alright, lets see if this works. i promised i would show you, finally got a minute to read .........so this is what she wants to get. i am going to do a walk thru on Saturday. if you have any tips or suggestions please feel free.
If it were me, I would find a Dodge Truck message board. It is nearly impossible to get reliable information on a consistent basis from any car dealer. A friend of mine has a boat that weighs about 4500 pounds loaded up with gas and everything. She went into the Ford dealer to buy a new TV and they sold her an Escape with a rating of 2000 pounds. Dealers do not care about you. Don't forget it.
This is complete bull. You are very unlikely to get accurate information from anyone at the dealer. They only care about their short term gain. Now if you really want to trust a dealer of sorts the most accurate information in regards to towing capacity is at the Uhaul dealer. The have much to gain by making sure they are not liable for your stupidity. They do not want you to crash their trailers. They have everything to gain by making sure you can tow and STOP their trailer.
Uhaul is a joke, only thing I get from them is to refill my propane and I am sure to leave the tank and pick it up later....
After re-reading, editing, re-editing and editing for a third time the following is all that is left of my original post.. Seeing how what was here originally would have made the whole Hillary v.s. Donald thing look like a kindergarten slap fest ... Anyways to the O.P ... Do what you want, check with the dealer, trust a generalized Towing guide, or Goober down at the local Uhual, which ever you decide will give you the most accurate info.. If you don't already have one installed you'll need to have a brake controller installed and you'll likely want/need a Weight Distribution Hitch and seeing the physical size of the TT I would also recommend getting sway control (this can be an add on friction type or it can be integrated into the WDH like a Husky Centerline, Equal-I-Zer brand WDH, Resse also makes them along with Blue Ox and Hensley ..
Why would you not trust dealer information based upon a VPN number entry? The guy isn't looking to buy a new vehicle, so he's not going to get screwed over. Yes, generic sites can provide some good information, some accurate, some not. That VIN tells the entire story of the stock vehicle, assuming it's not pieced together. Everyone has their way of obtaining information, some works for you, some works for me. The point of this forum is to provide people with opinions, not force them upon others. We may agree, or disagree, but that's kind of life. Live and let live. Give the guy some good direction and move on.
Time to Upgrade TV. I mean its 17 yr old vehicle and you do mention you might need a new truck. the technology has come a long way. thanks satish
17 years old may just barely broken in. My under 3500k tow vehicle is 22 years old. My heavy tow vehicle is 39 years old.
Get a good truck. Stay away from dealers (auto and rv) as much as possible. Learn all that you can and do as much yourself as you can. Tow 30-40%(+) under TV capacity. Fix it yourself; make it yourself; do not trust manufacturers and dealers. Do your homework day and night and night and day and expect to get bamboozled at every turn. Praise when you are given a good turn.