Toyota Tundra as a Tow Vehicle

[KJRitchie]

You manage 400 vehicles mostly GM yet you went with a Tundra. Was that based on going 400k vs only 300k for the average GM?

I would expect front suspension items i.e. bushings, tie rods, wheel bearings; hoses, belts maybe timing belts, AC system to start having issues on most brands after 100k. Of course every 4 years a new battery and tires. Hopefully the seats maintain their shape and don't wear out or tear and the electronics of the engine/instrument panel don't fail. Still getting all those repairs done one by one in a scheduled manner is cheaper than new. I just figure I have a car payment for a couple of months to pay for a major repair.

Kelvin

[m.hony]

I have always had a preference for Asian vehicles.
The Tundra feels quicker, harder acceleration-
The back seat is bigger than any except the Ram Mega Cab.
The back doors open almost to 90 degrees-
I just like it.
I manage a fleet of 400 and I bought a Tundra-
I have 750,000 miles in Chevys and I bought a Tundra-

[m.hony]

Tundras are manufactured in Texas.
Silverado 1500s are manufactured in Mexico.

[m.hony]

My bosses think GM hung the moon!

[KJRitchie]

Anyone towed their AS with their 5.7L Tundra on I70 eastbound to the Eisenhower tunnel in Colorado? I may be coming home that way this June from Utah.

Is it a 3rd gear ascent trying to maintain 55 to 60mph? Maybe I should video the experience like the guys on youTube do with their various test trucks.

Kelvin

[Goal15]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

Anyone towed their AS with their 5.7L Tundra on I70 eastbound to the Eisenhower tunnel in Colorado? I may be coming home that way this June from Utah.

Is it a 3rd gear ascent trying to maintain 55 to 60mph? Maybe I should video the experience like the guys on youTube do with their various test trucks.

Kelvin

DM Gene and see if he has ever pulled his AS in that direction. He's been in Colorado for awhile, and I know he has been to Alaska, so he may have done that on the way home. Or perhaps knows someone who has.

Dana

[teagues]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

Anyone towed their AS with their 5.7L Tundra on I70 eastbound to the Eisenhower tunnel in Colorado? I may be coming home that way this June from Utah.

Is it a 3rd gear ascent trying to maintain 55 to 60mph? Maybe I should video the experience like the guys on youTube do with their various test trucks.

Kelvin

Last summer we did just that. I do not remember what the speed limit was, but we were at or above it the whole way through and I never felt like the truck was struggling to maintain that speed. I sure never noticed what gear we were in on the way up. (I did work the gear selector on the way down, but that's another matter.)

Our 20' is probably 2,000 lbs lighter than your trailer, but based on our experience, I would not worry about it.

[Gene]

Kelvin,

We've towed our 25' Safari both ways on I-70 and US 50 (Monarch Pass is higher than I-70 passes) in Colorado. No problems and it would be easy to go 75 up Vail Pass and to the Eisenhower Tunnel, though you will use a lot of gas doing that. I found myself creeping up to 70 one time and then just used cruise to limit my lead foot. Best to go 55 and save some gas. The Safari weighs 7,300 fully loaded; I'm sure the Classic weighs more, but you don't have to load them up. Even if you did, I doubt it would matter.

The engine and transmission temps hardly budge if at all going up at 65. Going down I usually put it in 3rd. On Monarch, sometimes 2nd since it is much more a winding road.

You can find things to complain about concerning the Tundra, but power is not one of them.

On to other matters:

Bed bounce—there have been complaints about this as far back as '07 when Tundra II came out. The only places I have experienced it were in southern Cal. and east of Denver on I-70 around the Limon area. Both are concrete roads. I think the spacing of the expansion joints resonates with the Tundra on those roads. Every vehicle has a point where the combination of a specific road and that vehicle resonates and causes issues. As I recall, most of the complaints about bed bounce came from S. Cal.

