Toyota Tundra

[pteck]

Originally Posted by reelfastgreg

I have had 2 Tundras before I woke up to the fact they are the worst tow vehicles on the highway. not towing the best mileage I ever got was 15mpg. the engine needs a turbo and the transmission just shifts up and down continually with every rise and bump in the road. do yourself a favor and choose something more capable of towing, a truck designed for the purpose! as a Ford guy my next choice was obvious and I also chose a diesel, way better mileage and torque never ending.

Yes, a gasser will need to use its gears more to access the strongest part of its powerband. There are techniques to minimize and preempt this. Such as not leaving it just "D", as it will be in the tallest overdrive gear possible. As the Tundra has the same tranny as my vehicle, when towing, I drive it in "5", which is one gear down from the tallest. "4" if I'm in some minor rolling grades. 3 and even 2 in the steepest of climbs. Does this make it a bad car? Hardly.

That's like me saying a Diesel is crap as it needs to shift at all compared to my EV which has only 1 ratio and always in its powerband. Or that any other vehicle on earth is a slug compared to my turbo 911.

In this regard, a Tundra makes a solid tow vehicle. One of the pinnacle 3/4 ton diesels make a great tow vehicle. Ford's baby ecodiesel is just okay, as it doesn't have much real power. Just because there's something better doesn't make any particular setup irrelevant. They all have their pros and cons.

[Madarain]

Originally Posted by stujan

Who tows with the Toyota Tundra 5.7? What size AS do you tow? Would you recommend the truck?

We tow a 2014 23D with our 2013 Toyota Tundra Extended Cab SR5. We also use an Andersen WD Hitch. The 23D, like most Airstreams, tows like a dream to begin with, but having 2 axles makes it a safer, and I'd guess a smoother proposition as well.

As for the Tundra, it's a great tow vehicle, with tons of on demand power, even accelerating uphill in the mountains, although you will pay for that power at the pump. Gas mileage with the 5.7 liter is NOT awesome, but at least I'm getting real power in exchange for my money.

The truck is 5 years old now, so there are some things I would change if I could, but they are minor, and don't make me wish I'd bought something else, which for me is the real test.

I'd like to have more fuel capacity, and have a more modern center display, but beyond that, we are very happy with the Tundra.

By the time we are ready for a new Tow Vehicle, I'm hoping Toyota has either come out with a new diesel option worth buying, or made improvements to the fuel efficiency and capacity for the Tundra, because there is No way we are buying anything other than a Toyota. They are simply too well made to consider another manufacturer...JMO.

I think you'll be happy with a Tundra.

[KBAR]

Love towing our International CCD 28' with our 2007 Tundra. Our truck has the limited package that comes with a tow package of over 10K. We don't over load the truck just carry what we need. Fuel as been between 9-13 here in and around central Texas.

[reelfastgreg]

Originally Posted by pteck

Yes, a gasser will need to use its gears more to access the strongest part of its powerband. There are techniques to minimize and preempt this. Such as not leaving it just "D", as it will be in the tallest overdrive gear possible. As the Tundra has the same tranny as my vehicle, when towing, I drive it in "5", which is one gear down from the tallest. "4" if I'm in some minor rolling grades. 3 and even 2 in the steepest of climbs. Does this make it a bad car? Hardly.

That's like me saying a Diesel is crap as it needs to shift at all compared to my EV which has only 1 ratio and always in its powerband. Or that any other vehicle on earth is a slug compared to my turbo 911.

In this regard, a Tundra makes a solid tow vehicle. One of the pinnacle 3/4 ton diesels make a great tow vehicle. Ford's baby ecodiesel is just okay, as it doesn't have much real power. Just because there's something better doesn't make any particular setup irrelevant. They all have their pros and cons.

you can place the gear shift lever wherever you choose but that will not make up for the lack of torque. my diesel Ford, 20-21mpg not towing, towing my 26' AS, solid 14mpg. my Tundras, 15mpg best i ever got, towing 8mpg.

as i said, the Tundra is one of the worst towing vehicles i have ever owned, never again!!

