Even a V6 (4.0L preferred) ranger would meet your requirements. Any of the midsize V6 trucks will do. You could also get the large list of SUVs that max out at 5k towing capacity and be fine.

I have a 2010 Tacoma which I used to tow my 2,000lb 7x16 closed Pace American with Miata and tools. I went for the full doublecab to be a true DD. Do get a trailer with electric brakes. The Tekonsha PRODIGY P2 Brake Controller - Proportional plugs right into the harness on the Tacoma if you get the tow package. I use the equalizer hitch when pulling the Miata in the Pace American with ease.

I use an adjustable rapid hitch for all other towing duty including some open trailer towing. I just keep the 2 5/16", 2", 1 5/8" balls in the truck and can adjust to whatever I am towing at that point so it just stays on the truck. I would not spend the money on an aluminum trailer or anything fancy, no reason.

Lot's of people will tell you to go full size. That argument has its merits. My 2010 Tacoma DoubleCab with 6' bed is still longer and bigger than a full size was just a few years ago while the current 1/2 ton with the same options is taller, longer, wider and heavier still. A Tundra or other full size with simple options is close to a Tacoma in price while upping the towing capacity significantly but I would not personally choose that for a DD.

I second the prodigy.

I have towed my 1500# trailer with 2400# Miata for 3 years with 05 Nissan 4.0 liter automatic Kingcab [185K miles] without incident; longest trip San Antonio to Knoxville. Up graded this year to new 4.0 liter automatic Tacoma PreRunner; towed to north Ala this past w/e with no issues. Living in East Tennessee, we have mountains to transverse in every direction, so all tows include that.

Pictures and details of your trailer?

I've really been thinking about one of these to house the car in.

7x12 Enclosed Cargo Trailer Tandem Double Dual Axle Motorcycle Landscape | eBay

You can actually get a much cheaper than $3000 used open aluminum trailer if you have time to search because a friend of ours just sold his Aluminum trailer he was using for his Miata for $1600 (a bargain yes but he just wanted it gone since he bought a replacement already and didn't want to pay $100 a month storage)

Thanks for the input gents.

I'm going back to my original plan of 1/2-ton, gas truck. I'll still be able to get a relatively low mileage and loaded truck for my budget, and the wife wants a bigger truck for the extra room for our roadtrips and such.

So at least I won't have to search for an AL trailer!

Chris, I may know about that super deal. He didn't happen to sell to a guy named Sid did he?

Good luck OP, I think in the end you save money and get a little more capability.

I didn't ask whom he sold it to but it was sold in Houston after he drove back from Chicago (it got his Miata down to Houston anyway)

Honestly, I would rather spend the money on the tow vehicle than the trailer...

Its hard to find a decent steel/wood tailer for less than $1500 here (you find a lot of questionable home built trailers at that price range).

Same here, except substitute 2000 for 1500.

Tow rig is big though. The newest generation of trucks are just so much better than the older generations. My 09 F150 with the 4.6 3 valve and 6 speed auto tranny pulls better than the 97 f250SD XLT with the big block and 4 speed auto tranny, even though the big block has another 100ftlbs of torque, the 6 speed gives me a gear for every situation and the 4.6 doesnt mind reving out at all. Its also a billion times more comfortable, you'd get fatigued just sitting in the passenger seat of the f250, the f150 feels like riding in a very tall sedan. The shocks are way better, the rack and pinion steering needs way less baby sitting on the highway than the pinion arm and steering box, and the fuel mileage is better. Towing the miata on a 2000lb uhaul open trailer with the wing on it was netting high 15's for mpg with the f150, I'm sure it would be in the 16's if I took the wing off. We were in the 12-14 mpg range with the big block.

Still trying to find a decent trailer locally, but with all the prices I'm seeing I might as well just pay a hundred dollars more and buy a brand new one.

^I thought the last two gen V8s were 5.4 for the trucks until the 5.0 in '11?

Do they have the spark plug issues I've read about? I may also throw Chevy's into the mix now as well.

The newer 5.4's dont have that issue like 08+. For the F150, the new chassis started in 09 with the 08 engines, except the 3 valve 4.6 gets the 6 speed tranny (other options were 2 valve 4.6 and 3 valve 5.4, both with 4 speed auto) and then in 11 they switched to the 5.0, 6.2, and ecobooooooooooost. Only real downside I've found with the truck so far is that the injectors sometimes tick rather loudly, and it has the stupid ford power steering pump whine. You would think that after like 30 years of having this fucking whine in every fucking power steering pump they've made (except for the vans) that they would have fucking fixed it by now.

Damn, I didn't realize there was 3 different V8 options for those years.

I'm going to try to hold out until next fall and hope the 2015 F150 that are getting a redesign, major weight loss and supposedly a big mpg jump will drive down the price of the '11-'12 5.0 F150s.

Yeah, a lot of the MPG gains on the newer trucks probably wont translate to towing, especially if you're going to be pulling an enclosed. It is funny looking at people talking about towing enclosed trailers they all get ~10mpg whether its a 70's 454 carbureted chevy or a 2012 dodge hemi or anything in between.

I'd still rather have the ecoboost v6 for towing than the 5.0, !the same gas mileage while towing but way better mileage when unloaded. And MOAR torque.

No way, my van and every econoline van I have driven still have that god damn power steering whine.

At first, I was thinking I was going to fix it...but now I have just accepted my Van's soundtrack of creeks, squeeks, and whines.

Hmmm, because the whine fix for the older ford trucks was to use the saginsaw style pump out of the econoline. I dont know if it fits the newer trucks, no info exists on the internet about it.

The latest Ford trucks ('11+) use electric power steering for the 3.7, 5.0 & Eco. The 6.2 still has the fluid based power steering.