As a newbie that is progressing with experience - I would like to say this to get it off my chest:
Most likely - many of you out there have been involved in sales - so please do not take this personally.
When I was looking for a new 5th wheel I spoke to dozens of salespeople. Every single salesperson that I talked to told me that a 3/4 ton ford diesel was fine to pull a ~ 35 foot 5th wheel that weighed around 11,500 dry with a gross weight of around 14,000 to 15,000 lb. ( this is an average of the trailers that I was considering )
Before I bought my truck or 5th wheel, I posted on this forum for advice and watched many Youtube videos on this subject. I found a significant difference between what salespeople were telling me and what RV people were telling me, which was confusing and frustrating.
I had many 5th wheel salespeople that told me that I was over-thinking it. I just about bought a 36 foot Cameo that weighed 12,000 lb dry / and about 14,500 lb loaded but I was hesitant as I had already purchased a 2018 F-250 with the 6.7 diesel. The salesperson for the Cameo flat out told me that I was way too concerned about weight as he had friends that pull heavy toy haulers with 3/4 ton trucks.
When I bought my truck - I asked the Ford salesperson to tell me the 5th wheel tow capacity of the particular truck I was looking at. He told me it was 19,000 lb. and he boasted his 20 years selling Ford trucks, It is a single wheel - 4 wheel drive. He was wrong - and I figured this out before I bought the truck, but by looking at the technical data sheet, I thought it was more than it really was for this truck based on the VIN number. I found this out after the fact.
With all this said - I ended up doing this:
Instead of buying a Grand Design Solitude, I bought the lighter Grand Design Reflection 337RLS. it is 10,700 dry and I figure around 13,500 loaded while traveling. As it would turn out - at this point, contrary to what all the 5th wheel salesmen and truck salesmen told me, I am close to the "red zone" with the truck capacity. Its not the tow capacity of this truck. This truck seems to pull the trailer almost effortlessly and I have hit some grades. I am safely within the rated tow capacity. The problem is the cargo capacity or pin weight. It is illegal and unsafe to exceed this capacity - my thoughts anyway.
Now I have to face the reality, as I need to drive from California to North Carolina over several months, that possibly I will need to buy a 1 ton truck before I am finished and trade in my 3/4 ton. Maybe not - but I am close enough to the truck rating to be concerned, and if I do - it could be as much as a $20,000 hit as I bought a new and loaded Laredo.
Just saying - always air on the side of safety and be careful with information provided by someone trying to sell you something. My experience anyway.
No offense to anyone and yes - if you look it up - you told me so.
And also - yes there is a big difference between a full timer and someone towing 10 miles to a campground for a weekend.