3rd gen 4runner's not cutting it for towing - 4th gen V6 the answer?

[Martinjmpr]

Why not supercharge your 4runner? My old 99 was supercharged and had exceptional power.

Kinda like putting a $40 saddle on a $10 horse isn't it?

No, I'm not going to supercharge my '99. It's got 150k on it now and while that's only middle-aged in Toyota-time, I need to move on, for a number of other reasons. The 3rd gen is a great off-roader but the design is almost 20 years old now (design dates back to '96) and it's really showing its age.

Not only that, the 3rd gen is rather noisy for highway travel. When I travel by myself that's not an issue since I can just crank up the stereo but when the wife's with me that's not really an option.

I'm really looking for something that is overall more comfortable and capable of pulling the teardrop and also now that we have a jeep (wife's '95 YJ) I don't feel like I need a hardcore off-roader.

The interesting thing I noticed when shopping is that a sometimes the V8s are less expensive than the V6's. Not sure why this is, maybe the people selling the V8s are trying to unload them quickly because they want something with better MPG (though most of the ones I see for sale are from dealers, not private individuals.)

Anyway, thanks for the input. I think what I may do is revise my search criteria a bit - the V8 won't neccessarily be crossed off my list but neither will the V6. I'll try them both and see what works best.

Of course, I have to sell my '99 first, so this weekend I'll be de-stickering and cleaning up my '99 so I can start listing it for sale.

(and if there's anyone out there in the Denver area who's interested in a clean '99 with a tube bumper, rear locker and near-new tires, PM me. )

[Logans91XJ]

4.7L 2007-newer Tundra... or

5.7 381HP with 401ft tq

if you wanna tow up to 10,000lbs
If you get the tow package you get 4.30 rear end Trans Cooler
9.5" Ring and Pinion
HUGE Brakes
Class 5 Hitch

[p nut]

5.7 381HP with 401ft tq

if you wanna tow up to 10,000lbs
If you get the tow package you get 4.30 rear end Trans Cooler
9.5" Ring and Pinion
HUGE Brakes
Class 5 Hitch

Sounds like a $40 solution to a $10 problem to me...

[Martinjmpr]

4.7L 2007-newer Tundra... or

5.7 381HP with 401ft tq

if you wanna tow up to 10,000lbs

Not really neccessary for our 1200lb teardrop...

[jim65wagon]

My thought is: with the 4.7V8 it may be possible to get equal or better mileage loaded and towing with the V8 over the V6. Highway mileage in an unloaded condition and the V6 will be a bit better.....and if you do lots of stop-n-go in town stuff the V8 will suffer a bit more. What's your mileage on the V6 4runner?

Unloaded highway mileage on my truck (4.7V8 Tundra) runs about 18.5mpg and can sometimes hit mid 19s. Pre-teardrop camping loads for four and we got mid 17s. Our teardrop is about twice as heavy as yours and I get 14s on flat ground and 12 in the hills. Of course trying to run 75+ in some steeeep West Virginia mountains got me down to 10.5! (this is all scangauge mileage) On the plus side I could still accelerate to pass tractor-trailer rigs going uphill.....

and , No, I have never regretted getting the V8 Tundra over a V6 Tundra

[Caoboy]

Not really neccessary for our 1200lb teardrop...

Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it!

[Martinjmpr]

Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it!

Well, except that there are HUGE downsides - literally - to a later model Tundra.

The biggest downside is that it's big - as in, would likely not fit in my garage (because I would need a double cab to be able to carry passengers.)

Big also means big (read: "Expensive") tires and wheels. It hurt paying $850 for the tires on my 4runner, I can only imagine the raping my checking account would take when it comes time to reskin a Tundra. I doubt I could get out of there for less than a grand.

Also, big would limit my ability to go off road. Over on White Rim, there were a few very tight turns that would have been extremely not-fun with a long, wide, heavy vehicle like a Tundra.

It's also big in cost - it would bust my $18k budget by about $10k, minimum (and most likely more - I doubt I could find a decent double cab 4x4 Tundra for under $30k.)

If I was pulling a 5th wheel or even a large double-axle travel trailer of course I would get a full size vehicle but considering that our teardrop is the heaviest thing I'm likely to tow for any distance, there's no point in anything as large as a Tundra.

[p nut]

...On the plus side I could still accelerate to pass tractor-trailer rigs going uphill.....

I agree with all jim65wagon said, but especially this. It's gotten me out of some tight/dangerous spots a few times.

Also, as much as we drive the LC, getting a V6 that got 20MPG would mean that we would save maybe $500 per year on gas. Or $42/month. Loaded MPG difference jim65wagon mentioned closes this gap even further.

Benefits far outweigh the cost, for me.

[paddlenbike]

1,200 pounds isn't much at all, I am not even sure I would notice that little weight behind my SC'd 3.4. It sounds like you want something different, so go for the 4th gen.

[jim65wagon]

Also, big would limit my ability to go off road. Over on White Rim, there were a few very tight turns that would have been extremely not-fun with a long, wide, heavy vehicle like a Tundra.

It's also big in cost - it would bust my $18k budget by about $10k, minimum (and most likely more - I doubt I could find a decent double cab 4x4 Tundra for under $30k.)

What about a used 1st generation Tundra? The Access Cabs like mine are barely wider than a new Tacoma, and the 2004-2006 Double Cabs are only slightly wider than mine. The wheelbase on a Tundra AC(2000-2006) is about the same as a Tacoma DC shortbed, and the Tundra DC (2004-2006) is the same as the Tacoma DC longbed. To me, it's been the perfect size truck to do an amazing variety of jobs, from shopping malls in Washington DC to camping four of us for a week in the National Forest.


Find a used first gen at a decent price and you'll have a everyday reliable vehicle you can put many thousands of teardrop towing miles on.......