Is the Ranger the Hilux we've been wanting?

[Hopeless Diamond]

Why do you want rear disc brakes?

A benefit is that they tend to be self-cleaning i.e. they wipe the braking surface as they are applied. A drum brake has the potential of filling with water and mud and are less easy to inspect. Ever had a drum fill with water and freeze overnight? Sister's old VW bug didn't have the clutch to break it free so BiL would have to heat up the drums to loosen them in the AMs

 

[Todd780]

It amazes me how little consideration is given to fuel range by some manufacturers. Toyota, IMO, is one of the worst. My 04 Tacoma and '99 4runner both had piddly 18.5 gallon tanks. Seriously? On the 4runner that gave me just over 200 miles of usable range. Pathetic! The 07 4runner with its 23 gallon tank was better, but only a little better.

GM still puts (I think) 26 gallon tanks on their full size crew cab and double cab trucks, with no option for anything bigger. Ford and Ram, wisely, IMO, offer bigger tanks on their half tons (36 gallons for the Ford!)

I thought the Tundra came with a 38 gallon tank?

 

[DaveInDenver]

A benefit is that they tend to be self-cleaning i.e. they wipe the braking surface as they are applied. A drum brake has the potential of filling with water and mud and are less easy to inspect. Ever had a drum fill with water and freeze overnight? Sister's old VW bug didn't have the clutch to break it free so BiL would have to heat up the drums to loosen them in the AMs

Yup, I'll admit that is a legitimate argument. I have had parking brakes freeze up in the winter, too. OTOH I had a rock wedge in a caliper once. That wasn't any good either. There's always a supposition of failure modes. I can honestly say the number of times I've had issues with rear drums on trucks (or cars for that matter) is very low in reality, though. I just have a feeling people want rear disk brakes because they are told they want rear disk brakes not because they've ever actually experienced an issue first hand.

 

[Buliwyf]

38g on mine.

It's still sad. There's enough room under the truck to smuggle an entire disassembled jeep. I think liability of fuel explosions, or fires, has more to do with tank size. Especially since they're formed plastic now. You could wrap them easily around components. There's room for 100g, at least, under my truck

 

[4xdog]

I have to buy what I fit in.
The Global Conspiracy Against The Tall prevents me from even considering the Tacoma.

BTW, I can't drive a Jeep JL without hitting my head on the soundbar. But I fit in the Gladiator ---- might just be seat difference. And although the Gladiator pumps my nads, the pricetag is insane.
sigh

I'm with ya, Bill. I'm 6' 6" and although I love my 2003 and 2015 Tacoma DC's, I would welcome more legroom. Especially in the Gen1. I didn't buy one for years, in fact, just because of that. But as my old XJ was well past its best-if-used-by date and I trust my Tacomas more than I trust my refrigerator, they've become my choice. I'm not sure what's better, unless one accepts a lot bigger footprint outside.

Mileage sucks on both -- featherfooting with a tailwind I can barely break 20 mpg on the highway. Those trucks should get 20% better than that, IMO. A friend's new Colorado Bison is. 'Course, he's been stranded twice in the first 2 months of ownership, so my faith in Toyota and Tacoma remains well-placed.

That soundbar on the JL is ridiculous. How Jeep blew that for tall folk is baffling. Good to hear the Gladiator has changed that. I saw three or four of 'em on I-70 in Ohio and Indiana last week, so they're showing up on the roads and look good.

I tried the global Ranger in South Africa a couple of years ago, and found it pretty "meh" for a tall person. Haven't sat in the US version yet -- gotta do that.

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

Yeah, don't underestimate the importance of easy visual inspection too. A good, very mechanically inclined friend of mine, lost his brakes the other day, luckily in his driveway. The wheel cylinders had over extended and blew out the pistons. He had never checked his drum brakes. Shoes were worn down through some of the metal. Out of sight, out of mind. They work great, until they don't...

