Tacoma Tribulations

[RHINO]

LOL i'm glad you got the humor there,, i think TACODOC mighta been waiting for some fireworks.

i was also just thinking about guiding hunters,,,, would they be in their own rigs or are you providing transport?? i ask cause i think the tacoma will get pretty cramped wearing boots, jackets ect. once in the back seat its a decent enough fit, but for me it takes a bit of foot placement to get my feet inside, its a tight fit between the door opening and the front of the rear seat. unfortunately if you need to fit hunters inside the rig you may end up losing the nimble jeep feel your looking to get back.

 

[gearbox]

05+ DC Tacoma or a Tundra. :chowtime:

 

[Martinjmpr]

I'd go with the 1st gen Tundra. I went hunting with two other hunters twice this year and the extended cab definitely was too small.

On the other hand, these guys went "hunting" for an extended time, far, far from civilization and they seemed to do OK with a DC Taco and a trailer:

Basically a bone-stock DC Taco with a few non-standard mods like taillights removed, IR lights added, the M249 Machine Gun mounted on the rollbar, pintle hitch, brush guard, and the most non-standard modification of all:

The animated James Brown figure that dances and sings "I Feel Good" when you press a button.

(Photos are from Bagram AF, Afghanistan, taken in February of 2003.)

 

[Redline]

No that I want to talk you out of a Tacoma DC, I like them and we are considering adding one to our stable in the future...

But still having a large crew-cab diesel that I have used much off-road/hunting like you, with all it's positives & negatives, and now with a new 4Runner, I also think that even a new Tacoma could become pretty small for 3-4 men, their gear, and animals. Other than those possible negatives, an 05-up Taco DC would likely fulfill all your other requirements.

LOL i'm glad you got the humor there,, i think TACODOC mighta been waiting for some fireworks.

i was also just thinking about guiding hunters,,,, would they be in their own rigs or are you providing transport?? i ask cause i think the tacoma will get pretty cramped wearing boots, jackets ect. once in the back seat its a decent enough fit, but for me it takes a bit of foot placement to get my feet inside, its a tight fit between the door opening and the front of the rear seat. unfortunately if you need to fit hunters inside the rig you may end up losing the nimble jeep feel your looking to get back.

 

[XL Bar]

Yes. I understand the issues of shoehorning 2-3 amply padded hunters into the confines of a Tacoma. Perhaps if they are uncomfortable in the truck they will be more willing to actually get out and walk.

Seriously, I don't have the means currently to own a hunting specific rig in addition to a daily driver/family vehicle. Driving a full size crew cab truck in traffic is a drag, not to mention the Al Gore-induced guilty conscience I get when filling the 40 gallon tank on our Suburban.

Brian

 

[Ridgewalker]

XL Bar, no matter what you get or use...it won't be just right for everything. Oversize clients need oversize spaces. Small clients usually walk more and ride less, consequently need less space. Best of luck on your no win situation. :sport_box

 

[Martinjmpr]

I don't know how much faith you put in EPA MPG ratings, but I noticed that, sadly, the DC Taco with a 6 speed manual tranny and short (5') bed gets exactly the same MPG as the double cab tundra with a 6 1/2' bed, a V-8 and an auto: 15/18.

The Taco would probably run you 2k-3k less to buy, but otherwise, if your MPG is the same, why not get the bigger, more capable truck?

Man, 15/18 for a Taco. That's just sad. My '04 is rated at 17/21 (though I think they used a different formula) and I've been able to average about 18/22 overall in the past year.

BTW, I think there are full sized Fords and Chevies that can beat 15/18, too.

 

[XL Bar]

And therein lies the rub. I really don't see how the newer larger Tacoma has much of an advantage over a full size vehicle. Fuel economy is relatively the same and the overall sizes are close (A Dodge crew cab short box 3/4 ton is the same wheelbase length as a double cab long box Tacoma).

The older Tundras seem underbuilt for their power and the new Tundras haven't proven themselves to me yet.

I find myself pining for my gone but not forgotten '99 F-250 diesel with 6-speed manual tranny.

Oh well, there could be worse things to worry about!

