Is the Tacoma enough truck?

[Clutch]

Agreed on the platforms, built for commercial and fleets where they get abused and turned over quickly. As much as I'm a pickup + 'Nest kind of dude I have to admit I've always though the whole concept was lacking, you have cab space and you have camper space that are simultaneously too much and too little. When you need dirty space the bed is too small, when you need clean/dry space the cab is too small. A van is ideal, I realize that. I'd be driving a Hi-Ace camper if it wasn't such a PITA to get one.

I hear that!

Loved our VW Westy when had it for 8 years...love the concept of it. One of my all time favorite vehicles. However the platform is a POS...rolling death trap is what it is.

Lust over HiAce's....if only I could a Westy version of that.

 

[Clutch]

I dig the space requirement, that's why I got an XtraCab in the first place. But seriously in this photo, how the hell are you gonna want to routinely get a generator back there heaving it over the seats all the time? Even folded down that's got to be a PITA. LOL.

Well ********...I am not going to put a smelly gas generator in the cab that is for sure. It was more for my moto gear bags. When they used to have them on the lot, I went and tested to see if it would fit...and it does with the seats all the way back.

 

[phsycle]

I really like the Tundra....especially the RCLB...why the other manufactures didn't put that extra space behind the seats is beyond me. Of course Toyota did kill it off. This is roughly the same room as my Extra Cab. It is the mileage is what kills it for me.

There was a RCLB that already had Kings all the way around, the popped up on CL a year or so ago thought about flying down to CO to snag it, but all I can think about was that is only going to get 10-13 mpg if I am lucky. few buddies who have them...all they ********** about is how bad the mpg's are.

View attachment 473693

Not a huge deal now, but once the gas prices skyrocket again, that's going to hurt. Which is why I'm keeping my truck relatively stock.

So what's more important to ya--efficiency or reliability?

Van talk - I couldn't do a van. Maybe a Sportsmobile or NV 4Wd conversion, but I'd hate driving the things on a daily basis (not to mention buy in cost). Truck is more versatile for me.

 

[Clutch]

Not a huge deal now, but once the gas prices skyrocket again, that's going to hurt. Which is why I'm keeping my truck relatively stock.

So what's more important to ya--efficiency or reliability?

Van talk - I couldn't do a van. Maybe a Sportsmobile or NV 4Wd conversion, but I'd hate driving the things on a daily basis (not to mention buy in cost). Truck is more versatile for me.

Why I can't do a Tundra.

Don't what it is...love driving a forward control VW...hate American vans. Think what it is with the VW...it feels like you're the first car on a roller coaster. Totally unsafe, but what a thrill at 35 mph....at 65 things get real interesting!

Saw a Syncro on the way into work today...major drool. But too expensive...have you seen the prices those things are going for now!? ...and it is a VW. flippin' nightmare mechanically and electrically.

 

[phsycle]

Yeah, the VW would be a nightmare. I'd not feel comfortable driving outside of city limits.

Lots of talk about all sorts of rigs. But you've always known the answer.

 

[Clutch]

Yeah, the VW would be a nightmare. I'd not feel comfortable driving outside of city limits.

Lots of talk about all sorts of rigs. But you've always known the answer.

*sigh* yes sir, you are correct...

 

[LiamO86]

Enjoyed reading through this thread as I have been having the same questions. I've got a '98 Tacoma - V6 manual, Non-TRD with the access cab that has served me extremely well at 250k. Bought the wife a 2005 4runner and really enjoy the v8 in it. With a new baby and a dog to explore the West, I've recently been leaning towards dumping my Tacoma (it hurts to think so) and getting a first gen DC Tundra, but haven't figured out the shelter portion of what we want yet. Don't have extensive amounts of funding, so I can't swing a new FWC, and like the IDEA of a trailer space living but not the idea of towing one into some of the areas we tend to go (Idaho and S. Utah). We're used to platform sleeping with a regular topper on the back but with the new baby, new comforts are needed, especially on those colder nights. We've just got everything paid off so I don't want to get myself another big payment on anything, as we are trying to remain debt free. Regardless, it's a tough choice but I am leaning towards a truck camper and a front hitch for the dirt bike.