 

[Martinjmpr]

Nice campsites at the end of narrow trails. There were many place I couldn't take the Power Wagon that I can scoot to in a Gladiator.

...Except OP is looking for something he can put a 1600# camper on. Once you throw the camper on the back any "advantage" a compact has all but disappears.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Yeah, don't underestimate the importance of easy visual inspection too. A good, very mechanically inclined friend of mine, lost his brakes the other day, luckily in his driveway. The wheel cylinders had over extended and blew out the pistons. He had never checked his drum brakes. Shoes were worn down through some of the metal. Out of sight, out of mind. They work great, until they don't...

That is just an example of the importance of routine maintenance. A stuck caliper piston overheating wheel bearings is just as common as wearing brake shoes to the rivets. And we're talking about rear brakes which wear at a fraction of the fronts. So when you do pads and rotors in front, pulling the drums and checking the rears is an extra hour worth doing. Personally in a bit more than 20 years of owning Toyotas with front disc/rear drums I find just R&R'ing the rear shoes every other time you do front pads is a pretty safe rule of thumb that hasn't let me down yet.

 

[Hilldweller]

...Except OP is looking for something he can put a 1600# camper on. Once you throw the camper on the back any "advantage" a compact has all but disappears.

Yeah, there's that.
I'd love to have cake and eat it. Like a Gladiator with a 4WheelCamper -- pull into a site, drop the camper, wheel a bit.
Or pull a comfy trailer with it for Momma.

 

[tacollie]

...Except OP is looking for something he can put a 1600# camper on. Once you throw the camper on the back any "advantage" a compact has all but disappears.

It's a 1000lb camper. If it was 1600 op should get a 3/4 ton. If the ranger's 1600# payload isn't enough most 1/2 tons won't work either.

 

[Hilldweller]

It's a 1000lb camper. If it was 1600 op should get a 3/4 ton. If the ranger's 1600# payload isn't enough most 1/2 tons won't work either.

And a potato is low calorie 'til you add all the fatty stuff.

We've been kicking around the idea of getting an All-Cab Khaya, ... .....A fully kitted 4 person Khaya, per All-Cab's specs, is 1698lbs and this is before the fore mentioned four people get in the truck....

 

[Wayaway]

Everyone complains about that. Why do you want rear disc brakes? I'm asking honestly, what improvement are people after? I can lock the rear brakes on my Tacoma so doesn't seem like I need any more power. And I like that that parking brake on drums is going to hold on the trail without very much question.

I have found that the drums squeal. I went to great lengths to get disks on my old 4runner.

 

[shade]

If you want to carry something heavy (like a camper) get the right tool for the job. It's not like you'll be parking it in an urban parking garage or 'wheeling on gnarly trails with that camper on it anyway, so what's the advantage of a compact over a full sized?

Picking the wrong truck or the wrong camper can compromise any setup. Weight is the silent killer of vehicles.

 

[Buliwyf]

1000#+ camper equals 3/4 ton truck. Maybe half tons if you're very careful about weight. 3/4 tons should be GTG with 1700#. More than 2000# is pushing it.

Sure there's plenty of them on mid size trucks. But nearly all of them are way over GVWR and/or very poor handling.

 

[4xdog]

The 4WD 4.0L V6 Hilux Double Cab has a payload of 855 kg / 1884 lb per Toyota South Africa here. The similar model Tacoma has a payload of 533 / 1175 lb per Toyota USA here. That's not new info -- we've talked on here many times that the Hilux in developing markets is more oriented to hauling than the Tacoma in our developed market more oriented to towing (or simply cruising).

It's likely that Alu-Cab had weight capacities for local models in mind when first developing things like the Khaya (and the other models used by the safari rental companies in southern Africa). It's probably a bit of a force fit into the American market. Assuming that's the case, it could change with the growth Alu-Cab seem to be seeing here and we'll see some models specifically engineered for our market.

Although to tell the truth, the modest payloads of our midsize Tacoma is always likely to be challenging.