Hi everybody! Recently inherited a 2008 Tundra.

Hi everyone, new Tundra owner here. Figured I'd introduce myself!

My father passed away back in April and left me his blue 2008 Tundra. V8, SR5, 8 foot bed with a Leer cap. It's a beaut with only 56K miles on it. He bought it in 2011 with 30k miles on it and hardly drove it.

I LOVE this truck! I was planning on buying a truck before fate dropped this in my lap, amusingly I was about to buy a Honda Ridgeline. It never occurred to me that I needed a truck this big but it's super nice. I can put 8' lumber in the back and close the tailgate. The other week I put it in 4-Lo and pulled a shrub with it. And best of all it feels like my Dad is still with me in some way.

So far I've only put about 1000 miles on it. I've changed the oil, oil filter, air filter and cabin air filter and that's about it. If there's anything I need to know about this generation of Tundra, I'd love to hear it. My goal is to keep this thing running forever.

Thanks for reading!

 

Sorry for your loss, but welcome to the club. This forum is a wealth of knowledge, but tends to shine light on tons of stuff you didn't know you "needed". Soon enough, you'll want a head unit with CarPlay/Android Auto, wheels, suspension, blah, blah blah. Ask me how I know... Enjoy the new truck!

 

Sorry to hear about your dad. You have a real nice Tundra. He took good care of it.

 

what a great way to be able to remember your Dad. Nice Truck!

 

If it's a 5.7 it doesnt need anything else.


I see it's got the pap cap. My father is still alive, but a saddle blanket seat cover and the smell of marlboros will always make me think of him.

 

Welcome from NY.
Sorry about your dad.

 

So far the thing it really NEEDS is a rear view camera. With the 8' bed plus cap the visibility when backing this thing up is terrible. I've already had a few close calls. I think I'm going to replace the rearview mirror with one of those mirror monitors and attach the camera to the ceiling of the cap.

Also I think I want a new aluminum front skid plate. The stock one is rusted and falling apart. In general I'm a little worried about all the rust I see underneath this thing. My dad took it in for a frame replacement under the recall but the dealer determined that it was "surface rust only" and that it didn't need a new frame.

 

I also inherited a 2008 from my Dad.... about 1.5 years ago. Yes, backup camera. That was one of the first things I did and I only have the 6.5' bed. I went with a aftermarket radio that has a backup camera input. You will find plenty of things you "need" on the forums and lots of things you don't

 

Depending on where you live, the first thing I would do is get it undercoated with Fluid Film or some other undercoating. I didn't realize that 2008 had a frame recall. I thought that was all first gen. Regardless your truck looks nice, and the 8 foot bed is something you don't see every day.

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)! Sorry about your dad, but the Tundra will keep his memory alive.

 

I'm in northern Maryland, about 20 minutes south of the Mason Dixon. Not terrible but not great either in terms of how much salt gets put on the roads in winter. Thanks for the tip about undercoating, I'll look into that.

 

Sorry for the loss of your father

You should see plenty of service life out of your '08. Mine is sitting at almost 280k now and is still running strong...

As others have said, you shouldn't need to do much right now on the truck. If it hasn't had fluid changes recently, you may want to consider doing a transmission drain and fill (not flush); also fluid service on the transfer case and differentials. Also, brake fluid (and others) are hydroscopic, so if they haven't been done in the last 5 or so years, you may consider planning out a fluid swap of the other fluids as well.

Just know that there are plenty of us w/'08s on here.... So, as issues arise you're in the right place for advice and helping recommendations on keeping her going at a minimal expense.

PS>> Just thought of something... You said that having and using your truck helps remind you of your father and leaves you feeling closer to him; 'easter eggs' (hidden or not so hidden) little secrets which may be physical or digitally affixed within a vehicle has become a thing for auto manufacturers. It might be kinda cool to create some of your own 'easter eggs' that represent your father and find a way to incorporate them into the interior and exterior of the vehicle; something that gives you a little smile and flashes a fond memory for you each time you see them

PPS>> Oh, if you are going to have your vehicle's undercarriage coated, it would be a good idea to get as much of that surface rust removed as you can prior to the coating so it's not getting trapped between the frame and coating..

 

Hate the way you came about it, but welcome to the Forum and the club.