Tundra or F-150 thoughts?

83oldyoda4x4 said:
For those of you that have made the switch, whats needed to tow say 8 to 10k pounds comfortably. Bags in the rear enough, do these trucks have enough grunt with the 8 or 10 spd trans. I'll be in the same boat in the next couple of years. Coming out of a 3rd gen dodge 2500 6spd is onna be hard, not sure if i want a diesel with a ton of miles or a newer gas 1500. Only experience towing with a 1500 is 90's model stuff.
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I've towed mini-ex's on equipment trailers, skid, steers, enclosed trailers, big heavy wakeboard boats, etc with my 07 Tundra TRD Limited. I hauled my 53 Farmall Super C tractor back from Georgia with a 3 row disc in the bed, 5' bushhog, 3' bucket, box blade, and a runner planter assembly. I think I tipped the scales just shy of 10k. The trailer didn't have any brakes and that was really the only bad part of the whole trip. Only bad thing is the gas mileage when towing that heavy. Truck squatted a good bit but it's to be expected, no airbags or anything.
 
With my old buddy in my enclosed I think I was about 8k with my tundra I have to have bags or it squats bad and I would not want to tow any more with the tundra but I think a lot of that is just the trailer catching wind also it pulls it fine and stops it fine other then using a lot of fuel and not winning any races but when it’s windy or I get passed by a big 18 wheeler it’s not the best feeling lol (so yes it will do it but not at 90mph like your Cummins and yes you will know it’s back there )


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I had a 2012 tundra crewmax and loved it other than the fuel mileage. I pulled a open 7x12 landscape trailer with my harley to Daytona beach got 6.8 mpg at 80 mph. I didnt pass many gas stations. I got better fuel mileage pulling my 36' toyhauler home at like 7 to 8 mpg. But best I could get on the hey empty was around 14 max, then I lifted it and added 33s and then sold it, just didnt have enough for my camper. Loved the truck just really sucked filling up all the time.
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77GreenMachine said:
Hope you enjoy your new truck, it’s beautiful. We need some interior pics!
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Thanks, here’s some interior pics. The rear floorboard is flat. My 10year old laid in the floorboard and said she could camp there.

jeepyjman said:
It's an option for the 5.5 foot bed also. Very common option
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Mine came with the 36 gallon tank. That’s bigger than what is in my Ram 2500.

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83oldyoda4x4 said:
For those of you that have made the switch, whats needed to tow say 8 to 10k pounds comfortably. Bags in the rear enough, do these trucks have enough grunt with the 8 or 10 spd trans. I'll be in the same boat in the next couple of years. Coming out of a 3rd gen dodge 2500 6spd is onna be hard, not sure if i want a diesel with a ton of miles or a newer gas 1500. Only experience towing with a 1500 is 90's model stuff.
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Mine is still a 2500 but it may help. I sold my 06 Ram 3500 dually Cummins flatbed and bought an 18 Ram 2500 6.4 Hemi. The newer gas engines (think 2014 and newer) will surprise you. I towed the 5th wheel camper to the beach and back last week 12k lbs RV plus truck 8.2mpg average hand calculated. Same trip last year with the 06 Cummins, 9.5mpg hand calculated. With the difference in cost per gallon the Hemi is still cheaper per mile to tow with. Other than having to be so careful not to scratch a new truck I don't miss the 06 Cummins at all.
 
VortecJeep said:
Thank you to everyone that replied.

Well, I test drove a 2016 Tundra TRD, 2018 Silverado Z71, looked at a second Silverado, and test drove two F-150s.

Here is the winner. 2018 F-150. 5.0 V8, 10 speed tranny.




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What were the top things that tipped the choice to the F150?

I haven't driven anything yet, but am leaning towards the Tundra just due to my experience with Toyota reliability. I will be buying used, and will keep the truck for a LONG time.

As I mentioned previously, I am in the same boat as you. I want a comfortable riding truck as a DD/tow rig, and will never tow more than 7,000 lbs (Jeep on car trailer).
 
drkelly said:
What were the top things that tipped the choice to the F150?

I haven't driven anything yet, but am leaning towards the Tundra just due to my experience with Toyota reliability. I will be buying used, and will keep the truck for a LONG time.

As I mentioned previously, I am in the same boat as you. I want a comfortable riding truck as a DD/tow rig, and will never tow more than 7,000 lbs (Jeep on car trailer).
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I wanted my choice to be a Toyota because we have a Camry and I have been impressed with reliability. Plus they cool. But...
The 2016 Tundra TRD 5.7 I drove only had 30,000 miles, but I couldn’t really tell any ride difference between it and my 2005 Ram 2500. The only reason I was shopping was to get a better ride quality (3 back surgeries, ready for some comfort), and the Tundra I drove just didn’t have it.

