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Which Overland tow vehicle, first gen Tundra or Land Cruiser 100 series?

Discussion in 'Towing & Hauling' started by Retire189, Apr 12, 2019.

  1. Apr 12, 2019 at 8:24 PM
    #1
    Retire189

    Retire189 [OP] New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2019
    Member:
    #29009
    Messages:
    3
    Hi everyone! Newbee here but I'm a big Toyota fan. I'm here looking for help on deciding which tow vehicle will best suit my needs. My choices that I'm looking at are either a first gen Tundra or LC100 series. I'm thinking on this size of vehicle to allow better access to more trails that a "Full size" may not fit into.

    Application;
    • Full time overlanding with mild mods, 2 inch (+/-) lift, 33 inch BFG KO2 tires, skid plates, bumpers, winch and other self extraction tools.
    • towing a 5500-6000 lb (loaded) holiday trailer at least 10,000 miles per year through the desert and Alpine in Western and Southern US desert in the winter, and Canada's Alpine in the summer.
    • #1 priority is safety and comfort during 4-6 hour travel days on mainly secondary highways as I'll be doing my best to stay off interstates if possible as I find secondary roads are more interesting to drive through. It'll be a long day if its a white knuckle drive if the tail is constantly trying to wag the dog. I will be using an anti sway weight distributing hitch.
    • Holiday trailer will be set up as a base camp on BLM land and the tow vehicle will be used for day excursions and occasional over night trips exploring deeper into the back country.
    • I'm retired so I don't need to tow at anything faster than the speed limit but the vehicle should be able to keep up with traffic. I'm ok if it slows down to 45 (+/-) mph going up steeper and long hills.
    Vehicle options;
    • 1st Gen Tundra 4.7L, auto, 2005-2006 - Pros; longer wheelbase than LC100 so better towing on hwy but less manoeuvrable in tight trails. Cons; smaller brakes? Are the Tundra brakes up to the task for full time towing/travelling with a mild lift, bigger tires and towing at close to max rating? Any other weaknesses I should be aware of?
    OR
    • 2006 - 2007 Land Cruiser 100 series, 4.7L, auto; Pros; I've been told they are a little more robust than the 1st gen Tundra, but I don't know how their brakes compare? Cons: Shorter wheel base so may be a little more wiggly on the highway in crosswinds but they are also about 500 lbs heavier than the Tundra.
    Both vehicles have the same Towing capacity of 6500 lbs.

    Any real world experiences and recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance - Jesse
     
  2. Apr 13, 2019 at 6:46 AM
    #2
    johnvan

    johnvan OG

    Joined:
    Feb 2, 2016
    Member:
    #2595
    Messages:
    224
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    john
    Rensselaer,New York
    Vehicle:
    2016 inferno SR5 DC
    I would pick the Land Cruiser, shorter turning circle 39.7ft compared to the Tundra's 47.5ft.The LC has disc brakes front and back.The Tundra is disc/drum. The LC is way more comfortable on those long trips.

    just my .02 cents worth, john
     
    Retire189[OP] likes this.

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