The real problem with a tow rig is not making power for a few seconds. It is making usable power for a long pull without driving exhaust temperature up, overfueling the engine, or beating up the drivetrain. That is why this setup centers on a clean tune with safeguards built in. The tuner monitors key inputs like EGT, pulls power during shifts, and is designed to fall back to stock operation if the module fails instead of leaving the truck stranded. From there, airflow does the heavy lifting. The larger intercooler increases charge-air volume and cooling so the engine gets a denser air charge through the entire pull, not just at the start. The Banks Ram-Air Intake System uses an enclosed airbox to keep underhood heat away from the filter and feeds the engine with cooler outside air. Together, that supports stronger, more sustainable towing power. Just as important, the particulate filter is left alone. A dirty tune can overload the DPF, force excessive regeneration heat, and damage both the filter and the engine. The right way to build towing power is clean fueling, cooler air, and temperature control.
The video centers on a 2008 Chevy 3500 Duramax used as a work truck for frequent towing. Its owner was already satisfied with the truck and had invested heavily in it, but the goal of the upgrade was to add more power without sacrificing reliability. Rather than chasing short bursts of peak output, the build was framed around safe, sustainable towing performance that could hold up under heavy loads for long periods.
To accomplish that, the truck received a complete Banks Power package. The system included a Banks diesel tuner, a larger intercooler, a Ram-Air intake system, and a dual exhaust. The emphasis throughout the installation was that this truck earns its keep by towing, so any added power had to be delivered in a way that protected the engine, transmission, and emissions equipment.
The upgrade begins with the Banks AutoMind 6 diesel tuner, which installs as a piggyback system using the factory ECU connections. The hosts describe it as a towing-oriented tuning solution with built-in safeguards rather than a simple power adder. Its purpose is to increase output while still managing the truck in a way that supports long-duration pulling.
A key feature highlighted in the recap is the tuner's internal redundancy. If the control box were to fail, the system is designed to remove itself from the equation and return the truck to stock operation instead of leaving the driver stranded. That fail-safe behavior is especially important on a work truck that may be far from home while towing.
The tuner also manages power delivery during shifting. Under heavy load, it can reduce added power during a shift event and then restore it afterward. That strategy helps avoid unnecessary drivetrain stress, including damage to clutch packs and other transmission components. In other words, the system is intended to provide more horsepower where useful, but not in a way that abuses the truck.
Before the front-end hardware went in, an exhaust gas temperature probe was installed in the right-side exhaust manifold. Access required removing the inner fender so the manifold could be marked, drilled, and tapped for the probe fitting. Once installed, the probe measures EGT directly at the manifold and feeds that information to two places.
First, the temperature data is displayed in the cab through the gauge interface so the driver can monitor operating conditions in real time. Second, the same signal is sent to the control side of the Banks system as part of its internal monitoring strategy. That makes EGT more than just a dashboard number; it becomes one of the inputs used to help protect the engine while towing or running added power.
With the probe in place, the front of the truck was disassembled to make room for the new intercooler. The grille, covers, brackets, and related hardware ahead of the cooling stack had to come off so the larger core could be fitted without damaging surrounding components.
The Banks intercooler is intended to deliver a cooler, denser intake charge than the stock unit, and the hosts stress that the benefit is not limited to an initial burst of performance. The point is sustained cooling over the entire pull or towing session. In a turbo-diesel application, compressed air from the turbocharger enters one end tank of the intercooler, passes through the core tubes, sheds heat through the fins as outside air moves across the core, and exits cooler on the other side before entering the engine. Lower intake-air temperature means denser air, and denser air supports more efficient combustion and more usable power.
Compared with the factory intercooler, the Banks unit is described as 10 mm larger through the core, with larger end tanks as well. That added volume allows it to hold and cool more charge air. The hosts also note that intercooler performance is not just about making the core denser. If the core is too restrictive to outside airflow, it can interfere with airflow to the radiator and hurt the truck's overall cooling system. The Banks design is presented as a balance between charge-air cooling and maintaining proper airflow through the rest of the cooling stack.
Installing the larger intercooler required careful handling because of the tight clearances around the radiator, condenser, transmission cooler, and delicate cooling fins. The hosts emphasize that although the Banks unit is thicker, it is designed to fit; the challenge is simply getting it into place without damaging nearby components.
