I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer here, but your suggested rig is going to have issues. There are a few members of the Forum who tow a ready-to-camp TM with a 3500-pound rated vehicle. But not many.
The first part of the problem is the actual weight of the TM when you hitch it up and go. You need to be aware that the specified weight of any RV or trailer, including a TM, is the so-called "dry weight". Dry weight means the weight before any options (factory or aftermarket) are added. You will need to check the list of available factory options for the year of the trailer you plan to own. Most are pretty light, but the air conditioner and the awning add up to a couple hundred pounds or more. Dry weight also refers to the weight of the trailer before any content is added - meaning no food, dishes, clothes, water, propane, bedding, tools, or anything else that you as an owner/camper would add before you hit the road. Bottom line is that it is common for a middle-of-the-road TM such as a 2720 to weigh in at 4000 pounds when it is ready to hitch up and go. And towed weight, also known as ready-to-camp weight, is what counts, of course.
The other part of the problem is with the "tow rating" of the tow vehicle. A vehicle's specified tow rating applies to the vehicle itself, with no cargo, and no people except a 150-pound driver. Anything beyond this must be subtracted directly from the tow rating. If you add 5 people at an average weight of 75 pounds (375 pounds), the tow rating immediately drops to 3125 pounds. And if you put a couple hundred pounds of cargo in the back of the vehicle, your tow rating drops to 2925 pounds. With a family of 6, and the "stuff" required to support them, both of these numbers may need a little more thought.
When you look at a vehicle's tow rating spec, you will often find an asterisk next to the number, and the asterisk will say something like "when properly equipped". And "properly equipped" usually means it has a factory-installed towing package. And if the vehicle doesn't have a Class 3 or Class 4 hitch receiver, that means it doesn't have a factory towing package. The package is a group of equipment including important things like heavier suspension components, an auxiliary transmission cooler (over and above the cooler that all automatic transmission vehicles have), a 7-way electrical socket to plug the trailer into, and an electrical brake controller.
Again, I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer here, but I would hate to see you get all set up and ready to go, only to find that your rig won't do what you thought it would do.
Bill
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