Should I trade in my 24 Platinum Tundra for a TRD Tundra?

was thinking the same thing. people are ragging on about the Hybrid and how they need crawl control and a locker and posts pictures of a creek passage a Honda CRV could make it thru

 

No I don't. I'm not a big "stop and take pictures to later verify what you're saying" kind of guy. I also have no social media. It interrupts the moment to me.

I've been driving hard trails in OR, WA, ID, NV, CA, AZ, UT, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other rough areas for over 25 years and I've owned vehicles with front/rear/center lockers, rear LSD, front/rear, and open diffs. There's zero denying that vehicles with open diffs will go less places than vehicles with lockers.

A tundra is no different. It's size and turn radius may prevent it from going on certain trails before its lack of a rear locker would, but assuming it's size isn't the limiting factor and traction and clearance being equal with a comparable locked example, the diffs will be the next limitation.

Can you get lots of places by airing down, a lift and good tires - of course. Can you get as many places as you could if you also had a locker - of course not.

There's a reason Toyota added MTS and crawl control to the 3rd gen.

Hell, the Prado 120s we had in Afghanistan had ARB diffs added to them in place of the factory rear e-locker because someone felt a fully locking diff made a big enough difference in those mountains.

The pre-deployment off-road driving school we were sent to harped on the use of lockers to keep you out of trouble and to get you unstuck when you got in trouble.

That all said though, if I'm wanting to go on certain trails, Like Bennet Pass, I'll take my GX. It's locked and has a fantastic turn radius. If I'm exploring out in eastern OR, I'll take the Tundra.

I haven't had my Tundra in much sand, but I've definitely used my Off-road package traction aids in snow and mud recently getting firewood up in SW Washington. I could have solved my problem with a winch, but I'd rather drive out of a situation before I start rigging recovery gear if I can. I wouldn't have had that choice without a locker.

 

I've hauled whole bull elk off the mountain in my CJ7 numerous times. If you take the back seat out, they actually have quite a bit of cargo capacity. Obviously it won't haul the loads that a pickup can, but it will go places a pickup can't.

Matt

 

The Lexus GX is insane

 

Having lockers is great as it allows you to travel further off the beaten path. A rear locker will get you further and front and rear lockers will get you much further. When you get stuck not many rescue vehicles will be able to get to you.

I had a mechanical rear locker in my Samurai and it was amazing. I was on all the time but that was okay. That thing would go anywhere. We did some crazy rock/boulder crawling up a dry river bed on one occasion. Having nearly 80 degree approach and departure angles and a tiny wheelbase and I could park this little rig in the back of the Tundra. In 16 months with the Tundra, I haven't used the locker. I tried to engage it once and it was a lot of waiting and blinking lights, and it only works in 4 Lo. I think I would get some mechanical lockers if I were to use the Tundra for mud and rocks. Or a limited slip up front and a locker in the back. Then I could use this in both 4 Lo and 4 Hi.

With the Tundra all I would see is this truck getting stuck on rocks or logs or in a river crossing. However, I do see the Tundra as the truck to pull my offroad beast to the trail head. The Tundra can stay parked where it has less risk of breaking into pieces.

I am also considering that a little offroad buggy will cost about the same or less than just the TRD 3" Lift option on the Tundra!

 

Another mall crawler trying to look off-roady posing in a creekbed!

/s

 

I knew I needed the TRD OR package especially since I was coming out of 2 Raptors previously. They did not offer the TRD OR package on Platinum probably since it would have ballooned the price outside what someone would option the truck with. The MTS is worth it to me, but you will hold more value getting the TRD PRO since it comes standard with all of that and are not individually optioned like the Limited. Most dealers will price a limited optioned TRD OR unit the same as a limited without it so you will need to sell it on your own when the time comes since you probably won't get a dealer to give you value for it.

I do like to go through mud, snow and gravel roads but honestly I main use the 4wH and leave MTS alone although I do forget it is there at times. It is cool to have those programs and switch between them for whatever your conditions are.

 

I have a 2018 Tundra Limited 4X4 CC. For my crawl, I use 4WD Low and manual shift, putting in first gear and leaving it there. It provides what I need. In my 1987 Toyota 4X4 Deluxe Pickup with a manual 5 speed, I put it in 4WD Low and 1st gear. Both choices have worked well for and provided the braking and crawl that I needed. I do understand you want the choices the new TRD trucks provide. I would like to play with them to. LOL.

 

Spends over $70k on a truck and wants to do more advanced off roading? Based upon how clean the picture is, are you really going to spend even more money on a TRD to beat it up? A used stock Wrangler or even an older 4x4 Tacoma would be better ways to spend your money and do much more difficult off roading.

 

This reminds of the number of Wrangler and Gladiator Rubicons running around the Tampa, Fl area. After complimenting them on it, I ask what they think of the automatic sway bar disconnects? It is rare that an owner knows what I am talking about. Just the sticker is all they wanted since you don't rock climb off road anywhere near here.

They just get back in, move the ducks around so they can see out of the windshield and head for starbucks.

 

TRD Pro is a Limited hybrid with camo interior, fox suspension, trd or pkg, and camo exterior bits with 18” wheels. The platinum and 1794 are actually higher models the Toyota site just shows them in order of base price the only reason a TRD Pro shows up under capstone is its hybrid only (+$4000) the platinum and 1794 can be either hybrid or not but have more options than a Pro. My 2024 platinum with trd 3” factory lift kit has more ground clearance than a stock Pro, and with $900 has all the camo and led light bits exterior wise a pro has (to match my FJ grill) but unlike a pro I have power steering stalk and heated/ cooled rear seats. Only thing pro has my platinum doesn’t is camo interior but I got leather interior and blue accents I preferred. And HUD which isn’t possible on a pro. I also couldn’t tell any difference in ride from the fox suspension and my trd 3” lift suspension. Oh and the platinum has a better turning radius by about 2’ lol. Don’t get me wrong I like the Pro to but camo interior wasn’t worth the extra cost and lack of a HUD to me.

for serious off roading I use my 2022 X3 side by side, much easier on trails and tight spaces, tundra tows the rig and gets me to the ski slopes in the winter and some hunting land and dirt roads but not planning to beat up my $75K truck till my FJ dies or the SxS does lol. She can be a mall queen for now, towing the others to the death trails‍

as others said wait for aftermarket lockers or the 2025/2026 refresh lol. I’m building my own Trailhunter since doesn’t seem like it’s going to release from Toyota. If I didn’t need back seat room and towing capacity would go for a taco Trailhunter