0:00 / 0:00
🚗 Victoria Day Long Weekend Travel Tips | Summer Kickoff 2026 🇨🇦

🚗 Victoria Day Long Weekend Travel Tips | Summer Kickoff 2026 🇨🇦

Car Connection Workshop May 15, 2026 57 min
0:00
0:00

About this episode

Fun Friday kicks off the summer with Victoria Day long-weekend travel tips and a practical pre-trip checklist. The hosts talk tire pressure and towing safety—OPP looks at trailer hitch setup and chains, and they stress checking wheel bearings properly. Alongside the travel talk, they share used-car buying guidance (including maintenance schedules) and real shop updates: rebuilding a 2007 FJ Cruiser front end, sourcing parts for a rescued 2008 Rogue, and warning that “CVT” needs care.

Filter:
|
Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Car

Jeep Wrangler

"...rs, we live them. Whether it's a 25-year-old Jeep Wrangler getting a second chance at life, or a Nissan Road..."

The Jeep Wrangler is a type of SUV made to handle rough roads and off-road trails. People often keep older Wranglers running by fixing and upgrading them instead of replacing them. That’s why it may be discussed as a “second chance” vehicle.

Term

tire pressures

"Tire pressures, fluids. Look at the belts, hoses. See if there's any leakage somewhere"

Tire pressure is the amount of air in your tires. When you’re carrying a lot of stuff or towing, you usually need to set pressures so the tires don’t get too hot and fail.

Term

fluids

"Tire pressures, fluids. Look at the belts, hoses. See if there's any leakage somewhere"

Fluids are the liquids your car uses to run safely—like oil and coolant. Checking them before you leave helps you spot leaks or low levels that could cause problems on the road.

Term

belts, hoses

"Look at the belts, hoses. See if there's any leakage somewhere that can be taken care of before you hit the highway."

Belts and hoses are rubber parts that help the engine and cooling system work. If they’re cracked or leaking, they can cause trouble—so it’s smart to check them before a long trip.

Term

spare

"And don't forget the spare. So air up all the tires."

Your spare tire is the backup tire if you get a flat. Before you leave, make sure it’s inflated and ready so you’re not stranded.

Term

gross vehicle weight

"whatever you're hauling, you're putting more gross vehicle weight on your automobile."

Gross vehicle weight is how heavy your vehicle is when it’s fully loaded. The heavier you are, the more you need to make sure tires and brakes can handle it safely.

Term

maximum tire pressure

"So what do you do? You need to look at the sidewall of the tire today. Look to see what the maximum tire pressure is. Pump those tires up to the max."

Maximum tire pressure is the highest safe air pressure listed on the tire. For heavy loads, setting pressures correctly helps the tire stay cooler and less likely to fail.

Term

wheel bearings

"Now, for those who are going to be hooking on to the boat trailer, the camper trailer, have you checked the wheel bearings?"

Wheel bearings help the wheel rotate smoothly. If they’re worn out or not working right, they can overheat—so it’s important to check them before towing.

Term

chain locks

"and that you've got your chain locks on there because you can't just use s-hooks anymore. They have to have the lock on them."

Safety chains are extra connections that keep a trailer from separating if the hitch fails. Using the correct locked hardware helps ensure the chains stay secure.

Term

s-hooks

"because you can't just use s-hooks anymore. They have to have the lock on them."

S-hooks are a type of trailer chain connector. The concern is that without a lock, they can open—so you should use the locked version required for safe towing.

Company

OPP

"is if you have a blowout and you're on the side of the road and the OPP stops to see you, they're"

OPP is Ontario’s provincial police. They may pull over and check what’s going on if you’re on the road with a problem.

Term

blowout

"is if you have a blowout and you're on the side of the road and the OPP stops to see you, they're"

A blowout is when a tire suddenly fails and loses air fast. It can make the trailer hard to control and usually means you have to stop right away.

Term

trailer hitch

"If you're hauling something, they're looking at your trailer hitch as you go by to see if your chains are put on correctly."

A trailer hitch is what connects your car to the trailer. The host is saying they check that connection closely because mistakes can cause problems.

Term

safety chains

"they're looking at your trailer hitch as you go by to see if your chains are put on correctly. And if they're not, you're going to get a visit."

Safety chains are backup straps/chains that keep the trailer attached if something goes wrong with the hitch. They’re important for preventing a trailer from disconnecting.

Term

wheel bearing grease

"Don't just give them a shot of grease, lift it up and spin the wheel and make sure that the bearings are nice and smooth"

Grease is used to lubricate wheel bearings and reduce friction and heat. The segment specifically cautions against relying on grease alone—checking for smooth bearing operation matters because worn bearings can still fail even if they’re greased.

