I have the GMC Factory Towing Guide for 2002 in my hand. It lists the lowest 5th wheel towing weight as 15100 lbs for the CrewCabLongBox4X4, and the highest towing weight as 15800 lbs for the ExtendedCabShortBox2WD. All the other combinations of box lengths, 2 or 4 wheel drive, Regular, Extended or CrewCab, are all weights in between the two stated above for 2002. You are good to go.
Its highly recommended that you tow no more than 80% of your maximum GVWR for a safety margin. I would certainly think that you are well within that standard. From my signature you'll see what my TV is and my trailer weighs 9850 lbs. I tow it like its not even behind me. My neighbour has my identical truck and a HitchHiker II, weighing in at 11 500 lbs, and he has no problems either. He's towed from Texas to Alaska, and from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Prince Edward Island with his rig, with never a concern for not having enough truck for the job.
By the way, I can't imagine why the dealer would even suggest that you needed more suspension than the truck already has? Unless your pin weight will prove to be a whole lot more than 1500 lbs and the rear of your truck has a definite squat when hitched to the trailer, it shouldn't need a thing. The pin weight of that HitchHiker II that I mentioned above was only 1511 lbs, 9 more than my trailer, and both trucks tow dead level.
Gene
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2004 Cougar 285
2003 GMC 2500HD CCSB stock,
except for Bully Dog Power Pup Level 2
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