Tundra Daydreaming

[mightymike]

I went to the dealership this weekend and the new Tundra's are starting to grow on me. I was planning on a new DC Tacoma before the end of the year but the double cab Tundra with the 5.7 liter engine (381hp!) is not a whole lot more money when it is optioned out the same way.

This will be a semi-daily driver (40 mile round trip, 2 times a week) and the higher towing capacity is very appealing to me-We usually tow our 4,000 lb. boat from NC to FL a few times a year and with all the other junk we take with us I am afriad we will be at the limit of a Tacoma's ability. I'll keep my old Miata to drive to work most of the time to offfset the poorer gas mileage.

Does anyone here have one of the new Tundra's? Please let me know how you like your truck so far.

I know there are not as many aftermarket parts available, but the only thing I would really want right away is an ARB locker for the rear and maybe a small lift. Tires are another concern-I'm going to start another thread on that...

 

[Clutch]

They just need to throw in a diesel and a 6 speed manual transmission. Then maybe I might move to bigger truck.

There are times I wished my Tacoma was bigger.

 

[viter]

don't have one, but they sure look pretty cool to me...
donahoe racing has a ~2"-3" lift for new tundras if you do buy one

 

[kcowyo]

O% interest for 60 months till the end of July on new Tundras :Wow1: :Wow1: :Wow1:

Just saw my first reg cab, short bed the other day, and it was white. That is the first cab & bed configuration I've seen of the new Tundras that I really liked. I didn't like the first double cab Tundras at first either, takes me awhile to warm up to new models.

I would be interested in hearing new Tundra impressions too....:lurk:

 

[VikingVince]

-We usually tow our 4,000 lb. boat from NC to FL a few times a year and with all the other junk we take with us I am afriad we will be at the limit of a Tacoma's abili.

I would say that clinches the need for a Tundra over the Tacoma. With a 4000 lb boat you would be at or over the Tacoma's GCWR...and that would be with an empty Tacoma with no modifications.

Plus there's the safety factor...a tow vehicle should weigh at least 1000 pounds more than what you're towing. With a Tacoma, the boat could weigh more than the truck or be equal...dangerous! I wouldn't drive at freeway speeds or accelerating downhill with that setup. The boat could start whiplashing and flip both vehicles. What have you towed with in the past?

 

[7wt]

I can just picture a white regular cab with a cab on the back and a 2-3" lift with some sexy tires and a winch up front, mmmmm.

 

[mightymike]

We currently use my wife's Excursion to tow the boat-it obviously does so with no problem at all. 4k lbs. is an estimate. The manufacturer (Scout Boats) lists a dry weight of 1,550 lbs. without the engine. By the time I add the motor, 44 gallons of gas, trailer and a hundred pounds of things that are supposed to help fill the fishbox, I'm guessing I'm close to 4k lbs. I'm sure we have about 500 lbs. in luggage, coolers, chairs, bikes, kayak, kids...etc. The boat has a T-top which adds a good bit of aerodynamic drag.

The Tundra also has four wheel discs, which I see as a nice plus for towing. We also like the Four Wheel Campers and even the lightweight models (I feel) will tax the Tacoma somewhat. I'd rather have a V8 loping along than a V6 straining at maximum output.....No need for frame reinforcements either, I suspect.

I'm not seeing a whole lot of negatives for the Tundra thus far. ARB told me they have a bull-bar in the works if I'd ever want one and an air-locker can be had already. It is a big truck, so tight trails would be harder. But in reality that is less than 10% of the time that I will use the truck, as much as I'd like to think otherwise.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

FYI I have been hearing reports of tundras with a diesel option coming out sometime in the near futre. I seem to recall they were saying 08 model year (which I doubt) but it is possible.. Andre

 

[DaveInDenver]

ARB told me they have a bull-bar in the works if I'd ever want one and an air-locker can be had already.

Did you get the word that there is an Air Locker for the new Tundra straight from ARB? The axle you get with the 5.7L engine is a 10.5" ring gear, which is a new axle. The ARB catalog dated 7/20/2007 still lists the 2007+ Tundra as a TBD for part number.

http://arbusa.com/alac/215110.pdf

 

[mightymike]

I did not get the work from ARB that the air locker was already available-that came from another web forum so I guess I should take it with a grain of salt.

I hope since the part number is listed TBD (like the bullbar/bumper) it will exist eventually.....

 

[DaveInDenver]

I hope since the part number is listed TBD (like the bullbar/bumper) it will exist eventually.....

Probably a good sign. Maybe the axle will be used in the new Cruiser, too? That would pretty much guarantee it's existance.

 

[kcowyo]

I can just picture a white regular cab with a cab on the back and a 2-3" lift with some sexy tires and a winch up front, mmmmm.

That's what I was thinking..... The short bed doesn't look nearly as odd as the longbeds and that is one reg cab that actually looks roomy enough for the long hauls.

FYI I have been hearing reports of tundras with a diesel option coming out sometime in the near future.....

I hope they do. Then all the gassers will get traded in and the market for them will plummet along with their value. Then maybe we'll be able to get a "new" truck from Toyota for less than $40K.

 

[mightymike]

According to Edmunds.com and KBB.com, I priced out a 2007 Tundra double cab, regular bed, 4x4, 5.7 liter V8 with TRD package and a few other options and both of them gave me an invoice price of beween $31,000 and $32,000, before the current $3,500 rebate, which would bring the truck to under $30,0000....That's within $2,500 of the Tacoma I priced out......and the dealer here gave me the same price on a Tacoma as the KBB invoice price so I would assume that would be close on a Tundra as well, but I might have to wait a few months until the "new" wears off the Tundras.

That is what got me looking seriously at a Tundra, they weren't as pricey as I thought, though you can load one up to over $40,000 quite easliy.

 

[Clutch]

Bio-Diesel burning, 6 speed manual, long bed, extra cab, some lift with the Four Wheel Camper...then it would perfect!

ohh...in 5 years I'll be ready for new truck...:safari-rig:

Yeah, the long bed looks weird stock, ad a mild lift and some larger tires....change the color to that dark blue they have...sweet!

 

[7wt]

This is just plain sexy looking. I got it from Toytec's site.

http://www.toyteclifts.com/images/TU7e.JPG