Which truck to get?

I tow a 31' fifthwheel, weight about 9000 lbs with a gas, 2500 Dodge. I have a long bed, but if I could have gotten a short, regular size bed, that would have been better. My opinion, only, for no worry and maybe anot upgrade later, a 250 or 2500 gas, at least an extended cab, short bed with trailer towing package will be more than sufficient. With all the new weight changes a 150 or 1500 might do.
Personally, I like gas for the lighter trailers.

Have fun, good luck and congrats on your retirement. 32 years ofcteaching...you earned it.

Any of today's 1/2 ton gas or diesel trucks would handle that tt with ease. Obviously something with forced induction (turbo charged) wouldn't suffer from power loss at higher mountain elevations, but none should struggle with that weight. Pick your favourite.

That trailer is within the tow rating of pretty much any full size truck on the market if it only weighs 4,500 pounds. If that's the advertised dry weight it likely weighs more than 1,000 pounds over that.
You certainly don't need a diesel. Just about everything will have an automatic transmission. If it's got 5 or more speeds it should be just fine. Preferably with a tow/haul mode.
I've had excellent service from numerous GM trucks over the years. A GM 1500 or 2500 would work just fine. The 5.3L or 6.0L are both excellent reliable engines. Just get one new enough to have the 6 speed transmission. 2009 and up I think.

Check out a new Ram ecodiesel for outstanding fuel economy buoth towing and non towing

Sometimes feeling confident in the up and down grades makes good diesel power just so reassuring. They really do haul in the ups, and can slow you down when you need it too.

Tow haul options with gas power are also a good option if you stay at that length of a rig, but stay near there for good performance.

I too am a retired teacher and looking fora truck to pull a 25 foot camper. I too need something that can take on hills and mountains with ease. From what you are suggesting I should look at 150s with a towing package? I thought I would need at least a 250. I want gas not diesel. I need all recommendations on what trucks to look at what kind of power they need to have. Do I need a 4 wheel drive or a V8?

I tow 6500 lbs. with a tundra and just went through Colorado with no effort. It comes with tow/haul and brake controller when you get towing package

I tow a 23rb with a 1500 chev max tow package . i avrg 10 to 11 mpg.
It tows great on a Reese pro series hitch. Keep tires between 45 and 50 lbs. Keep an eye on tire wear. If you see them wearing in the centers,drop pressure to 45 lbs. You are well below the oem tire rating using stock c ply's. This combo tows equally well on an open windy hwy or a twisty back road. Im very happy and love the simple floorplan and large rear bath.
Pm me anytime.

Is THIS Your TT? If so, it doesn't weigh 4500 lbs, especially on a cross country trip with all your stuff in it.

To do this correctly, you should load it up and take it to a CAT Scale and weigh it. Tongue weight is important as it subtracts from your tow vehicle's payload, as does everything else loaded in the TV. I'm betting the tongue weight will be in the range of 600 - 800 lbs.

Please don't shop for a TV based on it's towing capacity. A diesel 1500 has limited payload capacity due to the heavy engine.

If it was me, I'd want a little overkill to drive around the country.

Good luck!

2012Coleman wrote:
Is THIS Your TT? If so, it doesn't weigh 4500 lbs, especially on a cross country trip with all your stuff in it.

The OP says she's a widow so without knowing otherwise that suggests she'd be traveling on her own. With her trailer having a factory dry weight of 4015 lbs it likely weighs ~ 4300 lbs with a battery, propane tanks filled, some water in the tanks. Since allowing 700 lbs of cargo seems reasonable for just one adult that would bring the trailer's estimated gross weight to ~ 5000 lbs with an average gross tongue weight of ~ 650 lbs, both of which should be an easy task for any current gas aspirated 1/2 ton from the Big 3. If serious upgrades are part of her plan then I'd pay more attention to selecting the correct axle ratio rather than fuss over too much truck for her particular situation - i.e. just one adult person and a limited cargo load. ;)