Toyota equivalent of an American full-size truck? (1 Viewer)

[ozarkmud]

I've been rather content keeping a Toyota only stable, but a truck could be useful. Something that could pull a mini excavator on a trailer if we were to rent one.

I'd love to stick with Toyota only, so am wondering if there are options I haven't thought of.

The first generation Tundra is a bit disappointing. Feels like a quarter ton pickup stretched out over a half ton chassis. The 4.7L motor is great, but the build is a bit toy like compared to Land Cruisers. Abroad, I see some Toyota Land Cruiser pickups that look decent, but what can they actually tow? Especially a 1HZ.

The T100 tempts me over the Tundra, but a double cab would be nice, and there is none, and I'm thinking the 3.4L, even with a manual, would be pushing it for pulling 8k lbs. And the truck may be a bit light duty for that much weight.

I guess I'm just curious about those Land Cruiser pickups I see here and there posted (I live in the US), and wonder if it's at all sensible or practical. Or, if I should bite the bullet and get an American truck. Maybe a Ford IDI, Cummins, etc.

Maybe you've been in a similar boat.

 

[coldtaco]

Have you looked at the new Tundra? That’s about the only thing close to doing what you want, otherwise you really want a 3/4 ton or 1 ton pickup.

 

[AirheadNut]

Get a Cummins, end of discussion. The Land Cruiser 70-series pickups are stout, but definitely not up to the task of towing anything close to your 8k lbs target safely on North American roads. A Dodge 3/4-ton with a Cummins and a manual transmission can easily tow more than double that and still get close to the same fuel mileage as a diesel Land Cruiser when empty.

There are larger Toyota trucks available, more in the commercial, medium duty class of trucks that would work. They would be similar to the Isuzu NPR. The issue here is that importing a truck like that incurs a 25% tariff. You could also look for an American market Hino.

My family has both a 1st Gen and 2nd Gen Dodge Cummins, the 1st Gen is a bare-bones, basic pickup truck that rides like a buckboard and works hard with very little maintenance. It has somewhere in the neighborhood of 350-400k miles, many of which were put on while towing loads in excess of 18k lbs. The 2nd Gen is a much more comfortable daily driver, is great on the highway and has quite a bit more power. It has (briefly) towed a GCVW of 33k lbs, and handles great with a 8-10k load on the back. They both get 16-19mpg on the highway depending on driving style.

 

[Cortez the Killer]

2nd or 3rd Gen Tundra has all you need, otherwise just get a Duramax if you need more

 

[FJBen]

The only reason to get a t100 over a 1st gen tundra is you want a manual. That’s it. Barely has power, most are rotted and the extra cab has zero room. The double cab is better in every way.

I agree, if you are regularly towing 8k or more get a diesel cummins. A newer tundra will be alright.

Growing up like @AirheadNut said we had a first gen Cummins dodge. Beast but rode horribly. If you need 4 doors you are in a 3rd gen. You can still get the 5.9 pre def and all that crap.

 

[White Stripe]

I bought a lq4 2500 silverado. It works great and easy to work on. I like the lq4 over diesel because it's smooth to drive around town and starts up quick.

 

[overpaid slacker]

I must agree with the Cummins recommendations. I am on my 4th dodge cummins over the years. Have had a few tundras as well. Tundras are nice but are a joke compared to the pulling power of a Cummins.

 

[Boston Mangler]

Been a Yota guy my entire life, most of you know that. I've owned one of almost all of them...

Needed more capacity for a camper. Got a Cummins. My first domestic vehicle ever, and it was a hard decision.

Comparing a Cummins to the Tundra is comical, at best

I had (2) 5.7L Tundras and they were great for what they are, but they are absolutely horrible weighted down, or for towing anything

If anyone tries to argue this point, they havent towed with a Cummins!

I am not a diesel fanboy, was hesitant to get one, but they are the right tool for the job when it comes to towing.

Anything to get a Yota to tow even close to properly is just a band aid

 

[bj70bc]

well... the cummins can tow pretty much 3 times what a tundra can

 

[peacesells63]

It's unfortunate that we don't get real toyota trucks in the US.

I absolutely hate mopar, but I have an early 2007 cummins and it is a great truck. Everything dodge on it pretty much sucks, but fortunately most of the truck is not made by them. It gets about the same mileage as my 80 when towing my 80 with a pop top camper on the truck. If I had the time, I would buy a 6.0 or 6.4 ford truck that needs a motor and put a common rail Cummins with an Allison 1000 behind it. I still may do that one day, but the dodge has a lot of life left in it.