Brian

 

[Martinjmpr]

Have you thought about something like a Ford Superduty crew cab shortbed with a 6 speed and a diesel? More expensive to buy but should give better MPG. This time of year you may be able to swing a deal. I think the new Superdutys are a little on the fugly side, but hey, it's a truck, and you certainly won't have problems finding parts/service for a diesel Ford in Wyoming and Montana.

BTW, what parts of Wyoming do you hunt in? Up in the Park County/Cody/Lovell area? I love that part of the state. It's actually one of my favorite parts of the US. If I could find a way to make a living there, I'd seriously consider moving there. Maybe after retirement...

 

[BPMOU]

I am going to piggy back off of this thread and ask a similar question about the Tacoma. I am looking for another vehicle after selling my 80 in Oct. I need to be able to fit myself 6' 2", 235, my wife, and my infant daughter, and hopefully another little one in a year or two, plus three 70lb labs. I only want to spend about 16K. I am thinking that I can get a 02-04 Tacoma for about this with a highrise ARE topper on the bed for the dogs. Any thoughts? I have been thinking about another 80 once my wife's car is paid off, but it seems like good 80's in good condition are becoming more scarce. I look forward to your comments.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Brandon M
My opinion only, but at your size, I don't think you'll be comfortable in the 04 and earlier Tacoma. I am only 5'8" and 150 lbs and long distance driving is tough on me. I am older (60 ) and was spoiled to my F250, but unless you are young and very flexible, you should drive one for a distance and just see if you can be comfortable.

 

[BPMOU]

Thanks for the thought. Kind of what I thought. At my size the 80 was not very comfortable either. I am really struggling on what to purchase. I am a 8-12 months out, but would like to start the process so when I am ready I know exactly what to buy. If I go American I may look at new, but don't want a ton of debt as we would like to have another child soon. Thoughts? Tundra 05+ Tacoma?

 

[Redline]

A short-box crew-cab diesel and 6-speed would be an excellent choice. Fuel economy might be the same or better in real would use! The diesel will like the low engine speed off-highway, again getting better economy than a constant 14.7:1 gas engine.

And therein lies the rub. I really don't see how the newer larger Tacoma has much of an advantage over a full size vehicle. Fuel economy is relatively the same and the overall sizes are close (A Dodge crew cab short box 3/4 ton is the same wheelbase length as a double cab long box Tacoma).

The older Tundras seem underbuilt for their power and the new Tundras haven't proven themselves to me yet.

I find myself pining for my gone but not forgotten '99 F-250 diesel with 6-speed manual tranny.

Oh well, there could be worse things to worry about!

Brian

 

[XL Bar]

Martin,

I actually owned a '99 F-250 crew cab diesel w/6 speed manual for four years. It was a dandy vehicle but I never did see much better than 16-17 mpg with it, which still isn't bad considering the size of the vehicle. It did have plenty of room and power to spare. It was a bit of a handful off-road and in low traction situations due to excessive wheel spin and hop. A locker or LSD would have helped.

I got tired of dealing with the diesel in cold weather, electronics problems, and general poor build quality of the Ford. I sold it and got an '04 Chevy 2500 HD extended cab work truck with the 6.0 V8, 5 speed NV4500, 4.10 gears, vinyl floors and not much else. A wonderful vehicle. Plenty of power, great transmission, easy to clean. We left the ranch in Montana and moved to Utah and decided we just didn't two full size trucks any more (other vehicle is a 1996 Chevy 3/4 ton Suburban with 454/4.10s. I let my wife trade the 2500 in on an '07 Nissan Xterra.

The nimbleness of the Xterra is what got me checking out some of the smaller trucks. Alas, I think there is no way to eat my cake and have it, too.

I hunt around the Kemmerer area. Cody is indeed a beautiful place. Getting expensive and changing fast, much like the rest of the Mountain West.

Brian

 

[Martinjmpr]

The nimbleness of the Xterra is what got me checking out some of the smaller trucks. Alas, I think there is no way to eat my cake and have it, too.Brian

I think an 05+ Dcab Taco would probably be fine, I just think that with the current gas motor, the MPG will be very disappointing.

It may be that with fuel prices rising, we could (finally!) see the arrival of small, fuel efficient diesel engines. A Taco with a 2.5l TDi could be just the ticket for both reliability + MPG.