I know a couple that full timed in a 30' Airstream, towed by a then new 1979 E-350 van. They lived in it for about 15 years, upgrading to a 34' Airstream along the way, also raising the roof on the van by 18" with a fiberglass raised roof. The van had the standard 460" carburetor V8 with about 200 factory HP, and less torque than most V6's these days. But that was one of the more powerful engines at the time, and towed the 18,000 combined weight around the country without troubles. A little slow up the mountain grades, but that was to be expected. It was single rear wheels, and they kept good tires on the van, never having a tire blowout while towing.
I think that the single rear wheel will be much better while driving around town, especially in a parking lot, and will tow the small trailer easy. If the trailer was a 15,000 pound fifth wheel with a 3,000+ pound pin weight, then you might need a dually.
Modern trucks also have heavier rated tires than in years past. Ford started putting on 18" rims in 2005 model year trucks, increasing the GVWR by about 1,500 pounds over the 2004 model. The tire weight rating also went up by about 400 pounds per tire.
Fred.
