Thanks for the reply bikendan! I figured the hitch was in use by lots of different vehicles which is why I haven't really paid too much attention to it (minus tongue weight).
I've been doing a lot of research and it seems as though with the additional gears in the new transmissions, this has allowed for lower rear end gears. Someone in another forum posted a screenshot of an Excel spreadsheet figuring final drive ratios. I don't know what the rules are for posting links to other forums so if someone tells me, I'll gladly share it. Basically though, it compared a 4 speed with 4.10 gears to a 6 speed with 3.08. In 4th gear the 6 speed was at the same final drive ratio as the 4 speed with 4.10. 5th gear was only slightly lower meaning in the right driving condition, it probably could be used to gain fuel economy. Similar to this, I found another post late last night on a truck forum about a year old talking exactly to this. It seems as though as the manufacturers continue to innovate the transmissions, rear end ratios will become less of a discussion topic. Still important no doubt, just less emphasis
That all said, what is considered a best practice on % of max towing to leave as a reserve. I'm fairly certain I don't want to hit 100% on my max tow but at the same time, I want to make sure we get something which we can all safely enjoy.
Thanks again for the input!