Ha, yeah these are fightin' words for some! There can't possibly be a "best" because there are so many variables.
Since you have a Mountaineer, my first question is if you want to stick with an SUV or go with a truck. My only experience is pursuing an SUV and I found it very difficult as the towing ratings are pretty vague online and in the manuals. Mine has the full set of numbers (GAWR, GVWR, both axles) on the sticker in the door. Perhaps if shopping remote (like I did during covid) you can get the dealer to snap a photo for you, or maybe someone on the forum can read theirs off to give you a starting point. Trucks have all this published in an easy to find way (well, the bigger ones I looked at do).
If you get an idea to get a lighter SUV or truck, don't just ask about mileage on the forum. I'd also be curious about how many RPMs they typically rev while going down a flat road. I honestly hadn't thought much about that, but the idea of roaring over 3000 all day is just exhausting to me! Another thing to think about.
BTW, I looked very seriously at a Ford Expedition and would be an owner except for the carelessness of the dealer who, honestly, didn't seem to give a damn. My other cars were already Toyota, so that gave me time to think about dropping the stupid amount of money for a land cruiser (ha!). I did really like the Expedition, though. It would get better mileage, I'm sure, and it has lots of spiffy towing features. I just wished it had towing mirrors as an option, but I've found with my land cruiser that I can see around pretty good with a micro minnie. A bigger trailer is likely to be wider, though, so think about that too. I couldn't find after market mirrors beyond the clip-ons.
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Todd
2019 Micro Minnie 2108DS with upgrades and mods here
2020 Toyota Land Cruiser, RedArc TowPro-Elite, Andersen 3380 WDH
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