"Alan" wrote in message

I'm thinking of an Explorer (2002 or newer). The problem is that most
come with the V6, Finding one with the 4.6L V8 is pretty tough. The
Explorer with a V6 and 3.73 gears is rated at 5400# so it should do
the job, but I'm accustomed to the V8 and a bit leery of the smaller
engine.

What say you? Do you think the 4.0L will pull the boat OK?

Depends on whether you're hauling a cruiser or a canoe.

A friend of mine towed his 2,800lb 16.5' runabout really easily with a 2000
Exploder 4L on Sunday. The trick is to make sure it's 4WD in case the ramp
is slippery, 'cause we got rid of my wife's 4.3L Chevy PU because it was
2WD, slipped a lot at the ramp, and between that and the manual transmission
pulling out was somewhere between a pain in the ass and scary.

A transmission cooler is a good bet too.

-c