2011 Tundra - opinions

[Falko]

Deal is off. Found out the truck is 2WD. I figured with the TRD package it was 4WD, nope. 

Oh well, on to something different I guess...

[Falko]

Going to look at a '15 SR5 this week. Nice looking truck from the pics, we'll see...

[Falko]

My experiment in frugality ended this weekend after starting almost two years ago. I thought I could buy an older truck with lower mileage for a decent price and make it work. While I am still convinced this is possible, one must be very aware of the vehicle's condition, any known common problems of the vehicle to expect, previous maintenance of the vehicle, and most importantly the knowledge and desire to do common repairs oneself. While all of this is quite obvious, it is worth mentioning to keep in the forefront of thought. So in short, two years ago I purchased a 2004 Avalanche with 50k miles. Overall the truck was in pretty good condition and the price was good, this would be my truck for the foreseeable future. It became very apparent over the next year that this truck had deferred maintenance, needed more and more parts, it is likely this truck sat for a long time. I put a lot of time and parts into it to try and better it. The more I put in, the more showed up needing repair. I firmly believe if this truck were taken care of better and maybe not been neglected in the salt belt, it would be a great truck for the long term. It runs great, I love the Avalanche design, etc. But the time and effort it requires is more than I am willing to give at this point. I'm done.

Fast forward to this past weekend, I have replaced the Avalanche with a 2016 Tundra SR5 double cab with SR5 upgrade package, TRD offroad, tow package and tow mirrors. While my first choice was a 2500 series truck with diesel, I couldn't justify the diesel given my commute is only 13 miles each way and that isn't good for the oil burners. My towing need is limited as well. But I did get the bigger tow mirrors so I can feel like a Ram with the big mirrors protruding in the wind. So, is the Tundra worth the huge added expense as compared to the Avalanche? We'll see. But the amount of time I should be saving on repairs and spending with my family, is priceless. And the Tundra's close to 100hp more, that helps the sting a little as well. Since this truck is relatively new, I plan to keep it a long time, do all the required maintenance, and do the rust prevention steps. 

So thank you all for the advice on Tundras. We'll see how this next chapter of two vehicles goes.

[malibu2004]

1 hour ago, Falko said:

My experiment in frugality ended this weekend after starting almost two years ago. I thought I could buy an older truck with lower mileage for a decent price and make it work. While I am still convinced this is possible, one must be very aware of the vehicle's condition, any known common problems of the vehicle to expect, previous maintenance of the vehicle, and most importantly the knowledge and desire to do common repairs oneself. While all of this is quite obvious, it is worth mentioning to keep in the forefront of thought. So in short, two years ago I purchased a 2004 Avalanche with 50k miles. Overall the truck was in pretty good condition and the price was good, this would be my truck for the foreseeable future. It became very apparent over the next year that this truck had deferred maintenance, needed more and more parts, it is likely this truck sat for a long time. I put a lot of time and parts into it to try and better it. The more I put in, the more showed up needing repair. I firmly believe if this truck were taken care of better and maybe not been neglected in the salt belt, it would be a great truck for the long term. It runs great, I love the Avalanche design, etc. But the time and effort it requires is more than I am willing to give at this point. I'm done.

Fast forward to this past weekend, I have replaced the Avalanche with a 2016 Tundra SR5 double cab with SR5 upgrade package, TRD offroad, tow package and tow mirrors. While my first choice was a 2500 series truck with diesel, I couldn't justify the diesel given my commute is only 13 miles each way and that isn't good for the oil burners. My towing need is limited as well. But I did get the bigger tow mirrors so I can feel like a Ram with the big mirrors protruding in the wind. So, is the Tundra worth the huge added expense as compared to the Avalanche? We'll see. But the amount of time I should be saving on repairs and spending with my family, is priceless. And the Tundra's close to 100hp more, that helps the sting a little as well. Since this truck is relatively new, I plan to keep it a long time, do all the required maintenance, and do the rust prevention steps. 

So thank you all for the advice on Tundras. We'll see how this next chapter of two vehicles goes.

Congratz on the Tundra. I have a 2012 with 66k on it and have had zero issues with it other than brake pads at 60k. 

[Falko]

This was the sixth one I looked at. Four of the five sold before I could get to the dealership and the other was well abused. Good examples properly priced do not last long it seems. 

