[QUOTE=progress4m;581102] Thanks for your reply. It sounds like the V8 is a lot more capable then v6 in terms of towing.

The torque comes on much lower in the rpm band for the V8 than the V6. You really notice this when towing heavy loads with the two different setups.

Now, to stop another useless argument, both engines pull strongly, and their output is not too different. The "real" difference is where in the power-band the torque comes on.

If you are serious about towing, get the V8

You guys seem pretty obsessed with the OEM cooler. It's nothing that special. With a good installer, a decent aftermarket tranny cooler can be installed, and likely do better than the tiny OEM one.

The tranny cooler is the cheapest insurance you can get. Definately worth the $150 and will prolong life. Fluid changes should be more frequent as well but how often depends on type of towing, weights, weather etc.

There is an ongoing argument about towing in overdrive(4th for the V6, 5th for the V8) It is usually recommended to stay out of OD. The RPMs will rev higher but puts less stress on the engine and tranny. I've tried both with my 4000lb travel trailer and find it better out of OD. (keep in mind a streamlined boat will have less wind resistance and will tow a bit easier)My V8 runs around 2700rpm at 65mph which was similar to the rpm as my old V6 but it is better in the power band. Even though revving higher in 4th, it gets better gas mileage than in 5th. Save OD for downhills or the flats with a stiff tailwind.

[QUOTE=progress4m;581102] I tow a 4700 lb boat and agree with the information above. I tow in 5th gear except climbing hills, I just pop it out of overdrive and climb the hill and pop it back in overdrive.

I tow our boat in 4th gear all the time @ 65 it turns 2600 rpm and still gets about 16 mpg. V6 4x4

I would highly recommend getting a transmission cooler.

Someone in this forum installed a tranny cooler himself. He was very helpful and shared some information about the cooler and how he installed it. Here is the website for the tranny cooler:

Tru-Cool LPD thin, Stacked Plate cooler kit: transmissioncoolers.us

The other suggestion, as far as I recall was, for Hayden Transmission Cooler.

Some other suggestions for tranny cooler companies were:

Summit:
Search Results for transmission cooler - SummitRacing.com

Jegs.com
transmission coolers - JEGS High Performance

Perma-cool
On-Line Catalog Contents

Went camping in our popup a couple of weeks ago down in WV, and the drive was across some of the hills/ridges/mountains in the Shenandoah and Appalachian ranges. Biggest changes in elevation were roughly 1200 to 3000 ft MSL. Some elevation change profiles are below for this trip.

Via 39 - Driving - Everytrail
Via 250 - Driving - Everytrail

No problems with power from my 2007 SE V6. Required 3500-3700 rpm to get over some of the mountains. The camper (Fleetwood Evolution E2) weighs in at 3200-3300 lbs loaded. Got 12.3 mpg during the towing parts of the trip.

Fleetwood Evolution E2

I put a transmission cooler on prior to the trip (yes, I will post some pics!). Outside of the climbs, the trans temp was steady around 100°F. On the most extreme climbs, it max'd out at 200°F. I felt really good about keeping the tranny cool.

I've got the CURT WD hitch yesterday and I am going to remove the OEM weight carrying hitch and install this one on my V6 runner. I will install a tranny cooler later. For the last trip to a lake nearby, the gas milage was about 10GPM (4th gear all the time). I guess the the wind drag is a main factor.