OK, I've narrowed the great full-size pickup truck hunt of 2016 down to a first-generation Toyota Tundra, access cab, preferably a 4x4. I know a little bit about the whole frame recall deal, and that I need to look closely at the frames regardless. What else do I need to know? I'm trying to cap my spending at ~$6k, so I'm mostly looking at 2000-03 trucks.
Use will be winter beater, tow vehicle for the FR-S and Chumpcar, camping rig, hardware store visits.
Look for rust. Everything else is pretty much solid Toyota.
Any specific locations for the frame rust? I saw that the spare tire cross member was a problem. Is it like the old pickups where it rusts real bad between the cab and the bed?
When I sold mine, every single question was about when the timing belt had been changed. So apparently you should ask about that.
Yep, check the frame. I think there is a recall for the frame rusting out and dropping the spare on the road in northern states.
My wife was driving one when we met - it's a really comfortable truck. Hers had a little transmission oddness, where it was a little slow to get into gear.
The trans cooler is inside the radiator. If it's old - they rupture are make pink milkshakes in the coolant. Fix it before that happens or hate life and waste a lot of time and fluid cleaning ATF out of your cooling passages.
The motors are awesome. Some had loud piston slap. Mine didn't. If it has it - fixes vary from "don't worry about it" to "spend dollars". Buy a quiet one.
The timing belt is something of a pain in the ass - it took me 8hrs and a lot of swearing. Pay someone $900. It's worth every penny.
If the cable to the heater breaks it's $110 at Toyota or $8 at the local bike shop. Be creative in the way you fix the little things and it is an awesome truck. Pay a dealer and it's 5x more expensive than a Chevy 1500 and almost as capable. But - at 110k it still won't rattle and it will drive like a luxury car. I loved mine.
Don't tell bobzilla that the seats are comfortable.
The ONLY problem we had with ours was the paint. Don't get a white one, Toyota didn't put clear coat on it.
Comfortable truck. Really a nice truck.
The V8 is awesome.
Pop's '01 Tundra V8 was at 300,000km's when I asked him when the timing belt had last been changed. Confused look. It was easy enough to change.
The V8 is awesome.
The e-brake pivots (3) all seize up and stop self-adjusting the brakes. These are a high maintenance area.
The front brakes SUCK. If anyone has been nice, they've followed the TSB and put the newer front calipers and pads on, and trimmed the dust shields to fit. Trust me, you want to do this. I have part numbers.
The column shift broke off. That was odd and unexpected.
The front of the truck is a deer magnet.
Rust.
Pops has probably the biggest camper you can fit on the thing. I believe it weighs 2000lbs. It's freaking huge. He runs helper air bags to get it to sit level and not bottom out - which tells the load-sensing-proportioning-valve there is no weight at all in the truck, so the back brakes don't do much. And he doesn't park with the e-brake, so the back brakes don't self-adjust. So the front front brakes have to do all the work. The back axle is ahead of the middle of the box, so the truck is rather tail-heavy with a camper on it. Soft shocks are noticeable.
Timing is a belt and a bit of a pain, so they do get neglected. It is an interference fit engine, so if it's old and breaks on your trip home, tears will result.
Exhaust manifold leaks and cracks aren't uncommon.
Brakes are very much a consumable. No big deal, but you can sorta anticipate pads and rotors.
Typical plastic tank radiator life issues. Everything is fine until it ruptures.
Factory tow package is usually not. Most were dealer installed and even dealer installed aftermarket. Not that this is inherently bad. Just understand there is a lot of variation in the tow hitches, trailer wiring, and so-called "package".
Ugh, not thrilled to hear about the tow package. That's high on my list of planned uses.
A slight twist on my original post: what does the hivemind think about the first generation Sequoia? It seems Tundras are thinner on the ground than I had hoped, but I'm seeing quite a few Sequoias. Tow rating isn't too shabby at 6500.
Edit: and thanks to everyone for the input, you guys are great!
ShadowSix wrote: Ugh, not thrilled to hear about the tow package. That's high on my list of planned uses.
Don't misunderstand me, they tow just fine regardless of it being an factory installed hitch or aftermarket. Same the wiring.
There are vague confusing and unsubstantiated claims about factory upgrades to the brakes, transmission or cooler with regards to a factory tow package. Honestly, I've never seen any sign of it on the trucks, in the parts catalogs or in the aftermarket inventory.
So, I would tow willingly with any one of them having an aftermarket hitch or factory installed. I just wouldn't pay a premium for a "tow package", or put any stock into the truck being any heaver duty for it.
In reply to foxtrapper:
Got it, I guess it just means I'll need to check in what the truck has--it sounds like there is a transmission fluid cooler standard though. I think.
Transmission cooler through the radiator is standard. I've never seen any sign of there actually being an additional one from the factory for so called "tow package" trucks.
When my father-in-law was looking for his, he and I spent quite a bit of time at the dealers under them, and talking with the parts counter guys.
Fwiw, we're at sea level to 1,000 feet here. His Tundra will tow the likes of my truck and cars sitting on a U-Haul trailer (~5,000 lbs) without breaking a sweat. It'll go right on down the interstate at full speed, no problem. Similar braking, no problem. He also hauls several tons of hay bales and farm equipment with it locally also without incident or difficulty.
ShadowSix wrote: Ugh, not thrilled to hear about the tow package. That's high on my list of planned uses.
