I don't remember it being this difficult on any other truck I've owned.
At first, I though the tensioner needed to be rotated COUNTER clockwise and I ended up shearing the tip off my "serpentine belt tool"....

So I checked out some Youtube videos and discovered that it needs to go CLOCKWISE to relieve the tension....but using a 1/2" drive didn't make it any easier.
I'm trying to get to the source of a noise that only shows up intermittently...it's a rotational noise....like a spinning bearing that has no lube. It increase with engine speed, but only to about 1700 RPM where it disappears.
It will show up again at idle...and eventually vanishes for good after a while...but I'm concerned that it might be either an idler pulley or the pulley on the tensioner itself. Since we're just getting to the start of towing season, I want to get this resolved....don't want to throw a belt when towing up a mountain pass....I've seen what the belt can do to the shrouds and rad, when it breaks....
So I'm trying to loosen the belt so that I can check the idlers and pulleys...I don't remember it being this difficult.

 

I used a 1/2" breaker bar and a cheater pipe for the extra length and remember there was plenty of room for it all...replaced all that junk on mine not too long ago as well because I also don't want the bearings in an idler pulley crapping out or worse the tensioner coming apart and taking the front cover out.

You release belt tension by pulling towards the driver's side with the bar facing more or less straight up.

 

I agree. I just did mine a month or so ago and thought the same thing. The space between the shroud and the fan it so small it defiantly makes it quick difficult. I am glad I had a pit to work over that day.