Thanks for all of the information. I was certainly thinking about future places in the Sierra Nevadas. Currently the Sienna has been fine because we have basically been taking 2-hour trips over relatively flat coastal terrain. However, we are right up against the Los Padres National Forest and there are a some steep options to explore in there, pave and unpaved, with and without the TM. I am not looking to do serious offroading but I foresee crossing stream beds, spots with loose gravel, etc. We also have friends who camp on Pismo with their ATVs and it would be fun to join them. I don't see serious need for 4x4 capability all of the time but there are enough scenarios in the above description for which 4x4 would be welcome. As for the weight impacts assumed by a 4x4 I am not too concerned with that because the gear I am looking to carry is not the really heavy stuff like ATVs and motorcycles. I am probably only needing to carry about 500 lbs of cargo in the truck bed plus the 4K TM.
The Sienna has been kind of a pain because of weight and cargo limitations. We ultimately would like to bring 2 adult mountain bikes, 2 kid bikes, a trailer to tow the kids on the bikes, cooler, genset, etc. It is a pain to fit all of that gear in the back of the van and you can't realistically do that and stay within the weight ratings. So I have been having to pick and choose what gear to bring, weighing a lot of stuff, etc. Plus I have to tow the TM without water. I would like more flexibility there.
I am not concerned about gas mileage at all. 10MPG or 20MPG isn't going to matter in a vehicle that will probably not be driven more than 4-5K per year. My commuter vehicle is my Corolla and my wife drives the van for all of her duties around town. We do not lead high mileage lifestyles. My commute is 40 miles round trip each day but the wife only drives the van about 5K miles per year. Other than trips with the TM, miles on the truck would be just reducing miles on the van. The bottom line is that mileage isn't a driver.
I am not considering the Tacoma because it is not heavy duty enough. It is a shame because I think the Tacoma is the best looking truck out there. The Tundra for example is really ugly to my eye when compared to the Tacoma.
I do appreciate all the different perspectives. They are helping me cogitate on the options.
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