New member from Northern California

I don't currently own a Tundra, but own a 2WD Tacoma. I am trying to decide on the best year Tundra to get, I need the 5.7L V8 to tow a 10,000 GVWR trailer, and I need a 4WD to get up my driveway in Lake County.

I sold my home in San Jose, and looking for a Tundra that I can tow with, and over the long haul may use it to drive up to North Idaho a couple times a year.

My escrow closes on July 21st, so have almost 4 more weeks, and I have a 14 day rent back after that. My plan is in the worst case to rent a trailer for $400/week for a deckover, and haul 10,000 lbs. at a time with a Tundra.

OMG do these pickups sell for high values, most are priced way over Kelly Blue Book? Especially low mile examples, they seem to fetch a premium, and I mean, PREMIUM. I see them up to $6k-$7k over KBB, but I see some good examples, in with 128k these trucks are often bullet proof. Not great gas mileage, but 2x what my '97 F-SuperDuty 1-1/2 ton dually gets. It costs me $400 round trip from West San Jose to my property at Clear Lake, and it would be $200 in a Tundra. I need to figure out if that would be better to use a rigger. I was hoping to reduce a truckload of machines, but everything needs to be hauled into my new shop, which is 30x40.

This raises another question...I don't see Gen 3 shop manuals from Toyota. Why is that? The Gen 2 sets have 7 manuals and sell for about $500/set, but I don't see the Gen 3 sets, what's up with that? I find the Toyota manual to have a lot of "Engrish" in them, but in general pretty decent and complete. But if I can't get them, I have to rely on Haynes, Clinton, or Bentley...I like to use all OEM parts, and OEM shop manuals when I can.

I have a lot of cars, trucks, forklifts, deck crane, sawmill, log shell, etc...to move to my property, my wife is going back to Japan after 40 years, and I need to move everything to the lake. That includes the F-SuperDuty, an '88 Ford F-250 4WD, a '46 Chevy 3100, and a 2WD Tacoma, '84 911, 2005 Honda CR-V, et al, but think I can sell the CR-V quick once I find a reliable Tundra. It is 2WD, so can't get up my driveway at current either. Once I cement it up to the shop, all of my trucks will get up most likely, and most of them, aside from the Porsche can do that from a running start, but not from a stand still. Currently it's all gravel and mud.

Ok, that's one heck of a 1st post, good thing I didn't include pics. I have a blog post over on Substack that you can see it at.

 

Welcome, I ride up to Lucerne and fish Clearlake every now and then.
I have a 2020, the 2019/20/21 do not come with a transmission cooler. 2018 was the last year for the gen 2.5 5.7’s. I added one to my truck

 

I don't get over to that side of the lake too often, but do get up to Lakeport a lot. I take 101 up to Hopland and 175 over to Lakeport. That's about 12 miles from my property in Buckingham Park. I have only fished once with my son about 25 years ago, just after we bought the property. Unfortunately they were spawning and the bass weren't biting...the guide was able to use some garlic spray to get them to bite. They were only about 2 lbers, small for Clear Lake. And my property is in Horseshoe Bay, one of the worst places for algae in the lake...but it looks blue from my shop view!

What did they change in the 2.5 ? Is the 2014-2017 the Gen 2.5? I was calling that Gen 3. I have a Gen 1 Tacoma, but it's starting to crackup and fall apart inside. This Tundra will be my daily driver, if goes as planned, and I'll just suffer with the mileage to have the comfort. Is the 2.5 when they upgraded the tensioners?

 

Gen 3 is the 2022/23/24/25 Twin turbo V6. I believe Gen 2 starts at 2014 -2018, Gen 2.5 is 2019/2020/21 as far as I can tell but I’m new here also. Somebody will chime in pretty quickly if I’m wrong.

 

I was wrong gen 2.5 is 2014-2021
Gen 2 is 2007-2013

 

I have read the best stuff about the Gen 2, and they have the most info available. I can't afford, or I should say, I won't spend the price of a Gen 3, that's kind of out. I am currently planning to spend about $15k-$20k, and have never spent that much for a truck in my life.

