Talk me into a 200 aka sell my Tundra aka it’s only money (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Threads
77
Messages
2,401
Location
Alabama
Website
www.tachedoutoffroad.com
My current fleet is:
-‘73 FJ55- 80 chassis swap, 2UZ swap, lots of other fun parts and lots of fun to drive
-‘11, 4 door Tundra -DD, 5.7l, 4WD, tow rig, grocery getter, 165k miles, airbags, tow package, few dents.

I want to build a more family friendly rig for “overlanding”/ remote camping/ cruising around CO and driving back to AL rig. The Tundra cab is a little small for 4-5 of us and too damn big to offroad on any serious trails. The trails get very small in the southeast.

A lift, tires, wheels, bumpers, winch, gears, lockers, etc added to any rig is $10-15k all day.

I was thinking about SAS a 04-06 crew cab Tundra. Diamond axles, 9.5” diffs, 37-39”s, lots of bed space. Base truck to build off of is $8-12k

To build a 200, the base truck cost is $25k+ easy.

So, to make the 200 work, I would need to sell my 2011 Tundra DD tow rig (money maker) and put that $ towards my potential built 200 on 35”s.

—-> I pull a lot of old crusiers home. Like 9? This year alone. From 5 min away to 9 hours away. I know the 200 won’t tow quite as well as the Tundra does, but it’s still a beefy truck with a 8500lb towing capacity. I call it 80% as good of a tow rig

So, keep the 55, sell my tundra, put that $ towards a 200 and build it.

or

keep the 55, keep work truck Tundra, and build a 100/ old Tundra as a camping rig?


What say yee oh lords of the 2hundos?

I have found an one owner, ‘13, 200 with some miles on it that I really want to get.

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Can't fault a nicely built Tundra. It is a different beast as you know.

200-series
- Top of the line with more luxury appointments beyond the utilitarian nature of the Tundra
- Fully boxed ladder frame with SUV body, more stiffness for an unmatched ride quality
- Can do a respectable job approximating a luxury car with it's appointments, comfort, and NVH
- Full time 4WD with torsion diff transfer case. That's a big difference with broader use than the part time 4x4 system on the Tundra
- More traction tools including Crawl Control
- Exclusive
 
Drive a 200 and a Tundra back to back and I think you'll find what makes you happier.

I sold my '13 200 and (for reasons I won't go into) wasn't able to get into the new 200 that I had planned, so I grabbed a 2nd gen Tundra ('10 trd Rock Warrior with 55k) thinking it was a reasonable substitute.

The Tundra wins for shoulder room, cargo space, utility of the bed, maybe slightly better braking, and aftermarket support. It loses on turn radius, ride quality, cabin noise, no moon roof, comfort and convenience features (push button start, auto climate control, auto up/down windows, auto door lock/unlock, power seats, and so forth).

This may seem tiny, but the fit and finish on the 200 series is incomparable.

The doublecab Tundra has less leg room than a 200, so if you have rear seat passengers, the crewmax would be a better comparison. Any trip more than 30 min in the rear seats of the Tundra is uncomfortable for my 6'+ teen.

Two other things: the Tundra is (or at least feels) a lot wider than the cruiser, so not as well suited for narrow trails (and the 200 isn't exactly slim), and the part time 4wd (normally in 2wd; 4hi and 4lo selectable).

I also find the motor transmission combo on the Tundra to be far less smooth, and the throttle takes a lot more attention to be smooth on take off acceleration.

Combined with lower weight in the rear with an empty bed, it is easy to spin tires on takeoff. Not what I need, especially in the snow.

Some (but not all) might be addressed by getting a new Tundra like the Trd Pro crewmax, but they're over $50k, hard to find, and dealers I spoke with wouldn't budge from msrp. Plus, I realized, for that kind of money, I could buy a very nice used 200.

Overall the 200 feels more solid, planted, and comfortable. The 200 drives and handles better. But it is at the expense of some utility (the bed) and towing capacity (which I don't need).

I'm back in a 200. For me, the 200 is just a better fit for my family.

One parting thought is commmunity: the land cruiser crowd here on Mud is a huge asset. There are lots of sources for Tundra info, but I didn't find any with the same level of activity, valuable contribution, and engaged membership. This forum is a huge hidden value to the Land Cruiser owner.
 
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Tundra is a great truck for what it is , I had few Tundras , last one was a 2016 crew max was a great truck but had too much frame flex for me when I towed , had to upgrade to a hate to say it GMC with a diesel also had a boxed frame just like the LC , I have had 2 of the 200 series and my 2019 is a great machine .
Biggest problem with the 200 in stock platform is you get modification bug ... I just started ordering parts for mine .
 
Thanks guys.

I owned a ‘97 4Runner that was my sons truck and a ‘97 FJ80 that was my truck at the same time. Getting in them back to back was no comparison. You could feel the extra $ in the cruiser EVERYWHERE.


—>Will the 200 work a substitute for my -truck- and it’s towing capabilities? I put 25,000 miles a year on it.


Build a 100 for the fam and keep my work truck?
Or
Sell work truck and build a 200?


I feel like these are such dumb noob questions, but I really appreciate the comparisons and knowledge!! I have some coin in my 55 build, but this will be even more and a big bite to me.
 
