Anyone own a Toyota Tundra?

jon f mn · May 11, 2013

I saw a tundra pulling a tandem horse trailer today, was a new one with a near new what looked like a 4 place aluminum slant load trailer. Had an equalizer hitch and what looked like a modest load, maybe 2 large horses or 3 smaller ones, not overloaded. Any way, what caught my eye was that the truck frame was flexing and was bowed up behind the cab. As I said it didn't appear to be overloaded and the tires didn't apear to be sagging so I'm wondering if they just flex like that or is that a problem for them?

Flannelman · May 11, 2013

They haven't had any problems that I know of. I wonder if the equalizing hitch was setup wrong and that was causing problems. If they had the horses all forward they could conceivably have excessively loaded the tongue but not overloaded the truck.

Btw I don't own a current gen truck but I know my gen 1 05 DBL cab handled towing at near max cap well with no difficulties.

Jon Hagen · May 11, 2013

I dont own one, but Toyota claims in this video that their open channel frame is tougher because it can flex without cracking.

In another you tube video, Ford claims that their box frame with welded in crossmembers is more rigid than Toyotas open channel frame with rivited in crossmembers,but does not claim to be tougher.

Some interesting videos when you type in "Toyota frame flex" on you tube.
Toyota frame flex.

Dick2 · May 12, 2013

I've never seen a Tundra with a bent frame, but we had a lot of Chevy's with bent frames in the fleet. GM's "fix" kit didn't help all that much - but they made it standard on their heavy duty trucks. Just some welded on plates. However the frame still put pressure on the back of the standard transmissions so we had problems with those after they ran in the fleet awhile.

ray hofstetter · May 12, 2013

I'm on my 4th Tundra, never have had a problem with any of them. Pull a Bobcat and heavy trailer and never noticed any flex....

Dick2 · May 12, 2013

Engineers learned long ago that a lot of farm equipment fell apart from the heavy weight of the frames. They went to lighter, stronger steel that would flex and had less breakage.

The key elements are the shape of the parts and that material used, plus maybe some bracing.

Bret4207 · May 12, 2013

I put well over 500K on 2 Toys and hauled heavy loads regularly with no issues. You just don't go fast with them.

notjustair · May 12, 2013

Love my Tundra. I ordered it it 07 when this new style came out. It still looks good and pulls like an ox. I have never noticed any flex or movement but I remember there was a real stir with bed hop about 4 years ago. I haven't seen that either. Biggest complaint is that with all of the nannies it is harder and harder to use it to chase cattle! I bought a pickup for farm work not to drive on city streets!

There is one other old farmer with one close by. Other than that, I am clearly the odd man out.

brandon j · May 12, 2013

One of my friends is a toyota tec and he is replasing atleast one frame a month on recall they take the truck off the frame and put it on another $12,500 fix but toy. pays for it all I am in WI and they rust apart

Ray · May 12, 2013

Isn't a tundra just a 1/2 ton?

Anonymous-0 · May 12, 2013

snow plowin season of 2011 saw a tundra brake the frame between rad mount and motor mount drivers side twisted the truck pretty bad.buckeled the sheet metal. towed that truck away.bet thay had to fix it to new to total.

john in la · May 12, 2013

Yes it is just a 1/2 ton truck
Bed payload of about 1300 to 1400 lbs
And towing capacity of 5000 to 8000 lbs depending on what cab/towing package you get.

I would say they are really pushing the towing capacity limit with a 4 horse trailer no matter how many times they show the commercial on tv of it pulling the space shuttle.

And yes I love both my Toyota cars. Even went and looked at a new rav4 yesterday for the wife. Might get one before years end.

EJ70 · May 12, 2013

Toyota dealer in town had a pile of rusted out tundra frames that they had replaced last summer under the recall.

notjustair · May 12, 2013

That capacity seems low. I tow my Farmall M with a loader and loaded tires on a tandem trailer. Pickup acts like it isn't back there. I will look in my manual - maybe it doesn't know I'm working it too hard!

john in la · May 12, 2013

I was just looking at one yesterday and asked about this while the wife was drooling over the Rav4 she wants.

Capture is from the Toyota web site.

rustyj14 · May 12, 2013

Well--as that old saying goes: "Don't send a boy out to do a man's job!"
Sounds about right to me! rj

ffinmich · May 12, 2013

Don"t have and don"t want one.

Ken L · May 12, 2013

Bought a new 08. In 09 I noticed some cracks in the tailgate. They wouldn't cover it under warranty because I sat on it. I weigh 285. In 08 the tailgates were rated at 187 lbs. The pile of crap went down the road two weeks later. Same thing happened to my son.

varmint · May 13, 2013

(quoted from post at 12:25:51 05/12/13) Don"t have and don"t want one.

me 2 - wish i could win one for the home coming bonfire tho

Anyone own a Toyota Tundra?

jon f mn

Well-known Member

Flannelman

Member

Jon Hagen

Well-known Member

Dick2

Well-known Member

ray hofstetter

Well-known Member

Dick2

Well-known Member

Bret4207

Well-known Member

notjustair

Well-known Member

brandon j

Member

Ray

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

john in la

Well-known Member

EJ70

Member

notjustair

Well-known Member

john in la

Well-known Member

rustyj14

Well-known Member

ffinmich

Member

Ken L

Member

varmint

Member

Similar threads