The 2018 Silverado Z71 5.3 I drove was great. In fact, when I got home from test driving it, I told my wife it will be hard to beat it.

Then I drove two 2018 F150s 5.0 V8. I stayed away from the turbo charged 2.7 because it’s tow rating wasn’t high enough. I would have considered the turbo charged 3.5, but it is more expensive than the V8. I liked the interior of the F150s better, even though they both were cloth and the Chevy was leather.

So ultimately for me, it came down to a Chevy or a Ford, and I liked the Ford interior better.
 
@drkelly I only have a little experience with the F150. I rented one in Vegas, 17’ XLT crew cab short bed. It had the 5.0 and I fell in love with that truck. I drove it around Vegas and out to the Hoover Dam. It rode excellent with tons of room inside, and that 5.0 was very powerful and had a good throaty sound when I laid into it even with stock exhaust. I accidentally got realll sideways in a curvy road coming out of the dam. I was playing with the select shift buttons and put it down into 2nd, rolled the throttle and pinned it and the next thing I knew it broke loose and i just grinned and stayed with it. It was awesome! Even the XLT had plenty of gadgets like steering wheel controls and stuff. I very much enjoyed driving it and if I were going to pick a new half ton truck I’d most likely choose an F150.

I like the Chevys but haven’t driven a newer one, nor a Tundra so I can’t give any info on those.
 
The tundra is not as soft a ride as the for or chevy.
Tundra gets a complete redesign next year.
If you dont drive hella miles, and dont mind swapping tundra's lease stupid well. Like $50k MSRP under $250/mo for 2 years stupid well and they turn in esy no dispo fee....FYI
 
VortecJeep said:
I wanted my choice to be a Toyota because we have a Camry and I have been impressed with reliability. Plus they cool. But...
The 2016 Tundra TRD 5.7 I drove only had 30,000 miles, but I couldn’t really tell any ride difference between it and my 2005 Ram 2500. The only reason I was shopping was to get a better ride quality (3 back surgeries, ready for some comfort), and the Tundra I drove just didn’t have it.

The 2018 Silverado Z71 5.3 I drove was great. In fact, when I got home from test driving it, I told my wife it will be hard to beat it.

Then I drove two 2018 F150s 5.0 V8. I stayed away from the turbo charged 2.7 because it’s tow rating wasn’t high enough. I would have considered the turbo charged 3.5, but it is more expensive than the V8. I liked the interior of the F150s better, even though they both were cloth and the Chevy was leather.

So ultimately for me, it came down to a Chevy or a Ford, and I liked the Ford interior better.
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That is surprising about the ride quality. I would have thought for sure that it being a 1/2 ton with IFS that it would ride much better than a 3/4 ton with a solid front axle. I know I am getting old, but my 01 Ram feels like it rides only slightly better than if the axles were welded to the frame. My wife has 3 vertebrae fused in her neck, so she HATES riding in my truck. I guess I will investigate the Ford some.
 
Speaking just for me it was night and day different and "softer" going from my f350 to the Tundra. But my son has a 14 Silverado 1500...and its a noticeably softer ride. The we've both driven both vehicles and swapped back and forth etc. We both agree
ride quality = Chevy
Power/Brakes/Trans feel = Toy
Interior layout = Toy
Road Noise = Chevy quieter
Driver Comfort = we each prefer our own vehcile

The first 2 are noticeably different. AFter driving his truck for a week when he gets in mine he breaks the rear tires loose leaving a stop sign the first couple times. And every time I drive his my first thought is man this thing is spongy like driving a big long caddy.
 
Ron said:
Speaking just for me it was night and day different and "softer" going from my f350 to the Tundra. But my son has a 14 Silverado 1500...and its a noticeably softer ride. The we've both driven both vehicles and swapped back and forth etc. We both agree
ride quality = Chevy
Power/Brakes/Trans feel = Toy
Interior layout = Toy
Road Noise = Chevy quieter
Driver Comfort = we each prefer our own vehcile

The first 2 are noticeably different. AFter driving his truck for a week when he gets in mine he breaks the rear tires loose leaving a stop sign the first couple times. And every time I drive his my first thought is man this thing is spongy like driving a big long caddy.
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I had a '19 chevy extended cab 4WD as a rental last week and my opinion is the same. It had power (5.3) but not as quick as my F150. The ride was good. It soaked up the bumps (in MS and LA there's a helluva lot of those) well. The interior lacked the space that my F150 has. I'm just talking about the front since my Screw vs the extended cab doesn't compare. The AC was great and thank goodness with a black truck and 100+ temps.
 
