small tanks.

Yes trailers can be pulled in snow, you just need enough truck weight to control the trailer. The truck may pull it, but will it stop it? Think of all the trucks pulling large enclosed four place snow machine trailers. The ones I see having problems are the lightweight 1/2 ton shortbeds with crappy all season radials, with no weight in the bed, that can't control the trailer especially in the corners.

No I wouldn't put chains on the trailer unless you absolutely had to travel on glare ice. But you should just stop wherever you're at and wait it out.

Bill