get a TV that is bigger than you need. towing thru mountains you are going to want it. towing thru mountains with a marginal tow vehicle is not a fun option. As some of the others have suggested if you want an SUV get a fullsize SUV. remember that many people (if not most) get into their TT and then upgrade it in the first couple years to a bigger model so my advice is to buy with that thought in mind. Something like an armada or burb might be good for you although I got lousy fuel mileage when towing with my old armada (it was maxed out towing my TT though). As others have stated fuel mileage and towing just do not go hand in hand, especially in mountains where you will be pushing higher rpms getting up and down mountains safely. the best you can hope for is reasonable non-towing fuel mileage. one thing to make sure of, double check your TV has a trailer tow package with a transmission cooler. get a good proportional brake controller like prodigy p2 or p3. Don't skimp on the hitch either. An extended cab or a crew cab F150 ecoboost short bed with a cap on the back might be a good tow vehicle for you. believe it or not, my f250 crew cab is every bit as comfy and roomy inside as my armada but instead of rear cargo area, I have a bed w/ tonneau cover. the seat folds up and I put a dog bed in for my 70lb dog. she was happier being closer to us and to our dd in the seat next to her.
As others have said, you need to understand what the weights really are. you will never tow a dry or unloaded trailer. Not knowing how much weight you are going to add it will be simpler for you to shop by trailer gvwr. most people tend to add 1000-1500 lbs of cargo to a trailer, keep in mind that some smaller lightweight trailers get lightweight by sacrificing cargo capacity and Will give you only 500-700 lbs cargo capacity. you will eat that up quickly with propane, dishes, clothes, battery, chairs etc. so pay attention to the capacity of the trailer. Now looking at the gvwr of the trailer, you need that to be less than the towing capacity of your tow vehicle. however, the actual towing capacity of any vehicle is generally less than what is stated because the tow capacity is affected by options on a vehicle (ie 4x4, longer wheelbase, interior packages etc) and by the weight you place in the vehicle with people, gear, pets etc. the TV payload is really the limiting factor of any TV. as the payload must account for all weight in and on the vehicle (this includes the tongue weight of the trailer). when TV shopping, look inside the drivers door at the sticker for "the weight of all occupants and cargo should not exceed X lbs". now subtract from that the weight of you, your DW, any pets, anyone else riding with you and anything you will have in the TV when towing. what is left from that number is what is available for trailer tongue weight. The tongue weight (hitch weight) is ideally 13-15% of the loaded TT weight (for your purpose you can use 13-15% of TT gvwr). now with your plans to do some significant mountain towing, I would not be anywhere near max numbers on the TV you buy. this will make for a more pleasant towing experience. The closer you get to max numbers the more difficult or white knuckle the towing experience becomes.
in terms of a TT, I would encourage you to go to rv shows and dealer lots and spend a lot of time in TT to see what you like and don't like. As you do, think about your use and where you will put things (ie clothes in that cabinet, dishes in this cabinet, chairs in that storage compartment, etc.). act out your daily activities (ie DW cooking, DH moving about TT, try out sitting in bathroom, standing in shower etc). this will tell you how the TT fits your needs. When you find a size and Floorplan you like, then look at the weights and match a TV to it. I think you are on the right track going smaller because fom what I understand, the bigger rigs can't always fit into some of the national park campgrounds. best of luck to you and happy hunting.
