After towing for 26 years with a 1965 Chevy Van (w/292-TH350), DW and I are getting too old to put up with 100 degree temps in it cause it has no air. So we bought a pristine '04 Envoy 4.2 to tow o...
I'd walk right past the Dodge van's of that era, and look at the Chevy 6.0 since you excluded the Ford. I have no experience with the 5.3 so I can't comment.
I drove 15 passenger versions of the Ford (1999), GM (2004), and Dodge (1996) for several years and the Ford and the GM were in the same category, while the Dodge was simply outclassed.