Looking for first Tundra

Hi there,

Looks like a good community here. Hoping for a little feedback and advice.

I've never had a Tundra. We currently have 3 little kids, and recently added a lab puppy into the mix. We have a Honda Pilot as our main car for cramming the kids into, and then we also have an older Toyota 4 Runner. I work from home these days, so usually the 4 Runner just sits there.

Lately I've been thinking of selling the 4 Runner and maybe getting a Tundra. Most weeks I'd probably be putting less than 50 miles on it, so I don't mind starting with one over 100k. Here is what I'd like to use it for - tell me if it makes sense.

• Throwing a topper on it and putting a dog kennel in back for wet/dirty outings with the dog.
• I like to escape the insanity of my house and go salmon fishing out on the coast from time to time (we live in WA) - so rig it up for sleeping in back for a night now and then.
• Once in a while taking a kid with me, so room for two to do this.
• We'd keep the Pilot for our main vehicle when rolling as a family of 5, but I'd like to fit 3 car seats in back of the Tundra so we could use it as needed, including family trips to go for hikes in the mountains when we'd have gear and the dog along.
• We like to canoe and kayak, so I'd also want to put a roof rack on top of the topper.
• I'd also like to stick to around $30k for the truck, if possible (like I said, can be several years old with some higher mileage given it won't be used a ton day to day).

Does a Tundra sound right for me? From my very basic research, it looks like I could get a 4 door with a 6.5 foot bed (which I think I'd need for laying down). Is the cab big enough for 3 kids ages 1.5 to 8?

Is there a specific year or two I should be looking for in that price range (or try to avoid)?

Ideally I'd find one already set up with a topper, but that's not critical.

Also, I know this is a Tundra site, and I'm definitely interested in a Toyota more than anything else, but if based on my requirements you think another make would be better, happy to listen (although expecting Tundra fans here).

Thanks! I'm excited to learn more.

 

The crewmax is roomy AF so a family of 5+dog can have a pretty comfy ride anywhere...but the bed is 5.5', Double Cab is 6.5'. So it all boils down to passenger comfort or bed space.

 

Crewmax for your situation with pets, kids. You would probably be happier with that especially as the kids age and grow. DC are fine, but you and your kids will appreciate the vast Crewmax space. Tundras are great trucks, reliable, good aftermarket/mods support, excellent resale. Tundras get poor MPG, big v8 gas lovers, so if MPG is a concern be aware of that.

As far as finding one, hit cargurus, carmax and any other sites that allow you to filter based on what you want and to look at trucks available nationwide. Used trucks fetching top dollar now so you are going to have to look around to find your deal and be ready the pull the trigger on the one when you find it.

Enjoy the site here. Tons of great info- in each forum here, take a look at the stickies at the top- the info there is very useful.

 

Save your money, buy a small cargo trailer to build into a camper and pull it with your SUV's for now. That way when your vehicle goes, your outing rig doesn't. In time maybe the crazy market will get more realistic and you can get a truck at a better price if you still want one.

 

Thanks. We already have a little vintage camper we use. Also, since I'd be selling a V8 4 runner, my thought is the crazy market kind of balances out since I'll get more for that 4 runner now too. Can you get a crewmax with a 6.5 foot bed?

 

YW! Crewmax is 5.5'

 

You can get a crewmax with a 6.5’ bed if you wait for the new Tundra to drop. Gonna be crazy trying to get one though. And it will be well past the $30k budget.

I fit my 3 kids and fully grown lab in the backseat of my crewmax, and everyone has more than enough room. My bed is too short for me to sleep in, but some guys can manage sleeping diagonally.

 

Thanks. That's sort of a bummer. I know this is a Tundra site, but do Silverados or F150s come in a crewmax with 6.5 foot bed?

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)! The crewmax bed is 7' with the tailgate down. Have you considered a bed tent setup? The DC might be OK for the kids at their current ages, but will get more crowded as they grow.

 

you can get a full crew cab with a 6.5 ft bed in the RAM, F150, and the Chevy/GMC. I chose the Tundra for the overall reliability.

