[sourdough]

Without doing some research I have no idea what you can buy for 5-8k in a used, larger SUV. What is your trade worth...realistically? Looking for a larger, good shape, SUV for that price may prove daunting.

900 dry. What do you plan on it weighing? What are the axles/tires rated for? Frame/tongue/coupler? 900 dry would mean, to me, that it might weigh 1500 with trailer essentials in it, but I just saw some folks stop in Vicksburg, MS with a homemade plywood teardrop (sort of) trailer with a couple and 4 kids, single axle, maybe 13" wheels....and they piled that thing high inside with all kinds of stuff along with the bedding etc. The little mini van was stuffed as well. So, knowing what you are going to put inside means a lot when figuring out the answers to the questions I asked above....and a lot to your safety.

Off the cuff, at 1500lbs. it won't be a big load if you have a decent tow vehicle in decent shape. What are you planning on putting in the tow vehicle? The payload on it, along with the shape of the suspension and everything else, will have a big bearing on what you do. Chuck mentioned the wdh/sway. The worst time I've ever had towing was with a single axle trailer.