>>Anyone out there have any experiance with towing small boats or watercraft
>>with your vanagons?  Anything to be cocerned about.  I have a friend who
>>wants to by an 82 Westy. It has a new motor but he is concerned about the
>>lack of power to pull his small boat.

I've pulled a 14 ft aluminum boat and trailer with my 84 GL successfully
a number of times.  One certainly notices the lack of power!  There will
be far more times using 3rd (or even 2nd) gear than otherwise.  My trips
with Vanagon and boat were into the eastern Sierras in California.  Be
prepared to go very slowly up steep grades, and possibly even stop to
rest if the temp gauge gets too high.  On the steepest grades, going
sloooowly in 2nd gear, I use my manual radiator fan switch plus both
inside heaters on high, and that can keep the temp within safe region. 
If the CV joints are worn, the extra load may possibly cause them to
start making loud clacking noises.  But it can be done.