Car

Dodge Grand Caravan

"and hook onto it with a car load of gear, you might even be in the grand caravan and it's loaded to the gills."

The Dodge Grand Caravan is a minivan that can carry a lot of people and stuff. The host mentions it as an example of how packed a vehicle can be when towing a trailer.

Term

axle

"That's generally when the trailer blows a tire or a bearing goes out, wrecks the axle right on the side of the highway."

The axle is the part that supports the wheels. If a tire or bearing fails badly, it can damage the axle and leave you stuck.

Car

2007 FJ Cruiser

"parts are here for the 07 FJ Cruiser so I'll be putting front brakes together tonight"

The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a rugged SUV. This host is talking about fixing the front brakes on a 2007 model.

Part

front brakes

"and I will probably do a short on that to show you everything is back together and the brakes I really believe this time on the front are going to be working 100% not 50%"

Front brakes are the brake parts on the front wheels. If they aren’t working right, the car may not slow down as well as it should.

Company

Napaport Colburn

"I did complain about it and I do want to say thank you to the team up at Napaport Colburn for taking care of us and shipping parts down and covering that on warranty"

Napaport Colburn is mentioned as the group that helped get the parts and handled the warranty coverage. It sounds like they made the repair process easier.

Part

calipers

"the speed they got another set of calipers and also replace the pads so those are the people you want to work with right"

Calipers are the parts that squeeze the brake pads against the brake rotors. Replacing calipers can fix problems like weak or inconsistent braking.

Part

pads

"another set of calipers and also replace the pads so those are the people you want to work with right"

Brake pads are the replaceable parts that create the stopping grip when you press the brake. Worn pads can make braking feel weaker.

Car

Nissan 2008 Nissan

"...I needed two little pieces for the shifter on the 2008 Nissan Rogue that we rescued we rescued it and was going..."

The Nissan 200 SX is a sports car made for driving enjoyment. The podcast mentions it because someone needed small parts related to the shifter on an older car. Fixing the shifter helps the car change gears correctly.

Term

CVT transmission

"but yes you got to look after that CVT transmission because they do have problems and that's 2008 was first gen but there's a"

A CVT transmission is an automatic transmission that doesn’t use traditional fixed gears. The host is warning that this type of transmission can develop problems if it isn’t taken care of.

Car

Nissan Rogue

"ton of them out there but if you have one a Nissan Rogue or a Nissan you need to find [2630.7s] out if it has a CVT continuous velocity transmission it's belt driven which is I can't even wrap my"

The Nissan Rogue is a common Nissan SUV. Here, the host brings it up because it may use a CVT, and that affects what maintenance you should do for the transmission.

Term

CVT continuous velocity transmission

"out if it has a CVT continuous velocity transmission it's belt driven which is I can't even wrap my [2638.7s] head around that you need to change the transmission oil"

A CVT is a transmission that can smoothly change ratios instead of shifting gears in steps. In this segment, the host says it uses a belt, so it needs the right transmission fluid maintenance.

Term

transmission oil

"head around that you need to change the transmission oil I would recommend you trade change it every [2644.5s] 35,000 kilometers be very nice to that transmission because there are about 16,000 dollars to replace"

Transmission oil (fluid) is the lubricant and hydraulic working fluid that keeps the transmission’s internal components operating correctly. For a belt-driven CVT, fresh fluid is especially important because it supports the system that manages the belt and ratio changes.

Concept

parts have been made obsolete

"oh those are they those parts have been made obsolete [2711.3s] three times I've called there and they said yeah there's they're on back order but they're coming [2716.0s] in so when I finally cornered them and said what's up I need to know because this is not really [2723.4s] a great idea to have a shifter that could pull off in my hand"

“Obsolete parts” means the part is no longer being made, so it can be hard to get. That can change how you fix the car—sometimes you have to use used parts or a different plan.

Term

back order

"three times I've called there and they said yeah there's they're on back order but they're coming [2716.0s] in so when I finally cornered them and said what's up I need to know"

A back order means the part isn’t in stock right now, but you’re waiting for it to arrive later. It can delay repairs.

Concept

you pull it wrecking yard

"so I will be heading into the you pull it reckon yard which I'm sure there will be some 2008 probably [2785.3s] to 2010 in there and I'll harvest a couple other trim components I wouldn't mind upgrading [2794.3s] that have been a little bit sun toasted because the vehicle sat for almost 13 months"

A “you pull it” junkyard is where you go to cars in a yard and take the parts you need yourself. It’s useful when new parts aren’t available.

5 cars featured

Request an Explanation

Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.

Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.

Want to learn more?

Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.

Explore Terms

Help improve this episode

See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.

Report incorrect info
Suggest better explanations
Flag missing cars