To coincide with this month's towing theme, we're exploring a question that has always intrigued us: Where are the toughest places to tow in America? Of the more than 4 million miles of paved roads in the United States, there are hundreds of places across the country that can challenge even the best drivers and push the trucks they choose to tow with to their absolute limit-but we've set out to identify the top ten.inline_mediumwraptextrightTowing30715221/towing/0911dp_10_toughest_tows_in_america0911dp_01+10_toughest_tows_in_america+towing.jpgTrue

Welcome to Top Tech Questions. Oftentimes, readers contact us with questions about articles, or to praise us on what a good job we are doing. But our favorite form of reader communication is tech questions. So we're introducing our Top Tech section, a place where you ask what's on your mind, and we answer it. Got a trouble code? Wondering how to get your engine to make more power?

The electronically controlled diesel scene has given birth to quite a few calibration gurus over the years. These innovators can custom tune your truck to squeeze every ounce of power from your aftermarket modifications. Jody Tipton of DP-Tuner is no exception. He's offered live-tuning sessions for 7.3L Power Strokes for five years now, which goes beyond simply selling an aftermarket chip with custom tunes to a willing buyer. As many of you know, slapping on the latest and greatest performance parts will yield good power gains, but every truck reacts differently to modifications. In the exciting quest for more power, we often forget how important it is to fine-tune our trucks, electronically.

Diesel trucks are made for towing. Whether they actually pull a trailer or not, one of the great things about diesels is their ability to haul large amounts of weight. Straight from the factory, most 3/4- and 1-ton diesels are rated to tow at least 7,500 pounds, which means a car loaded onto a trailer will fall easily within its means. While not everyone will tow with their diesel, everyone should know how to pull a trailer if the need arises. For this article, we're going to go over the basics of bumper towing, so you'll be prepared if a car breaks down, or your buddies need a truck to tow their fishing boat.

When it came time to pick up Associate Editor Jason Sands' '71 Nova drag car, we knew that not just any truck would do. Not only would we need a reliable diesel that could tow a car trailer, we'd need something cool to ride in while we made the long haul. For this task, we acquired a brand-new '08 Ford F-250 Harley-Davidson Edition, which of course had to be a diesel. Not only would we get the looks of the Harley package, we'd get the tow capacity and fuel economy of a diesel.

Welcome to the first installment of our three part series titled: "How to Make Money With Your Diesel." We often extol the virtues of diesel power and reliability, as the same vehicle that can tow a trailer might also be able to run down the dragstrip or get good fuel economy. This got us thinking, why not write a series about people who are using those advantages to actually make money?

Since you read Diesel Power, you are already on the right path to becoming a trailer-towing master. You know that an oil-burner is the best type of engine for towing and that it has tremendous potential for upgrades. Now, let's look at ways to maximize the trailer-towing capacity of your truck through performance increases, safety improvements, and truck-buying tips.

This month we were on a mission to find out which Chevy mill makes for a better performing and towing vehicle, the Vortec 7400 big-block or the 6.5L turbodiesel. We figured we'd get the naked truth by comparing two Suburbans with those two engines. Unfortunately, Chevrolet could only supply a diesel with 3.73 gears and a big-block with 4.10 gears; not an equal test. However, even though this is not a true head-to-head comparo, we were able to confirm some beliefs and form some opinions on which engine is better for your needs.

Since you read Diesel Power, you are already on the right path to becoming a trailer-towing master. You know that an oil-burner is the best type of engine for towing and that it has tremendous potential for upgrades. Now, let's look at ways to maximize the trailer-towing capacity of your truck through performance increases, safety improvements, and truck-buying tips.

Spooling Up While Keeping Cummins EGT Down
Diesel enthusiasts know that aftermarket tuners and electronic modules deliver more fuel to the engine in order to increase performance-up to a point. Dodge Cummins owners, in particular, find their stock Holset turbo is quickly overtaxed when fuel is added. Exhaust gas temperature (EGT) can climb rapidly and almost uncontrollably on modified Cummins trucks. The factory recommends keeping the EGT (measured by a probe installed into the exhaust manifold) in the 1,300-1,450 Fahrenheit range, even in extreme conditions. These limits are easily exceeded by the stock turbo system, especially when towing heavy trailers or adding a lot of fueling for more power.

We see it daily while driving the highways -- vehicles of speed strapped down to a trailer in tow behind a mighty heavy hauler. Many of us transform into true weekend warriors escaping the stress and responsibilities of work en route to our personal place of paradise, whether it's wet or dry. Just as important as the vehicle of recreation or competition is the means of transporting it. Towing is an activity that takes two vehicles to complete the standard tow vehicle and trailer. A trailer is a true necessity when it comes to getting your means of speed out of your garage or shop to your destination of adrenaline and excitement.