I think you are a little heavy on the motor. Not that it will make much diff. Check the weight online. My old Merc 175 weighs 363. Is the Explorer FWD now? If so I would look for something else.

The only Explorer that comes with the 3.5 ecoboost is the Sport...and they are not cheap. But the 2015 model comes with the towing package as standard which includes the oil cooler and the Sport also has bigger brakes, bigger tires, and more robust handling package that includes a faster steering ratio, upgraded anti-roll bars, shocks and suspension bushings. There is no doubt it will tow your boat just fine. I would definitely let your wife test drive the Explorer Sport...my wife loved it...but be prepared to pay for it.

My advice is to forget the HP ratings all together. Look at the torque rating, and more importantly, where in the rpm range the peak of the torque curve is. HP win races, Torque is where it's at for towing and hauling. You want to see the most torque in a usable RPM range, not up around 4,000-5,000 rpm where you'll never use it.

There are 300hp power plants that will tow circles around 500hp motors all day long, it's the torque that put the load in motion. This is why diesels shine for towing, but the same rule applies to gas vehicles, and is more important to know going in.

If you're looking to haul the camper with one and the boat with the vehicle in question, I can only assume you'd be traveling a little ways to get to your destination. What you don't want, or what I wouldn't want anyway, is the wife having to stress the tow vehicle to get there any more than necessary even if it meant she might not get the mileage running to the mall and back that her friends might in their typical soccer mom vehicles.

I too had a Chevy Pickup with a 4.3 vortec V-6 in it. Essentially a 350 block with two cylinders chopped off. That thing was/is absolutely the best V-6 ever put into major production. It had good low end torque and would hang with many V-8's on capability while trumping them on mileage at the same time.

You are roughly 80% of your towing capacity with the numbers you gave. You are not buying it for the ideal towing vehicle anyway, so keep that in mind and enjoy.

I tow a 295 Stratos with a GMC Acadia which has a six cylinder with no problems, only trouble is on a steep wet ramp the front wheel drive slips.

To each their own, but having a big tow vehicle doesn't make everything good. I have pulled our 20' boat with everything from a v-6 GMC Sonoma to a 1-ton 4x4 dodge diesel. If you lock up the breaks on the tow rig all bets are off on what that trailer is going to do. Good driving habits and trailer breaks is where its at.

Thanks All. I'm still here and soaking in all the information. I wanted to make a purchase during the black Friday sales, but decided to hunt instead. We'll get something this month. I will insist on hooking the boat up and pulling with any smaller v6 SUV mainly to test the stopping power. I'm convinced it'll pull down the road adequately after all the responses.

Full size SUV is still in consideration, but they sure are getting expensive.... She still doesn't like to drive a truck, but might.

Good thing to have lots of options I suppose.