Should everyone who tows buy a Ram 5500? It's about buying the right tool for the job. It seems that the Pentastar isn't up to the task. The 2.7L ecoboost Ford looks more than up to the challenge. Of course there is mystery about the reliability, but that goes for any new model truck except for maybe a Tundra.
you answered the question yourself. "the right tool for the job".
you are overconcerned about the payload. if you look, what some chars, tables, floats and other stuff weights, when you put it in the bed- I can tell you- it would not make ANY difference. You will not even notice it- no matter if you have a V6, a Ecoboost or a Hemi. Except you plan to carry 20 bags of play sand for the kids with you.
The problem is the weight of your camper. You want to pull something, what is just 1000 lbs below your max. Even here in the forum are many pulling this kind of weight and more and they have hemi's and 4wd with "lower" payload. I don't know anybody who ever complained about it because even if you're 100 pound over- who cares?
I understand if money is the problem. Who don't have this handicap?
I also understand, like said, that you ask, until you hear what you want to hear. what you try to do? finding somebody, who says: hey- great Idea- yes- it works great- do it?
Ain't gonna happen. The same with the 2.7 Ecoboost. Say what you want- but it has similar tow rating. AND I can tell you, because I know people who have them- 2.7 and 3.5 EB- they hate it because the promised gas mileage is no where near reality. My neighbor can't get 17mpg out of it- and he is retired and drives 2x a week 100miles to Atlanta for some treatment he has to do. Also my camping buddy who has the 2.7. he got stuck on a camp ground, as it went up the hill and around a tight curve- the truck was not going nowhere and I had to pull him around. The engine did not even rev up no more. and he had a camper with the weight you want to pull. right after this trip, he tried to sell the truck to get a bigger one and he could not sell it. nobody even answered the add in craigs list. so he sold the camper and bought an RV.
If you go to camp forums- the guys with the 2.7 don't pull 6000+ campers- they pull pop ups or feather lights with max 4000 pound. Also- if the truck in the video is already down to 10mpg with 5000 pound- guess what happens with 6000+?
I mean- just think and consider to buy a used truck- it's not a shame and at the end you get more for the money. Also - you have the possibility to find one with the tow package, where the trailer brake controller is already installed. I can tell you- the Hemi will get 21 mpg with 8 speed and 3.92 ratio. the ecoboost- well- if you don't want to be the pace car on the highway can't beat it. neither one- not 3.5 and not 2.7.
But you have to make your own experience. and brace yourself, when everybody on the camp ground shakes the head over your tow-combination. The good part- they all friendly and will pull you out.
Another aspect- just forgot- if you ever got stuck on a gravel lot on the camp ground, because you have no 4wd, you wish, you would have set the priorities in a complete different direction.
My truck and my camper are used- otherwise we couldn't afford it. but therefore we was able to buy the right tool for the job! nowadays 20-40k miles are nothing to an engine. but it drops the price for a truck $10000 and more. Same with the camper- 2 years and you just pay half of the price.
Yeah- and if it's your wife, who needs the arguments, just to let you buy A truck, let her read camping sites and let her watch on youtube the videos to the topic. I watched 100ets before I choose vehicle, trailer and needed equipment. Nothing is as easy how it looks like when you watch others, doing it for years. Even I learn on every trip something new.
I know I can't change your mind- but I wish you would read all posts without judging and read, what people say. and then think and put yourself in mind into the situation to sit on the 2-lane highway, up the hill with 40mph and the transfer trucks flying around you and blow the horns out because of you. This is, what's gonna happen. Yeah I know- some people enjoy it and think they playing hard working truckdriver. No...it's just annoying for everybody else.