Hi,
I had posted here in september, prior to using my 3.3 ltr 1994 Caravan LE to tow my 16' Dixie fiberglass boat from new jersey to florida. I asked for advice about towing, etc., and promised to let you guys know how I made out on the trip.
Everything went fine. I had no trouble at all.
To prepare for the trip I flushed the automatic transmission oil and replaced the filter screen as suggested. Buying the right gasket/screen kit was a problem because there are 5 different sets, but eventually, by counting the bolts on the pan I was able to get the right one. The flush was a total flush, including the torque converter. I did that because I bought the van used and it had 150,000 miles on it. Also installed a medium sized transmission oil cooler and mounted it forward of the radiator, and replaced the serpentine belt. I also rotated the rear tires to the front.
The only thing I should have done, and didn't, was install air shocks because the weight lowered the rear a lot, but not enough to bottom out luckily.
So I can report, yeah, you can definitely use a caravan to tow a small boat long distances. One other thing, I ran in overdrive the whole way and had very little downshifting into 3rd. It happened once in a while on grades but not enough to turn off the over drive. With a fully loaded van, and boat, 40horse Evenrude, trailor, and one passenger, I got 24 MPG on the trip, compared to the usual 27. I removed the rear seats prior to the trip to reduce weight and provide more cargo room. Most of the driving was on cruise doing about 60.
mike