9 Improvements Owners want on their Tundras - article

More power. Other brands are slowly passing us with stock numbers.

Also, less MGM and more white.

 

This is not directed at you Jose, just using your article for conversation.

I would like to see most of those and what others have mentioned in this thread. An inverter is nice on a truck. Why there is one on a Tacoma over a Tundra blows my mind.

The items I highlighted, are Tundra owners wanting to spend more money on? A true locker, ARB air locker will put you back 1350.00 with pump. Now factor in install and warranty for this product. Call it 2000.00.

Diesel, one can add 8-10,000.00. So on a Tundra Platinum, low $53000, plus 10k for diesel, plus 2k for locker. We all know how the eco diesel Ram and Titan XD are doing.

Who wants to spend 65k+ on a 1/2 ton truck?

The radio components can easily be updated. My almost 11 year old Lexus has a nicer sounding system
than my Tundra did.

Toyota has an 8 speed transmission in use for a very long time. I just can’t see this being a huge deal putting one in.

I also think Toyota could do something with the frame as well with little cost to the customer.

Personally, the Tundra could be refined a little, but it is a solid platform. More options would be nice, like an ARB on a Pro, inverter in bed with dual alternators, spray in bed liner, bike rack in bed, RTT rack...stuff like that.

 

Working the night shift are ya? lol

You bring up a Metric buttload of good ideas. Comment on them tomorrow. 0445 is coming quick.

 

16 years to go and they end.

 

Don’t forget College.

 

That’s awesome man. Proud of you.

I have the ability to help my daughters out with college, so I choose to do just that. As a parent, you always want your children better off than you had it. If a parent held helping a child out in life over their heads, those parents are assholes, and the child should feel awesome that they spent the money even more.

 

Back on Topic:

Posted by Watt Maker:

More MPG would be nice and using a transmission with more gears may be a way to get there. I just wouldn't want to sacrifice reliability for better MPG and/or more gears.

I agree, and Lexus has been running an 8 speed transmission behind V8 power for a while.

Diesel is out for me. They add a lot of cost to a truck, only offer a slight increase on fuel economy, cost more to maintain, and with all the EPA crap on there they are more likely to have problems down the road. The only way I can see Toyota benefiting by bringing a diesel to market is to introduce it in a true competitive 3/4 or 1 ton truck. I still probably wouldn't buy one unless it had all the pieces of the puzzle; reliability, mpg, comfort, superior capabilities, looks, right price, etc.

Yep. Agreed. My Duramax costs a bit more for maintenance. Not enough to change the price of tea in China. However, depending on design of a vehicle, maintenance can be cheaper and easier. For instance:
-spin on fuel filters are cheap and easy.
-spin on external transmission filters are awesome.
-Having a transmission that isn’t sealed and can check level easily is a huge benefit.

One thing that I truly want is at least a rear electric locking differential. Toyota obviously has the capability to make that happen.

This, so much this.

I almost bought a Tundra back in 2012 but one of the things that stopped me was the small fuel tank. Yes, I could've added or replaced it with a Transfer-Flow tank but I felt I shouldn't have to do that with a new truck. I feel Toyota finally got that right with the 38 gallon tank. If they were to complete with the 3/4 ton market, they better bring at least a 45 gallon tank.

The tank size was an issue for the people that actually towed. Looking for fuel at 125 miles sucks. This summer I almost ran out of fuel towing from northern North Dakota to South Dakota by Sturgis. The cross winds were horrible and the rolling hills really bogged my truck down. My tank is 36 gallons and I had 2 gallons left when finally pulling into a fuel station. Had I been pulling with the Tundra and had no extra Jerry cans (I always had 20 gallons at least in the bed), I would have been screwed.

I sure hope Toyota plans on upgrading the entire infotainment system as the current offerings are terrible. The user interface sucks and so does the sound quality. Toyota also needs to do a better job communicating with smart phones. If my 8 year old Pioneer touch screen in my 4runner can do it without fuss, surely Toyota can figure a way to do it too.

As for frames, I don't really care if the frame is boxed or C-channel, as long as it can stand up to whatever we put it through. All the medium and heavy duty trucks (18 wheelers) use C channel frames and have been doing so forever. Plus, a C channel frame is less prone to rust through because, one, the metal is thicker than what is used in a boxed frame and two, you can easily wash out the inside of a C channel frame with a garden hose so nothing collects and starts rusting.

Ahhh, agree to an extent. The C Channel frame on a Tractor/Trailer frame is really thick and beefy. They flex pretty good, but it is still pretty ridgid.

Here is a good video on how a frame should be and how one shouldn’t be. A truck box coming in contact with a cab is no good.


Another thing I'd like to see is at least driver and passenger auto down and up windows. Also door lock and window switches need to be illuminated. My POS 1996 mercury mystique had every switch illuminated, surely there's a way for Toyota to make this happen.


There also should be convex mirrors on the standard mirrors as well as the tow mirrors. Not sure why more mfgs don't include those.

The Tundra should have tow mirrors only in my opinion.

Toyota also needs to get with the program on remote starters. The big three can be started from a smart phone and stay running when the door is open. Mike Swears is from Wisconsin, this should be 2nd nature to him.

Hell, on Lexus vehicles through the app, you can limit speed and a variety of things on the vehicle. I agree, get with the program.

The cartridge oil filter also needs to go. It's kind of a pain in the ass but honestly between this forum, Tacoma world, and some 4runner forums, the oil changers at the dealers have the hardest time with these.

I'm not a fan of cartridge filters either. One of the great things about my 14’ Tacoma is having easy access to the oil filter on top of the motor.