Impressions after first 1K miles on new 2021 TRD Pro

Have you never heard of a hook shot?

 

I would echo all of your "like most" except for me, it's the Lunar Rock color. I LOVE the exhaust...it makes me smile a little whenever I hear it grumble. Maybe it's just that I'm hitting mid-40's and it makes me feel like a teenager again. And the shocks ride so much better compared to the stiff and harsh TRD OR's I had on my prior Tundra.

After having an '08 for so long, the hard plastics weren't a disappointment to me - I knew what I was going to be getting. They show scuffs and such early on, but eventually the entire cabin develops a bit of a patina that says "I'm a truck, and dammit, use me like one."

Dunno how much I'd use paddle shifters...I use the manual shift often enough, but I've always felt awkward shifting with my hands on the steering wheel. It's rare for me to not have my left RIGHT hand on the shifter 90% of the time anyway (old habits).

On the roll-down back window - I had the seats out in my DC to do the fold-down back seat mod and looked very hard at how the back space is put together compared to a buddies Crewmax (which in the Gen 2 you could fold forward). There just isn't the room back there with the way that the rear seats in the DC "cam over" to fold up the bottoms. Really, doing the fold-down rear seat mod itself didn't gain a whole lot of room as it was because if you put anything more than a couple inches thick back there, it would interfere with that camming that needed to happen to fold the seats. I used it to stash an emergency blanket, extension cord, and a few other small items was about it. Of course, my '08 didn't even have a power sliding rear window...and the underside of the back seat was mostly taken up by a subwoofer. Remember, the Crewmax cab is 12" bigger, but they only added 8" of legroom - that other 4" is behind the seats to allow them to lean back more and to make room for the window.

I'm finding ways to add and use the storage available in the truck. It's laid out differently than my '08 DC (missing the upper glove box, no door panel compartments, etc.) but I'm finding it to still be functional. I'll likely end up getting one of the under-bed storage units from ESP eventually...or make my own of some sort.

YES - 6.5' bed should be an option for a Crewmax. It would make a long truck, but it would also be just right all the way around.

 

I've switched to using Apple Maps instead of Google because my music would stop and wouldn't come back on as soon as Google started speaking. Haven't tried it again for a few weeks, maybe the updates have fixed it.

 

Totally joking, but it would be sweet if there was a floor storage unit or safe you could secure on the passenger footwell if your wife is your only passenger ever. Then you could stash items there and provide her with a booster floor. 2 birds - one stone.

Glad you're enjoying the truck!

 

the manual shifting is awkward to get into and out of. Prefer the column shifter with toggle button over how it is now.

My other car is a manual and change from 3rd to 4th and back to 3rd so often that I want to push forward to downshift. I have messed up manual shifting often in the new truck. Never was an issue on the column shifter.

paddle shifters would be an improvement.

 

Well I'm gonna disagree. I think getting to the S mode is super easy use and convenient to engage and shift. But I don't have two different cars with two different modes of operandi. I pretty much drive the truck in tow/haul and S mode on a continuous basis. I just prefer how it works in those modes. Now when I use just drive it feels like the truck is operating on 7 cylinders. Nope...tow/haul S mode for the win.

 

I usually mute the nav voice anyway, so I haven't noticed that issue.

 

I'm not familiar with roads and traffic in Alabama but trying to navigate around the traffic in Austin, I have to have the voice nav going. I wish I could turn it off - although if I did, I'd probably end up in Alabama...

 

y

 

I've had this happen before. Not sure how, because I was busy driving, but I clearly saw it come up off the road in front of me and hit my windshield.

 

It’s pretty simple really...if a tire is rolling forward and throws a rock with sufficient force *at the ground* which then bounces up off the ground, losing forward momentum, at just the right time to clear the front end of the truck, it is possible for you as you’re driving to hit the airborne rock with your windshield.

Make sense?