Ron said:
The first 2 are noticeably different. AFter driving his truck for a week when he gets in mine he breaks the rear tires loose leaving a stop sign the first couple times. And every time I drive his my first thought is man this thing is spongy like driving a big long caddy.
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Turn the traction control off. The Chevy will be a drifting machine after that.
 
Of we’re contemplating such a large purchase for long term ownership and ride comfort, I would rent one and/drive a friends for a day. It would be worth the rental/fuel cost to do so in my opinion.

One of y’all wanna drive my half a million mile Chevy for a day :D. Believe it or not, it rides and drives surprisingly well. Although it ought to with brand new bearings, shocks, TRE, brakes, tires, and ball joints lol.
 
shawn said:
Turn the traction control off. The Chevy will be a drifting machine after that.
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Nah its not about the traction control. Both have that also. Its just the throttle level input required is vastly different between the two. Not that one is better or worse, per se. Just different torque bands, different rear end ratios etc.
 
Ron said:
Nah its not about the traction control. Both have that also. Its just the throttle level input required is vastly different between the two. Not that one is better or worse, per se. Just different torque bands, different rear end ratios etc.
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If you turn the traction control off, it changes the throttle response. The Chevies are less responsive at slow speeds (probably to prevent wheelspin) but they open up above 4500 rpm. Turn the traction control off, and it's much more linear.
 
shawn said:
If you turn the traction control off, it changes the throttle response. The Chevies are less responsive at slow speeds (probably to prevent wheelspin) but they open up above 4500 rpm. Turn the traction control off, and it's much more linear.
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I know. That is common to both actually, you can imporve acceleration and actually fuel economy slightly on both if you turn the nannies off.
But whether both are on or both are off there is a very different torque curve.

This isnt a dick measuring contest about which truck is "better" just giving feedback to help someone make an informed decision that impacts me zero and I have no preference what they choose. Your response reads like you want to make sure the Chevy gets "fair" treatment and is deemed undisputed king. I dont care if the GM has 10,000hp and the toy has 100 hp. The throttle response is twitchier on the toy and more laggy on the GM when compared like for like.

A Big piece of that is attributed to the Tundra only being offered with a 4.3 rear ratio and the GM using a 3.42 or 3.73 on the 5.3
 
You're reading an awful lot into this. The Chevy's traction control system is too aggressive. Period.

Ron said:
But whether both are on or both are off there is a very different torque curve.
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Yes, that's exactly what I said. Twice, actually.

The rear end ratios balance out. Compare the transmission gear ratios of any one of them, multiplied by the rear end ratios, and the first gear and OD gear will be close enough not to matter. Can't argue with math.
 
Some interesting info on the F150

5.0 motor:
395 hp
400 ftlbs

Tow rating:
11,500 lbs

fuel economy:
city = 17
highway = 23

1/2 ton pickups sure have changed over the years.
 
drkelly said:
Some interesting info on the F150

5.0 motor:
395 hp
400 ftlbs

Tow rating:
11,500 lbs

fuel economy:
city = 17
highway = 23

1/2 ton pickups sure have changed over the years.
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Now take the Ford factor off the numbers:
5.0 motor at the wheels:
312 hp
320 ftlbs

Safe tow rating:
8,500 lbs

Real world fuel economy:
city = 14
highway = 19

:D
 
shawn said:
You're reading an awful lot into this. The Chevy's traction control system is too aggressive. Period.


Yes, that's exactly what I said. Twice, actually.

The rear end ratios balance out. Compare the transmission gear ratios of any one of them, multiplied by the rear end ratios, and the first gear and OD gear will be close enough not to matter. Can't argue with math.
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I'm just curious how many miles you've put on the two TRUCKS in question?
Ive got 170k miles on 1 and 10k on the other. If anything I'd suggest the Tundra traction control is MORE aggressive than the GM.
(There is a reason the Tundra forum boys call the trac off button the beast mode button and sell replacement buttons labeled beasts mode....but I digress)

Both track controls on the Tundra is noticeably twitchier.
Both track controls off the Tundra is noticeably twitchier.
The Tundra on and the Chevy off the Tundra is still slightly twitchier.

BTW I just did the math Ill let you as well if you'd like... +/- 10% doesn't matter?
 
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