New SR5/TRD Off-road pros and cons

I just turned in my 2008 SR5/TRD off-road for a brand new 2021 of same with steps, floor mats and sill covers, deck rails, tow hitch, and chrome branding. Bedliner is on order. So is LEER 100 XL cap. I had them switch my P275/65R18 off-road Michelin LTX A/T2 tires on from the old truck because I had just bought them.

I love all the new technology but here’s a list of pros and cons. I think there are some things they never should have dropped.

PROS
———
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
Apple CarPlay
Back up camera
Blindspot, lane-change and proximity alarms
Storage box under backseat
Deck rails
Seating material is not lint prone velour
Tailgate much easier to lift and close, seems lighter

CONS
———

Only one place to store glasses in the ceiling as opposed to three
Missing handle on driver side to hoist the old lady up
Only one glove box and a smaller console compartment
Storage box under seat means you have to lift the seat and take everything off the seat before you can get out your stuff
Could not get black seats
Cover for trailer hitch missing
Too cheap to give you a vinyl pouch for your manuals
Gas cover seems plastic


All in all, I am very happy — pictures to come.

 

Welcome from NY.

You can add the driver's side grab handle.

 

Oh I didn’t know this thank you for letting me know I just might do that.
I was also trying to figure out what all those light icons were on the steering column and realized I have those nifty sexy LED outline lights on my headlights whoooboy!!

 

Scroll through this.....

https://www.tundras.com/threads/deal-on-drivers-side-grab-handle.29903/#post-738443

 

I just wrote a similar thread myself as I switched from my 08 to an 18 although I went from a DC to a crew max. The biggest gripes for me are: dumbed down throttle response, 1 glove box, less overhead compartments, and less cupholders. Also, why do the seats only have 1 back pouch? Lastly, the missing drop down compartment below the driver and passenger door handles.

 

Thanks but since I won’t know how to install it myself I’ll probably just have to get it from the dealer.

 

Yeah it was nice to have that second smaller glove box that you didn’t have to lock because it didn’t have your registration in it and your manuals. If you have a second person or your family in the truck with you, you need places for all those glasses. I seem to have the same number of cupholders and even a nice indent in the top of the console cover so my phone doesn’t slide around I guess sometimes when things are different they just seem weird. I’m not familiar with the drop-down compartment unless I missed that feature on my 2008? (Pic?) And I didn’t notice how many pouches were in the back but my other one had two very narrow ones that you could fit maybe one or two magazines in but it’s OK because nobody ever rides in my backseat.

 

Watch the video.....piece of cake....10 minutes tops.

 

Oh and I can’t remember now if it’s missing that smaller cup holder that used to hold the little ashtray fliptop cup that I kept change in. I stole mine out of the 2008 and kept it.

 

There's 3 cup holders in the console.

 

Get the parts from Sparks, they sell everything you need.




https://www.sparksparts.com/contact-us

Tell them you need the screw kit, trim peice and handle........and the interior color.

 

******* @NH Webgurl

This is everything you need

https://www.sparksparts.com/p-tundra-grab-handle-kit-pktungrab

 

Welcome! I’m also driving a ‘21 SR5 with the TRD Off Road package.

Two things about the interior make no sense to me: the missing drivers grab handle and the oddly- shaped rear floor—it has that huge shelf and no storage under the seats.

Add to your pluses the adjustable headlight angle (thus is the little vertical dial on the left side of the dash below the steering wheel).

I’ve done a lot of mods (most of them are in the thread in my signature). As far as the interior goes, I ended up adding a drivers grab handle like most others. I bought a few other things: Husky weather beaters (

$90 Husky Liners - Weatherbeater | Fits 2012 - 2021 Toyota Tundra CrewMax/Double Cab, 12 - 17 Tundra Regular Cab, 12 - 22 Sequoia - Front Liners - Black, 2 pc. | 18561

front and

$80 Husky Liners - Weatherbeater | Fits 2014 - 2021 Toyota Tundra CrewMax Cab - 2nd Row Liner (Full Coverage) - Black | 19581

rear), a

$20 Yawayda Tactical Seat Back Organizer Automotive Gun Rack Molle Panel for Duck Deer Hunting Accessories Gears Storage Universal Fits Jeep F150 Truck Pickup (1 Pack)

seat back organizer, and

$17 Stant Regular Locking Fuel Cap, black

this locking gas cap.

