Multiple aspects:

1) As others have mentioned, you'll want to have a transmission cooler
installed. U-Haul offers the service, but their mechanics often look like
creatures from a Stephen King movie. Ask you regular mechanic, if you have
someone you trust.

2) According to my mechanic, about one in a million customers have their
tranny fluid and FILTER replaced on schedule. Do it, and keep doing it.
There's no better way to kill an aging tranny than to tow with it, with old
fluid and a filthy filter. This is especially important with marginal
vehicles like Fords, Chevys and Chryslers.

3) If the combination of cargo/passengers in the van and the boat cause the
rear of the vehicle to sag, have air shocks installed - the kind you can
pump up at the gas station to level the rear. It's especially important if
you have front wheel drive. Others will say that tongue weight's only 80 or
100 lbs and it doesn't matter, but combined with other luggage, that could
be just enough to take the weight off the front wheels and make the van
steer funny. And it's not funny, especially on wet roads, or when a nearby
tractor trailer creates turbulence at 65mph.

-Doug

"RLRUXER" wrote in message
...
i have a 2002 chevy venture van with the 3.4 liter engine. i do not have
the
factory tow package b/c i did not think i would be towing anything,
however I
would like to get a small runabout. is there anything that i can do to
improve
the towing capacity of this vehicle. The manual says that without the tow
package i can only tow 2000, but with a tow package i could tow 3500. i
was
wondering what exactly the tow package consisted of and what i could do to
add
a "tow package" to my van.

thanks
Rob Ruxer
Hopewell,va