buying new truck, assistance needed

Our Passport 2910BH weighs in loaded at 6900 lbs. We camp locally about the same as you and also do one long trip a year. I used to have a Ram 1500 with 2500 lb. helper springs and rear sway bar added. They made the truck handle better, but it struggled when it got into the mountains even with the 5.9 engine and 3.92 gears. When I weighed it I was almost 2000 lbs. over the GCWR even when under the max tow weight. I would have kept the Ram if we only made short trips but, since we travel long distances We moved up to an F350 Diesel SRW to fit our needs. If I were you I would be looking at a 3/4 ton for your application. It's the right tool for the job and you won't be maxing out the capabilities of your truck, and have an acceptable safety margin. The make and model are up to your personal preference as they all make nice trucks. Gas vs. Diesel is something that should be considered with where you will be primarily traveling, ie. mountains vs. plains. At the end of the day, you want to have "the right tool for the job", not the tool that's just "good enough to do the job". Good Luck with your search.