What we're rolling in now:

Believe me, I've tried getting a car seat into that access space and it just ain't happenin'

 

[phsycle]

Enjoyed reading through this thread as I have been having the same questions. I've got a '98 Tacoma - V6 manual, Non-TRD with the access cab that has served me extremely well at 250k. Bought the wife a 2005 4runner and really enjoy the v8 in it. With a new baby and a dog to explore the West, I've recently been leaning towards dumping my Tacoma (it hurts to think so) and getting a first gen DC Tundra, but haven't figured out the shelter portion of what we want yet. Don't have extensive amounts of funding, so I can't swing a new FWC, and like the IDEA of a trailer space living but not the idea of towing one into some of the areas we tend to go (Idaho and S. Utah). We're used to platform sleeping with a regular topper on the back but with the new baby, new comforts are needed, especially on those colder nights. We've just got everything paid off so I don't want to get myself another big payment on anything, as we are trying to remain debt free. Regardless, it's a tough choice but I am leaning towards a truck camper and a front hitch for the dirt bike.

What we're rolling in now:

Believe me, I've tried getting a car seat into that access space and it just ain't happenin'

You may also look into a 1st Gen Sequoia as well. Lots of space inside to set up camp.

 

[jasmtis]

Those turbos on the Ford are a concern, especially 10 years down the road, when the truck has a bunch of miles on them. I average 25K+ a year...won't take me long to hit 100K. So yeah, you do have to ask yourself...so the Ford does get better mileage, more power, and is a bigger. But at what price?

You get a garage!? Lucky! All of my vehicles sit outside ever since I have owned vehicles, except my bikes. We do have a garage, but my wife has it setup as an antique print shop. 1200 lbs letter presses, and all the lead type....the 900 lbs paper shear will take your hand off like a hot knife through butter.

Me, I avoid cities like the plague...Boise is even too big for me. I did the big city thing back in Pittsburgh, PA for 3 years while I went to art school in my late teens early 20's. Well over cities. I grew up in the country on a piece of wooded property. Definitely a country boy...that happens to listen to 70's and 80's punk...friends used to call me the farmer from hell, since I like garden, ride dirt bikes, drive trucks, run chainsaws and yet listen to punk and metal. I hate country music.

One bedroom apartment on top of a two car garage. Pretty much the ideal living space for a single 20-something guy who likes to wrench.

I'm sure the Ecoboost F150s are fine, I had no interest in a half-ton. I did have an extremely hard time deciding between the Taco and a turbocharged Ford, but not the one you'd expect.

I was thinking about keeping my 2nd gen 4Runner as a dedicated trail rig but decided I was both totally over the 3VZ and maybe an RS wasn't the ideal choice for racking up highway miles. I've also wanted an old-school Rover as long as I can remember(My neighbor when I was like 5 had a D1 and what I now realize must've been an imported Series or a grey-market Defender. The bug bit then and never left). I'm not brave or stupid enough to have one as a vehicle I rely on, and a daily that does everything I need from a car opened the door to one as a true second vehicle(read: can put it on jackstands for a month with no impact to me living my life).

I like living in a city but being able to easily access real wilderness. Makes Portland, Seattle and Bellingham pretty much perfect. I liked my college a lot so I was content for four years, but living in the Lehigh Valley without being a student at Lehigh would basically be my personal hell. I wouldn't get to live in a proper city, but I'd still be surrounded by urban sprawl, and even rural areas are peoples farms, not mountains and forests to explore. Plus the skiing was garbage.

 

[LiamO86]

Enjoyed reading through this thread as I have been having the same questions. I've got a '98 Tacoma - V6 manual, Non-TRD with the access cab that has served me extremely well at 250k. Bought the wife a 2005 4runner and really enjoy the v8 in it. With a new baby and a dog to explore the West, I've recently been leaning towards dumping my Tacoma (it hurts to think so) and getting a first gen DC Tundra, but haven't figured out the shelter portion of what we want yet. Don't have extensive amounts of funding, so I can't swing a new FWC, and like the IDEA of a trailer space living but not the idea of towing one into some of the areas we tend to go (Idaho and S. Utah). We're used to platform sleeping with a regular topper on the back but with the new baby, new comforts are needed, especially on those colder nights. We've just got everything paid off so I don't want to get myself another big payment on anything, as we are trying to remain debt free. Regardless, it's a tough choice but I am leaning towards a truck camper and a front hitch for the dirt bike.

What we're rolling in now:

Believe me, I've tried getting a car seat into that access space and it just ain't happenin'

You may also look into a 1st Gen Sequoia as well. Lots of space inside to set up camp.

I have been debating that as well, and a big plus is that they seem to be a lot cheaper than both the Tundra AND 4Runner. The issue becomes needing a trailer, which I have been trying to stay away from, but seems like it would solve problems. Just don't like the idea of towing on narrower trails, as I'm a trailer novice when it comes to towing. I just have the idea of ********** it all up when needing to turn around in small areas or worse.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[phsycle]

I have been debating that as well, and a big plus is that they seem to be a lot cheaper than both the Tundra AND 4Runner. The issue becomes needing a trailer, which I have been trying to stay away from, but seems like it would solve problems. Just don't like the idea of towing on narrower trails, as I'm a trailer novice when it comes to towing. I just have the idea of ********** it all up when needing to turn around in small areas or worse.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

Wonder if those hitch racks for dirt bikes would work in this scenario? That, plus a roof rack set up, maybe you won't need a trailer.

