I agree with hotshoe, although I've had excellent experience with having just a little more tongue weight than that (maybe 250-500 lbs).
Have you all read Barry Week's excellent trailering article in the Tech Tips section? Most of what you need to know is covered there. Go to the menu bar at the top of this page and click on "Tech Tips."
Simple as that. These forums are good, but the strength of this web site is the knowledge we're building in the Tech Tips and the rest of the site. There's more to Stovebolt.com than these forums.
By the way, I do a lot of towing with a Dodge and I use the overdrive some -- I find that I'm shifting in and out of it a lot -- the truck generally lets me know when to kick it off.
Also, and you can call me elitist, but I don't think 1/2-ton trucks are good for towing anything bigger than a garden tractor. They are built for Harry Homeowner to haul a couple of sheets of plywood and some 2x4's home from Lowe's or to bring groceries home for momma. If you are going to be doing a lot of towing -- especially bigger items like other trucks -- do yourself a favor and get a truck that's built for that. 1/2-tons are just cars with big open trunks. Right tool for the right job, etc.
I once tried to tow a '70 Chevelle SS ragtop on a car dolly with a Blazer -- absolute stupidist thing I ever tried. Ever since, I tow with nothing smaller than a 1-ton.
John
