Wife and I Traveling the Country - Need Larger Vehicle

I think you are selling yourself short excluding a Sequoia. I know my 2nd gen could hold all you need and then some.

 

As a rough barometer for pricing since I just bought my truck a few weeks ago, we scoured the Pacific and Pacific Northwest trying to buy. Enormously frustrating. No one would negotiate and most cars would be sold within hours or a few days of hitting the lot. There were zero — and I do mean zero — brand new Tundras, Tacomas, 4Runners, or Sequoias available at every dealer we went to with the sole exception of a couple bare bones trims. 4 month wait was the shortest for a mid to high end trim if anything; 7 months was the average. We ended up narrowing it down to a 2020 4Runner Limited (12k miles) from CarMax for $55k, a 2018 Tundra 1794 Edition (27k miles, TRD package, certified) for $54k from a Toyota dealer, or a 2016 Tundra Limited (48k miles, TRD package, NOT certified) for $43.5k. Negotiation was brutal and we barely got the dealer down at all. Closed on the 1794 for $52.9k; 2/3 off the extended warranty; a free spray-on LineX liner; and a 1% reduction on the interest rates they offered.

it’s a sellers market. I really wanted new but it was clear that was not going to happen this year.

 

So was the Silverado actually a 2022? Or was it a 2022 LTD, which is just a carry over from 2021?

I ask because the true 2022 Ssiverados are supposed to have a completely updated interior with a larger screen much like the new Tahoe/Suburban.

 

But not really. The ACTUAL 2022's are not out yet. What is available is a the 2022 LTD which is just a carryover from 2021. Kinda like how Ram sold the 2018 1500 as the 2019 Classic.

 

I would think stuffing 2 bikes in the back of a FS suv might be tough and it will be a pain in the ass if the bikes are muddy and dirty(especially being in the PNW.) I am not sure they would be able to stand upright.

That said, getting a modern 29'r mountain bike in the back of a truck with a camper shell could be tough if you go with anything less than a 6.5' bed. My old intense and my current Evil bikes are both pretty long and wouldn't fit in a 5.5' bed with a closed tailgate without removing the wheel. My truck is a 6.5' bed with a camper shell and can fit two nicely. And its great because it keeps them clean when we are running on dirt roads when we go camping.

 

ya, I was thinking the same thing, but toyota shit the bed with the roll-out of the 2022 so far.

unfortunately, I also concur if you have to buy a truck right at this time, the ford will likely be a better bet.

maybe later this year would be different, but that remains to be seen

 

Easy answer.

Get a new/used low mile 2021 or older Tundra Plat/1794 and rejoice.

Other choices are dumpster fires

 

ya, but good luck finding that

 

If I was going to do that I would get a loaded Suburban.
I’m speaking from experience here. I drove one across the whole country.
It was amazing.

 

The OP has already ruled out the 2022 legacy Silverado for a small screen and a 2021 Tundra will be just as bad if not worse.

 

Agreed, but screen size is a poor hill to die on based on other needs.

Looking at you OP

 

Transit Van.

 

Yall didnt see my post about the F150. Tried 2 dealers and you cant get one. At least not soon.

Maybe it was because I wanted an XL. Maybe something has changed. But they gave me the run around and said no dice.

Have ordered fords before. Have owned 5 of the aluminum ones in almost every trim besides king ranch and XLT and most every motor as well. Will get a 23 King Ranch super duty if my Cyber truck never makes it…

 

Only because Ford sells 800,000 F-150s per year compared to Toyota's 100,000 Tundras.
I'm buying a '22 Tundra unlike the babies in this thread

I would say consider and test drive a van as well. The most dry storage you can get, they are comfortable and usually ride better than any pickup. Last year, despite being a truck guy, I bought my first full size van (2002 Ford E-350 7.3 diesel) for my business and I like it very much. Vans are not as adaptable as a pickup truck, but vans are more practical for hauling your stuff securely and keeping it dry.

 

Sorry please click to expand what I wrote…

 

Like this pimp machine. Maybe a used one to save some money.

https://www.classicvans.com/new-con...t-explorer-9-passenger-awd-call-to-order.html

 

I feel attacked.

 

100%. I’d buy a low mileage ‘21 and drive it a few years (or longer, really) until the 3rd gen kinks are worked out. The long-running 2nd gen Tundra is still far and away the most reliable platform on the road for the OP’s needs.

 

Honest question here, If you're only going to drive it for a few years why not just lease something? Most pickups will give you a few years without serious issues, so the stellar reliability of the Previous Tundra may not be the biggest factor. I know that the resale would be high, but if it's only a couple years most pickups will hold value well enough for most buyers to be happy.

 

Um, everyone knows that anyone who buys a Ford, GM or Ram will be riding their bike to work within weeks of purchase.

 

Lease may have mileage limits

 

LOL…..

If we check out the average in service times and mileage of Tundra turbocharger failures that’s also the potential case with a 2022 Tundra. Of our sample size of 5 thus far, which according to Toyota is like 100% of known cases (yeah right…), the new 2022 will run on average for 301 miles before it breaks and has to go in the shop for 3-4 weeks minimum.

