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Towing Secrets & The Ike Gauntlet: How To Pull Heavy Loads Without Destroying Your Truck! | Ep. 319

Towing Secrets & The Ike Gauntlet: How To Pull Heavy Loads Without Destroying Your Truck! | Ep. 319

TFL Talkin' Trucks Feb 20, 2026 74 min
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About this episode

Towing heavy loads can be daunting, but this episode reveals essential insights from over a decade of towing tests. The hosts discuss the importance of brake controllers, tongue weight, and legal limitations when selecting a towing vehicle. They share a compelling story about a recent press event that highlighted misconceptions about towing capacity. With practical advice for compact, mid-sized, and heavy-duty trucks, as well as SUVs and EVs, listeners will gain valuable knowledge to avoid damaging their vehicles while towing.

Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Volkswagen Bus
sv1ambo (CC BY 2.0)
Car

Volkswagen Bus

"...I don't want to throw any manufacturer out of the bus so I won't need the manufacturers name them. [SPE..."

The Volkswagen Bus is a classic, boxy van that people love for its fun look and the ability to carry a lot of people. It’s famous for its history and is often seen at festivals.

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brake controller

"...without a brake controller, you can really only tow 3,000 pounds. Well, so I'm assuming that the CV has a hitch..."

A brake controller helps you control how much the trailer's brakes work when you're towing it. This is important for stopping safely, especially if the trailer is heavy.

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diesel truck

"...we went right for the diesel..."

Diesel trucks run on diesel fuel and are known for being strong and efficient. They are great for towing heavy things and doing tough jobs.

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7 pin connector

"...which is a 7 pin, which is appropriate. But what it doesn't have is an actual button..."

A 7 pin connector is a plug that connects your car to a trailer. It helps control things like the trailer's lights and brakes when you're towing it.

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Bentley Bentayga
Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Bentley Bentayga

"...at the top of the list, until this week was either the Bentayga. Yes, which is cool. I don't know. Nothing wrong with the Bentayga."

The Bentley Bentayga is a very fancy SUV that is known for being luxurious and powerful. It's designed for people who want a comfortable and stylish ride.

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Porsche Cayenne
Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Porsche Cayenne

"...or a Porsche Cayenne hybrid."

The Porsche Cayenne Hybrid is a type of SUV that uses both a regular engine and an electric motor. This helps it use less gas and be better for the environment while still being fast and fun to drive.

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tongue weight

"And then the third thing that they never mentioned is tongue weight. So I thought it'd be good to talk about all that, so people understand why when you're choosing a toe rig, these three things are very important because they all come down to how much you can tell."

Tongue weight is how much weight is pressing down on the hitch of your vehicle from the trailer. It's important to get this right for safe towing.

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full-size SUV

"But I imagine that the engineering team and the CEO they looked at it and they said we have a full size SCV and it has the big engine. Yes, it has a nice transmission."

A full-size SUV is a big vehicle that can carry a lot of people and stuff. It's usually stronger and can tow heavy things, like trailers.

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transmission

"Yes, it has a nice transmission. Yes, it has a lot of cooling."

The transmission is what helps the car change gears so it can go faster or slower. It's an important part that connects the engine to the wheels.

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suspension

"It has a good suspension. Yep."

The suspension is the part of the car that helps it ride smoothly over bumps and keeps the tires on the ground. It makes driving more comfortable.

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towing capacity

"So based on those factors, it could, it's rated, you know, they certified it to pull 8,000 pounds. That's great."

Towing capacity is how much weight a vehicle can pull behind it, like a trailer or boat. It's important to know so you don't overload the vehicle.

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brake fluid

"And if you're writing your brake, it's going to boil the brake fluid. It's going to boil the brakes."

Brake fluid is the liquid that helps your car's brakes work. When you press the brake pedal, this fluid moves through the brake system to help slow down or stop the car. If the brakes get too hot, the fluid can boil, which can cause problems.

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runaway truck ramps

"...on the mountain highways we drive on the interstates, like the I-70, they have run away truck ramps for a reason, because semi-trucks have gigantic brakes, right?"

Runaway truck ramps are special areas on highways where big trucks can go if their brakes stop working. These ramps are made of soft materials like sand, which help slow the truck down safely, preventing accidents.

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towing vehicle

"And no matter how well a vehicle is engineered for the race track, it's not engineered to stop 8,000 pounds way pushing on its buck down hill exactly."