You'll definitely need to worry about tongue weight towing cruisers with the '200. The rear of the 200 won't carry that weight nearly as well as the Tundra does. I towed my heavy 4BT FJ40 with my 200 with stock springs and firestone bags and it was still too much weight and sagged really badly. I then mistakenly over-inflated the bags and blew them. Power was fine, and braking was fine. With a weight distribution hitch (not an option with the U-Haul rental trailer I had) it would have been fine. Just know that you'll have to be more careful with loading and tongue weight.

On the daily/family/adventure side, 200 series all the way. Honestly good clean 100 series are fetching so much now that the 200 series isn't much more expensive.
 
I think the Tundra is probably better at towing heavy loads. The land cruiser can haul a lot (I think 8100 lb tow capacity on my '16), but it has a short wheelbase and the way they come stock are spring more for comfort than big loads. In any case, you'll need to add a tow controller (I have a Redarc TowPro Eilte) to the factory plug in harness. I've never towed more than a single car on a trailer or a 6x10 utility trailer full of building material scrap, so I can't say I've tested the tow limits (my boat and camper are tiny).

Since you may not have gotten in deep yet, note that the 16+ got larger brakes, and it is noticeable. The earlieer brakees are sufficient, but the 16+ are more better :).
 
Because you asked the question, I think you already know the answer. The SAS'd tundra will be a great machine, but likely a significant overkill for what you have listed above. Towing, hands down my tundra was a better truck. Everything else, the 200 wins. I didn't need all the towing capacity of the tundra and so when I bought the 200, I never looked back. I don't regret the decision whatsoever. My tundra was a lifted 2008 crewmax TRD. Great truck but just didn't fit what I needed with 3 growing kids and lots of gear.
 
I too traded a Tundra, a third gen Crewmax TRD Offroad, for my 200 Series. The Tundra was very good 1/2 ton truck with a remarkable amount of interior space. What I miss the most about it was all of the interior storage spaces that the LC lacks. But, in every other respect, the LC wins hands down. I do not even miss having the bed. With the seats folded, I have a hauled lumber, steel tubes, bags of concrete, and even container trees. I use it to tow a 27', 6000 pound plus travel trailer. In our last trip, we motored up and over Cajon Pass at 65. Sure it sucks gas like nobody's business -- but, its only money. I really liked my Tundra. I love my Land Cruiser.
 
We are here to support your decision in getting rid of the Tundra and getting the 200. Also that's a nice pig you got there!

For your towing concerns, when you lift you could get heavier rated springs so you don't deal with the sag as mentioned above.
 
Took my 200 out for some wheeling with the whole family yesterday. I was reminded of one observation that I had forgotten and my wife agreed when I mentioned it. The 200 is WAY more comfortable off-road than any previous rig (Previous rigs include two second gen Tacomas, a 100 series, a ZJ Grand Cherokee, and a Nissan Titan). The 200 seems to just float over stuff better than any of the other rigs. I think this is a combination of a heavy truck on coils and the KDSS allowing it to flex side to side. And I'm not running any super fancy King/BP51/Icon type setup. We both feel much less beat up after a day of off-road than any previous rig. This is certainly a nice thing toting the family off-road.
 
A lift, tires, wheels, bumpers, winch, gears, lockers, etc added to any rig is $10-15k all day.
I keep checking the math on this and can’t seem to work out how you came up with this cost for all that... don’t get me wrong, I tend to skip by the bottom line cost part of a lot of my money vampire hobbies but this is a number my wife wouldn’t even buy.
 
I can see how he could get to $10-15k pretty quickly. Lockers with a regear are like $6k, $2-3K for suspension depending upon what you go with , $1.5K for 5 tires, $3-4k for good winch and bumper. Not mentioned, but I suspect another $1k for sliders and $1k+ for skids.
 
I can see how he could get to $10-15k pretty quickly. Lockers with a regear are like $6k, $2-3K for suspension depending upon what you go with , $1.5K for 5 tires, $3-4k for good winch and bumper. Not mentioned, but I suspect another $1k for sliders and $1k+ for skids.
Oh, I think you misunderstood my statement... I was saying how low 10-15k sounds. So low that even my wife would call BS on it.
 
Oh, I think you misunderstood my statement... I was saying how low 10-15k sounds. So low that even my wife would call BS on it.
I am 99% sure he owns a shop that does work on cruisers, so “free” labor and wholesale parts help the cost a good bit...
 
Oh, I think you misunderstood my statement... I was saying how low 10-15k sounds. So low that even my wife would call BS on it.
I am 99% sure he owns a shop that does work on cruisers, so “free” labor and wholesale parts help the cost a good bit...

Yessir, just parts. “Free” labor from myself to myself.

I have two appraisals coming in this week and an interview for different position at my real job. They would all mean more money, but less free time to do something like SAS a Tundra just because I like to do things the hardest way possible.

Also, if this works out, I will be pulling way less old broken trucks to the shop.

A 200 on 35”s would be a pretty sweet daily driver and weekend toy if we don't take the 55.
She would get big in these woods in AL, but would be amazing to haul ass to CO and mess around for a week.

Its only money.
 

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