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Famtwo, I don't know if my experiences will ease any of your concern or not. With out 2005 F250 diesel automatic 4x4 we towed...
1. I-70 through Colorado from west to east, over all the passes and up to and through the Eisenhower tunnel.
2. Quite a number of 10%, 8%, 6% grades in Utah and in Pennsylvania and maybe other places.
3. A 14 percenter, 4 miles long (can provide a picture of the grade marker if you like) on UT highway 12. Going uphill.
4. Death Valley in May (I know, really dumb). We towed from the south entrance to the center then out to the west entrance where our campground was located (Panamint Springs CG). Outside temperature was 114 degrees. Engine and tranny temperatures as well as EGT were running high, real close to my limit when climbing the long 10% grade westbound, just east of Panamint Springs CG. Would I do it again? Not if I knew in advance the surface temperatures was that high. But I'm glad to know the truck handled it just fine, although I was worried about the temperatures. The Montana weighed 14,620 so it was not exactly a light load.
Your F250 will do a sweet job for you. And it will brake very well, same brakes as the F350. You may or may not need airbags to level the truck, depending on your pinweight.
Mountain downhills were not a problem. My Ford did not have an exhaust brake. On grades of less than 6% tow/haul handled it without need for me adding any braking except to slow for curves or something like that but not for the grade itself. Above 6% I had to occasionally give it three or four seconds of brake. That was anywhere from once per half mile to once per quarter mile depending on the steepness. An exhaust brake would make it even better.
Handling was never a problem, either. Your Ford has bigger tires standard than the GM's. LT265 on the Ford. If I were you, and based on my past experiences, I'd just go and not worry about it. But, of course, you have to make your own decision.
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