A towing vehicle is a car or truck that pulls a trailer. It needs to be strong enough to handle the weight of whatever it's towing.

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California towing laws

"And so I think the first question that you need to ask yourself is does it have a break controller because without that you're by law, especially in California, you are limited to only 3,000 pounds in the police will check."

California has rules about how much weight you can tow and what equipment you need, like a brake controller. Knowing these rules helps you tow safely and legally.

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downshift

"...the transmission will help you downshift and actually get a lower gear higher RPM on the downhill and try to bring it down you know slow it down but..."

Downshifting means changing to a lower gear in the car, which makes the engine work harder and helps slow the car down, especially when going downhill.

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exhaust brake

"...we'll talk about exhaust brakes when we get to the full size or heavy duty trucks depending on where we're at..."

An exhaust brake helps slow down big trucks by using the engine's exhaust to create pressure, making it easier to control speed without using the regular brakes.

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Company

U-Haul

"...I would not recommend you haul for this, even though I love you haul, but they will probably use some sort of wood screws and drill into your dash..."

U-Haul is a company that rents out trucks and trailers to help people move their belongings from one place to another.

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yaw sensor

"...it's kind of like a yaw sensor. Yeah, but kind of a yaw sensor and also it gets the information from the trailer wires..."

A yaw sensor helps detect how much a car is turning. It helps keep the car stable, especially when going around corners.

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trailer brakes

"...it activates the brakes manually, so if you need to manually activate them, slowly start to prime brake pressure to the trailer..."

Trailer brakes are the brakes that are built into a trailer. They help the trailer stop when the car or truck it's attached to slows down, making it safer to tow heavy things.

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brake gain

"...you want to set that so that the wheels, this is very simplistic, but so that the trailer wheels don't lock up..."

Brake gain is how strong the brakes work when you press the brake pedal. It's important to set it right so the trailer doesn't stop too suddenly or too slowly.

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GMC Sierra 1500
Kevauto (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

GMC Sierra 1500

"...this is a GMC Sierra 1500, basically, you know, I have a CDL..."

The GMC Sierra 1500 is a big truck that can carry heavy loads and is used for many tasks, like towing and hauling. It's known for being strong and comfortable to drive.

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Gmc Sierra
Deathpallie325 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Gmc Sierra

"[SPEAKER_01]: I'm gonna emergency because you don't want to jackknife You can also set the brake gain and what the brake gain is is just how hard The brakes are gonna break when you activate the vehicles brakes [SPEAKER_00]: Exactly, and you want to set that so that the wheels, this is very simplistic, but so that the trailer wheels don't lock up Yeah, but at the same time they're not, you're not having it so soft that they don't actually provide much breaking Exactly, and you test this, actually our producer called just pulled up one of the images here on the screen This was from our recent iGountlet that we're doing a competition between half time trucks [SPEAKER_00]: And you're seeing Joel Motors, this is a GMC, Sierra 1500, basically, you know, I have a CDL, so what they teach us at the beginning, I'm sorry, we should, well, I don't want to commercial drivers license, commercial drivers license, yeah, and you, what basically, you can do I big rigs. [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, but what we teach in school for commercial driver drivers is that there is a pre-trip inspection."

The GMC Sierra EV is a new electric truck that doesn’t use gas. It’s made to be powerful and has lots of space inside.

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pre-trip inspection

"...what we teach in school for commercial driver drivers is that there is a pre-trip inspection..."

A pre-trip inspection is when you check your vehicle to make sure everything is working well before you start driving. It's especially important for big trucks to keep everyone safe.

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hitch receiver

"And I think this is an important thing to add here, just because you have a hitch receiver,"

A hitch receiver is a part on the back of a vehicle that lets you attach a trailer. It's like a connector that helps your car pull something heavy behind it.

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seven pin plug

"...just because you have a hitch receiver, and just because you have a seven pin plug in your vehicle doesn't mean that you have a brake controller."

A seven pin plug is a special connector that links your car to a trailer. It helps the lights on the trailer work and can also control the trailer's brakes if you have the right equipment.

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12 volt connector

"...basically using a 12 volt connector or outlet inside of your cab of your vehicle. You're powering this handheld device and that that transmits a signal to the box that's in the back..."

A 12 volt connector is like a power outlet in your car that you can use to plug in devices, similar to how you would plug in a phone charger at home.