 

Yes, but you can also get higher limits, or no limits as well. Just costs a bit more, but if your plan is to trade off in a couple years and you can lease for less than a purchase, then it could work. Only if you are planning to change out though. Personally, I'd only lease a second vehicle, not a primary.

 

The more I think on it, if me, in this situation, gas 7.3 F250 with a commercial topper. Safety, space, and comfort just matter to me when traveling so much.

 

You're right. I'd just get a '21 and drive it forever. I mean, that's what I did, and that is my plan. The 3rd gen has kinks that aren't yet worked out.

Some of us look well beyond the first few weeks of purchase.

Honestly though, they just have more issues. This is objective fact. If it's not a big deal to you, great. I'd rather pay more at the pump on my own time rather than wait around dealing with the kinds of issues (minor to major) that my family and friends who drive Fords et al deal with on a regular basis. According to the largest long term study out there, 18% of F-series pickups have drivetrain issues within the original buyer's ownership. That's like 1 in 5. No thanks. Especially if I needed to rely on it for frequent long trips.

 

Alright all thanks again for all the good thoughts. Several things I didn't think of. I'm going to tackle the comments that I'd like to respond to. Here's page 1:

The Ford EcoBoost was the first one we looked at. We really liked it but it seemed like the Tundra was much less, for approximately the same features. We found a Toyota dealer in North Carolina (Leath) that does not charge over MSRP. Then we found out their dealer network also includes Ford. So now I may have to re-look at the Ford. I'd love to get my hands on a PowerBoost hybrid.

Tundra with a camper shell was where we were at (before this thread). I'm still looking into it, any ideas on covers?

We like the lariat (think it was a 401c?) but v8 is too much.

Looking at the Sequoia right now, per this thread.

Colorado! Though it may change.

We saw the 22 and it looked like an SR5 on the inside... maybe I just didn't see a high enough trim.

My friend has one, and we test drove a Santa Cruz. But they both seemed too small for the bikes, which means we would need a bike rack, in which case I would probably rank an SUV higher.

Yep, this was my experience.

This is a very good point that is surprising to me. I thought Toyota's were easy to repair? (But I've only ever had a Corolla, so I guess it depends on the car.) Anyways, thanks for the tip.

We thought about this. But the feature difference between the 21 and the 22 seems so big - so many new features on the 22. Also we liked the improved gas mileage on the twin turbo V6.

The 22 can have a crew cab with 6.5 bed, that's what were looking at. 1794 ed.

My thoughts exactly on the truck and the flat floor, another +1 for the Ford. I'm going to look at the Sequoia too but do you really think it can fit 2 mountain bikes? I don't think so.

Helps a lot. That is also the life we want to live! I'll check out the Decked system, thank for the tip.

She doesn't like the sprinter van because she'll still have to drive it to work - even though its not that much bigger than the Tundra. It still feels like you're the Amazon Delivery guy.

I was told it was 90 days by the dealer... probably a bold faced lie...

I used to work in Toyota Engineering - this sucks to hear! I worked on the Avalon tho, the fuel door. I fixed those things from squeaking!

 

Have you sat in your Tundra drivers seat all day for 4 days straight? Only ask because I have done so in mine, and it was pretty brutal. In fact, just one 14 hour day is pretty brutal. Desert Does It seat jackers help a whole bunch, but there is still room for improvement. I just think it is fair to share real world experience with OP.

 

And if you go down the list of naysayers looking at the vehicles they own, there’s not a 2022 Tundra owner among them. If you like the 2022 Tundra and it fits your needs, then by all means get your name on a dealers allocation list and buy one. You’ll be happy.

 

Page II:

Hmm, what type of features does it have? Does it have the lane keep assist? That's really the big one for us... driving long distances with that really does make a difference.

Will take a look@!

This is insane. I wonder if its any better on the west coast. We did see one Lariat 401c (? whatever the tech package is) and a 1794 Tundra in Northern VA. We could have bought both, but wanted to do more research. And they were asking 15k above MSRP on the 1794... so not like we would have actually bought it. BTW, it sold the next day. ridiculous

Same exact thinking. So this reinforces my original thought: 6.5' bed with a camper shell. What do you drive? This is exactly what I want to do.

Aren't those quite expensive though? I'll double check the price.

Valid point. Its not a hill I'm going to die on... but have you seen the '22s new screen? It was awesome. Not an absolute necessity tho. The lane keep assist is - so nice.

Thing starts at 88k. Way above our budget, but its nice!

I'm still torn on this. We'd be putting way over 15k on it, I thought about the cost ($0.15/mile). Thats $1500/10k miles, its not bad. But I feel like people still get screwed over on leases. I'll likely sell the truck after the travel nursing gigs end... no need for a giant truck in a city. Unless we stay out west.

Gas costs :0

This has always been my take on Ford. Maybe I'm wrong tho? Seems like a lot of people on this thread are pushing against the 22 Tundra. I'm not a die-hard fan... always thought Toyota was the leader in reliability tho. Especially having worked there. But that was almost 10 years ago.