Greetings. I'm looking for a vehicle I can turn into an expedition rig. I've driven a number of vehicles and found that at 6'4" and with back problems, few vehicles are comfortable and even fewer seem like they'll be comfortable for many hours of driving. I'm still considering a 100 series LC or LX470, 5th gen 4Runner or GX470, but I found a pretty good deal on a 2011 4x4 Tundra Crewmax and it was the most comfortable vehicle I've driven but I don't see very many on here, in build threads or pics within other threads. I'll mainly be driving in Colorado, Utah and Arizona or Oregon, Washington and BC, depending on where my wife and I decide to hang our hats. I'm not really looking to do any rock crawling but I also want to be able to head out into the wilderness for days or weeks at a time and not find that I can't go many places because my truck is just too big for the trails. I've read through several Tundra build threads and people have commented that they're too big for their trails. I'm also having a difficult time figuring out how I'm going to be able to carry what I want-RTT, canoe or kayak and mountain bike-at the same time with one of the aforementioned vehicles without buying a trailer. I'd like to hold off on the trailer but I don't see how I could fit a Columbus or Maggiolina on a roof and cradle a kayak on its side next to it. I've seen cradle mounts for boats, but it appears as if those tents are as wide as the roofs of all of the vehicles they're on in the pics I've seen. With a Tundra, I think I could buy or fabricate a rack for the bed, put the tent on top and carry a kayak and/or bike on the rack or in the bed. Of course, that wouldn't do me much good if I couldn't even get to my destination due to the truck being too large....
Would a 2011 Toyota Tundra be too big for most western trails?
- Thread starter fishead
- Start date
If you literally mean "wilderness," obviously, you can't take any vehicles there. If you are referring to forest service roads, it may be worth pointing out that most construction vehicles (pickups) that traverse those roads are full-size and most/many forest service vehicles are as well. You may get some pinstriping from trees/bushes on those roads.
surlydiesel
Adventurer
Yes, that would be my opinion too. All the forest roads around me are traversed by One Ton Dually Brush Trucks a few times a year. They get plenty of pinstriping but a Tundra would certainly fit. The "Jeep" trails in PA just around the corner are another story. When my wife and I do our XC trip of 8 months to a year or more, we plan on buying a Tundra and using it in much the manner you are talking. It's either that or a fullsize domestic, so I think you'd be fine.
-jorge
-jorge
midwayliberator
New member
I live in Colorado and Utah, A full size truck does fine on most trails with a 5 difficult ratting out of 10. As said your paint job, and antenna suffer due to tight trails. If kept stock I have seen a lot of bumper damage due to just deep rooted roads and drops. Honestly you will be fine with a full size truck, but I recommend investing in good aggressive AT tires, a rear locker and sliders.
SpongeX
Rust does a body good.
I'm in Colorado and my opinion would be depends on what you're looking for. In this area of the country some level of rock crawling is always necessary even on a lot of forest service roads. The trail I was on yesterday was just a random forest service road and it was tight enough to remove a mirror from my first gen Hilux and pin stripe my Xterra pretty heavily. It may work really well for you but there will be times you have to back out of a trail because of the trucks size.
Dances with Wolves
aka jk240sx
I went from a Titan to a Tacoma because it didn't fit on some of the trails I wanted to take. My Titan was an '05 and came to me pinstriped with a few dings so I really didn't care too much what happened to the exterior. It had a rear locker and decent AT/3 tires so it would go almost anywhere. Got used to folding my mirrors inward.
FullTankHank
Adventurer
So far the size hasn't been a detriment for myself, except for when someone backed into the side of my truck in a parking lot and left a small dent. But outdoors, pin-striping is all I have had to deal with so far. I say go for it, it you enjoy driving it.
You could mount the RTT right over the bed, and get a rack for the canoes to go on the cab. Get some sliders and tires, and call it day for now.
You could mount the RTT right over the bed, and get a rack for the canoes to go on the cab. Get some sliders and tires, and call it day for now.
JCMatthews
Tour Guide
They may not look the same size, however, the 1st and 2nd gen Tundras are. I feel like my truck is big, but that is compared to my old Cherokee. I appreciate the size. I can haul whatever I need to, or whatever my passengers bring along. I have been able to go anywhere I want with minor stripping. With what I needed out of a truck, I could not have gone smaller. I have zero regrets with my truck.
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1 Bored Clerk
Explorer
Maybe a bit off topic but weren't the AC 1st Gen tundras narrower than the 1st Gen DCs...by a few inches? Something about the DC's being based on the sequoia.
Anyway, There are a LOT of places I go in my Tacoma that a fullsize would be a total pain with. My access cab 2nd Gen tacoma is big enough to feel large on a lot of trails/roads in the northwest. If you stick with the main logging roads, it doesn't really matter what size truck you have. I would get whatever you're comfortable driving because it won't matter that you can get back to super remote places, hours from anyone, if you can't make it out of town because you're back hurts.