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hydraulic brakes

"...there is another solution and that is hydraulic brakes."

Hydraulic brakes are a type of braking system that uses liquid to help stop the car. When you press the brake pedal, it pushes fluid through pipes to the brakes, making them work better.

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surge brakes

"And you sometimes refer to surge brakes. So explain those because you have a boat and a lot of boat trailers are surge brakes. And you can forego a trailer, a hitch connector, a trailer brake controller if you have a surge brake."

Surge brakes help slow down a trailer when the vehicle is braking. They work by using the weight of the trailer to push a part that activates the brakes, making it easier to stop without extra controls.

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Bmw 5
Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Bmw 5

"I have a BMW 5 series sedan and I pull 5,000 pounds with it, like every other week."

The BMW 5 Series is a luxury car made by BMW, which is known for being comfortable and high-performing.

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BMW Series Bmw
MB-one (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

BMW Series Bmw

"...y're like, whoa, dude. [SPEAKER_00]: You have a 5 series BMW, he's like, yeah, no problem. [SPEAKER_00]: You k..."

The BMW 7 Series is a fancy car that has a lot of high-tech features and is very comfortable to drive. It’s considered one of the best luxury cars.

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speed limit

"...there's always signs that say how fast you can go if you're towing, and usually let's say the speed limit in kilometers is 80 or something like that."

The speed limit is the fastest you are allowed to drive on a road. It helps keep everyone safe by preventing cars from going too fast.

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Toyota Tacoma
Noah Wulf (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Toyota Tacoma

"Well, if you're Tacoma, you could have like 1,200 pounds of payload, and maybe 1,000 pounds of payload."

The Toyota Tacoma is a popular truck that can handle tough jobs and off-road adventures. It can carry a lot of weight in its bed, which is useful for transporting items.

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squatting

"And it starts squatting."

Squatting happens when the back of a truck lowers down because it's carrying too much weight. This can make the truck harder to control, so it's something to watch out for when towing.

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payload

"...it takes away 500 pounds of your payload. So if it's me, you and the trailer in Tacoma, that's it."

Payload is how much weight a vehicle can safely carry, including people and stuff. It's important to know this when towing something like a trailer.

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Ram 3500
Bull-Doser (Public domain)
Car

Ram 3500

"... overheat a case And I actually did this in a ram 3500 truck You were showing a clip of this right now [..."

The Ram 3500 is a big truck made for heavy work, like towing trailers. It’s built to be very strong and can handle tough jobs.

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Ford F150
UltraTech66 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford F150

"[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and they probably have cooling because these are very high horse power, but their transmissions I wonder. [SPEAKER_00]: I wonder if they have like transmission coolers, but I listened well, I listen every week, but I listened to what they were saying and somebody recommended an F-150 hybrid to them. [SPEAKER_00]: Okay."

The Ford F-150 is a big truck that people often use for work or to haul things. It's popular because it's tough and can handle a lot of different tasks.

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Toyota Land Cruiser
TTTNIS (CC0)
Car

Toyota Land Cruiser

"...m Friday when we, uh, [SPEAKER_01]: By the way, a land cruiser is a big chunk of a vehicle. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, ..."

The Toyota Land Cruiser is a big SUV that can go off-road and is known for lasting a long time. People like it because it's tough and can handle rough conditions.

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Chevrolet Silverado
LukaCali (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Chevrolet Silverado

"...R_00]: This is my person. [SPEAKER_01]: We have a silverado. [SPEAKER_01]: And the women of hitches are nice ..."

The Chevrolet Silverado is another large truck that many people use for work or recreation. It's liked for its ability to carry heavy loads and its comfortable ride.

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Land Defenders
Vauxford (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Land Defenders

"...first of all, it's not sticking out very far past defenders, which is illegal, actually. [SPEAKER_00]: And al..."

The Land Rover Defender is a strong, stylish SUV that can drive on rough roads and trails. It's popular among people who love adventure and want a vehicle that looks good too.

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Dodge Power Wagon
dave_7 from Lethbridge, Canada (CC BY 2.0)
Car

Dodge Power Wagon

"...ecause Ford is very competitive to the new diesel power wagon. [SPEAKER_01]: So as you know, Ram just came out ..."

The Dodge Power Wagon is a tough truck that can handle rough roads and heavy loads. It’s popular with people who like to go off-road.

