Coming soon, test drives of the Tundra,
Toyota has proven quality. You can expect to get the same life from a Toyota truck as have come to expect from the modern American diesels. The Tundra has one-piece frame rails and the only Dual Overhead cam V-8 engine in the full size pickup market. The Tundra is the smallest of the full-size 1/2 tons. A crew cab is coming and Toyota is gaining ground with the big boys. This should improve quality in all trucks as foreign competition in the seventies and eighties greatly improved the quality and fuel economy of American cars. As soon as I can schedule them, I will be reporting on test drives with the Tundra.
Finally Toyota has a website and some information on the towing package for the 2003 Tundra, click.
Toyota is proven quality. I love the paint job. The truck can last a long time. The problem I have with the Tundra is they use the same wheelbase (128.3”) for both regular cab and the Access Cab. It works fine with the regular cab and an 8-foot box. With the Access Cab and a 6.3’ box the only way it comes, the rear axle is closer to the cab than the rear bumper. This puts a lot of leverage on the rear frame of the truck when loaded with a trailer. But if you have problems when you pull your trailer like sway, or the front of the truck wanders, or you can’t get the truck and trailer level, you can always ad a weight distributing hitch. Toyota lists the towing capacity of the Tundra Access Cab 4x4 V-8 automatic to be 7100#’s. Get a good class 3 or 4 receiver hitch. I think pulling closer to 6000#’s would be ideal. It’s hard to get good trailer info from Toyota or it’s dealers. But they did come out with a better website for the 2003 model which hasn’t change too much from the 2000 model for capacity. Check it out http://www.toyota.com/tundra/
Toyota is difficult to pin down. You can talk to a dozen Toyota dealers and not learn a thing. They have more information on the Tacoma. You won’t find a section in the Tundra brochure that tells you anything about a towing package unlike the “big 3” from Detroit who knows you need info about towing. I have looked threw all the training material Toyota gives to dealers without finding out much about towing. They will break down the total weight of the trailer by engine and cab. And the owner’s manual breaks down the different tongue weights. Max towing is 7200#”s with a 4x2, payload 2000# and a little over 700#’s tongue weight properly equipped.. Toyota describes using a weight-distributing hitch on all trailers and in the same manual states you can pull 5000#’s with the factory bumper by itself. In the 2002 model, the Tundra even has a factory bracket for an air bag on the rear axle, but nobody knows anymore than that. Toyota has a manual if you can find it. I’m still waiting to get one, it’s called, “Toyota Trailering Guide.” But they say on their website that you have to get it from a dealer. Toyota will send you any brochure but this one. And I haven’t found a Toyota dealer yet that has or even knows what the “Toyota Trailering Guide” is. The ph.# for all printed material from Toyota is 1-800-622-2033. That’s were I’m trying next. As far as a dealer installed tow package, it might be better than the factory in this case, depending on the dealer. The Tundra with the V-8 only comes with the automatic transmission and the cooler is standard. There is a wiring harness available as a factory option and a hitch, but the hitch isn’t classified. Dealers have told me it’s a class 2 hitch. Which doesn’t make sense. And it looks like a class three.
Do
you think I fit in the back seat of a Tundra? And that's with the front seat
all the way forward. Click on the picture to enlarge.
The V-8 in your Tundra is an overhead cam engine. It’s designed to operate at higher RPM than a V-8 in a GM or Dodge. I think pulling a trailer with this small of a V-8, it would be wise to drop out of overdrive and pull in direct drive. Check your owner’s manual for what RPM you should pull at and what redline is. I noticed the bracket for air bags on the 2002 Tundra rear axle. I don’t know if they had them earlier than that. It would appear that Toyota would announce the air bag option latter on. Is your Tundra level when you are hitched to your trailer loaded? If you are level, you don’t need an air bag. An air bag or extra overload springs just help level you truck, they don’t increase the weight capacity of your axles or bearings. If you are level loaded, you don’t need anything. A weight-distributing hitch will level you out and transfer the trailer weight to all of the axles of both vehicles.
|
Our new kit for the Toyota Tacoma also fits the Four Runner and works on applications with the V6 engine from 1999 - 2002. The kit features a cold air isolation housing, a roto-molded plastic tube, and a lifetime warranty aFe filter.
| Click for more information |
Here are the details:
Part Number: 50-10202
UPC: 80295950014
List Price: $350.00
Box Size: 18" X 16" X 12"
