I also like the Tundra. Fine vehicle. Just not the one for towing the 25' Safari. I agree, the max tow values are misleading. Take a look under the Tundra, then look under the Silverado. BIG difference in beefiness. Quality, get the tundra, but towing capacity, get the Chevy.
And I encourage all to run the numbers on the referenced spreadsheets. Convinced me.
I have an '04 Titan 4wd tow package and have been towing my '89 Excella 29 (about 6800lbs) for four years. I added Bilstein shocks, Timbren
auxillary springs and higher load rated tires and it is a fine tow truck. Diesel has its advantages but I bought this Titan in june '05 leftover on the dealer lot for $23,995, any diesel would have been at least $10K more, a differential that could never be made up in fuel savings. I do much of my traveling in the mountain west and the Titan has all the guts I have ever needed. The Q-45 V-8, the engine the Titan is based on is one of the great motors of our time. 84K miles and still hauling like a truck and handling like a great big sports car!
I have owned a 2004 Titan for the past five years. I haven't owned a Tundra, though my brother tows with one.
Gas hogs? I guess it depends on your expectations. If mileage is a big concern, you might want to think diesel... but they aren't giving diesel away.
If the choices are Titan and Tundra, I'd go with Tundra. The Titan has been a good truck, but not a great truck. My last Toyota was a great truck. The Titan is roomy and it has plenty of power. As for towing, 25' to 28' footer doesn't mean much. Pulling a vintage 26' Overlander with a dry weight of 4100 pounds is quite different than pulling a modern 28' SOB with slideouts and twice the weight.
Now, once you post about towing anything, the 3/4 ton brigade will arrive saying you need a 3/4 ton diesel to pull anything. Honestly, I don't have any problem pulling my Overlander with a 1/2 ton Titan. And I'm putting around on a vintage 3/4-ton Dodge. The Titan has higher tow rating across the board... and it has AC.
If you're looking at 25' and/or 5,000 lbs., I think the Titan and Tundra would be competent tow vehicles. Depending on the exact make an model, you could add some weight, but I'd be careful about adding much length. As noted, the future of the Titan is in question. Toyota also learned from some Nissan mistakes (like the lousy version of the Dana 44 rear in the early Titans). Gene is right. 2nd gen Tundra is a very, very good truck. Good luck.
Thanks much...I have what I needed thanks to the forum...but I will pass ALL this info onto him . That took time and I appreciate it Thanks 2air.......Dave
Well, I've owned both and for my money even though I've only had it two weeks the Tundra wins easily. Nothing against the Titan - put 140K on my 2005 with little in the way of problems and it handled the two trailers I towed with it fine but the Tundra just has more power and unlike the Titan it comes with a aux transmission cooler. My Titan was getting a bit long in the tooth and needed a bit of work - still had original shocks for instance and they were shot. Debated putting a couple of grand into the Titan or something new and decided on the Tundra. Five years is about all I want to drive anything anyway. As for a diesel - Tundra or other - forget it unless you want the extra performance. Taking everything into consideration there is no way you save anything with one.
I had a Titan Crew Cab and although it towed the Airstream fine, I find the 2500 Silverado diesel far superior. It is quieter on the highway because it doesn't need to run with the revs in the upper registers going upgrade. The Allison transmission is a gem: set it in tow/haul mode with cruise on and it will downshift going downgrade saving the brakes. Overall, the entire towing experience with the Silverado surpasses the Titan. I did think the Titan was great when I had it in spite of the weak brakes and the worry about the small differential (there are lots of documented failures). I am glad I made the switch to a 3/4 ton diesel and that would be my recommendation
__________________
Ron
2004 Classic 25 - The Silver Sausage
2008 Silverado LTZ CC 2500 4x4 Duramax - Brutus WBCCI 2623
My 2004 Titan just clicked past 96000 miles and about 35000 of that was towing my 31' Sovereign all over the USA.
No problems. No white knuckle experiences. No mechanicals.
However, my brother in law is towing his 27' FB with a new Tundra and I have to say it is a more capable vehicle than mine. Brakes are especially herky.
I thought diesel back in '04 but I just couldn't justify the big $$$. I know that a diesel (well, most diesels-- I've read some nasty stuff about the Ford version...) will last practically forever but by the time the truck is 6-7 years old, it needs an interior overhaul, paint, some body...