[TG Twinkie]

Never experienced the problem you have had with my Tundra.
I have towed both my Argosy and Nash trailers, 26' and 25' respectively over every paved mountain pass from the California desert to the Canadian border without issue.
Even towed the infamous Coquihalla Highway "the highway thru hell". My Tundra was flawless.

[aftermath]

reelfastgreg,


Your mind is made up, we get it. But in all fairness, comparing your diesel to the 5.7 gas engine is not like comparing apples to apples. But, to be fair, your negative statements that you try to back up with your data is going a bit far. I have never owned a diesel but I did drive one for a friend. He had an early Dodge and we were towing a large SOB. It took a bit to get up to speed but, man did it tow great. We didn't slow on the hills and the compression was fantastic when coming down the other side.


But, back to a Tundra. If you only got 8 mpg towing and the best without a tow was 15 there was something wrong with your truck or the way you were driving it. I just got back from 280 miles without my trailer. It was just me and my fishing gear in the back seat. Got 17.8 going and 17 coming back home. I was driving just at 73 mph too. No wind, and relatively flat.


Perhaps your "reelfast" name might be revealing something? I am glad you are happy with your diesel. Try to acknowledge that many of us out here do not want a diesel. Everyone has their favorites. They are all good.

[KCCO]

I’m one of the few folks who have downsized from a 3/4 ton diesel back to half ton......our diesel was a towing machine, but it was never a great second vehicle for us when not towing.

We just made the switch to a Tundra. It has been a great move for us as an every day driver, and the few ties I have made with it point to it being plenty capable.

[pteck]

Originally Posted by reelfastgreg

you can place the gear shift lever wherever you choose but that will not make up for the lack of torque. my diesel Ford, 20-21mpg not towing, towing my 26' AS, solid 14mpg. my Tundras, 15mpg best i ever got, towing 8mpg.

as i said, the Tundra is one of the worst towing vehicles i have ever owned, never again!!

Agreed with others that it's not going to be a meaningful conversation with you.

I'll chalk it up to your inability to use said tool.

Sure, diesels have grunt down low. You wouldn't believe this, but gassers make MORE torque at higher rpms where diesel torque drops off. Because of this, they can also make MORE power (as in HP). Add in the fact that gassers weigh 2000 lbs less.

You've probably heard the good ol power to weight metric.

I'll see you at the top of the hill buddy.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by reelfastgreg

you can place the gear shift lever wherever you choose but that will not make up for the lack of torque. my diesel Ford, 20-21mpg not towing, towing my 26' AS, solid 14mpg. my Tundras, 15mpg best i ever got, towing 8mpg.

as i said, the Tundra is one of the worst towing vehicles i have ever owned, never again!!

8 mpg with a gas engine actually doesn’t sound terrible. My 6.2, 385 hp gas engine, in a one ton truck, got 9 towing so you may have been towing a little faster than I did though.

When comparing power etc, people usually don’t make sure the engines have equal power output when comparing. Probably should compare the Tundra to a Chevy V8 half ton, not a big diesel. Your Ford probably has 120 more hp than a Tundra V8. It’s not apples to apples.

[reelfastgreg]

to each his own. for me, i learned an expensive lesson having owned and driven 2 Tundra trucks. and no i am not a leadfoot driver but the mileage i reported was accurate. nothing 'wrong' with the trucks either. but as a tow vehicle, a diesel has everything you could imagine, including a comfortable ride and seats not to mention torque which seems unlimited. of course i am talking about the diesel engine designed and manufactured by Ford, not the engine they used to use from International, a real dog.

[sbowman]

Originally Posted by reelfastgreg

to each his own. for me, i learned an expensive lesson having owned and driven 2 Tundra trucks. and no i am not a leadfoot driver but the mileage i reported was accurate. nothing 'wrong' with the trucks either. but as a tow vehicle, a diesel has everything you could imagine, including a comfortable ride and seats not to mention torque which seems unlimited. of course i am talking about the diesel engine designed and manufactured by Ford, not the engine they used to use from International, a real dog.

