re-entering camping - what would you buy?

Can't respond to the make and model you are looking at but being a boondocker (off the grid) and having owned everything from an F150 towing a 17' and 22', up to an F250 towing a 27' and 32' TT to now owning an F350 DRW towing a 11.5k, 35' fifth wheel - you will want to look for good sized holding tanks - fresh, gray, and black. Some good sized TT's have 50 gallon fresh, but even with 35 gallon, you can work it with a little "training" for the kids. Even though you won't be camping in frigid temps, you still want to make sure that model has good insulation even for fall comfort and for hot weather. If you plan to do a lot of off the grid camping, you may want to invest in a generator as a supplement. It'll make life a lot easier and even more enjoyable. As for your towing setup - yes, most definitely get a weight distributing hitch and sway control. Both will make towing a charm and add to the safety factor. Even when we purchased our first at 17', we got the weight distribution and sway control. Your truck may tow 9600 (or was it 9500?), but you still have to account for your cargo (family) in the truck - total gvw there too.