 

Truck looks awesome! I love the tires but cant make out what they are. I have a 2021 pro crewmax on the way. Whats the biggest size tire I can have with keeping everything else stock, no modifications, (besides front mud guard taken off)? I really appreciate the help! Thanks, Brian

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/largest-tire-you-can-run-stock-for-all-generations.9762/

 

The first post of that thread should have some extra info for the Pro. Most people are fitting 295/70s or 285/75s on Pros with stock wheels. All they have to do is push the fender liner forward and/or remove the front mud flap.

 

Well...you never know.
I better fix that!

 

I believe @T-Rex266 can update the info in that post.

 

3rd Gen Pro: 285/75R18 and 295/70R18 will fit on stock wheels due to 2” factory lift up front. Both sizes clear stock UCAs with no additional lift or spacers. You might need to push fender liner forward or remove small mud flap on front of the wheel well.

 

I think I am one of the fortunate ones. Running Falken Wildpeaks 295/70 on OEM Pro wheels. No spacers. Factory UCA’s. All flaps remain in place. No rubbing. No mods. All plastics intact, no bending, no heating.

 

Came across that thread again. Looks like that info isn’t in the first post. Maybe you didn’t save it? Or am I looking in the wrong place?

 

I remember seeing a post of a guy who thought his seat was too high. He cut an inch out of the seat brackets and welded it back together.

 

I am so glad that Toyota has the S mode. I drive a lot on steep mountain roads and prefer to use engine braking over smoking the brakes. It also works fantastic when going uphills to keep the transmission from hunting gears. I had paddle shifters in my 15 Subaru Forester XT and LOVED them for mountain driving. I would take paddle shifters in a second for the Tundra. It's nice to keep both hands on the steering wheel, especially when cranking down a canyon.

 

Paddle shifters would be a joke in a truck and look wildly out of place. It's a not a damn sports car, and most paddle shifters feel terrible and cause massive shift delaay.

 

Give me paddle shifters Toyota!

 

Thinking it wouldn't be tough to do as long as a guy had a set of shifters that would fit the wheel, or had a wheel that would fit. Turns out, someone did do it to a Gen 2 using a Lexus wheel, and it was as simple as running a couple wires and tapping them into the shifter wiring.
https://www.tundratalk.net/threads/installing-lexus-paddle-shifters-into-the-tundra.653714/

Drop a F-Sport steering wheel onto your TRD Pro?

 

Agreed. I'm in the mountains a lot also and tow/haul S mode is great in those situations. S mode definitely cuts down on the gear hunting compared to D. Paddle shifters would be safer than taking a hand off the wheel to flick the lever and would be cool to have.

 

7,500 mile update

- Switched out tires to 275/70/18 BFG KO2's. Noticed a little bit of power loss the first ten minutes of driving and then it was a distant memory
- Tinted the windows
- Added FRAC Harness and front camera. Need to fab out the front mount a little better to get a complete view, but it works.
- Skid plate noise - ran into an issue where any type of flex on the truck would make a creak and or clunk. After several trips to the dealership, they couldn't figure it out. Finally I found the tech tip article and they were able to fix it with a new hardware kit
- Not being able to adjust the volume when in reverse still bugs, but that's about it.
- I hear a few more squeaks than I did with my Tacoma, hopefully the dealer can trace those down when I bring it in for the 10K oil change.
- The black tips on the dual exhaust water stain very easily, it's a pain to keep them looking nice.

Aside from that, absolutely love the truck. I pin striped it on a trail and that sucked but some McGuire's polish and wax took it right out.


When my kid gets out of his car seat I'll probably add the ESP under seat storage, maybe the Westcott Designs lift and the Demello hidden winch and mount... we'll see.

 

Do you know which tech tip article? I just ordered the skid plate and would like to solve this during install.

 

Normally I'd lol and such, but this literally just happened to me. On the interstate, no one behind or in front of me for at least a mile or so, and out of nowhere, I see the hookshot rock bouncing up from the right to hit my windshield.