Never owned a Toyota, never wanted one. So I do not know anything about them.



Which one? It appears every couple years Ford changes/redesigns or what ever their Diesels. No one has ever told me why. Just asking.


Best regards and safe travels

[sbowman]

Originally Posted by pteck

Agreed with others that it's not going to be a meaningful conversation with you.

I'll chalk it up to your inability to use said tool.

Sure, diesels have grunt down low. You wouldn't believe this, but gassers make MORE torque at higher rpms where diesel torque drops off. Because of this, they can also make MORE power (as in HP). Add in the fact that gassers weigh 2000 lbs less.

You've probably heard the good ol power to weight metric.

I'll see you at the top of the hill buddy.

Sorry pteck, can not help myself some times after reading your posts.


Different worlds between gas and diesel. I know you know this and most of us also know this. We know that they perform and drive differently. Low RPM vs. high RPM for HP/torque. All points have been argued in other threads. What works best for one does not work best for others and you have concurred w/this in other threads.


Hey one person had a Toyota and did not like it, so what. Never owning one nor wanting one, I can not nor will I make comment. It does appear Toyota works for you and others. This is ok.



My question to you, ever driven one of the new big Diesels or towed w/one? If not this is ok too.



Not to start an argument, IMO I am not sold you and your Toyota will be waiting at the top of the hill for others. Do not fear we all get participation trophies for good sportsmanship.



Be well, best regards, and safe travels..........

[pteck]

Originally Posted by sbowman

Sorry pteck, can not help myself some times after reading your posts.


Different worlds between gas and diesel. I know you know this and most of us also know this. We know that they perform and drive differently. Low RPM vs. high RPM for HP/torque. All points have been argued in other threads. What works best for one does not work best for others and you have concurred w/this in other threads.


Hey one person had a Toyota and did not like it, so what. Never owning one nor wanting one, I can not nor will I make comment. It does appear Toyota works for you and others. This is ok.



My question to you, ever driven one of the new big Diesels or towed w/one? If not this is ok too.



Not to start an argument, IMO I am not sold you and your Toyota will be waiting at the top of the hill for others. Do not fear we all get participation trophies for good sportsmanship.



Be well, best regards, and safe travels..........

Agreed that it is a different world between the two, both having pros and cons. I'm not saying that gassers are superior. Efficiency and a relatively higher rpm powerband are the significant trades to a diesel. Comparing a pinnacle diesel motor out of a 3/4 and 1 ton (there are just as many diesel runts), to a mainstream gasser, heck it better perform better. That's not say a well sorted big displacement Toyota 5.7L v8 can't perform either.

Rev them up to their hp power peak (@5600rpm), and they will absolutely pull the load. Most people only know how to drive torque, i.e. afraid to rev. If that's their preference, or perhaps because they are coming from an unreliable domestic where it might hurt or overheat the engine... a diesel may serve them better. A gasser may have less torque than a diesel, but it makes that torque across a much wider powerband, well past the rpm point where diesel torque absolutely drops off. Not accessing that torque at the upper rpm band of a gasser, means they never get the full output of the motor they paid for.

I race cars. One has not truly experience torque (650ft lbs), until they experience it in a 3300 lb sports car. With 700 hp.

You wouldn't believe it but my primary work involves engineering a bleeding edge platform that runs diesel. So I know my diesels, with all its design and engineering data, much much more than the average Joe.

Just so it's absolutely clear, I'm not against a big diesels. I'm just fully satisfied with my 5.7L gasser for my 27FB.

[Saylyr2b]

We have a 2017 Toyota Tundra.. love it! We pull a 19 ft Bambi with no problem.