I pulled an E36 on an open trailer with a tire bar 8 slicks, a toolbox full of heavy stuff and 40 gallons of fuel so let's call it 5500lbs total. Then, the truck bed was packed with all the camping gear, firewood, pit bike etc. Easily another 600lbs.
I could literally drive 20 over the limit everywhere without issue. Handling and load stability was fine. I didn't even have stabilizer bars or anything. Just electric trailer brakes and a good controller. Towing isn't a problem at all if you load a little bit of weight on the tongue consistent with the 2" drop rule of thumb.
Now... where the rear rusts around the spare tire will weaken the hitch parts - so you do need to make sure you get a clean one and keep it that way.
Thanks guys. I have a little trepidation because the truck is a half-notch smaller than the competition, but I think you've allayed those fears.
ShadowSix wrote: Thanks guys. I have a little trepidation because the truck is a half-notch smaller than the competition, but I think you've allayed those fears.
Frankly that was a big part of the reason we liked it. We didn't need a full size truck and it wasn't any less capable than any other 1/2 ton.
mtn wrote: Don't tell bobzilla that the seats are comfortable. The ONLY problem we had with ours was the paint. Don't get a white one, Toyota didn't put clear coat on it.
The base Benches were horrific. I know nothing of hte upgraded buckets. THe V6 trans were a pile of crap. Make sure you get the V8 as the V6 trucks got V8 economy with 4-cyl power. The ergos of the reg cab sucked because of the bench seat and it's seating position. As already mention frame rust.
I would recommend a T100 over the first gen Tundra. They were just better at everything.
Bobzilla wrote: I would recommend a T100 over the first gen Tundra. They were just better at everything.
Oh dear god no. I've got a 3.4 V6 T100. It's not half the truck my father-in-law's first generation V8 Tundra is.
Did 1st Gen Tundra's get a crew cab? Or at least a half decent back seat? I know in my Tacoma that Toyota's idea of an Access Cab "back seat" is laughable.
PHeller wrote: Did 1st Gen Tundra's get a crew cab? Or at least a half decent back seat? I know in my Tacoma that Toyota's idea of an Access Cab "back seat" is laughable.
The access cab back seat was decent enough if you had shorter legs, like me. I rode in it for 4 hours at a time, it wasn't too horrible, but I was younger--18-25 or so. Your back is directly vertical though. I usually put my feet up across the bench and back against the side.
They did get a true crew cab towards the end of the run.
PHeller wrote: Did 1st Gen Tundra's get a crew cab? Or at least a half decent back seat? I know in my Tacoma that Toyota's idea of an Access Cab "back seat" is laughable.
Yup, my coworker has a 1st gen with the crew cab. Quite roomy. He and another guy at work both have over 200K on theirs and seem to be holding up perfectly fine.
My parent's '00 reg cab V8 has been a great truck for the 4-5 years they've had it now. It's sole purpose in life is to be a truck and do truck things on their 30 acre property, so it sees its fair share of use and abuse. I've towed 5+k lbs worth of Uhaul trailer and Cherokee with it and hauled 1000+ lbs of hay bales or firewood and never felt under-equipped. Smaller footprint than most full size trucks, but honestly if you need anything bigger than that you should probably be looking at a 3/4 ton anyways.
I find the standard bench to be perfectly comfortable for 4-5+ hour trips and think it rides and drives very well for a truck.
Only came in here to say my old man's first gen Tundra had the sweetest revving V8 in a truck that I've ever driven.
PHeller wrote: Did 1st Gen Tundra's get a crew cab? Or at least a half decent back seat? I know in my Tacoma that Toyota's idea of an Access Cab "back seat" is laughable.
The 1st gen had 3 and maybe 4 cab configurations.
Regular cab, 8 foot bed.
Jump seat cab, 6? foot bed. This one is pretty common and supposedly the T100 was a wee bit more comfortable. I've the T100 with this, and it can carry adults, albeit not roomily, especially if the driver is long legged.
Then there were the 4 door cabs, and I think there were two of them. Maxi-cab? The really big one had 4? foot bed. I'm fuzzy on this or these, if there were indeed two. Seems to me there was a weird bed overlap or configuration for the smaller one too. Rarely ever saw these then, and certainly don't see them now. At least around here.
I have done enough research to know the body style breakout by heart. The truck was released for the 2000 MY with two configurations, a regular cab with a 98" bed and an "access cab" (small, "suicide" rear doors that can only open when the front door is open) with a 76" bed. In 2004 they added a "double cab" with four full size doors and the 76" bed. The double cab was also somewhat wider, sharing a lot of body work with the Sequoia SUV.
My take on comfort is that the back seat in the access cab is mostly for small people and short trips. For me it will be where the dog sits. The double cab is your standard family car replacement pickup, not far behind the Ridgeline in comfort.
ShadowSix wrote: I have done enough research to know the body style breakout by heart. The truck was released for the 2000 MY with two configurations, a regular cab with a 98" bed and an "access cab" (small, "suicide" rear doors that can only open when the front door is open) with a 76" bed. In 2004 they added a "double cab" with four full size doors and the 76" bed. The double cab was also somewhat wider, sharing a lot of body work with the Sequoia SUV. My take on comfort is that the back seat in the access cab is mostly for small people and short trips. For me it will be where the dog sits. The double cab is your standard family car replacement pickup, not far behind the Ridgeline in comfort.
Don't forget the stepside!
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