We towed our Passport 2910 (similar weights to your camper) with both a 2005 Suburban 1500 that had the 5.3L/4 speed/3.42 axle and a 2004 Suburban 2500 6L/4speed/3.73 axle.
The towing experience is night and day. From a dead stop, the 2500 with the 3.73 axle will actually feel slower than a 1500 with the 5.3L, because of the difference in the first gear ratio between the LD and HD transmissions.
From a ride and handling perspective, the 2500 wins hands down. With the 1500 I knew the trailer was back there. I never felt out of control, but with every expansion joint or bump in the road, I could feel the camper bouncing. With the 2500, that was almost totally eliminated.
The 2004 2500 Suburban we had couldn't mantain speed towing our trailer on flat land in OD (4th gear), so I just always used 3rd (which is 1:1 ratio). Third gear did great and I don't recall the torque converter unlocking on any of the major hills in northern Michigan. I would loose speed, but maybe about 5 or 7 mph at the most. I am sure the truck would have been quite happy keeping speed if I gave it the gas.
What area of Ohio do you live? How far do you plan to tow and what areas do you plan to venture to?
