Hi Craig... I may have mentioned the addition of the tranny cooler, as that's what I had U-haul do when they installed the trailer hitch. U-Haul had three models, and I selected the middle one. It was a bit of overkill from the specs, but only a little more, and how much is a tranny repair?? No real hills between Ft. Myers and Atlanta, but I also trailered it thru the Tennessee mountains to the eastern part of Lake Cherokee. No problems, as I watched the temperature gauge like a hawk, and it hardly moved above normal...well, maybe a bit higher pulling the steep mountain then on the flat<GG> I think an auto tranny is the way to go, if there's a choice. I upgraded to a 1999 Nissan Pathfinder with a 5000 lb. towing limit. I was told that I wouldn't need a tranny cooler, as the capacity was built in. I haven't towed very much or long distance with the Pathfinder, as I have Stargazer in the water now, so I can't say how it compares to the old Aerostar, but it seems to be at least as good, and the bed of the SUV is a few inches higher, so water won't get in while launching from shallow ramps. I chose the Draw-Tite hitch both times. Regards, Harvey/Ga M-17 Stargazer #294