I have 5.4 lariat with 3.73 rear and a 2.5 level with a rear add a leaf. I have towed a 12.5k lb boat several times with no problems. I honestly dont think 10k with be a problem.

 

I also have an edge tuner. True dual straight pipes. And 33" mud grapplers. And a transmission cooler. Still truck does fine towing the weight. Dont know what everyone is stressing abt.

 

With both my F-150 and Ram 1500 I haul a tool trailer that weighs around 8,000lbs loaded, with up to 1,200lbs of construction supplies in the bed. Both my trucks are stock with the exception of the F-150 which has a Borla Cat-Back and the Ram 1500 which has a Vararam Cold Air Intake. Both are fully capable of hauling all that weight around properly and safely. Keep in mind that I am stressing both vehicles very close to their factory limitations, so things will wear out much faster which leads to more frequent maintenance.

I think the major issue is the safety. Most people have high expectations of their vehicles yet neglect their maintenance. I do a full check of all wheel lugs and do a walk-around of both the truck and trailer before I take a trip. I check tire pressures and wear marks on the tires daily. If you want to haul a lot of weight, up to 10,000lbs I'm certain you can do it. I would not recommend exceeding what the factory specs say but keep safety as the priority and you should be able to do it. Overall I do recommend a SuperDuty if you are going to haul 10,000lbs on a daily basis. Even for me my next truck will be a diesel.

 

Brake controller is a must and also depends what kind of driving you do. I would not want to be towing 8500 pounds through the Idaho mountains. There are some steep long passes that my truck gets a good workout with my 6000 pound travel trailer. If you were flat towing I don't think up to 10k for a short time would be an issue.

 

I'll bet with 4:56 gears your milage sucks

 

Towing or in general? With 35s around town and on the freeway up to around 70 it isn't bad. It's probably actually better around town than with my stock 3.55s as it is easier to get up to speed. Doesn't have to strain as much. Towing it does rev pretty good in second or third going up mountain passes. I see 4000 rpms for extended periods. It does drink the gas, around 9 mpg when towing my camper. Usually go camping within a hundred miles, so not a huge deal.

 

I drive my tool trailer anywhere from 20-200km on a daily basis, 7 days a week. I always use Tow/Haul mode when I'm hooked up with weight. I also have high end (expensive) aftermarket pads and rotors on both trucks. I do recommend a trailer brake controller, the Tekonsha Prodigy is a good one.

 

I have a 29ft, 34ft overall RV that comes in at about 6400lbs that I pull but it can be a challenge when its really hot out. Going down the highway without extreme hills is a breeze but its alot of weight on the truck even with the equalizer hitch.