If you are doing light duty hauling or towing a trailer occasionally, a tundra is OK. They are nowhere near a cummins though. I was looking for a tundra for about a year. A friend of mine had a 2016 for about 3 months and after seeing and driving that one, I bought a cummins. So did he.

 

[Boston Mangler]

Yes

I also absolutely hate Mopar and was very hesitant to pull the trigger

My 2020 Ram5500 currently has SIX (yes 6) current recalls and 5 are listed as "No Fix Available"

So Yeah... Theres that...

 

[Gun Runner 5]

I live in the farming belt of Southern Georgia where the diesel powered Rams and Fords are king. The Duramax Chevy is a distant 3rd in the lineup. The Tundra is non-existent.

 

[ATL Cruiser]

I absolutely hate mopar,

Agreed completely. MOPAR has been the stepchild of the auto industry for awhile. Jeep, then Chrysler, then Daimler-Chrysler (creating the FrankenBenzJeeps), and now Fiat-Chrysler. And Fiat is not exactly known for its quality.

We have been replacing camshafts in 3.6L MOPARs for the last 2-3 years. All around 60k miles with destroyed lobes. Nice $4000 job for the customer on their new vehicles out of warranty. That stings.

 

[RHINO]

It's unfortunate that we don't get real toyota trucks in the US.

i dont think Toyota makes real trucks other than cabover delivery type trucks, like Hino

i think a 5.7 Tundra would be just fine for what the PO has described, but i also agree they are a joke compared to the BIG 3. seriously though, even though a Tundra will pull something like a mini ex just fine, why pay the premium for it? get a big 3 for 1/3rd the cost on the used market and have a much more capable truck.

 

[Tank5]

I had an 80 with a 6BT Cummins and NV4500 for towing. I towed another 80 on a flat bed 300 miles and could easily maintain 70 on the Highway. I towed a 45 and half of another 1200 miles with it without issue. The Cummins was tuned up a little.

The 80 itself is not necessarily the best platform for towing. A heavier truck with the same drive train would be better for a tow specific vehicle. The Cummins swapped 80 I had was intended to be dual purpose, so I compromised. Wish I still had it.

Edit: Prior to the 80 mentioned I had an 09 Tundra with a 5.7. It towed better than the Cummins 80 but was huge and not something I wanted to take on a trail. It had a lot of plastic too, that just made it feel like a throw away vehicle. Sold it to buy the Cummins 80. If I had a need for regularly towing heaving loads I would buy another Tundra or truck manufactured for the job. I no longer need a designated tow rig, so I accept some compromise and am building another 80 that can fill the role. I am not impressed with most new vehicles and prefer the older stuff.

 

[FJ73Texas]

These were the best sized 2007+ Tundras. The regular cab with the 6.5” bed.

I owned one with the 5.7 and it was a beast.

Photo below is of one at the Tundra plant. Been used for heavy duty since 2007. Even has roll up crank windows too.

 

[sogafarm]

Ram 3500 with the Cummins will get 17 mpg towing a 30 ft horse trailer at interstate speeds. I know this first hand. You’ll never want to tow with anything else once you’ve driven a Cummins turbo.

 

[AirheadNut]

Ram 3500 with the Cummins will get 17 mpg towing a 30 ft horse trailer at interstate speeds. I know this first hand. You’ll never want to tow with anything else once you’ve driven a Cummins turbo.

I averaged 19.6 mpg over 1000 miles of 80 mph interstate with the bed completely full with hardwood in our '02. Over the 20k miles we've had the truck it has kept a higher average mpg than my brother's HDJ81, and that includes several thousand miles of towing.

 

[peacesells63]

i dont think Toyota makes real trucks other than cabover delivery type trucks, like Hino

i think a 5.7 Tundra would be just fine for what the PO has described, but i also agree they are a joke compared to the BIG 3. seriously though, even though a Tundra will pull something like a mini ex just fine, why pay the premium for it? get a big 3 for 1/3rd the cost on the used market and have a much more capable truck.

I would call a 79 a real truck, but they are still quite a bit smaller than an American 3/4 ton. I would much rather have a 79 than a tundra though.

One thing that is sad about my dodge - it is only rated for 1800lbs of payload capacity. Both my fj45 and my Jeep forward control can haul more on paper. a 79 series can haul almost 900lbs more on paper. In reality though, the dodge is twice the truck.