New Storm-Trooper Unit

New member and new truck. Thanks for all the knowledge sharing in this forum. Nice Truck! I got the storm trooper styling package...



Truck: 2024 Tundra SR5, pretty basic: 32-gallon tank, BSM, bed liner, floor mats.

The Deal: $2000 below MSRP (plus mud-flaps added). Local dealer, on the lot, easy to work with. All good.

Usage: road-trips, towing (travel trailer, raft-trailer), winter driving, dirt-roads, limited off-road, utility/hauling, winter commuter (prefer to ride a bike otherwise).

Add-Ons: RCI Engine Skid Plate, RB-20 Slim running boards (bed liner finish), rear seat cover: Northwest Neo-Ultra (for the dog and all the dirty junk I will put back there).

Some opinions/observations on the truck...

Overall:

• Plenty of power and a smooth drivetrain.
• Nice quiet ride in the cabin.
• Noticeable some throttle lag from a stop.
• Suspension is somewhat bouncy through dips in the road, but overall handling is fine for a large vehicle. Handles nice on rough/dirt roads.
• Interior: seats are good and I like the utilitarian layout of everything.
• Fuel economy (so far): 15+ around town, 19 to 20 highway (mostly 70mph, some 70-75mph), and 13.5 towing at 21ft TT. Works for me.
• One key FOB: Not liking this at all. I wasn't clear on it when the deal happened. Toyota should be very proactive about communication and FOB ETA. Sounds like that's not happening. Living with a moderate case of key-paranoia right now.
• Headlights are really good (bright, and well-defined beam cut-off). I wish the fog lights were brighter and amber/yellow-colored (future upgrade perhaps).
• Auto high-beams for 2-lane highway mountain driving at night. Radar-cruise is also useful.
• Front Tow Hook: What front tow hook? This is a truck and marketed for off-road use, isn't it?. Missed that one, Toyota. I have an AFE hook not yet installed.
• 32-gallon tank: Where I live distances are long and destinations are sometimes remote. I see there is some debate about usable capacity, but my range is impressive so far.
• 4x4/Off-Road: I go to the mountains and other remote places for various activities, but not really aiming for off-road use. I think the clearance will be enough, but I am glad I added a skid plate. I worry about the brackets for the RB-20 running boards. I wish it had a 4wd auto-mode because not all the drivers in my family will actively manage drive mode in mixed conditions. Not liking the OEM tires. We will see how this goes through the winter. I am also worried about ripping the active air-dam off in snow or on a rock.

Towing - Truck will be used frequently for towing a 21ft fiberglass travel trailer (5000 gvwr, 3600 dry; Reese dual-cam WDH).

• Integrated brake controller and tow/haul mode. Check.
• Backup camera is clear and the automatic parking brake makes hookup easy. Nice.
• Headlight level adjustment. Nice feature for towing.
• Power/Transmission: the truck just cruises (1800 to 2200 rpm) and never seems to be hunting for a better gear, even on steep mountain grades. Plenty of power on tap for passing.
• Suspension/Steering: the whole rig is very well behaved while towing.
• Kind of tight clearance for hooking up chains. Would have been easy to design a hitch with a little more room.
• I can open the tailgate with the trailer attached. This worked out nice.
• 13.5mpg towing in the mountains. Yep, I am happy with that.

 

Welcome and congrats on your new adventure!!! Nice truck can't wait until mine finally gets delivered.

 

@Mattedfred - Trailer is 2018 Escape 21C...

 

Welcome Wyo!! I am from Western Wyoming, living in Eastern Idaho. Got my new Tundra a little over a month ago, really liking it so far.

 

@Mattedfred that looks great! I have seen the BigFoot but never been inside one. The Escape 21 is perfect for us and will probably last forever (as, I hope, will the Tundra).

@Kowmedic we live in Laramie, WY but also own a cabin in Victor, ID. That makes us double-neighbors! Nice truck.

 

Welcome and congrats on the new Rig I think you'll be happy with it,the forum has a lot of good people with a lot of knowledge to learn from.
On a side note too have the Stormtrooper edition.

 

Welcome from NY.

 

That is awesome!!! I'm a firefighter in Teton County, stationed in Victor. So we are for sure neighbors when I work my 48 hour shifts>

 

Nice. Thanks for what you do. I hope you never get called to my cabin (just off 5000 / fox creek rd). Will look for your truck next time we are there. Winter is coming ... enjoy the snow in TV.

 

Nice! Have you considered "whiting out" the fog lamp bezel?

 

@EC1 are you suggesting that would enhance the storm trooper look? Thanks! I am pretty utilitarian, and not really going for a particular look. I will probably keep it as it is.

 

@Wyoming congrats from SoCal on your new Storm Trooper!

Curious - what battery box are you running on your TT behind the propane tanks? I want to add a storage box in the same location on my trailer and something like you have there might fit the bill.

 

Nice truck and great review Wyoming

You guys have 2 of the trailers on our list of future prospects. Anything specific you like/ dislike about them? Have read plenty, but most of it is marketing.

 

@digitalwiz go big: I am thinking Yoda. Nice truck. I have the same running boards.

@ArcticEd we got clued into Escape through a friend who has an E19. Fiberglass is durable and lightweight, and leaks are unlikely. The layout in our E21C is perfect for us, it's reasonably compact, and it tows great. Cabinetry and overall construction is really nice. Solar setup makes us totally self-sufficient. I guess those are the things that stand out to me. Escape also makes a compact 5th-wheel which look very cool. They are a small-volume manufacturer so you would have hunt if you are looking to buy used. They are not cheap but they hold their value (hopefully like the Tundra). We happened to find ours locally at a good deal. @Mattedfred has a Bigfoot, which no doubt is also sweet but I have not been inside one. There are also various fiberglass TT manufactures in the US (Scamp, Casita, Oliver, ..?). I am sure there is a wide range of types, quality, and cost there. Similar to this forum, there is an active online community of Escape-freaks (and classifieds): https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/ Perhaps make contact with somebody local who will let you check one out.

@MrKABC the box on front of the TT is just an ATV toolbox. Batteries are inside the trailer. The toolbox holds various tools, levellers, and other trailer stuff. It is mounted so I can store the trunnion bars for WDH underneath. Mounted next to it is a galvanized crate used for various blocks/chocks. Has worked out nice to have all the necessary trailer-stuff mounted right in front. Everything is accessible and I don't need to remember to grab anything else.

Picture...

 

That's exactly what I'm saying! Still a good looking truck!

 

Welcome from Tennessee. Nice truck!

 

Good looking truck! Congrats!

 

I know very little about travel trailers but am curious about purchasing one at some point in the future. How do the Escapes perform in cold weather? Always heard good things about Outdoor RVs, Artic Fox, etc but haven’t heard about Escape trailers before. This would mostly be Rocky Mountains (CO, MT, WY, and ID) during hunting season Sept - Nov.

 

That sounds about right to me: 3-seasons for the Escape. We have had it down to about 20F in spring/fall. Ours has spray foam underneath for insulation (and plumbing protection). The heater keeps it very comfortable but there is some condensation inside by morning. Batteries need to stay charged to keep the propane-heater going.