9th Jun 2006, 09:08
A vehicle doesn't need to ride rough to carry weight if it has progressive springs like my 1999 Chevy Express 3500. Rides nice when unloaded, and nice when loaded. But good grief if you hit a bump hard enough to compress the springs and it isn't loaded. Whoever is in the back better have their set belts on or they are going to hit the ceiling.
I literally put a ton of bricks in the back and it didn't strain at all. Ride was even smoother though.
Hey, but I am talking about a Chevy still. Can't say anything about a Toyota because I haven't owned or driven one since my 1971 Corolla. That's a whole different story. Low weight relative to power made it fun to drive, but it crumpled like tin foil with any dents, like if you leaned on the hood.
9th Dec 2007, 09:29
I've had Fords, Chevy's, and now own a Toyota Tundra. All of these truck's performed well, hauling, plowing, and just riding down the road. I do prefer the Tundra that I have now over the others, but I'm really not willing to go toe toe with someone over how good or bad it maybe, nor should I; it's just a truck. It doesn't seem to matter what truck I have at the time, someone always has an opinion on how good their truck is compared to mine, I DON'T GET IT!!!
2nd Apr 2008, 13:36
I own a 2000 Toyota Tundra. I do occasionally tow a 6000lb+ trailer. It's a travel trailer so it's weight varies with how much water and equipment is on board.
No it didn't bend anything, and it towed surprisingly similarly to my 1995 Chev 1 ton van (talk about a stack of leaf springs!).
However, my Chev van has some play in the steering components which contributes to wandering. The Toyota wanders some due to overly soft suspension settings.
No this truck doesn't walk on water. It's been reliable. But the antenna is loose; the seat-belts don't retract; the CD player skips; the engine isn't as powerful as it once was; the door detentes are weak.
Apart from these complaints (and some of them are admittedly minor) I'm happy. But I live in the country and occasionally use this truck for heavier jobs, and guys, this just isn't a work truck. It can tow lighter loads, but the suspension is set so soft that even in mud and snow the rear axle will hop if it starts to slip (in either 2 or 4 wheel drive).
With my afore-mentioned trailer, I use a load distributing hitch; the drive-train can handle the load but the suspension is obviously straining.
Word to the wise: Just because your truck is rated to tow 6500 lbs., doesn't mean you should. Try to use a heavier truck if your load is approaching the limit. That is my experience with the Tundra.
If you are looking to buy a used one, think of it as a lighter duty truck (it can tow light loads -- under 5000lbs -- for a distance. Heavy loads are fine if you are just dragging them across the yard or something. But if you treat this truck as if it were a heavy truck, you'll likely destroy it. Toyota doesn't claim it is a heavy duty truck, and it isn't.
2nd May 2008, 00:04
You people don't realize there's guys like me out there who have a pop-up camper, coolers, camping stuff and 2 dogs to haul. A tundra's perfect for me. Not all of us have take 10,000 pounds of hay out to the cows or a bunch of sheetrock to the new McDonald's OK? Tundra's a nice recreational truck good for camping or home depot project stuff-all with a SMOOTH dependable ride! thanx.
2nd May 2008, 16:02
I've always used my trucks for very light duty, such as camping and hauling the occasional piece of new furniture home. With that said, I'd still prefer the awesome warranty, smooth ride and much better safety and reliability of a Ford, Chevy or Dodge truck. We've seen a number of broken down Toyota Sequoias and Tundras pulling stuff they can't handle in the mountains.
2nd May 2008, 20:58
Some of us also tow a $70k boat behind a $57k domestic truck and are not willing to compromise with a lighter towing vehicle such as a Tundra. Try labeling individuals and you might be quite surprised as to who is driving what. In addition they have may 2 or 3 other new vehicles which most likely requires a high disposable income and a different set of labeling.
