Weird question; how to make Tundra feel less ginormous?

I know, "ginormous" is not a real word, but it seems appropriate for how I feel whenever I take it in the woods.

For comparison, I traded in a lifted 2019 4Runner that I had for four years and loved in the woods and around town. But I wanted something less "buzzy" and uncomfortable on road trips, and could tow a larger camper.



So, the Tundra has been awesome. Comfort is amazing, gas mileage is close to what the 4Runner got, quality is great, and utility is great.

However, I hate taking it off-road or into town.



It just feels giant negotiating logging roads and parking lots. The wheelbase is odd to me. Pulling into a parking spot is never a "one and done". I have to pull in and back out and correct nearly every time. Still, I park crooked all the time.

I thought that after nearly a year of driving it to work every day, I would get used to the wheelbase, turn radius, and size. But I haven't. The proportions still feel "off".

Before the 4Runner, I had a Ram 1500 crew cab short bed that I wheeled a bit and had no issues with the size. But for some reason, the Tundra just feels too big.

Now, I'm 6'2" and used to own a dump truck business and was a heavy armor operator in the Army. I'm used to driving big rigs. So, my discomfort with the Tundra is driving me nuts.

I'm wondering if lifting it 6" and adding 35" tires might help the perspective. Increasing field of view vertically a few inches might make it feel more balanced in terms of length and width and change the perspective.

It also may be the canopy and the heavy tint. I can't see out the back wind due to the limo tint the original owner had put on in Texas.

I love the truck and want to keep it. But I also want to do some overlanding and exploring this summer, and the current configuration does not build confidence off-road. I know a lot of folks have used Tundras for overlanding successfully, so I just need to get mine configured correctly so it doesn't seem so ginormous.

Has anyone experienced their Tundra actually feeling more nimble and less big after lifting it? Has anyone added a canopy and had the truck feel more large and less nimble?

Or am I just weird?

 

I have a 2018 4RUNNER and a 2021 Tundra so I know exactly what you mean. That said, I do feel like lifting my Tundra about 3" made a positive difference. Maybe you can ask to drive someone else's before you make the jump. Might also want to look at seat jackers from Desert Does It., so much more comfortable in general!

 

Thank you for the response!

 

In looking up the dimensions, I was shocked to see that the Tundra is only 4" wider than the 4Runner(79.9" vs. 75.9"). That really is not much at all, yet when on a dirt road in the mountains and I meet an oncoming vehicle, it feels like I am taking up the whole road.

Again, it's just weird and must have something to do with the ride height or seating height.

 

I don’t go off-roading in my Tundra so I can’t say anything in regard to that…

However I have the Desert Does it seat jackers and I came from a 2017 4Runner.

I am short so the seat Jackers made a huge difference in my case. The definitely help me to sit higher which allows me to see better.

The Tundra “feels” larger and I guess being higher amplifies that feeling.

In the end as much as I wanted to love the 4Runner, I just couldn’t. It’s a great truck but personally it wasn’t my cup of tea. With all that said it had a very good driver’s perspective. Won’t complain about that.

I have many family members and friends that have 1/2 ton pickups and I will said they all kinda “feel” the same to varying degrees. The F150 is hands down the most car like though.

 

Hey there, I remember some of your posts T4R! I liked your retro stripes.

I also have the two trucks, and the only thing that makes my tundra feel smaller is driving something larger for a while. After an RV trip, the Tundra feels downright nimble. I switch to my 4R weekly though, and that size still feels “right” to me. I don’t know when I’ll get there with the tundra. Will watch your thread, just commiserating.

 

I would remove the limo tint you mentioned, not being able to see well when reversing around parking lots with the potential for bunches of people, off road with rocks, trees, and other hazards is frustrating. I get into some fairly tight areas with my tundra, but I wouldn’t think about it if I couldn’t see well all the way around.

 

Own both vehicles. Might want to think about removing the cap and limo tint. At first the truck felt huge to me but I’ve grown to love it. Always back into parking spaces or pull through. Usually I can hit the parking spot the first time. Maybe one correction.

 

Yup. When you look at the dimensions, the tundra really isn’t much bigger than either the 4Runner or Tacoma but it definitely feels a lot bigger at first.