I had to remove my stuff from the Avy but will be picking it up shortly. The only snafu I'm running into is the DMV issued my title for the Avy at 500,095 miles instead of 50,095. So I have to get the title re-issued, which I am sure I'll have to pay for their screw up. I never even opened the envelope when I received it, just put it in the file, my bad.

[nyryan2001]

Falko... what boat do you have? How heavy is your tow?

[Falko]

I just have an older 23 XTi, I figure loaded with trailer it might teeter upwards of 5-5500, most likely the lower end of that scale. I expect I could have gotten away with a Colorado to tow it really. To this point we've always towed it with my wife's Armada, so the truck wasn't really needed for towing, but I do haul things quite often, and a full size is nice, but wasn't overly needed. I checked out a Tacoma and couldn't get comfortable in it, didn't like the V6 in the GM offering, hesitant on the baby-max. 

I looked at several trucks, Ram, GM, and Toyota. I was keying in on 2014's since there are a number of them coming off lease. Given our road conditions and winter salt issue (which was a big issue with the Avy) I was pretty vigilant at looking at the frames. The Toyota frames were all in much better condition than the GMs or the Rams. One '16 Ram I looked at out of Quebec has a frame completely coated in rust already. I will say the GM and Ram have nicer appointments interior wise, a little quieter ride, and cost wise a bit less upfront. I also really like to have a center console and the shifter there, not on the column. Getting a GM with a center console in LT trim is next to impossible and they do not have a console shifter. The Ram was obtainable with center console, rotary shifter, and steering wheel selector which would have sufficed. I was just overly concerned with the Ram 8-spd, I'm sure it will end up being a great transmission, but too new to me and coming from 4-spd, that 6 in the Tundra felt incredible. I just don't need anything fancy, just reliable. 

I didn't look at any F150's (ghast!!!!). I am not a Ford guy and they seem to have a large price jump in resale for some reason. Wasn't willing to spend the extra cake for a truck I wasn't interested in anyway. I did come across some pretty sharp looking Fords though. When people say that everyone makes a great truck these days, I would agree. It was a tough decision, but the Toyota just ticked all the boxes and was an acceptable truck. And for those who think I am a Toyota fan boy, I've said in the very recent past that I would never own a Toyota. I just really liked their trucks when driving them. Ended up finding a '16 for about $2k more than the 14's I was looking at and it had a couple more options than others I looked at (including a front end leveling kit so it looks like a big truck now). And did I mention the big dog ear tow mirrors??

[Pra4sno]

@Falko I'm currently towing a '93 Echelon (2450 dry) with a 25' steel tandem axle (1300).  When I've got a full tank and gear I'm creeping past 4200 lbs.  

I have a 6 speed manual in my '17 Tacoma TRD O/R and at 5000ft of elevation I really have to wind her up to get the trailer rolling.  Once I'm moving I can maintain most speed limits but dig really deep and run my revs high on any serious climb.  She'll pull out of a launch fine, but every time I do it I recognize I am taking miles off my clutch.  

 

I guess I'm just reinforcing your decision to go full size with the Tundra with a heavier boat.  If my boat was 1000lbs heavier I'd say it would be un-safe for me to pull and having towed it a total of only 200 miles it's really going to have to be something I try pulling for another few months before I go for a bigger truck.  That being said, I've had my eyes on a few Tundras out here - a tremendous value at point of sale, only made up on the other trucks like the F150 if you're going to put the miles on to earn the money back in fuel economy.  Family and friends with Tundra's have many hundreds of thousands of miles largely trouble free.  That and you're absolutely right, the seats and driving position in the Tacoma isn't great.  

 

I may join you in the Tundra club next year.  Let us know how she tows!  

Edited October 26, 2017 by Pra4sno

[Falko]

Kind of funny you post in this thread today. I FINALLY got to pick up the truck today. The RMV screwed up my title on my avy (listed it as 500,000 miles) and it has taken this long for them to correct so I could trade it in. What a nightmare. But the Tundra is home, looking forward to next spring and hooking her up to the boat. 

Thanks for the comments.

[edwin]

35 minutes ago, Pra4sno said:

@Falko I'm currently towing a '93 Echelon (2450 dry) with a 25' steel tandem axle (1300).  When I've got a full tank and gear I'm creeping past 4200 lbs.  

I have a 6 speed manual in my '17 Tacoma TRD O/R and at 5000ft of elevation I really have to wind her up to get the trailer rolling.  Once I'm moving I can maintain most speed limits but dig really deep and run my revs high on any serious climb.  She'll pull out of a launch fine, but every time I do it I recognize I am taking miles off my clutch.  

