| Van for towing
I use a Dodge 350 van for towing. It has a 360 V8 and an automatic with overdrive. The rear end has 3:93 gears. My trailer is not as big as yours, it's a 1971 25ft Trade Wind, travel ready about 5200lbs or so.
I disengage the overdrive when towing, and I do use 2nd gear when going up long grades. The 360V8 engine is not very powerful, but has little trouble getting up long steep hills and keeping the speed around 45-50mph. On regular straight roads, it does just fine, as a matter of fact I have to keep watching the speed, as it has it's "sweet speed" at 70mph. ( too fast for towing) Whenever you tow anything in the LA area, you have no choice but to go over one killer grade or another to get out of town, except for the Southern direction.
My van has the factory towing package and is an extended van with the long rear body extension. This is supposed to be a negative for towing, but to me it feels good. I have noticed no sway problems or other negative effects yet. Contrarily, I find backing and maneuvering in tight areas much easier with this van. Had a shorter Ford van before this. But as I said, my trailer is only 25ft. I like the van because it has soo much room, even with 7 people in it there is still room for gear and luggage etc.behind the last seat. It is very comfortable and quiet for long drives with more than two or three. It is very easy to load and unload. Try uinloading a pickup with a camper shell, you're on your knees the whole time. It gets about 7 - 9 mpg towing my trailer and has a good road feel. I use it for business, as a delivery vehicle at times, so I do have the write off, but basically I found a van to have very many advantages over Suburbans or pickups for other than towing use.
The vehicles mentioned by the other members would surely make excellent towing vehicles as well, but originally you asked about vans and sedans, and this is just my experience. I would stay away, very far away from limousines. They are often hodgepodge constructed underneath, and can usually barely support themselves, let alone a 31ft trailer. For people and trailer moving, plus for the most overall romminess, you can not beat a full size van, period. But there are not as many cool towing options and engines available, and the van is pretty much "out", at least in this part of the US.
I have not towed a 31ft trailer, but I would guess that the late model Dodge 1 ton van with towing package and perhaps some axle work to set up the gearing would do great. This just so you get some inside from a guy that is actually using a van for towing the Airstream.
Good luck!
Uwe
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