This place has the potential to cost you lots of money.

Do you plan to tow? Might want to read about the missing cooler and make your own decision if you want to add one or not.

 

Good news is I believe you could fix/improve majority of the things on your cons list

 

I bought a grab handle from a 2nd gen off eBay for like $60-$70. Had to get a threaded clip that matched the screws it came with from Autozone. Also had to notch the bottom tab slightly with a knife to go over a wire were it tucks into the dash. Ten minutes of work tops, looks factory, and cheap

 

Thanks for the link and here we go again !

 

Welcome from New Hampshire!

I put my drivers side handle on at my lunch at work. It is easy!!

 

Can you post the direct link to the video? Thanks,.

 

There is a 'box' under the seat which I listed as both a pro and a con because it's nice to keep my stuff clean and under there, whereas before I just had everything shoved. However, I always have stuff ON the seat so now I have to take it off in order to pick up the seat and get into the box. I don't seem to be able to stuff as much stuff in there as before. I travel a lot so I keep extra gloves, flashlights, foul weather gear, and supplies to run two households on the seats (paper goods and a blanket in case I'm stuck in the cold) as I am caring for a 100-year old in a different state in addition to another person back in NH. (Yikes, I know - it's a back-and-forth nightmare)

Oh yes I forgot about the headlight angle thingy! The salesman managed to show me that even though I was in a rush and could not stay to get a full demo of all the features. I am positive once I start cleaning my house, I will need a leveler for all the junk I'll be hauling! LOL The LED lights are cool, had no idea trucks had them.

I may tow a trailer at some point but not sure what the missing 'cooler' is?

 

I truly do miss the glasses compartments in the ceiling. I carry prescription glasses of two types as well as my shooting safety goggles which I use for other things besides shooting.

 

So you have storage under the rear seat? Yours must be a double cab. Most of us crewmax drivers envy your underseat storage!

The cooler...well, that's a bit of a can of worms. Toyota used to have a smaller radiator up front that was connected to a thermostat on the side of the transmission. It works the same way as your engine coolant system: when the transmission gets to a certain temp (190º-ish at the pan), the thermostat opens, and cooled fluid flows back into the transmission. Toyota deleted it from the Tundra in 2019. Every Tundra built 2019 and after does not have this cooler--even those with the towing package. Some people are seeing transmission temp warnings from towing the same load they used to tow without issue in a pre-2019 Tundra that came equipped with the factory cooler. There's been a lot of discussion on this site about it.

If you start towing, I recommend that you get an OBD scanner (I use the Veepeak bluetooth scanner and the Fusion OBD app on my iPhone) to monitor temps. If your transmission spends any time over 220ºF at the pan, I would recommend installing a cooler. It'll probably void your warranty, though. Puts us in a tough spot, honestly.

 

Yes it's a double cab. I don't think I will be towing anything THAT heavy but thank you for the information. I love learning about my cars and what to do from all of you. Much appreciated!

 

Yes and two more in the backseat. Someone mentioned not having storage in the crewmax? Isn't that cab much bigger? I would not have guessed there was less space under the backseat on that. I could have gotten a crewmax, but I wanted a bit bigger bed... the DC backseat is sufficient now that the back of the seat is not at a straight up angle.

 

And you can do this.....

https://www.tundras.com/threads/dc-fold-down-rear-seats.699/#post-11902

 

https://youtu.be/69LjEOyj3lM

 

Thanks! Will save.

 

Toyota says you don’t need a cooler for your transmission. TFL proved the truck stayed within spec. Personally, it was cheaper to trade my 2019 for a 2017 than put a cooler on, but I did it because I didn’t like the TSS. Wait till you break a windshield.


https://youtu.be/I8upLk9jlcQ

 

Towing for 8 minutes in very cold ambient temps with the transmission pan reaching 249°F proves that a cooler isn’t needed?