[Kanusport]

Diesels can be expensive to maintain with oil change and fuel filters being the largest expense for general maintenance. Not a huge Toyota fan just dont see the value everyone else does. Also it takes 5-10 different tools to change the oil in the tundra due to the skid plate and fancy oil filter

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by Kanusport

Diesels can be expensive to maintain with oil change and fuel filters being the largest expense for general maintenance. Not a huge Toyota fan just dont see the value everyone else does. Also it takes 5-10 different tools to change the oil in the tundra due to the skid plate and fancy oil filter

We’re not running the Daytona, we’re pulling trailers. 65 mph is plenty. Slowing to 50 on steep inclines is fine with me. Stay safe.
I’ve owned several Toyota’s and racked up lots of miles. They have all been trouble free. THATs the value. I’ve owned other brands and have been less than impressed.

Our 2015 Tundra Crewmax does a great job pulling our 23D and if it lives up to the reliability as my other Toyota’s, as I expect it to, it’ll be a winner.

[TG Twinkie]

Originally Posted by Kanusport

Diesels can be expensive to maintain with oil change and fuel filters being the largest expense for general maintenance. Not a huge Toyota fan just dont see the value everyone else does. Also it takes 5-10 different tools to change the oil in the tundra due to the skid plate and fancy oil filter

While it does not take 10 tools to change the oil and filter in a Tundra.
It does take the following.
1- 3/8" drive ratchet wrench with 6" extension and 3 different size sockets. Two of the sockets are required to remove the skid plate. To me these are 1 tool made for different applications.
A special adaptor used with the 3/8" drive ratchet and extension to drain, remove and install the oil filter and cap.
One 14mm box end wrench to remove and install the oil pan plug.
I am 73 years old. It takes me about 45 minutes to change the oil and filter.
I am not a big fan of the design of the oil filter assembly. It is messy, but not difficult. Along with the requirement of removing the skid plate to access the filter assembly.
My Tundra is 2WD so I wouldn't call the pan a skid plate.
After changing the oil and filter a dozen times over the years I figure I have saved at least $1,200.
I also know that the filter element was actually replaced.
I will admit that I have a mechanical back ground and love a challenge.
I have replaced the serpentine belt and the spark plugs as well on the 5.7ltr engine. Along with installing tow mirrors.
I gleaned all of the necessary info by watching you tube videos. Then making the decision on whether or not to tackle said job.
All vehicles today are expensive to maintain. They are also much more reliable.
I have owned 3 Toyota trucks since 1976. The first 2 had 4 cylinder engines. I worked both hard and they held up well. Each exceeding 300,000 miles and still running when I sold them.
I fully expect the the Tundra V8 will run far beyond 500K miles if properly maintained.
That's a pretty good record for a used truck with 9K miles on it that I paid $18K for in 2012.
Can you tell I am a big fan of Toyota's?
If only they would build a 3/4 or heavy 1/2 ton pickup. I think they would give the Big 3 a real run for the money.
Just my humble opinion.

[waltero]

I too am a big fan of the Toyota Trucks. I am on my 5th, all used.....Wear items, and oil changes have been the only maintenance performed. Most are driven to high mileage and sold for prices that have been surprisingly high. All have been Tacomas or the smaller trucks. The current Tacoma has a 4 Litre , 6 cylinder and has performed well except in the very curvy mountainous areas in WV. So as I get ready for retirement traveling, I'm convinced that the Tacoma will continue to serve well towing my 25' .....

[GettinAway]

Great thread. I’m a Tundra/Toyota guy also. Good to see lots of posts with Tundras pulling larger trailers. My 2012 with 85,000 mi runs like new and pulls our 23FB very well. I always thought though that if we ever upsized to a 27FB I’d need a 3/4 ton. Now I’m thinking maybe not. I will say the seat massage feature in the new fords is nice, but not worth giving up Toyota reliability.

[jackbickel]

We tow a 25 ft Safari with our Sequoia (Tundra with an SUV body) with the 5.7 V8 four wheel drive. We love it- strong, quiet and very comfortable TV that will go anywhere. My daily driver when not of the road. Fuel economy (oxymoron when talking about any TV) is 11mpg day after day towing a well stocked AS.