F150 towing capability

I recently aquired a free 97 f150 with a 4.2 liter, V6.

I was wondering what size boat i would be able to pull with this truck.

Also anyone here have this truck with any advice?

I'm not sure what it will pull but the price was right. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/Laugh.gif

Auto or manual trans? I think the auto was rated at 4200 lbs.

It is an auto

I pull my TR20 with the same truck..(1999) no problem pulling/stopping. It can be a bit of a dog on the long hills and chuggs some gas.. but all in all, it does just fine..

I tow with a 1997 F-150 4.6 20' boat 150 motor it does ok http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif
Kinda sucks gas when towing http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/Laugh.gif

I just towed my 20' rig down from Balt. to Marathon Key and back last week with a '96 F150 straight 6 manual..probably 3000 lbs...then add the stuff in the bed. That's about 2500 miles round trip. Yes it sucked the gas (10 mpg at 70 and forget about 5th gear but for down hills) but the dam engine is one of the best, most durable in the world. I had absolutely no issues with it. It has 130K on it. That's nothing if taken care of.

The only thing I wish I had was more power. I'm looking to go to a power shop and see what they have or can do to it.

I have another '86 F150 straight 6 that doesn't use oil and has 270,000 miles on it. I plow snow with this one and it is a 4X4. So I bought this other used one 2X last fall to tow the boat. I've had a few Ford V8's, Crown Vic police interceptor, 3-302's in vans. They do not age well for me over 120K, always sucking intake gaskets then the heads blow and not too long after that I hear clunking rods at start up or something in the lower end. So, to me these Ford V8's over the years are nothing but crap. But their great 6 cyl is another thing altogether.

I think I'd really like to try a Dodge w/ Cummings diesel next.