An upgraded option for the half ton Pickup crowd

[wanderingaimles]

Toyota has unveiled the new Tundras, more power, hybrid, higher tow cap.
Tundra

[RobertRyan]

frankwp wrote:
The new Tundra is shockingly ugly, but next to a Silverado HD, it looks pretty good.

Your not wrong. Only a face a mother could love

[whjco]

RetiredRealtorRick wrote:
I'm a big Toyota fan, and have been for a long, long time, however that front end does make me cringe a bit. Almost looks like it should say Tonka rather than Toyota. I'm sure it's a fine truck, however.

Maybe when I see one parked next to a Chevy HD it will take the edge off it!! :C

Regarding that Chevy HD, let's be thankful that the guy who designed the Pontiac Aztec apparently still has a job in the GM Design Department. 🙂

[BenK]

Uncle Lechleitner taught me about truck ratings when was a teen….

He owned a custom SS commercial kitchen firm and hauled SS with the shop flatbed trucks and his 3/4 ton GMC. Said no 1 ton, as everything is the same between them where it matters and costs less because registration/etc costs less because it is NOT a 1 ton.

Back then, there weren’t as many ‘option packages’ and the option box sheet was long

He ordered the highest GVWR and RGAWR 3/4 ton, but with ZERO options…AKA stripper model.

Cardboard interior door panels, sheetmetal floors, manual windows, manual tranny, no spare, no tinted glass, lowest option tires/wheels, no radio, etc.

That stripper had the highest cargo or load rating. He said utilities and the government ordered their vehicles that way.

As every option weighed something and took away the cargo rating pound for pound.

But…today…most everyone orders every option available.

Marty is the only guy on this forum that I know of, that has a ‘stripper’ pickup…or even knows what the heck what a ‘stripper’ is.

It may NOT be the lowest GVWR & RGAWR if ordered correctly

[blt2ski]

Grit
Reality is, only real difference between 1500"s you've been driving, and mine, V8 vs V6, 9.5" RA vs 8.5".
I have same stock everything else. Other than now beefier front 2" lift leveling struts, adding a rear 1800 lb 2" lift add a leaf.
Reality, 2 tons in rear does not hit bump stops on RA. Yes been there done that a few times. 5400 lbs of truck is a nicer commuter rig from Lynnwood to Ballard vs a 7500-8000 lb empty truck.

Marty

[Grit_dog]

blt2ski wrote:
Some of you should ask this question, as I have.
When is the typical 8600-8800 gvw 15 series truck going to come back to market. Most if the current SW 25/35 series trucks are heavier tare, granted stronger drivetrain, ie higher gvw too. But no longer in the true HD DOT class 2 ie 8400-10,000 gvw range. Can you find a reg cab, 8' bed, base rwd truck that wieght under 5000 lbs empty like two I've had? An equal 15 series is just over 5000 empty. A 25 series is over 6000 EMPTY!
I have not looked at Toyotas me specs, but if this truck has a 5-6k ra, 4-4.5k fa, sounds like a typical 25 series I grew up with, like them too! I'd buy another instead of my 1500, IF the manufactures would put some of the 15 series features in these trucks. Eco boost, 5.3 V8. Small 6 cylinder diesel dodge and GM have. No they will not pull 20k lbs, they're not ment too. But I could put my family of 6 that wieghed 1200 lbs or so with four adult sized teens. 7-8000 lb trailer behind it, and be safe. Get decent mpgs empty......
Kinda like the GM 1500HD from 96-2000, and new body style from 02-06 or so. 454/6.0 V8, 4L80E trans, 8 lug rims, 6k/4k rear/front axles, 10 ply tires,5600-5800 empty wight crew cab with a 6.5' bed......engines I mentioned 15-25 potential city hwy mpg gas, 20-30 mpg with the small diesels.
Hope Toyota succeeds with this truck if it meets some of the criteria I mentioned.
Nothing wrong with the 9.5" SF AAM 12 bolt RA. Had a few. Just wish I had it instead of the 8.5" 10 bolt behind my V6. Guess I shoulda bought a V8;eh!

Marty

So you bought literally the lightest duty 1/2 ton but you wish they made more slightly heavier duty ones than the typical 7k ish gvw half tons? But a 3/4 ton is too much?
Sounds like your 2 steps behind what you really want, when you could be 1 step behind or 1 step ahead…..
That is likely why you don’t see many heavy half’s and light 3/4s. Would be like offering cartons of eggs with 15 eggs, you know for those folks whom a dozen apparently isn’t enough and 18 is too many. Very small target market.

[goducks10]

In a FLT video they showed the CCC sticker on a semi loaded truck. It was in the 1200 lb range. 500 lbs for a few people and some stuff in the bed and you don't have much left to tow with.
Loser.

