Recently my wife has gotten involved = in hot air ballooning.  Purchasing our own balloon is a distinct = possibility in the near future.  The balloon, basket, burner, fuel = tanks, and inflator fan will total up to about 850-1000lb.  I = estimate that I can build or buy an aluminum trailer weighing around = 250-350lb.

My question for the list is, can = I  tow this amount of weight with our 1990 Westie with an = automatic transmission?  Initially it would be in the immediate = area, i.e. short hauls to the launch site then back from the landing = site.  Retrieval from the landing site might involve driving on a = dirt road or into a dry field.  Eventually we would like to tow to = balloon festivals in the Pacific Northwest.  This would entail = driving grades up to 7% or taking the long way around.  I am = considering the TIICO engine swap giving me some needed horse power but = I'm concerned that I will exceed the load capacity of the = transmission.  I was also thinking about installing a transmission = fluid cooler to offset the higher loading but this doesn't address = items such as gearing and brake straps are not up to the extra = torque.   Can somebody give me some feedback on this?  = Are there alternatives such as replacing the automatic with a standard = tranny?  Has anybody put their fully loaded Westie on a = scale?   I have not and I'm curious if there is any spare = capacity on the GVW.  Any input will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Tom Moritz