All in all, if I had to buy a tv tomorrow, I'd look at the Tundra first.
The Tundra 6 speed has 2 overdrive settings—5th and 6th. It may go into 6th downhill or on a flat highway towing. Going uphill on cruise it will downshift to 3rd at times and the RPM's go up to 4,000 or higher on a 7% grade, but usually I turn off cruise and go slower to save gas. This is a big V8 and made to operate at high RPM as well as low. It doesn't hurt it to rev it up, but gas consumption goes way up if you go over high mountain passes at 65 or 70. Most of the time it runs at 1,800-2,500 RPM and is very quiet, but at 4,500 RPM it's loud. Loud is good as it makes me slow down. On small hills it will sometimes shift to 3rd where if I had cruise off, I'd just slow down keep the RPM's below 3,000. I pass big trucks on those hills, they pass me on the other side. Sometimes that truck and I do that many times for many miles. Keeps me awake.
I haven't experienced it shifting down on downhills, but it's hard to count the gears when there are 6 of them and the difference on the tach isn't that much. On long steep grades or curvy roads I downshift to 4th or 3rd for engine braking. The truck handles anything very well. There's no comparison between this truck and trucks made not too many years ago.
The brakes have been fine. Massive well cooled rotors. Not towing, it stops quickly and smoothly. Towing takes longer to stop with 3 1/2 tons behind you. Electric drum trailer brakes help, but they are an old technology these days. I rely on engine braking and the Tundra brakes primarily.
This truck also handles much better than the 1st generation Tundra and has a smaller turning radius.
The only regrets are changing oil is difficult—skid plate takes a long time to get on and off. The filter is not the cartridge type and draining is very messy. And I wish I had bought the Limited. The seats on the SR 5 are hard and leather might be more comfortable for an old butt.
Gene's comments are right on. We have the same experience with our 2008 Tundra.
Our Airstream is a little smaller, so our mpgs aren't too bad. We averaged 16.5 mpg in the Colorado Rockies in the summer of 2008 and 13.5 on our trip to Yellowstone. The big difference was that most of the driving to Yellowstone was highway miles at 60 mph and the Rockies were mostly at 45 mph.
Without our Airstream in tow, we get about 18-19 mpg on the flats to Tucson, and I have hit 21+ city. However, the city miles are over a known commute course where the lights are synchronoized and almost all are green. Also, I drive almost exclusively with the cruise control, even in the city, which allows the engine and transmission computers to pick the best throttle settings and gears.
We also have a Prius, and I learned this technique driving the little car. The Tundra has a big engine, so the temptation to drive it hard is always just a traffic light away. If you want to save fuel, it can be done. We are old timers, so we just open all the windows and moon roof (including the rear window which slides down) and enjoy cruising!
By the way, Gene, the leather seats are just as hard, but the extra adjustments and lumbar support help. However, the leather is cold in the winter (thank goodness they are heated) and hot and sticky in the summer.
By the way, Gene, the leather seats are just as hard, but the extra adjustments and lumbar support help. However, the leather is cold in the winter (thank goodness they are heated) and hot and sticky in the summer.
Now I feel better for not paying more for a Limited. But how can leather seats be cold in Phoenix?
Own a 2008 Titan Crew Cab and tow the 25CCD/SS. Towed 6k miles this summer from NJ to Colorado/Wyoming and home with not one issue. Truck was strong and comfortable. Myself, wife and daughter plus 3 bikes, 2 Honda 2000's, and 2 inflatable kayaks. 25 or 28 footer no problem (but checkout hitch weight on 28'). Averaged 11mpg. Could easily accelerate and even passed many vehicles on the way UP to Rocky Mountain NP.
I have an 08 5.7L Tundra double cab 2wd and I think it is the best 1/2 ton TV period. The best feature is the engine and a close second is the 6 spd transmission. Totally redesigned in 07 it has 18" wheels, big brakes, all the latest electronic safety stuff with a great cab design with a very usable back seat. We took a trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway towing our 66 24' Tradewind and got an honest 14 mpg. We get 18-19 mpg solo on trips. It is a great truck. My only complaint is that it is HUGE, just like all the other trucks that can tow my Airstream easily. The 6 spd tranny does downshift automatically when you touch the brakes going downhill. This is a great feature but I usually downshift manually anyway- force of habit.
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