I'm planning on buying a boat in early spring of 08. I currently have a 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette with a V-6 at around 85,000 miles. Last I checked, the towing capacity is 2000 Lbs. Anyone here tow with a Minivan? I'm looking at due to weight and cost, buying an aluminum at least 16 ft. with at least a 25 on the back. Does anyone use an Transmission cooler on their minivan? If so, roughly what's the cost of getting something like that installed?

I used a 98 windstar to tow my 14 ft aluminum with a 25.  Your van will def. be able to tow a 16 ft boat with a 25. You wont feel any difference in pulling up hill or on the brakes.

Intercooler? Is that thing boosted?

I think you mean transmission cooler!

I'm planning on buying a boat in early spring of 08.  I currently have a 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette with a V-6 at around 85,000 miles.  Last I checked, the towing capacity is 2000 Lbs.  Anyone here tow with a Minivan?  I'm looking at due to weight and cost, buying an aluminum at least 16 ft. with at least a 25 on the back.  Does anyone use an Transmission cooler on their minivan? If so, roughly what's the cost of getting something like that installed?  

Needemp tows his Lowes 16ft bass boat with a mini van.  If he checks in he can give info on any add ons his van might have.  It does pretty good towing along with loading and unloading at the ramp.

My rig weighs 3500 lbs and my wife pulled it for several years with her Winstar van.  He pulled it from MO to Louisana and back with no problem.  She used to have a 19' deck boat and pulled it with the van and the van was usually carrying 6 people.

I don't think you will have any problems. Friends of mine use their Checy van, forget the name, but same as yours. to tow their boat to cananda twice a year, 2000 mile round trip, and have no problems. that is with 6 people in it and a 17 foot procraft with a 115hp. He used a S-10 pick up the rest of the rime, but needs the room for the kids on the trip. so the van goes and have no problems. The trans cooler is a good thought. heat is the  problem with any auto trans and a add on cooler, helps.

I'm planning on buying a boat in early spring of 08. I currently have a 1997 Oldsmobile Silhouette with a V-6 at around 85,000 miles. Last I checked, the towing capacity is 2000 Lbs. Anyone here tow with a Minivan? I'm looking at due to weight and cost, buying an aluminum at least 16 ft. with at least a 25 on the back. Does anyone use an Transmission cooler on their minivan? If so, roughly what's the cost of getting something like that installed?

The 2000lb limitation isn't because your engine/tranny can't handle it.   It's because a trailer puts weight on the rear wheels of the tow vehicle and off of the front wheels.   This can make it difficult to pull a boat up a wet ramp with a front-drive vehicle.  But if you are getting an aluminum boat with a 25 hp, you shouldn't have any problems.  

As long as your vehicle's engine and tranny are in reasonably good shape, you won't need a tranny cooler.  

Tranny cooler $50 getting it installed depends were you take it. Should be 1 hr labour.

And it's a must have just cheap cheap insurance.

The Astro's and Saharis came with one. Look in front of your rad for a small rad looking thing trace the lines to your Transmission lines.

Garnet

Check the GVW of your vehicule and as long as boat, motor, trailer, load in boat and vehicule is under you are very safe. While it is correct that the triailer load does shift some weight from the front wheels to the rear making some ramps tough the big issue is transmission overheating with excessive loads. A transmission cooler is not a bad idea. Don't tow in overdrive.