[deltabravo]

Me Again wrote:
.... not something hung there as an after thought.

Looks like someone glued an iPad to the dash for the center display.

[Me_Again]

Magnet dealer plate would not stick to the body when I test drove my new truck(Crew cab, 4x4, 5.5' box, loaded with goodies) that weighs less than 5K. It can flex it's muscles tp 325HP-400TQ, which is a lot more that your old small block chevy engines.

https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/content/dam/brand_ford/en_us/brand/resources/general/pdf/guides/21Towin...

[blt2ski]

Some of you should ask this question, as I have.
When is the typical 8600-8800 gvw 15 series truck going to come back to market. Most if the current SW 25/35 series trucks are heavier tare, granted stronger drivetrain, ie higher gvw too. But no longer in the true HD DOT class 2 ie 8400-10,000 gvw range. Can you find a reg cab, 8' bed, base rwd truck that wieght under 5000 lbs empty like two I've had? An equal 15 series is just over 5000 empty. A 25 series is over 6000 EMPTY!
I have not looked at Toyotas me specs, but if this truck has a 5-6k ra, 4-4.5k fa, sounds like a typical 25 series I grew up with, like them too! I'd buy another instead of my 1500, IF the manufactures would put some of the 15 series features in these trucks. Eco boost, 5.3 V8. Small 6 cylinder diesel dodge and GM have. No they will not pull 20k lbs, they're not ment too. But I could put my family of 6 that wieghed 1200 lbs or so with four adult sized teens. 7-8000 lb trailer behind it, and be safe. Get decent mpgs empty......
Kinda like the GM 1500HD from 96-2000, and new body style from 02-06 or so. 454/6.0 V8, 4L80E trans, 8 lug rims, 6k/4k rear/front axles, 10 ply tires,5600-5800 empty wight crew cab with a 6.5' bed......engines I mentioned 15-25 potential city hwy mpg gas, 20-30 mpg with the small diesels.
Hope Toyota succeeds with this truck if it meets some of the criteria I mentioned.
Nothing wrong with the 9.5" SF AAM 12 bolt RA. Had a few. Just wish I had it instead of the 8.5" 10 bolt behind my V6. Guess I shoulda bought a V8;eh!

Marty

[Me_Again]

Ford did a much better job with their 12" display in the center stack, as it looks like part of the dash, not something hung there as an after thought.

[BenK]

Over the years on this and other forums over ‘half ton’ and always thought those Unicorn half ton HD’s were for folks who insist on only a half ton, even though they are in 3/4 ton territory…

Dad was one of those after killing several station wagons hauling for our specialty grocery/butcher shop.

After picking up some cases of turkeys that spilled on the rugs…mom had it and told dad to get a truck…as the station wagon was also our ‘car’ for family trips.

Went around and around with dad till uncle bill said just order that 1980 Silverado C10 with the “Big Ten” option. Today’s 1500HD half ton.

Even had to install aftermarket, 1 ton helper coils on the rear axle. Today’s Timberns or air bags

Dad was also a ‘ride quality’ guy, but had a good reason…his back was fused after too many back injury’s carrying a beef quarter.

Marketing knows all that and continues the legend with half ton towing a stripped space shuttle commercials

[Grit_dog]

^That didn’t really work for Nissan recently. And seems like the days of heavy half’s are gone. Just too easy and too many 3/4 ton trucks available to make that a worthwhile venture. Imo.

There’s a few F150HD buyers but in reality it’s mostly gimmick as any F150 with a 9.75 axle and some helper springs is the same truck.

[BenK]

Understand that most are more into the looks & bells/whistles, but towing is my main criteria for an TV…know am in the minority on that and also on ‘go’ power vs ‘stopping’ power (I’d take the one with better braking & handling over fast). Not to say ‘go’ isn’t important to me…

Thought for a moment that Toyota might have offered a Unicorn like the old F150HD & GM 1500HD with +5K RGAWR (for a few years, the GM1500HD had a 6K RGAWR, but not full floater like todays +6K RGAWR) and they both came with LT class tires

TurnThePage wrote:
That's my question too.

[spoon059]

I don't know, I think it looks pretty cool. I loved my Tundra, it was a great truck with my smaller camper. 1900 lbs payload (didn't see it in the article, but someone mentioned it) is a nice upgrade, but still not enough to entice me to leave a true HD pickup truck.

Rear coils aren't a problem at all, if they are spec'ed out right. I LOVE my rear coils in my Ram, drives very nice and holds a LOT of weight (rated at 6500 lbs).

At the end of the day, I'm not a buyer for this Tundra, but its nice to see some mechanical upgrades (heavier payload and competitive engines) from Toyota. I love my truck, it drove great and had gobs of power... just not enough payload. Hope it does well and creates some real competition.