18th Apr 2011, 17:59
I have a 2000 4x4 Tundra, and use it to haul firewood a few times a year. It is NOT a truck, but a people hauler. Loaded with wood, it snakes around and just doesn't fill the bill. Although I don't haul wood real often, I will consider other real trucks next time I buy. Toyota doesn't build to customers, but builds to sell. Remember when you could order a different rear axle ratio? You can't with Toyota.
8th Jun 2006, 17:07
(Writer of first comment) The Chevy that I drive is a 28 year old 1978 C20 with a 5.7 liter 350. The truck has 9 leaf springs on each back wheel and a re-enforced front independent suspension. I am not one bit worried about a Subaru or beetle rear-ending me by any means. I could take this old dog and fold just about any modern day vehicle around a tree. It would take three Toyota Tundras to equal the same amount of leaf springs as this one truck has.
I have hauled two loads of freshly cut maple wood stacked up like a mountain in its eight foot bed, and neither time did the truck even begin to squat down, nor was the 350 by any means burdened by the load.
There's more cast iron in my front suspension than what is in the piddly frame rails of a Tundra. The front suspension is so heavy duty on this truck, the engine actually sits on it and uses it as a mount.
My Dad bought this truck used 9 years ago as a farm work truck and as his main travel vehicle. Not one time in all of those years did it ever fail to start. This is one heavy made vehicle that holds up to any work you throw at it. After my father stopped farming, he got a car and let the truck sit for three years by a barn because he didn't need it anymore. That's when he gave it to me.
I've had to make several repairs due to its aging and because it was neglected for so long. Now, the truck still fires right up every and any time I use it. It is still able to do work and the whole drive train and suspension system even with all of the rust, is more rugged and capable than many trucks made today, with the exception of diesels and industrial type trucks.
I couldn't care less if any of you like your Tundra or are devoted to the company, but there is no need for other people's vehicles to be bashed aimlessly, especially when you city folks don't know what you're talking about. Since when was a truck supposed to be smooth? If you want to ride on a cloud, buy a Cadillac, Buick, Lincoln, or even a Toyota car.
If you want to do some work, you get a real truck which is not all comfortable and smooth and la-dee-dah! If the machine is made to do work, then it's going to be rough because real work for a truck is ROUGH! Not smooth and refined and fluffy and all of that crap. If any one thinks their Tundra is such a brute piece of machinery, they are more than welcome to bring their fluffy, luxurious, over priced plastic over to my place any time. We will sit the vehicles side by side and compare the amount of metal put into each component of the vehicle from the axles, the drive shaft, the frame rails, the leaf springs (and the number of leaf springs), the engine, and the front suspension struts (for 4x2 systems) and coils. I have no doubt that the old work horse from the 70's will have more metal (even with all of the rust on it) on every component. Nothing is fluffy and refined, it's all heavy metal made for work not luxury! They just don't build them like they used to.
Of course Toyota never built them like that, they're too worried about comfort and refinement. You can't have your cake and eat it too! Heavy machines are not going to ride and drive luxuriously and smoothly, because they are not made for that purpose.
Also, guessing the weight of what you are hauling doesn't mean that it actually weighs that much. I do not believe the review about the Tundra pulling a 10,000lbs bulldozer and I do not believe the comments about pulling 7000lbs trailers. You all are exaggerating the numbers to make your trucks sound tough. I've seen Toyota's struggling to pull things that I KNOW did not weigh anymore than 4000 or 5000 lbs. They always squat to the ground because they only have three leaf springs on each back wheel.
That is where your smooth ride comes from, the lack of adequate suspension needed to do work. The other trucks ride rough because the companies had enough brains to equip them with more leaf springs! Yeah, they're kind of important. So try and actually pull something that is actually 10,000lbs and see how long it takes for your smooth ride to either warp the frame rails (because of its lack of cross members) or break an axle.
If this makes you mad, then maybe next time, you shouldn't be bashing other peoples trucks and then we'll say nothing about yours. Got any problems? Email me at WAD_96@Yahoo.com. Why can't you people just post a simple and modest review about your vehicle and quit bashing other peoples' vehicles in the process?