towing question

[kissfan4]

ok so i nwasnt sure where to post this but i have a towing question. we have a 2004 tracker pro team 175 that we tow with my dads f150, i myself have the family minivan which is a 2004 chevy venture, my question is, will i be able to tow the boat with the van or not. we dont travel very far normally to fish, most trips are 50 miles round trip, with the occasional trip of 100-150 round trip. the reason i am looking into this is we are planning a trip to either KY lake or Barkley in the spring, and we may have to take two boats so i was considering putting a hitch on the van. So what do you all think?

[muddpuppy01]

i would check the tow rating of the van then the entire package wieght of the boat.

[canebreaker]

This will help. I see the Curt has a greater towing capacity. Go with the class lll hitch 2 inch receiver. Add the wiring kit to your cart too.
2004 Chevrolet Venture Trailer Hitch | etrailer.com

[jimp]

I have the same year/model as you have with a 60 2 stroke, you don't say what size OB but the weight difference with a smaller OB goes in your favor. I used to own a 2000 F150 w/ the 5.4 and I never even knew my boat was hooked up to that truck. You don't say what size engine your van has, but if it has a V6, it will pull it fine. I currently pull my boat with a Ford Sport Trac 2WD w/ the 4.0 engine, I just take it out of OD for my own piece of mind. I would still verify the tow specs on your van tho. The Hull weighs about 1000 lbs, my 60 weighs about 300-350 lbs, plus the seats/carpet/TM etc. Safe guesstimate on total weight would be 2000 lbs for the boat/motor/trailer, then consider your gear and any gas in the boat

[kissfan4]

The boat has a 50 2 stroke on it, and thevan had 3.4 v6. I am pretty sure it will pull it but I guess I need to find the towing capacity

[canebreaker]

That info should be in the owners man. or on the tire rate sticker. If not google it.

[Ranger09]

Call the dealer and they can certainly give you a heads up and if there are any concerns that need to be addressed....Ranger

[jaxsprat]

You may need to have a transmission cooler put on v-6 van ask your mechanic or dealer

[CatFan]

Without a towing package, your venture is only rated at 1900lbs towing. The towing package probably includes a tranny cooler, hitch and wiring, but it also may include different gearing.

The problem you may see is that you'll probably have gear and people with you that eat into the vehicle payload. The rig is probably going to weigh about 1500lbs without fuel or fishing gear.

If you do it, I'd put all the extra people and gear in the F150 and the other boat.