 

Any years to look for or avoid? Ideally I'd find one customized already (topper and some extras), and I've seen ones from '07 all the way to '16 that looked great. How many miles would you be willing to take on with a Tundra, too? Again, this car won't be driven a whole lot, mostly a weekend trip here or there but typically only 20-50 miles a week. I'm ok buying and just selling it after a couple years for a newer model, too...just want to buy one with cash for under $30k hopefully and see how it works out for us.

 

In your case it makes more sense to rent something once a week. When you pay tags, insurance, depreciation, etc. for a driveway decoration you lose. Invest the 30k and use the ROI to rent a truck once a week.

 

We've always had and need two cars. Just the way it is. Just saying I'd be ok with a model over 10 years old with a lot of miles if someone recommended a certain year...we have a newer Pilot for most of our regular driving/road trips.

 

I left a long line of Silverados to go Tundra, and don't regret it at all. Don't consider any Silverado 2014 or later.

Plenty of back seat room to manage the ins and outs of car seats in the Tundra.

For the Tundra with mileage for storage and fun aftermarket under seat storage https://www.esptruck.com/product-page/2014-2018-toyota-tundra-crewmax-long-box-under-seat-storage and aftermarket audio system upgrades you would enjoy.

 

No years to avoid. 07-13 are gen 2, 14-21 are gen 2.5.
The drive trains and suspensions are all identical with the 5.7 or 4.6 v8.(except for 2wd vs. 4wd) There were some six cylinders and 4.7 v8s early on. 4.7 will have a timing belt. The trim levels being the option differences;; SR, SR5, limited, platinum, etc.

I purchase an 07 SR5 with 130k miles as a third vehicle almost three years ago. Runs and drives better than other makes with half the mileage. 145k miles now and still strong as ever.

 

Thanks Trooper. How do you like the cab on that?

 

I found this to be a helpful video for informing my tundra shopping.
https://youtu.be/l2OAHImTgA8

I’m probably in the minority here but I think the double cab has decent space in the rear seat. I’d say it’s worth checking out and testing car seat fit etc. I bet it would suit your needs for a few years at least.

 

I believe it is very adequate for kids and normal size folks not over about 6 ft. It may not be ideal for adults for extended amounts of time, say over a few hours. I could see where it may not be good for those with smaller ones with car seats, or having to get in there with them to get them strapped in. I could see how the crew max would be great for car seats.

 

In the double cab, depending on how tall you or your passenger are, you may have to have the front seats adjusted a little bit forward to accommodate some of the bigger car seats like the bulky rear facing ones. That being said, I'm 6'1" and I put a small car seat in the back of a Tacoma double cab and made a few short trips around town. It wasn't comfortable but it was doable for 10-15 minute trips. The double cab on the tundra is larger for sure. The crew max can easily hold 3 large car sets. You will want to take the crewmax on trips due to all the extra legroom. The interiors on the 07-13 had a few more options (drivers side grab handle, can be added for $160ish)(adjustable reclining rear seats on the crew max)(more overhead storage on the trucks without the moonroof). Personally I like the exterior styling of the 2014-2021 slightly better but I've seen some really nice 2nd gens that look better than some of the 2.5 gens. 2018+ comes with adaptive cruise and forward collision avoidance. 2019+ lost the transmission cooler for some reason even though its on the windows sticker. I pull a 4500LB boat+trailer and probably a little more than that in gear/fuel and have pulled it several hours in 90+ degrees of humid Midwest heat and its been fine on trans temps.

The biggest thing I'd look for is a clean frame that doesn't have more than minor surface rust, fairly complete service records on a carfax or if they have written records and receipts. Look for the cam tower seal leak through the front wheel wells to see if its weeping oil, slight wetness around the seal but no drops running down isn't really anything to worry about. look at the rear leaf spring pack to see if the leafs have gaps between the top leaf and the next one down (really a good thing to look for on any leaf spring truck for signs of over loading). The 38 gallon fuel tank is a plus for longer trips if you can find one over the 26gal but its not a deal breaker for me.

Good luck with your decision and I hope you find something that fits your needs! Great community here.

 

As someone who has been strapped in a crewmax since I was a wee lad, as well as strapping in seats for my little brother, it is totally fine. As for the bed space, I have experienced 0 problems with the room, and this is a farm truck with big stuff getting put into it all of the time. For instance, we have to fit an air compressor, oxygen tank for welding, and welder, all in the 5,5 bed, and it is totally fine.