Gas tank—there was some speculation the Tundra would increase the gas tank to 38 gal. and maybe they even put that in some materials from Tundra. But in the end they didn't increase the capacity which remains at 26.4. I found this from Toyota on a web post on one of the Tundra sites:

"The Tow Package is standard on Double Cab Limited, CrewMax Limited, Platinum, and 1794 Edition, and optional on all other models. It includes: towing hitch receiver, trailer brake controller prewire, TOW/HAUL Mode switch, supplemental engine oil cooler, supplemental transmission cooler, heavy-duty battery, 170-amp. alternator and 4/7-pin connector (standard on 5.7L V8 models).

"I apologize for any confusion, and thanks for asking! I apologize; a 38 gallon tank is not available on the 2015 Tundra."

Tow mirrors—as above, the tow package does not include tow mirrors. This is stupid. It antagonizes people who think, quite reasonably, that a tow package would come with tow mirrors. Then they have to find them and pay more than they anticipated. They were included in 2007.

Brake controller—I thought they had included an integrated brake controller, but the above tow package doesn't seem to include it. Maybe it is an extra option.

How long will it last?—our battery made it to 5 years and the Michelin were around 70,000 miles. At 98,000 miles everything works fine and it drives like it did in 2007. I think the front end performs adequately and a lot better than the Tundra I. Aside from a couple of recalls, the only thing that has needed replacement have been the rotors. I think towing punishes the brakes, especially since the trailer electric brakes are inadequate, and replacing rotors is not unusual. I hope it lasts a million miles, but I doubt I will be alive to see that. I'd like to have one more new truck before I stop breathing.

As I've said before, Toyota seems to be ignoring this truck and letting it get long in the tooth while they concentrate on fast, sporty cars. They invested a lot in this truck when they brought it out and have not supported that investment very well.

Gene

[Phoenix]

We ordered factory-installed tow mirrors on our 2008 Tundra, and we got a several hundred dollar credit from deleting the "standard" power mirrors. Occasionally, there are owners on Toyota Tundra Forum who will trade mirrors; just watch that forum for posts on that subject.

Regarding a larger fuel tank, we looked at Transfer Flow. However, after analyzing the additional cost and weight, we decided that the standard tank provided sufficient range for us. If interested, see details at link below:

https://www.transferflow.com/fuel-ta...lacement-tanks

[srpuywa]

Chevy Silverado's anf GMC Sierra's are made in Ft Wayne Indiana not Mexico

[m.hony]

Your gonna make me pay money to be a supporting member so I can post you pictures of some door placards.
The company I work for owns (2) 2011 Silverado 1500 crew cab LTZ trucks, one with a 5.3Land one with a 6.2L. Both were manufactured in Mexico. I saw some door placards on some dually crew cab Duramax/Allison trucks manufactured in Dearborn, MI.
Only the 2500s and 3500s are made in America.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by m.hony

Tundras are manufactured in Texas.
Silverado 1500s are manufactured in Mexico.

Silverado/Sierra is produced in Fort Wayne, Flint and Mexico, depending on cab style.

[slowmover]

And the Ford diesel is made in Chihuahua. No more needs to said about what's under the hood in those trucks.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by m.hony

Your gonna make me pay money to be a supporting member so I can post you pictures of some door placards.
The company I work for owns (2) 2011 Silverado 1500 crew cab LTZ trucks, one with a 5.3Land one with a 6.2L. Both were manufactured in Mexico. I saw some door placards on some dually crew cab Duramax/Allison trucks manufactured in Dearborn, MI.
Only the 2500s and 3500s are made in America.

Going from memory here, and what I can find online, as I am away in a hotel and don't have my cheat sheets, but:

1500 crews = Salio, Mexico
1500 double cabs = Fort Wayne, IN
1500 reg. cab = Flint, MI

HDs (all) = Flint, MI IIRC

We don't have an assembly plant in Dearborn

[m.hony]

Maybe the door placard said Flint-
IIRC it is Ford that has/had a plant in Dearborn and/or is headquartered there.

[dznf0g]

Right. That'd be sleeping with the enemy if we built down there.

[m.hony]

Watch the Tundra De-constructed videos on YouTube.

[m.hony]

Watch Towing Comparison in LA on YouTube.

[m.hony]

Watch Tundra SAE towing standards. Why and how they are tested on YouTube.

[rostam]

Nice videos!