Titan or Tundra Tow Vehicle?

[Gene]

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

[Phoenix]

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.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

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?

Gene

[DrPlay]

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.

[romap]

Myself, wife and daughter plus 3 bikes, 2 Honda 2000's, and 2 inflatable kayaks

I would bet that your were at or over the Titans payload limit. Get it scaled to be safe.

Payload limit was one of the reasons I went with a 3/4 ton.

[hshovic]

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.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...tml#post456088

[TouringDan]

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.

[easyride]

I think towing an American icon with a Japanese vehicle,is like putting sushi on apple pie.
Dave

[Redcobra]

I totally agree with Easyride. Let's support our American companies when and where we can.

[63air]

Your American vehicle might not be that American and your foreign vehicle might not be that foreign. My 97 Dodge truck was made in Mexico. My Honda Accord was made in Ohio and had more domestic content than the Dodge. The new small Ford van- made in Turkey of all places.

[cando]

We tow a 25' Airstream with a 2007 Tundra Double Cab. We have towed the trailer from Michigan to AZ and CA for the past three winters. I have nothing but praise for this combination. We had a 2002 Chevy 3/4 ton 8.1 V8--it was a big lemon--three alison transmissions among a thousand other things. The Toyota has 51,000 miles on it and has only gone in for normal oil changes etc. As far as mileage goes, we get between 9 (in heavy winds) and 13 towing, and 18-20 on the road. We love this truck

[dansdad]

also with 63air my 03 ram with cummins was made in mexico, and my honda is American made.

[madrone]

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!

[hampstead38]

If a person decides to buy a Titan, there's a list of upgrades I would recommend. I swapped in aftermarket rear shackles, the weak point of the rear suspension on the Titans. I recommend Bilsteins all around when it is time to dump the OEM shocks. Hopefully, the newer Titans have resolved the Dana 44 rear end issues, but I added an aftermarket finned aluminum differential cover and upgraded to synthetic fluid. This also helps avoid rear axle seal blowouts. The tow package comes with a transmission temp gauge, but I think adding a differential temp gauge is a nice touch. Without 4WD, I'd recommend swapping a TrueTrac. As it stands, we're probably not keeping our Titan for a tow vehicle because we'd like a utility body... but I really can't complain about how the truck has worked over the years.

[Ben4762]

Originally Posted by cando

We had a 2002 Chevy 3/4 ton 8.1 V8--it was a big lemon--three alison transmissions among a thousand other things.

A thousand other things and you expect people to believe what you post here?

[cando]

Originally Posted by Ben4762

A thousand other things and you expect people to believe what you post here?

Dear Ben, I am sorry I wrote that I had a thousand other things wrong with the Chevy, as it was only a few hundred. It pulled the trailer fine when it was running, and I am a big fan of On Star, as it was helpful in so many cases, except for the times the battery went dead. I owned 10 GM trucks, and unfortunatly with the last one, I never felt I could trust it. I never made it across the country with a breakdown of one sort or another. Many parts that were "repaired" once, had to be repaired again (4 steering colums, three power window motors for the drivers window). I purchased the extended warranty when I had 34,000 miles it and it paid for itself 3 times over before the $5,000 transmission. After that, the repairs continued. I know many people who have had great luck with their GM trucks and are very happy with them, and I hope they continue to make them better and better, I have been very satisfied with my Toyota and will probably continue to drive them as long as I own my Airstream, something else I am very satisfied with. Sorry again about my misquote.

[85MH325]

I've got an '07 Titan King Cab 4WD. It tows our 5300 lb Bigfoot 25' nicely and the only problem I've had with it were the rear axle seals which were just replaced at 24k miles under warranty. I drove the new Tundras and Titans before I bought my '07 Titan used. My purchase decision was strictly dollar-driven. I bought my '07 Titan used with 12k miles on it and all but one year of warranty remaining for less than half the cost of either a new '08 Titan or Tundra and about 3/5ths the cost of a Silverado. By the way, the Titans are built in Canton, MS.

Roger

[DrPlay]

My Titan was made in Mississippi by American workers. The UAW has has not destroyed Nissan AND they haven't sucked down any *^^$#%$^*ing bailout money that we don't have anyway.

And yes, I was most like 200 pounds over cargo weight and at about or undr the 80% towing capacity.

[Ed Emerick]

Originally Posted by cando

Dear Ben, I am sorry I wrote that I had a thousand other things wrong with the Chevy, as it was only a few hundred.

I too can say that my 2004 3/4 Suburban with the 8.1 would not stay out of the Chevy shop. That was one of 3 I have owned and all were problems. The extended warranty paid for it self too!

So far the Tundra is a great truck and so far dependable. I would expect it, my other 2 Toyotas were very dependable.

American made? The Toyota plant in IN employes about 4,500 (The Tundra in no longer built in IN) Americans and the plant in TX about 2,500. That's a lot of paychecks that are spent in the USA.

[airmac]

have about a year towing a 27/08/fb with a 4x4 tundra, so far just right.
i like the power ,ride ,interior space + quality.
seems to get about 10/13 towing + 18/21 not towing
dakota was to small + new ram diesel was a lemon.