Most 17' boats w/ outboards are going to be under your weight requirement.
17' I/O w/ trailer and everything is going to be in the 3500+ range. 20' is
going to be closer to 4500 lbs.
I think a cuddy is out of the question.
I would recommend you find one that has the max rated hp engine on it.
These boats are not very fast and powerful to begin with and if the boat is
rated for a 130 you want every bit of that. A 90 is going to be a dog in
terms of ability to pull you on a slalom. I know a lot of people will say
they skied behind a 25 but that was on a plank (not a 65" slalom of today).

--
Tony
my boats at http://t.thomas.home.mchsi.com

"Tran" wrote in message
news:%I2uc.2055$g%.1042@lakeread04...
Hi,
I'm considering becoming a first-time boater. I know next-to-nothing
about
boating, but have been doing some online research. I can probably only
afford something that I can trailer and launch myself; town boat launch is
about 4 miles from my house. My tow vehicle would be a 2003 Kia Sedona
mini-van. It is rated to tow up to 3500 lbs, but total Gross Weight is
about is 5959 lbs., so really I can probably tow about 3300 for the short
distance to town launch, or less if I want to put wife and kids in the van
and go farther. My question is, what size/type boats should I be looking
at? I would like a "ballpark" idea of boat/motor/trailer combined
weights,
so I don't waste time looking at ones I couldn't possibly hope to tow.
Since I have small kids, I like the cuddy style more than the bowrider
(porta-potty and nap spot) but I'm guessing they are heavier. Anyone who
could give me some clues, I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

Tom

I'm using a chevy venture to tow a 17 1/2' sea ray with 100 hp outboard.
I'm guessing total weight to be about 2500 pounds. The venture is rated to
tow 3500 pounds but seems to be struggling a bit with this beast. It tends
toward overheating. I rarely have to tow this on the highway. I mostly go
2 blocks to the boat launch ramp. If I were towing a lot of miles, I would
need a better tow vehicle.

Any front wheel drive vehicle is not optimal for towing. You may have boat
ramp traction issues and the transmissions are delicate and expensive.
Install a transmission cooler regardless of the trailer you choose.

--
Denis Roy
D. Roy Woodcraft
www.ideasinwood.com
"Tran" wrote in message
news:%I2uc.2055$g%.1042@lakeread04...
Hi,
I'm considering becoming a first-time boater. I know next-to-nothing
about
boating, but have been doing some online research. I can probably only
afford something that I can trailer and launch myself; town boat launch is
about 4 miles from my house. My tow vehicle would be a 2003 Kia Sedona
mini-van. It is rated to tow up to 3500 lbs, but total Gross Weight is
about is 5959 lbs., so really I can probably tow about 3300 for the short
distance to town launch, or less if I want to put wife and kids in the van
and go farther. My question is, what size/type boats should I be looking
at? I would like a "ballpark" idea of boat/motor/trailer combined
weights,
so I don't waste time looking at ones I couldn't possibly hope to tow.
Since I have small kids, I like the cuddy style more than the bowrider
(porta-potty and nap spot) but I'm guessing they are heavier. Anyone who
could give me some clues, I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

Tom

** And don't forget about brakes on your trailer.
I'm struggling with the same issues.
1200 lb sailboat + 400 lb trailer + outboard on a Voyager rater for 2000
lbs. They recommend brakes on trailer if load exceeds 1000 lbs. ***

"Denis Roy" wrote in message
news:mNvuc.626812$oR5.95613@pd7tw3no...
I'm using a chevy venture to tow a 17 1/2' sea ray with 100 hp outboard.
I'm guessing total weight to be about 2500 pounds. The venture is rated
to
tow 3500 pounds but seems to be struggling a bit with this beast. It
tends
toward overheating. I rarely have to tow this on the highway. I mostly
go
2 blocks to the boat launch ramp. If I were towing a lot of miles, I
would
need a better tow vehicle.

Any front wheel drive vehicle is not optimal for towing. You may have
boat
ramp traction issues and the transmissions are delicate and expensive.
Install a transmission cooler regardless of the trailer you choose.

--
Denis Roy
D. Roy Woodcraft
www.ideasinwood.com
"Tran" wrote in message
news:%I2uc.2055$g%.1042@lakeread04...
Hi,
I'm considering becoming a first-time boater. I know next-to-nothing
about
boating, but have been doing some online research. I can probably only
afford something that I can trailer and launch myself; town boat launch
is
about 4 miles from my house. My tow vehicle would be a 2003 Kia Sedona
mini-van. It is rated to tow up to 3500 lbs, but total Gross Weight is
about is 5959 lbs., so really I can probably tow about 3300 for the
short
distance to town launch, or less if I want to put wife and kids in the
van
and go farther. My question is, what size/type boats should I be
looking
at? I would like a "ballpark" idea of boat/motor/trailer combined
weights,
so I don't waste time looking at ones I couldn't possibly hope to tow.
Since I have small kids, I like the cuddy style more than the bowrider
(porta-potty and nap spot) but I'm guessing they are heavier. Anyone
who
could give me some clues, I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

Tom

Thanks to you and all the others who have replied. All the info has been
very helpful. Now I know where to spend my time looking. Thanks again!

Tom