Once the intercooler was mounted, attention turned to the cold-air intake mounting area. A bracket near the front of the truck needed to be trimmed because the intercooler outlet protruded farther than stock and would interfere with the bracket. Banks anticipated this and supplied templates in the kit. The templates were aligned to the bracket, the cut lines were traced, and the bracket was trimmed accordingly. After cutting, the exposed metal was painted to protect the surface and restore a finished appearance. This small modification created the clearance needed for the intake hardware to fit properly with the larger intercooler in place.
The intake portion of the package uses a Banks Ram-Air system built around an enclosed airbox. The enclosure is important because it isolates the filter from engine-bay heat. The hosts point out that some intake systems can actually reduce performance if they draw in warm underhood air, so keeping the incoming air cool is a major part of the design.
The system goes a step further with a Ram-Air Scoop, referred to as the Super Scoop, mounted to the bottom of the airbox and extending beneath the bumper area. As the truck moves, the scoop forces cool outside air upward into the intake system. The hosts compare the effect to a mild supercharging action in the sense that it increases the volume of cool air available to the engine. More cool air supports better combustion and more power, especially when paired with the upgraded intercooler.
The scoop also includes a slot at the rear to help manage debris. Stones and other road debris can be expelled out the back while airflow is maintained into the intake. That detail is intended to preserve airflow without turning the scoop into a trap for road junk.
Under the truck, the build transitions from a single exhaust to a Banks dual-exhaust system. Before installing it, the hosts pause to explain the diesel particulate filter used on 2007-and-newer full-size diesel trucks. Although the DPF is not part of the Banks exhaust being installed, it is a critical emissions component and they strongly warn against tampering with it.
The DPF is described as a federally mandated soot trap designed to capture the black particulate matter historically associated with diesel exhaust. Pressure sensors monitor flow into and out of the filter, and when soot loading reaches a certain point, the system regenerates by raising exhaust temperature to burn off the trapped material. The residue then exits as ash, which is considered less harmful than raw soot.
The hosts explain that improper tuning can interfere with this process. A dirty tune can overfuel the engine, create excessive soot, and damage the filter. In severe cases, the internal structure can melt, creating both a restriction in the exhaust and the potential for serious engine damage. Replacement of the particulate filter alone can cost thousands of dollars, and dealership diagnostics can reveal abnormal regeneration behavior that may affect warranty coverage. Their advice is simple: use a clean tune and leave the DPF alone.
One of the notable features of the Banks exhaust system is the Cool Cuff section positioned ahead of the large Y-split in the dual-exhaust layout. According to the hosts, this component was developed using CFD analysis. Its purpose is to reduce exhaust gas temperature in the tailpipe section by drawing in outside air through slots in the cuff, creating a vacuum-like effect that helps cool the exhaust stream.
That cooling matters because DPF regeneration can produce very high exhaust temperatures. The hosts cite exit temperatures as high as 1,140 degrees during regeneration. By the time the gases pass through the Cool Cuff and continue rearward through the dual pipes, the temperature at the tips is said to drop into the high 400-degree range. The system therefore addresses not only flow and sound, but also downstream heat management.
After the hardware installation, the Banks interface in the cab becomes the control center for the system. Using the PDA-style display, the user can adjust power levels and configure live gauges. EGT and boost are treated as core parameters that should always be monitored on a performance-tuned diesel, but the interface also allows additional channels to be selected based on how the truck is used.
For a truck that tows regularly, the hosts suggest monitoring transmission temperature and transmission slip in addition to the standard engine-related data. That flexibility lets the owner tailor the display to the job at hand rather than relying on a fixed gauge layout.
The recap closes by distinguishing the AutoMind 6 from the Banks Six-Gun tuner. The AutoMind 6 is presented as the more towing-focused system with multiple adjustable levels intended for work use, while the Six-Gun is described as an option for drivers who want settings for towing, fuel economy, and general performance fun. In both cases, the hosts emphasize Banks clean-tune technology, arguing that proper fuel use improves efficiency and avoids the wasted fuel and soot that can create emissions and durability problems. The overall conclusion is that the truck should retain its work-ready reliability while gaining cooler air, better breathing, more controlled power delivery, and improved towing performance.