Gonna replace my Cherokee with a Tundra - Page 3

RockyMtnRay · 10-13-2003, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Many thanks for your great information on towing a 2720SL at high altitude. While we are quite familiar with the towing requirements for a pop-up, your information was extremely helpful to our decision process for finding a tow vehicle.
thanks again and happy towing.

You are most welcome and I'm glad to be of help. But I'm not the only knowledgeable forum member...I'd recommend you become a site sponsor (only $12/year) so that you can continue to partake of the excellent advice and knowledge of the other TM veterans.

RockyMtnRay · 10-18-2003, 02:32 PM

Well, I bought it. Meet my shiny new 2003 Tundra (had only 85 miles on the odometer when I picked it up). Pic taken right after I brought it home:
http://www.rockymtnray.us/images_gen...ior%20crop.jpg

Specs: 4.7 L, 240 HP DOHC Lexus V8, 4 spd Auto tranny, 4X4 with Toyota Racing Development Off Road Suspension (super-duper Bilstein shocks, skid plates, tuned springs, 7X16 alloy rims, etc.); 3.91 Limited Slip rear differential, towing package (wiring and heavy duty tranny cooler). Taken together this gives me a nice 6900 lb towing capacity (710 lb hitch weight).

With the dealer's assistance, I traded in the P (passenger car) series tires it came with for these slightly oversize (275/75/16...'bout a 31X11) Michelin LT (light truck) tires...I now have 12 inches of ground clearance under the axles. In addition to the increased ground clearance, the LT tires have much stiffer sidewalls so they will be far better for towing than the soft P-series tires would have been.

Interior has lots of goodies as well: Captains chairs and nice console up front, 6 spkr 3-way stereo with 6-CD changer , power everything, and 60/40 folding rear seat. I find the double opening doors really handy for rear seat access.

Oodles of power, great handling, near-silent, and very smooth riding (feels like a high end sports sedan). And I got it for about $8500 less than dealer sticker price. ;D

P.S. And it also almost matches my TM's paint color!

10-18-2003, 05:37 PM

I'll bet that looks really good pulling the TM.

Are you planning on adding a capper? It sure makes storing all the tools, hitch stuff, blueboy, etc. a lot easier.

With that 4x4 just think, you don't have to walk to the top anymore! ;D

10-18-2003, 05:51 PM

Not a good photo but here is our rig in tow.

RockyMtnRay · 10-18-2003, 08:24 PM

[quote author=Windbreaker link=board=20;threadid=1436;start=msg10220#msg1022 0 date=1066520238]
I'll bet that looks really good pulling the TM. [/quote]

I sure hope it does...and I'm pretty confident it will pull my TM quite nicely. But unfortunately, I won't know for sure for about 6 or 7 months as my TM is tucked away for the winter (I'm gearing up now for downhill skiing and snowshoeing...not camping.

)

I do have to give you a bit of credit for nudging me toward buying what's essentially a full sized pickup as a tow vehicle . Specifically your post re "overkill on tow truck" did get me thinking. And then I got a copy of the Mountain Directory West and went "WHOA"; when I realized how many roads there were here in the Rocky Mtn states that I might want to take that my Cherokee wasn't even close to handling properly.

Quote:

Are you planning on adding a capper? It sure makes storing all the tools, hitch stuff, blueboy, etc. a lot easier.

A retractable or rollup tonneau cover, yes; a hard capper, no. Reason: I'm also planning to periodically haul a sizable kayak next year so will need a great deal more rack strength capability than I can get with a cap; I'm also going to be periodically hauling a trail bike (can't get that inside a cap); and I'll regularly need an open bed for hauling off brush and other home landscaping chores. A tonneau cover has most of the advantages of a cap but is a lot more versatile. I'll most likely get this rack system for the kayak (http://www.cargogear.com/TracRac/TracRacMoreInfo.htm) which works perfectly with this lockable and retractable tonneau cover (http://www.cargogear.com/peragon/peragon.htm)

Quote:

With that 4x4 just think, you don't have to walk to the top anymore! ;D

Yeah, right. NOT!!!

Seriously though, it's actually a less capable 4X4 than the Cherokee I traded for it...mainly because it's 5 inches wider and has about 30 inches more wheelbase. I really had to think long and hard about whether I wanted to give up some of the Cherokee's off-road capability to get better towing capability. But then I realized I could haul a dirt bike when needed that would get me up rougher roads than even the Cherokee would do and I decided I could handle this trade-off. There are quite a few 14ers in this state where just getting to the trailhead is quite a challenge in and of itself.

