A Blank Sheet Of Paper

[fcatwo]

Hondo

You may find info on your Tacoma vs Tundra question in the forums over at http://www.tundrasolutions.com. There is a lot of towing discussion there but I don't recall that anyone has used both. We waited a year for the new, larger Tacoma to come out and wound up buying a Tundra after driving them back to back. It's probably an age-related opinion but we found the Tundra to be more comfortable and refined. They are both rated to tow more than the largest TM and either should serve you well. You are probably aware that a new, larger Tundra is due in the fall.

(As I recall, Yellowstone is not a hard park, towing-wise. Grades and altitudes are moderate. Nothing like the high Sierras or the Rockies further west.)

There are some rather high passes in and around Yellowstone. Bear Tooth Pass weighs in at 10,974 and several other areas are up in the 9000 foot range. The Absaroka Range forms the eastern border of the park contributing to the altitude. You would definitely want to drop your trailer before making the loop around the park.

My two daughters, grand daughter and myself went to Yellowstone in the last week of May 95 and my wife and I went in July of 94. I towed my 3124ks with a 6 cyl 4-runner, and had no problems with the climbs and altitude. The TM was definitely fully loaded.
I had to go through yellowstone because the grand teton "Colter bay" was closed. It is a very nice rv park which opens in june.
We had to go through the park to the Yellowstone KOA "www.yellowstonekoa.com" at Madison. We stayed there 7 days. It has an indoor swimming pool and hot tub. "Excellent in May". Enjoyed the park very much.

The RV campgrounds in Yellowstone park are very close together, so we chose not to camp there.
Get an annual parks pass if you stay at the koa, because it is a few miles outside the park.
P.S. They will not let you camp inside Yellowstone with a canvas pop up. Bears...
Enjoy your trip.

Originally Posted by Hondo

Would you order the 2 inch lift?

If I did not have the 2 inch lift kit on my 2720 then it would rub on the ground going in and out of my driveway.

[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by Hondo

Thanks for all the help.
Is there a big difference between a v6 Tacoma crew cab and a v8 Tundra crew cab? I am trying to decide between a 2720 and the 31KB. Most towing will be in the East but our favorite park is Yellowstone.

Huge difference. Towing a 31KB at the elevations of Yellowstone (~8000 feet) with a V6 will be an exercise in total frustration. Even a 2720...and the load of a long trip...will make the V6 badly strain at higher elevations. The V8 has much higher torque...and the Tundra is a far more refined vehicle for long distances than the Tacoma. Several TMO members have tried, repeat tried, to tow TMs with V6 Tacomas in the western mountains at elevations over 5000 feet. After a few frustrating trips, they traded up to V8 Tundras.

Would you order the 2 inch lift? I don't see it in the brochure.

Yes.

If you already have a heavy duty hitch, can you add weight distribution to it? I have no idea how those things work.

You don't actually have a heavy duty hitch. You have a heavy duty hitch receiver...the part that a hitch slides into. The hitch is the part that hitch ball is bolted to. The actual hitch can be a simple drop down hitch bar (aka weight carrying) or a weight distributing hitch. Please study this webpage to understand the advantages of a WDH and to see pictures of the various WDH. Please note that a WDH is a system of bars, brackets, and lift chains that definitely can't be "added" to a normal weight carrying hitch.