Toyota's web site lists the following dimensions
Tacoma Double Cab
overall width 74.6 in
overall length 208.0 in
wheelbase 127.4 in
turning circle 40.7 ft
Tundra Double Cab
overall width 79.8 in
overall length 228.9 in
wheelbase 145.7 in
turning circle 44 ft
The Tacoma is not a small vehicle any more. The turning circle is the spec that might give you the most trouble on the trail.
Tacoma Double Cab
overall width 74.6 in
overall length 208.0 in
wheelbase 127.4 in
turning circle 40.7 ft
Tundra Double Cab
overall width 79.8 in
overall length 228.9 in
wheelbase 145.7 in
turning circle 44 ft
The Tacoma is not a small vehicle any more. The turning circle is the spec that might give you the most trouble on the trail.
And those Tacoma dimensions are for the short (useless
) bed--the long bed is even bigger and has the same turning circle as the Tundra.
I live in Colorado. Out here, full size trucks do great on forrest service roads. As for pin striping , my experience has been that all trucks get pin striping some of the time. I have some on my 4runner. Its no CJ5, but its fairly small compared to a full-size.
The only thing I'd be concerned with is if you decide to keep it stock. The area I see full size trucks have issue is on break over. Without a lift, you are likely to catch a lot, where we have water bars and washouts on some of the steeper stuff, and mountain passes. A SWB rig has no issues, but I was just out with a guy in a Silverado full size this past weekend, and he was catching his under carriage right and left where my 4runner was having zero issues.
I think a Tundra would make an excellent vehicle for trails in the south west. I think the PNW is a bit more like trails back east, where a full size truck can get quite stuck.
I will say, I have never had the experience that one of the previous posters had, coming across rock crawling in the middle of a forest service road, unless it is a designated trail. I have done a lot of rock crawling out here, and I've never been on a rock crawling trail that I didn't know was a rock crawling trail. However, I suppose it is possible.
I think the best way to avoid that would be to get a book of 4wd roads, so you can prepare a head of time. Generally out in CO, most rock crawling trails have VERY nasty entrance obstacles and big signs that caution against taking a vehicle up them that isn't prepared. Carnage, Montrose, Penrose all do, as do some of the harder, non rock crawl trails, like Holy Cross.
However, other states may differ. Obviously, you will have to make the judgement of where you want to take the truck.
Happy Trails and good luck with the purchase!
The only thing I'd be concerned with is if you decide to keep it stock. The area I see full size trucks have issue is on break over. Without a lift, you are likely to catch a lot, where we have water bars and washouts on some of the steeper stuff, and mountain passes. A SWB rig has no issues, but I was just out with a guy in a Silverado full size this past weekend, and he was catching his under carriage right and left where my 4runner was having zero issues.
I think a Tundra would make an excellent vehicle for trails in the south west. I think the PNW is a bit more like trails back east, where a full size truck can get quite stuck.
I will say, I have never had the experience that one of the previous posters had, coming across rock crawling in the middle of a forest service road, unless it is a designated trail. I have done a lot of rock crawling out here, and I've never been on a rock crawling trail that I didn't know was a rock crawling trail. However, I suppose it is possible.
I think the best way to avoid that would be to get a book of 4wd roads, so you can prepare a head of time. Generally out in CO, most rock crawling trails have VERY nasty entrance obstacles and big signs that caution against taking a vehicle up them that isn't prepared. Carnage, Montrose, Penrose all do, as do some of the harder, non rock crawl trails, like Holy Cross.
However, other states may differ. Obviously, you will have to make the judgement of where you want to take the truck.
Happy Trails and good luck with the purchase!
bigwapitijohnny
Adventurer
Yep, it's a Tundra...
Fishead,
Fishead,
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I currently have a 2011 CM Tundra, and I am loving it. My previous vehicle was a 3rd gen 4runner. It was a great vehicle, but we outgrew it. With all vehicle platforms, you are going to have to make some compromises. The Tundra does have plenty of power, room and dependability, however, it is big and being nimble on the trail can be an issue. My rationale is that the day in / day out comfort far outweigh the few instances in which the size, on the trail, is an issue. One caveat is that I have a small off-road trailer ~ Outlander Sherpa II, and it suits our family just right. I would imagine that a combination of both Tundra and trailer should handle your needs well. I cannot comment on a bed-rack system because I don't have any insight into having one. .
Last year, I took my truck over Medano pass and the Continental divide. It did great. There were some parts of the trail that were tight, and I got my share of pinstriping, however, I consider it a part of the journey. Does the Tundra have shortcomings? ~ Absolutely. However, the 'good' FAR outweigh the 'bad' for me and my family....
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Hope this helps!.
Regards,.
BWJ