A fifth wheel will pull easier. It's more stable. Only the smallest
fifth wheels, if any, can be pulled by a 1/2 ton. You might squeak by
with it but it won't be the best of experiences. Get a 1 ton  if it's in
your budget.

 I prefer 5th wheels, for their towing stability. I have owned and
towed, two small 5ers with a 1/2 and a small block V8. The only issues I
had with that truck and a 5500 lb 5er was on the steeper (12% and up)
grades found in Canada. If I didn't do a far amount of trips on those
steep grades I would have stayed with that truck

 I would also recommend a used RV to start with. Few people buy the
right (for them) RV the first time. It's better to not loose too much
money when you switch RVs.

 Now, here is the rub. Most of the 5th wheels out there on the market
are going to be too large. Finding -any- used 5er, in that size range
can be tough. They simply aren't popular. Finding a -good- used 5er, is,
well.... When we bought the 91 Prowler (21-5b, 22ft long), in all of the
Seattel-Tacoma area we found one 5er that was worth buying.

 There are a number of builders of "average" quality rigs. Fleetwood,
Thor, etc. To my knowledge there are two builders of small quality rigs.
One is New Horizon, which are great (and priced like it). The other
built by Northwood (Nash and Arctic Fox).

 Now we just bought a used Nash 24-5N (which is why we are selling the
Prowler), while this is a 25 ft trailer, it is way too heavy for your
1/2. The dry weight is about 7000 lbs, with full load being 11,000 lbs
(yes it has about 4000 lbs of cargo carrying). So in the "good" trailer
lines, you may not to be able go with a trailer as large as 25 ft.

8500 sounds a bit high for a 1/2 ton.

One of the few companies that make ultra light 5th wheels is the Flagstaff
by Forest River:

http://www.forestriverinc.com/

I think they have some that weigh less than 5000 pounds.  Probably adequate
for your type of use and as others have said look for a used one.  You can
get a used one that is a couple years old for about half the price of a new
one.  Just look though the want ads.  They are full of "three years old,
used twice" type of statements.

I have a friend that has the same truck as I have.  Mine is a 1/2 ton
F-150 7700GVW with the 5.4L V8, his is a year earlier and is the same
truck but badged a light 3/4 ton.  He pulls a 24 foot fifth wheel and
is happy with it.  I pull a 19 foot TT that usually weighs about 4000
pounds (total GVW of 10,300 pounds) and I would not want to pull
anything heavier, over steep passes and over country with lots of ups
and downs.  OTOH, all 1/2 tons are not equal. I have a friend with an
older chevy half ton with a huge engine and he pulled a 24 foot TT
keeping up with a group of rock hounds (without trailers) that drive
like maniacs.  

If you aren't travelling far or fast, a heavy trailer would work with
a heavy 1/2 ton.  Personally, I wouldn't want to pull anything over
6,000 to 7,000 pounds under any condition even though mine is rated
for 8,300 pounds.

Five years ago, we researched and decided how we would use the 5th-wheel
we were about to buy.  We were newly retired and decided that we would be
using the rig for 1-2 month trips, mostly in state parks.  So we got a 27
foot
Sunnybrook.  This size rig is perfect for the couple month trips and getting
into relatively small SP sites.  Unfortunately, a year after getting it, we
decided that we wanted to get away from the snow in the winter and became
snowbirds for 4-5 months each year.  Now, the rig starts to get a bit
'smaller'
as the months roll by.  We would have been better off getting a bigger rig
initially.

Before you lay out the cash, REALLY decide how you will be using the
trailer.  Then decide what to get.

Ed j

Since no one else addressed this particular issue, I'll give it a shot.
Aside from the fact that they're easier to pull, the main  benefit of a 5er
compared to a TT is space.  The front of a 5er, usually the bedroom, is up
over the truck bed.  In essense, a 30 foot 5er and a 25 foot (or so) TT will
have the same overall length (truck plus trailer) on the road.  5ers do tend
to be taller, a consideration that may limit access to some campgrounds.

Oh, 5ers tend to have much more storage.  The area immediately behind the
truck us usually a very large storage area.

cheers

bob