What I need is:

Navigation/CarPlay/audio
Towing a 10,000 GVWR trailer
4WD
Enough power to make it up the driveway (I know this is subjective)

My other trucks can get up from a running start, but will not pull a trailer up, or get up from a standing start. The 5.7L has so much more power than my Ford 7.5L 460cu V8, it's not even funny. My OBS Ford is a dog in comparison. I have never driven the smaller Toyota V8 (4.6L w/timing chain), it might do better than my Ford, to be honest. But the Tundra is the most power and solid spec to meet my requirements. I do need the 4WD, until I can cement the driveway all the way up, and that's not gonna happen too quick. EDIT: My contractor can get his trailer up with a Ram diesel, but I can't with my flatbed dually.

 

This is what I currently tow with. It weighs 7550 lbs and has a 15,500 GVWR with a 1-1/2 ton rear axle. Slow off the line and up hills, but can pull 10,000 lb. trailer no problem. It won't pull it up the driveway. Let me see if I have a pic of the driveway...





In this pic, I need to get up the gravel on the left side. It is steeper than it looks.

 

I was looking at one 2015, but all the others were 2007-2010 of the ones under $20k.

What do others think the best value is for $20k that I can get a 5.7L V8 4WD Tundra?

EDIT: and what's up with no shop manuals for the 2.5 Gen?

 

I like the area up there a lot, lately though I’ve been looking for property around Branson Missouri, Mountain Home, Arkansas and even near Dover, TN.
I’ll be on tomorrow, going to hit the rack.
Doug

 

The reason I'm looking in North Idaho. My plan is to buy property and find somewhere with timber I could harvest, and property I could hunt on. A single moose would provide a massive amount of meat. They also have a municipal pool in Bonners Ferry, so does seem pretty good, not too far from Spokane, so I could get to a Kaiser...here's the kicker though...no permits, no inspections, build what you want when you want, just tell them how much living space. And the assessed taxes are initially based on .4 % of the purchase price. What I want to do is invest $300k in land/shop or land/cabin, and keep that as an investment, and live in CA as long as it makes sense, but claim residency in Idaho, by staying out of CA for more than 6 months. My CPA said more and more people like me and taking their losses here and looking at the long term. I have just over 2 acres at Clear Lake, with 90' of waterfront. There's about 310' at the street, so it's a big pie shaped lot with the small end at the lake. It is also 50% slope for about 450-500 ft to the lake. Great views though. Bonners Ferry also has great views to Canada and of the Kootenai River.

A Tundra would be good to go back and forth, if I buy property up there, and I do plan to do that, I have a friend I've known for about 50 years and he sells property in Coer D'Alene, which is about 30 miles from Spokane. About 50-100 to Bonners Ferry, and it's cold up there during the winter, another need for the 4WD. Ideally, building with timber that is cut from trees on the property, and having flat area to do that would be great. I currently have an 8' wide pad for my sawmill, but the terrain is not good to move logs around, even 12 footers.

Back to the Tundra, what is about the best Gen and/or year for $20k ? People are asking up to $7k above high Kelly Blue Book.

Where is the best place to look?

 

Can anyone tell me what option is for the tow/haul lever? Is that the Work Truck option? I see it on this 2011. Has crap wheels, but looks like a decent truck. I would prefer to have the 5 seater over the 6 seater, but could live with it. I see another newer 2015 with those horrid looking steel wheels also...but Auto Trader does have some better deals than craigslist.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/749995646

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)!

 

Welcome from NY.

 

Ok, I have a concrete question on 2 vehicles, one I look at tomorrow. That one is a 2007 Double Cab, with fabric interior. Has 80k miles. Seller is asking $18k. Seller claims this is in like new condition.



This looks like a tear in the seat to me. So, while this is a center console shift, if that's a tear, and if the soil exists on the driver's seat and vinyl center console, this is a $15k Tundra, IMO.

What do you guys think? The 2015 has 120,000 miles, but seller will work with me and take a deposit. Not far off from high KBB. 2007 has 80,000 miles, and I don't know if the seller will even take the $15k I feel it's worth, but I feel I'm in a better position to decide. Just looking for your feedback on the Gen 2 vs the Gen 2.5?

I have a 2nd one I am stalling until next Tuesday, but will know on Thursday that my escrow can't be canceled, so the buyers will be locked in.

The 2nd Tundra is a 2015, so it's the newer 2.5 Gen. It happens to be a 6 seater, with the shifter on the column. This seller has it listed for $23k, but will take $21,700 and take a deposit and hold it until my escrow closes. Also, it has seat covers and floor mats, similar electronic 4WD on dash, just that the shifter is on the column. How do you guys feel about owning one with a column shifter and 6 seater? This seller does claim the seats are perfect and has the covers they bought to prove it, but I haven't seen the truck.