 

[Clutch]

View attachment 473695

One bedroom apartment on top of a two car garage. Pretty much the ideal living space for a single 20-something guy who likes to wrench.

I'm sure the Ecoboost F150s are fine, I had no interest in a half-ton. I did have an extremely hard time deciding between the Taco and a turbocharged Ford, but not the one you'd expect.

I was thinking about keeping my 2nd gen 4Runner as a dedicated trail rig but decided I was both totally over the 3VZ and maybe an RS wasn't the ideal choice for racking up highway miles. I've also wanted an old-school Rover as long as I can remember(My neighbor when I was like 5 had a D1 and what I now realize must've been an imported Series or a grey-market Defender. The bug bit then and never left). I'm not brave or stupid enough to have one as a vehicle I rely on, and a daily that does everything I need from a car opened the door to one as a true second vehicle(read: can put it on jackstands for a month with no impact to me living my life).

I like living in a city but being able to easily access real wilderness. Makes Portland, Seattle and Bellingham pretty much perfect. I liked my college a lot so I was content for four years, but living in the Lehigh Valley without being a student at Lehigh would basically be my personal hell. I wouldn't get to live in a proper city, but I'd still be surrounded by urban sprawl, and even rural areas are peoples farms, not mountains and forests to explore. Plus the skiing was garbage.

We had a huge garage growing up ...and warehouse space at the shop. Mom/dad's car(s) were always garaged. He was a Cadillac/Buick Rivera kind of guy...the stuff from the 60's and early 70's boats of the car world. That and my muscle car phase I went through, those were garaged. But the trucks were always kept outside.

Have kicked around the idea of a hatch for a commuter as well. But the better half won't let me do it with all the big trucks and semis here. She loves my Tacoma too, told me I am never allowed to get rid of it. But she would feel safer if I was in bigger truck, let the fuel economy be damned! But of course...it looks like it isn't all that bad according to Jnich77.

The big city thing was fun, no doubt about it....we had a good time that is for sure. Different phase of life now...in the piddling around the house go out exploring in the back country as much as I can stage. Where we live I can be on trail in 20-30 minutes from the house. Just got done changing the oil in my truck, and started to load some stuff to leave on Sunday. While I don't carry much, like to spread it over a couple days to make sure I don't forget anything, but I always do. The memory isn't quite what it used to be...blame it on too much fun in the city when I was younger.

That is all kinds of **************. Nice color too.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Believe me, I've tried getting a car seat into that access space and it just ain't happenin'

It's not much better in an access cab 1st gen Tundra.

The 1st gen Sequioa is always a good choice and they are usually reasonably priced. The 1st gen double cabs are pretty over priced for what they are capable of.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

But she would feel safer if I was in bigger truck, let the fuel economy be damned! But of course...it looks like it isn't all that bad according to Jnich77.

Mine does so well because it's a 2wd with 3.15 gears. It's pretty much the lightest supercrew that Ford makes.


My buddy has the supercrew, XLT, 2.7, 4x4, with 3.55 gears. He has stock sized all terrain tires. He gets 21-23 doing 70.

The biggest thing with the EcoBoost is watching the boost gauge: the less boost you make, the less fuel you use. Mine starts to spool the turbos at about 71-72mph... thus I set my cruise at 70.

 

[roving1]

If the goal is to bring the truck on the trails, you want as small and light as possible and as large as necessary.

Simply put, you get hung up on less ****.

It's also narrower which gives you more freedom to pick the best line up an obstacle, rather than having to take the only line you'll fit up. All this while maintaining a lower center of gravity,

but lockers can be added, size can't be changed.

So, is the Tacoma enough truck? Yes, if you want something to drive you to the trails, on the trails and back from the trails. Maybe not if you want something to bring your toys to and from the trails, depending on how many toys you have and how heavy they are.

Dude... So much truth. I was screaming yes, literally, while I read most of your post lol.

Especially the choosing line and footprint thing. A 1st gen Taco isn't the flexiest thing in the world but when you have a narrow and not long footprint you are massively reducing your need to flex.

When I was watching videos of the Morrison Jeep trail there are videos of trucks struggling with huge tires with silly offset wheels and even with lockers that were having difficulty. But with a narrow short footprint, stock suspension loaded up and extra compliant I was able to choose lines and pretty much walk right up w/o zero issues.