Would you trust the new iMax hybrid engine on a remote island without services?

I need to ship another vehicle to an island near the end of the Aleutian chain. Barging a vehicle there costs around $20,000 (one way). There are no services, mechanics, dealerships, or anything of the sort on the island. You are on your own when you get there.

Local dealer has a 2023 Tundra TRD Pro with the imax hybrid engine. I would like this truck to last me 20 years out there and have concerns with having a hybrid engine and the internal battery.

My other option is a 2023 F-150 with the V8, however the Tundra feels like a much higher quality truck and is less expensive.

My gut is telling me to stay away from the hybrid. What do you guys think?

 

Damn. That’s a good question.

 

Wow you live far away! Id stick with the V8 F150 and throw a bunch of maintenance/part items in the bed. That’s crazy dude. What about gasoline? Tires? Do you have to ship the vehicle back to the mainland?

 

Maybe this

 

No to the NEW Tundra or Ford..... Get a Gen 2.5 and drive/own without worries.

 

^

 

Low mileage 2.5 and you're all set.

 

I was going to suggest an FJ40.

 

Which years is the gen 2.5? I'm more of a Ford guy than a Toyota guy

 

2014-2021

 

I'm biased, but 2018 was the best year.

 

Sounds like Adak. I would opt for something that you can diagnose and fix with a simple code reader and parts from Anchorage. That pretty much says buy a used something, inspect and repair as necessary, put on new tires and drop it off at Sampson. Too many things on a new Tundra that you could bite you for want of a tool, tech data, or parts.

 

Are you hauling anything? How big is the island? You gonna drive 20k miles a year?

 

I think the main thing to consider here is more technology and electronics means more failure points. I’d find the most rudimentary, mechanically simple, tried and true truck you can. Turns out the newest truck you will find that was built in that way is a 2.5 gen tundra IMO. Pre 2018 is pre Toyota safety sense and therefore removes some additional electronics and tech from the equation. Aahhhem, 2017.

 

^

2017 tundra
2016 Tacoma

not issues for me and pretty basic. No tss, no parking sensors, no bsm…. No jbl.. zing

 

I like the TSS stuff. I like the BSM. And I've had the dash light up to stop, and maybe once or twice it was right.

After the 2018, it would be a 2017 and down.

 

An old LC!

 

New trucks are smartphones on wheels now, planned obsolescence included. I don’t see a 2023 anything lasting you 20 years on a remote island.

A 2021 Tundra on the other hand is the same underneath as a 2007. That drivetrain has gone over a million miles with no issues in multiple specimens at this point. It is the definition of tried and true. Due to the extremely long generation run and the fact that it has the same engine as the global 200 series Land Cruiser platform, OEM parts and fluids are plentiful when needed. Maintain it, and it will last forever.

If I were taking my truck to a remote island, I would fill the bed with engine oil, OEM filters, brake pads, off-road tire repair kit, two spares, a NOCO battery tender and GB70 jump pack, a decent off road jack, jerry cans, and all the tools I could handle.

Is there gasoline on this remote island, or will you be shipping it in yourself in bulk? How about roads?

I think I speak for us all when I say, “Pics, please!”

1000%

 

I might be concerned about the local fauna's interest in that scrumptious soy based wire insulation that's being used in "modern" Toyotas.

 

Take 3 fully restored 2016's-2018's and lots of wear items, fluids, tools, service manual, etc. I'd call it about $240k for everything with transportation. But you would be sitting pretty good for a great number of years and you would have lots of tools and equipment to work on other things as well. It's great to have a couple of whole parts trucks for when you need a door, a driveshaft, a differential, a tailgate, a steering clock spring, etc. Just a whole bunch that can go wrong far away from civilization. Good luck with your challenge!

 

It's so hit and miss with the 2022-'23 models I wouldn't even consider it! The odds of not having anything wrong seem slim. Personally, mine has seen 55 days in the shop in a year of ownership (it hasn't been to the shop since August, so really 55 days in 7 months). I'm new to the brand, but from what I read, maybe you should get a less visually appealing and tech loaded older model Tundra if reliability is key.

 

Trust it to be an artificial fishing reef? Why sure!

 

He's spending 20k to barge it. Newer LC is spendy but would go forever. I'd take an old Taco too.

I wish I had this problem.

 

Last generation Tundra. This one still ironing out the bugs. It gets super cold up there, I’d avoid the hybrid

 

The F150 checked a lot of boxes for me, but I could not bring myself to getting one due poor quality and design. My buddy had a brand new 2018 F150 with the 5.0 V8. It burned oil so bad that the dipstick went dry halfway between oil changes. Ford's solution? It was 'within spec' and put a longer dipstick in it. He got rid of it when it started ticking at 20k miles. Look it up, it's an issue for a lot of people that Ford ignores

 

Because of the bathtub reliable curve I would advise against buying any all new design under your circumstances. I am facing a similar problem with our plans to move to the Island of Moloka'i. If I were to buy a new car from a dealer on Oahu and have it barged to Moloka'I and get a check engine light on my drive away from the dock, back it goes at my expense.
Because of this I would recommend looking for a late gen 2.5 with service records.
My 21 has almost 18K miles with no problems. I consider it past the infant mortality stage and near the bottom of the bathtub curve. I a couple hundred thousand miles it starts climbing up the other side of the curve as parts wear out.

 

40.5k miles on my '21. Never been back to the dealer. I don't even remember their names or faces. Their emails go to my spam folder. I stick to the accelerated maintenance schedule in the manual. I've had it aligned once.

 

This is exactly what the OP needs to find.

 

Not many Tundras for sale in Alaska right now. There is a 2021 SR5 with 21k miles at a dealer for 49,995. I test drove it yesterday and its in OK shape but definitely not mint.

Found a 2017 Limited on Marketplace in Washington with 54k miles for 38k but would cost another 2500-3k to get it to Alaska