seeking recomendations for a towing vehicle that will seat 7

Yes, you will need to wire up the brake controller as well. There is no simple plug in adapter like many other cars. All together, hitch and wiring was about $400. I already had a brake controller that I transferred from my truck.

I agree, compared to the 3/4-1 ton truck the van actually rides pretty well. There is no resemblance to a mini van...this is a full on truck. With the big voluminous interior, I think it may be a bit more noticeable to me where in a truck a lot of the bounce and rattle is out back.