2008 Tundra Double Cab Trip Report

[SRW]

Originally Posted by juel

I'm driving an older Tundra, 2x4 Step-Side. I've been checking my mileage (not towing) for a couple of weeks. So far I'm getting 19+ MPG. This is not all highway driving either. I'm having a hard time making myself go to a funny looking little car that would give me 23-25MPG. The Tundra has 80K on it both towing a 24ft Argosy and daily driving in my job. So far no trouble with it except that men keep coming up to me to "talk" about the "new style" Tundra I'm driving. This truck is an 05, but so few were made that folks think it's something new. I am very pleased with it. It has the 4.7L V8, so I hesitate to pull the 31ft with it. With gas here at $3.79 a gallon, I also hesitate to get the new Tundra. May retire this one from daily driving and get a little car, but it will be a hard decision.

I have not seen a Tundra with tail lights like yours or the step side. But on the other hand there are lots of things I have never seen.

Went to a four web sites like Edmund's and their photos of 05's do not have the same tail lights as your's.

Interesting.

With the performance your getting I would use it for a daily driver until gas was over $4.00 a gallon.

Wait, what am I saying?

SRW

[Ray Eklund]

After putting 8500 miles on the 2008 I noticed an interesting "quirk".

I changed oil for the first 5000 miles and was not watching the dealership mechanics, so cannot comment on the first time. The second oil change at 8,500 miles, since we will be leaving shortly for eastern Oregon and Washington next week, and needed the 5,000 miles before oil change overlap. When the mechanic pulled off the aluminum skid plate, it was full of dust. When he pulled off the steel skid plate below the engine, it was full of dust. The mechanics said it was not unusual to see the skid plates accumulate, in my case a half pound or so on each, of dust from dirt/gravel road travel.

My air filter was fine. I will be watching this next time. When I returned home, I took the water hose and sprayed off both skid plates from below the radiator and wheel wells. I am going to price the cost of the replacement oil filter and oil to see if the cost of the oil change at the dealer is worth it or not...

I took some excess black painted aluminum screen door screen, cut it to fit in front of the radiator to collect insects and other bugs that would otherwise collect in the radiator cooling fins. You just need to be careful that you cut a section away so the safety latch for the hood can catch... FYI when you pull the hood release inside the cab, the hood catches a second time on the safety latch. You need to release that in order to lift the hood. That is the latch I am speaking about.

After 8500 miles I have had no problems. The Goodrich tires have more tread wear due to much of this mileage is from towing this Spring, but nothing out of the ordinary. I do not use the TOW option much, since the horsepower of the 5.7L is more than I need...

[richcrest]

We tow a fully loaded 2005 19' Safari Bambi with a 2007 Tundra SR5 5.7L DC. Have taken only 1 trip so far--300 miles, 17 mpg. The Towing Package gets you the 4.30 rearend and trans temp gauge. Towed up to 7,500' elevation in the Sierra Nevadas on a 95 degree day with excellent power and no change in trans temp. This truck is much gentler on the AS than my old F-250 4X4.

[azflycaster]

richcrest - Welcome to the forums.

Those are very good numbers for towing with a Tundra. I get around 12, but I tow a lot of mountains and I have a heavy foot.

I have had an 07 DC with the 5.7 motor. It is a very good towing vehicle for a small to mid-size Airstream.

[purman]

I tow with the '08 sequia with the big motor and tow package which is the same as the Tundra but only rated at 9600 lbs... I tow my '68 28' Ambassador, going to the Tetons I got about 11 mpg 75 mph on the freeways slower on the passes and back roads.... coming back I drove 60-65 to see if there was a difference... 12.8 mpg on the way back... Also this is over some very high passes and not to much flat driving...

Driving around town which is a 2000 ft elevation from delta to where we live I get about 18mpg... on the highway i get 20 mpg...or even a little better if it's flat..