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Dodge Ram
Mr.choppers (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Car

Dodge Ram

"...diesel power wagon. [SPEAKER_01]: So as you know, Ram just came out with finally the thing that people ..."

The Dodge Ram is a big truck that’s good for heavy work and driving comfortably. It’s popular among people who need a reliable vehicle for tough jobs.

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Chevrolet Trax
Crisco 1492 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Chevrolet Trax

"... reviews. [SPEAKER_00]: I currently own he owns a TRAX REM TRAX 2021. [SPEAKER_00]: So the original one ..."

The Chevrolet Trax is a small SUV that’s easy to drive and park in the city. It’s a good choice if you want something that’s not too big but still has space inside.

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Ford Flex
HJUdall (CC0)
Car

Ford Flex

"...work truck is pretty ballsy. [SPEAKER_00]: It's a flex. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, congrats to you, my man."

The Ford Flex is a roomy SUV that looks a bit different from other SUVs. It’s great for families because it has lots of space inside.

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Hyundai Santa Cruz
Zeometric (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Car

Hyundai Santa Cruz

"... only two compact trucks right now. [SPEAKER_01]: Santa Cruz and of course, the Maverick. [SPEAKER_01]: And we..."

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a small truck that’s easy to drive and has a bed to carry things. It’s a good option if you want something that’s not too big but still useful.

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Ford Maverick
dave_7 from Lethbridge, Canada (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Car

Ford Maverick

"... now. [SPEAKER_01]: Santa Cruz and of course, the Maverick. [SPEAKER_01]: And we have told with both, well, ..."

The Ford Maverick is a smaller truck that’s easy to drive and park, perfect for city life. It's affordable and even has a version that saves on gas.

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Toyota Tundra
IFCAR (Public domain)
Car

Toyota Tundra

"... Yeah, the Ford Maverick has more payload than my tundra This is Last generation yeah, I know that's how S..."

The Toyota Tundra is a big truck that people use for heavy jobs like towing trailers. It's known to last a long time and is built tough.

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Ford Ranger
Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford Ranger

"...ich are four-cylinder turbos, to like the Raptor, Ranger, which has a six-cylinder turbo, there's just thi..."

The Ford Ranger is a smaller truck that can still do a lot of heavy lifting. It's a good choice if you want something that’s not too big but still strong.

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Jeep Gladiator
Noah Wulf (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Car

Jeep Gladiator

"...in other words does the vehicle like remember the gladiator the thing that kept the gladiator from towing a l..."

The Jeep Gladiator is a truck that can go off-road like a Jeep. It’s great for people who want to explore tough trails and still have space to carry things.

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Ford F-150 Lightning
UltraTech66 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford F-150 Lightning

"...e a like a smooth easy to in truck get yourself a lightning or get yourself a Chevy Sorado EV or Giscia or ge..."

The Ford F-150 Lightning is an electric truck that doesn’t use gas. It’s designed to be powerful and has lots of modern features.

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Tesla Cybertruck
Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Tesla Cybertruck

"...tested basically everything, right, including the cybertruck and the hummer and everything else. [SPEAKER_00]:..."

The Tesla Cybertruck is a new electric truck that looks very different from regular trucks. It's powered by electricity, which means it doesn't need gas.

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Chevrolet Suburban
OWS Photography (CC BY 4.0)
Car

Chevrolet Suburban

"...lates in their all trucks and their all trucks or suburbans 25% of trucks are sold in all trucks and I have [..."

The Chevrolet Suburban is a big SUV that can fit a lot of people and their stuff. It's great for families and long trips.

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Audi Allroad
Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Audi Allroad

"[SPEAKER_01]: It's meant to stop an 80,000 pound truck that's out of control. [SPEAKER_01]: I can take a look, still even though they're expensive, they still provide the most all-weather capability, the most all-road capability, the most comfort. [SPEAKER_01]: You know, my daily is always either gonna be a truck or some kind of a truck-based SUV."

The Audi Allroad is a fancy car that can drive on different types of roads, including rough ones. It’s comfortable and has a lot of nice features.

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Renault Wind
Dennis Elzinga (CC BY 2.0)
Car

Renault Wind

"..., if you're in the mountains and there's a big, a wind blowing, you're gonna start having issues. [SPEAK..."

The Renault Wind is a small car that can turn into a convertible, meaning you can drive it with the top down. It’s fun for sunny days.

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