I had the same issues you did at first but now it’s not a problem. It did take me a bit to get the seat adjusted right though

 

The Tundra feels big and you want to lift it 6 inches more and put on bigger tires?????? Not going to make it more nimble or more light on its feet.


None if that will make the truck seem smaller.

you are just weird!

 

It's just a big tank. Taller, wider, heavier and the real maneuvering killer is the much longer wheelbase. That also makes it ride better though.

 

You'll get used to it..

 

I sold my one ton crew cab dulley and bought a tundra. It feels so small, guess it's just perspective.

 

Too ginormous. Let’s make it even more ginormousser.

 

Drive an HD for a week.

 

Like others have said. Drive a full size with an 8’ bed and the tundra will seem normal.

 

I traded a 5th gen 4Runner in on my '21 Tundra. The Tundra is bigger. But it drives smaller than every other truck in its class. 22-ft turn radius is still best in class. Yes, it's wide. Not the best for one lane trails with overgrowth. But if it has to serve a bunch of different needs (off-roader, hauler, tow pig, adventure-mobile), you won't find anything better.

The only thing that packs as much of a punch and is closer to the size/wheelbase of your 4runner is a LC200 or LX570. You lose some tow capacity and a truck bed, though.

 

I would consider taking that canopy off your hands. For your safety, of course.

 

I put 400,000 miles on Tacos before buying my first Tundra.

I hated it for YEARS. And a boatload of miles. Wasn't the truck's fault, it was just too big. Too hard to get things out of the bed. Impossible to reach things on the passenger floorboard. Too big a turning radius. Pain in the ass to wash/wax the roof. And I kept running into things with it. LOL

I had to put 200,000 miles on the Tundra before it became anything more than just a tool I unfortunately had to use. Somewhere around 225K, I finally fell in love with it and now I never want to own anything else. So much so that I now own TWO 2.5 gen Tundras.
(Because 3rd gen Tundras suck, and everyone knows it.)

 

The answers is to keep the Tundra and get another 4Runner for fun times.

 

The Gen 3 Tundra's are smaller... Go to the dealer and test drive one...

 

They're not. They're longer and wider, longer hood, lots more truck in front of the front wheel, and a turn diameter that is larger by almost 5 ft. But the interior is smaller and the visibility somewhat limited compared to the 2/2.5 gens.

 

I daily a long bed and the only size difference that throws me off in the snow and off road is the weight. Length, width wise it parks pretty alright. With all of you experience with larger vehicles that is an oddity for sure. Reading the first half of your post I was just going to suggest practice parking but after reading it all I don’t know what to tell ya. It’s all about driving the rear tires mentally for me if that makes sense. Was a hair more inconvenient when I lived in a larger city but still got on. Let us know if you narrow it down. Interesting.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels the Tundra drives smaller than it is. The only thing I can think of for the OP is that mentally he's expecting it to feel and drive like other full size trucks? If so, I'd expect him to be cutting turns a tad too sharp/crowding wichever side he's turning toward. With the short hood and front wheels seeming to be further outward, it's almost like driving a forklift in reverse - the best way I can think to describe it.

 

I am not sure if the 1794 version includes one, but I just installed my swaybar and that dramatically increased the perceived driveability. I no longer feel like the cab is going to tip over while making a turn, makes it feel a lot more like a car.

 

Yes, but he mentions wanting to overland and adding a sway bar probably won't be ideal for that.

 

That depends on what he will be doing, I suppose. If he's rock crawling a sway bar can get in the way, for most other off-road the small (potential) reduction in articulation will likely not be noticeable.

 

That’s a good way to look at it. I have owned my Tundra for 3 months, coming from a 4runner for 18 years. I never pull up far enough in the tundra and cut turns too short. I cannot back the truck into my driveway straight either…just can’t get used to where the pivot point is in relation to the tailgate. Granted, I only drive the truck once a week, so I don’t have much time behind the wheel. It’s getting better each time, but overall I was surprised how much different it was going from a 4runner to Tundra. I’ve never owned a full size truck before.

 

Yea, I wish there was someone who would make an aftermarket sway bar with an electronic disconnect. Practically speaking the sway bar is the most cost effective means of making the truck feel "planted".

 

Just buy a first gen.