The first one to me is a $15k truck, but all of these are overpriced, if ga(ou)ging on Kelly's Blue Book. Both sellers claim no oil leaks anywhere, top or bottom, of engine or trans. However, if nothing else the 2015 seller gave me more confidence to be firm on my $15k value, and walk away.

EDIT: sorry, I DID inserted thumbnails...

 

Still having cold feet, but feel like I want the 2015 with the TRD-Off Road package. and newer sound system. I don't think it has CarPlay, I'm not sure, but I know they have retrofits for the Gen2, but if not for the Gen 2.5, I could use my phone. I believe just having my phone on the stereo would solve my navigation problem without CarPlay, and presumably Toytota sells the updates for the maps if that is the case. I just think that truck is nicer, it has covers on front and rear, tri-folding-tonneau, xm-stereo if I wanted, etc...it doesn't have heated seats or nicities, but it has good covers and floor mats that would be handy for tools or dog. There was slight water stain on the fabric, but the seller cleaned them and they look good to me, and have covers. This seller took better care of the truck, AFAICT.

And I will update tomorrow after I see the 2007 with 80,000 miles. In comparison, I see it as a $15k truck. If the seller can show me Toyota service being done every 5,000 miles on the oil, that will be a proving point. Otherwise it couldn't be serviced regularly, according to Toyota.

Are my prices off base with $15k vs $21k ? I feel confident enough that I would walk away tomorrow unless the seller proves to me he has the best solid truck, but currently I think it's $15k. These Toyotas do hold their value, and in that sense probably the $18k 2007 may be warranted. I normally like to find Toyotas with 80k on them, with the best receipts for service I can find. I'm 3 for 3 of XLNT cars with this philosophy. Plus, 1:1 from friends. 2:2 Dealer. That's 6 cash transactions with no loan. That's how I raised my kids, 2 of them were for my daughter, 1 for my son. Will update tomorrow...

 

Gen 2.5 will only have CarPlay from 2020 on. Those look like nice trucks to me. I lived in Kelseyville at the foot of mount konocti for 3 years and worked at some of the local hospitals.

 

Did you live over by the black forest? I'm located at the top of Buckingham, next to the water tanks. It's about 1/4 mile from Soda Bay Road on Westlake Drive. That's where my truck will live. Lake County is an interesting area, and most of the people are very pro outdoors, or they end up leaving. Seems like a lot of wives hate it as there's no shopping malls and places to shop...and within Buckingham there are a lot of people that I would like to be away from...

I won't get a 2020, they're too costly, up around $40k+. But the 2015 has a much nicer interior, so that part is a plus. I will be maintaining either one, so even though the 2015 has some dealer policy still active, I wouldn't even take it to them unless I have a flat tire. The Dealer is up in Elk Grove, near Sacramento, also. I will buy tires, change brake pads/rotors, tune-up, et al, but I will take it to someone if I feel I'm in over my head. Considering I would rebuild an engine, I just don't want to do that, and don't think any clean car will require that. There are only a couple oil leaks that signify danger, but a failure could happen on any engine, so not sure how we gage that?

EDIT: One thing I can say for sure...I won't be happy until I get a nice Tundra. I will live and breathe Tundras until I have one I can call my own.

 

I was down on the water off of soda bay road.

 

That could be good and bad...on the Horseshoe Bay side like I am, it's pretty green down there, but the other side which has a big stretch of sandy beaches and goes up to the resort, is entirely different. The closer to the algae one gets, the more it smells, IMO. I can't smell it, but I know a lady that says she can...

I checked out what it would take to run power, a 5HP pump, and a 2" pipe for about 450 feet, and it went from a quote of $10k to a bid of $80k 2 years later. Same guy. That would include a basic filtration system, but he recommended an upgrade...at that point the $9k to the water district didn't look too bad, and I may get that back yet, as I go to court with BPWD on Monday, after the 4th weekend. I cut a new encroachment that doesn't cross their property...so I'm curious if a judge will grant either of us the damages we've claimed. I included the cost of the new encroachment...it's a real mess.

The area is so peaceful, in the afternoon the breeze blows up the bluff and through my shop, I may not need AC. I'm not a big AC guy. I need to find a place to rent, though, until I can get an occupancy permit.

Do you know, is there a Toyota dealer in Lakeport? Or do we need to go to Santa Rosa? I like to use OEM parts when I can, but can order from Toyota Parts Deal, if not.