 

I guess I'm just reinforcing your decision to go full size with the Tundra with a heavier boat.  If my boat was 1000lbs heavier I'd say it would be un-safe for me to pull and having towed it a total of only 200 miles it's really going to have to be something I try pulling for another few months before I go for a bigger truck.  That being said, I've had my eyes on a few Tundras out here - a tremendous value at point of sale, only made up on the other trucks like the F150 if you're going to put the miles on to earn the money back in fuel economy.  Family and friends with Tundra's have many hundreds of thousands of miles largely trouble free.  That and you're absolutely right, the seats and driving position in the Tacoma isn't great.  

 

I may join you in the Tundra club next year.  Let us know how she tows!  

I had a 97 4runner with a 5spd manual...same exact scenario.  It was definitely not geared for tugging things, especially 1st gear.  Did fine once you were up and rolling but the starts were tough on it.  

[Pra4sno]

1 hour ago, edwin said:

I had a 97 4runner with a 5spd manual...same exact scenario.  It was definitely not geared for tugging things, especially 1st gear.  Did fine once you were up and rolling but the starts were tough on it.  

I had in my mind getting a ski boat when I bought the Tacoma, hence going with the 6 spd MT, which has the lower ratio rear end.  It truly makes a huge difference when talking to other Tacoma owners who have the manuals, honestly I can't complain much EXCEPT when on my clutch at the ramp, or anytime I'm taking a turn out onto a main drag.  

The MT Tacoma with the V6 actually has a 4.3 rear end and a 3.98 1st gear ratio, so 1st gear is really strong.  I did try 4LO a week ago when the ramp was slick just to test it out at 4to1.  It leaned into the boat at idle and a slight touch of the gas and we were off and up the ramp.  I have a sharp left at the top of our ramp though, so I won't be doing that again.  

The torque and HP numbers in 2HI look good on paper, but just do not translate to the real world for towing a typical ski boat like I hear the V8 Tundra does.  

 

What did you replace the 4R with?  

Edited October 26, 2017 by Pra4sno

[twitchee2]

On 10/26/2017 at 3:23 PM, Pra4sno said:

I had in my mind getting a ski boat when I bought the Tacoma, hence going with the 6 spd MT, which has the lower ratio rear end.  It truly makes a huge difference when talking to other Tacoma owners who have the manuals, honestly I can't complain much EXCEPT when on my clutch at the ramp, or anytime I'm taking a turn out onto a main drag.  

The MT Tacoma with the V6 actually has a 4.3 rear end and a 3.98 1st gear ratio, so 1st gear is really strong.  I did try 4LO a week ago when the ramp was slick just to test it out at 4to1.  It leaned into the boat at idle and a slight touch of the gas and we were off and up the ramp.  I have a sharp left at the top of our ramp though, so I won't be doing that again.  

The torque and HP numbers in 2HI look good on paper, but just do not translate to the real world for towing a typical ski boat like I hear the V8 Tundra does.  

 

What did you replace the 4R with?  

Go on Tacoma world,  I am sure there is a way to make 4 low into 2low.  I know i was able to do that on my 4runner.

[Pra4sno]

23 hours ago, twitchee2 said:

Go on Tacoma world,  I am sure there is a way to make 4 low into 2low.  I know i was able to do that on my 4runner.

I've seen a few threads about doing that!

Towing a few more times this last week really settled for me that buying a 1/2 ton would simply be me WANTING to have a more powerful tow rig and truck.  This Tacoma is underpowered all around for daily driving, but she pulls the boat really well for being at 5,000ft of elevation.  I attribute it to the strong lower gearing, and me not needing to go over 60 to get to all of the bodies of water I'll be hitting.  

I'm going to keep my eyes open for a great deal on a 1/2 ton, but until that date I'll probably still have the Tacoma.  The 2WD LO mod would likely be PERFECT for me at the ramp to save my clutch a bit.  Thanks for the suggestion!  

[Falko]

Found out last night the Tundra makes an excellent deer hunting tool. 

Illusive creatures, lights flashin', horn blowin'....

[Falko]

I got the truck fixed, the body shop did a nice job, but they only had to replace one piece with paint which was about 20 sqin. 

Anyway, my sister sent me a Christmas present, came in last night. A big polished SS bull bar. Hmmmm. Not sure I am a bull bar kind of guy...