Automakers are well known for having rivalries, especially when it comes to the American manufacturers. The Ford Mustang versus the Chevrolet Camaro is the one that quickly comes to mind for most drivers, but even the most ardent gearheads might not know about the heated dispute behind pickup trucks.

Clearly, models like the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Dodge Ram are in competition with each other. But when it comes to pickup trucks, the battle is largely mathematical - it's all about the towing numbers. Unfortunately, there's no standard way for measuring towing capacity, at least not yet. That means automakers can essentially report whatever they like, as the systems they use to measure towing are entirely different.

The Society of Automotive Engineers looked to fix that by instituting the new J2807 standards, which would require all automakers to use the same technique for measuring towing power. General Motors agreed, as did Toyota. Ford, however, recently revealed it would be switching to the new standards when the all-new models come out, which is more than a year away, reports PickupTrucks.com. That revelation caused GM to back out of the J2807 standards, saying they'd adapt them when "other automakers," meaning Ford, follow suit.

Those who plan on towing with their vehicle, no matter what their truck's capacity, should be sure they've properly inflated their tires and have had brake service performed recently.