Having moved from an 03 Avalanche 2500 with 8.1/4.10 rear truck to a 2015 Silverado 1500, my new silverado out tows, out brakes, out accelerates, has less rear end sag, and more stability that my Avalanche ever had. My avalanche was in great mechanical condition and even had the motor putting out 370 hp. My silverado cheap lease truck beats it in every way. I can't believe how the new 1500's are better than the old early 2000's 2500 trucks. I couldn't buy a cheap old rusty 2500 for what I pay a month for this lease. I was very skeptical at first.

Are you towing a 380 Powerquest Avenger with a 2015 Silverado 1500?

My 2007 2500HD CC 8.1/allison tows my 32 AT easily. I figure I'm at 11-12k depending on gear and fuel load.

The 8.1 Suburban does not get the allison trans, but it will still be fine with a 272 Formula.

This is something I've been curious about. I don't have the exact specs but I believe my old 3/4 ton was probably rated to tow about 10 .5 k. If you check the right boxes I think a new half ton can tow as much or more. So what has changed to allow a new 1/2 to tow more than an older 3/4? I'm guessing the situation is the same with cargo capacity but haven't actually checked.

Why not just rent a truck? Some Ford dealers rent everything from F150s to F450s. I suspect you would never spend the 8K in rent, nevermind maintenance/insurance/tag fees.

This is my current/contingency plan. A bonus with this is one less vehicle to storage. I can however always rationalize the need for one more vehicle, besides a single purpose of towing a boat, it would be handy with the home depot runs, the occasional inclement weather and transporting larger groups of people (or my new puppy that will be growing to over 200 lb ....soon he won't fit in the 550)

For a half mile between the marina dry storage barn and the ramp.

There are a lot of older dually trucks out there that would probably fit your bill. Sometimes people will dump the prices on used duallies because there is a smaller market for them outside of jobsites because they are not good daily drivers. They might not be the prettiest to look at in that price range but will get the job done if mechanically sound. I would look at older diesel trucks for towing. Especially if they have a lower axle ratio. Might be able to get a better price by buying an older work truck or cab and chassis combo, then you just need to get a traditional bed if you want.

I assume you have EoH brakes, else I'd worry about the boat dragging the truck down the ramp.
No brakes on this setup. I like taking risks.
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+1
But I don't think you are going to want to shop locally. They are all going to be so rusted out, that they will be sketchy for towing. I'd look for Arizona, Nevada, or Texas trucks.