Besides, walking and hiking and running are really good for the body. You really oughta get outta your truck and do more walking and less driving. :P

10-18-2003, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Besides, walking and hiking and running are really good for the body. You really oughta get outta your truck and do more walking and less driving.

Guess what, I have started (slowly at first, but adding a little every week) I got a Trikke, they looked like fun and a good way to work most of the body. Of course nothing bets walking, but that is mostly boring around here. If I lived where there were trees, or hills, or mountains maybe I would do better. Summer is over so I have had to close the pool that means I have to take up that time doing something else, cross country skiing? indoors in front of the TV maybe.

RockyMtnRay · 10-19-2003, 08:25 AM

[quote author=Windbreaker link=board=20;threadid=1436;start=msg10227#msg1022 7 date=1066538477]

Quote:

Besides, walking and hiking and running are really good for the body. You really oughta get outta your truck and do more walking and less driving.

Guess what, I have started (slowly at first, but adding a little every week) I got a Trikke, they looked like fun and a good way to work most of the body. Of course nothing bets walking, but that is mostly boring around here. If I lived where there were trees, or hills, or mountains maybe I would do better. Summer is over so I have had to close the pool that means I have to take up that time doing something else, cross country sking? indoors in front of the TV maybe.

[/quote]

Cool! I am really glad to hear this....it's one of the best decisions you've ever made! Just looked up Trikke (for the rest of you: http://www.trikke.com/004/)...indeed looks like a fun device. Betcha you get lots of looks when you're out wheeling around on that contraption.

And I also bet it helps you discover muscles you never even knew you had.

Oh and BTW, took a close look at the pic of your rig. Dang but that pickup is long ...my first thought was that the front end and rear end are so far apart they probably are in different ZIP codes.

But I'd also guess that you don't even know that 2720 is back there when you're going down the road.

**mjlaupp** · 10-19-2003, 09:20 AM

[quote author=RockyMtnRay link=board=20;threadid=1436;start=msg10225#msg1022 5 date=1066530261]
A tonneau cover has most of the advantages of a cap but is a lot more versatile. I'll most likely get this rack system for the kayak (http://www.cargogear.com/TracRac/TracRacMoreInfo.htm) which works perfectly with this lockable and retractable tonneau cover (http://www.cargogear.com/peragon/peragon.htm)
[/quote]

Ray,
I'm waiting for my ToolTop Roll-Top-Cover combination I had the local Creative Coatings truck center order from Pace Edwards. Pace Edwards also has an Explorer Series Rails option that is integrated into the tonneau side rails. It will accommodate Thule sport racks. They don't show this option on their web site but it is in the catalog you can request. www.paceedwards.com
I had a hard bed cover on the F150 and it worked well. My major objection to it was getting to stuff at the front of the bed. I think the new box and cover combination will solve most of these problems.
MJL

RockyMtnRay · 10-19-2003, 10:12 AM

Quote:

I'm waiting for my ToolTop & Roll-Top-Cover combination I had the local Creative Coatings truck center order from Pace Edwards. Pace Edwards also has an Explorer Series Rails option that is integrated into the tonneau side rails. It will accommodate Thule sport racks. They don't show this option on their web site but it is in the catalog you can request. www.paceedwards.com

Thanks for the info, Mike...I'll request the catalog tomorrow (they're closed today) to see what their rack/rails option can do for me.

In a perfect world, I'd have the overhead racks, a retractable/folding and lockable tonneau cover, and a bedtop toolbox. The Pace Edwards system seems optimized for the latter two, the ones from CargoGear are optimized for the first two. I'm ambivalent about a bedtop toolbox...definitely could use more storage. But I also regularly need the full bed for the dirt bike and general hauling. and because the bed on the Tundra Access Cab is only 74 inches to begin with, if I add a toolbox, I don't have much bed length left.

**Bill** · 10-19-2003, 12:20 PM

Well, in a perfect world, you would have not only the racks, the tonneau cover, and the toolbox, but also a bed-mounted crane hoist, so you could lift the toolbox in and out at a whim!

Sure would make loading and unloading that dirt bike easier, too.

Philosophical question - at what point does a truck become a pig???? Did I just reach it?

Bill