2020 Ram 1500 Sport vs Toyota Tundra TRD4x4 for Hunting Rig

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SUMMIT75

WKR
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Oct 29, 2014
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329
Roger that.

There’s a lot of the 3rd gens out there. People love them. I’ve never driven one. My 2006 Tacoma runs so well, it’s boring. I’ve penciled in the next generation if my truck ever goes away. I’m shocked of the negative review.

I’d personally try to run that ‘06 until the wheels fall off. I sure miss my ‘11. The Gen 2’s were super solid.


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boom

WKR
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Sep 11, 2013
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I’d personally try to run that ‘06 until the wheels fall off. I sure miss my ‘11. The Gen 2’s were super solid.


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I am.

I did test drive a F150 with the ecoboost motor and what a truck! It ran nice, was palatial in the inside, the technology was breathtaking, the ride plush yet taut, quiet and squeak-less, plus no rattles. The view is even panoramic. I was looking and admiring the giant view of my typical blind spot when I saw the sticker price (backwards). Almost $60k. I drove it back to the dealership and backed away quietly. I swear I think I heard the salesman yell something at me about 72 month financing. Haha. No thanks.

I’ll keep squirrelling away my money .. new truck pricing is wildly insane (for me). I’ll buy with cash when the time comes and it will be a two year old used truck.
 

Rob5589

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Roger that.

There’s a lot of the 3rd gens out there. People love them. I’ve never driven one. My 2006 Tacoma runs so well, it’s boring. I’ve penciled in the next generation if my truck ever goes away. I’m shocked of the negative review.
I looked into a Taco during my initial search. The major complaint was the auto trans. Reportedly multiple issues with it.

My buddy has a 19 and loves it. I asked him about his and says no issues with the trans.
 

Sled

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don't have time to read the thread but the dodge/ram or whatever you want to call it will give you better gas mileage, shorter lifespan and lower resale. after owning the two different brands, i'd take the yota.
 

Trial153

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Oct 28, 2014
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I cant see buying striped out trucks. With the amount of windshield time I have I get more of my monies worth out of loaded vehicles. Not to mention if your unloading it at some point you market stinks for striped out truck.
 

fiskeri1

Lil-Rokslider
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Messages
197
What problems did you encounter within the Gen 3? Just curious to keep an eye out till I sell mine. Fortunately for me, it’s semi custom and there is a market for my type of set up to sell private for a decent price. At least this way I won’t loose out like I would if I traded it in.


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OK, the laundry list:
1. The aforementioned transmission failure, which happened twice on my first road trip to Wyoming. It's a known item where it will not get out of gear unless a pretty stout pull/push is delivered to the stick. Someone lacking physical strength (ie elderly, etc.) is absolutely going to be pulling over to the side of the road.
2. The air conditioning never worked properly on the highway. It only completely failed once (on the same trip in WY). It could never be diagnosed properly at my dealership (city location), my assumption (engineer) is that there was a sensor calibration issue.
3. Parking sensor failure. The entire rear bumper had to be removed for its replacement and the first fix was not successful so it had to be repaired (under warranty) twice.
4. Rear leaf springs flattened out. Another known issue with these trucks (leftover from the Gen 2 I believe). I likely contributed to the failure by taking it elk hunting last year but I'm chalking this one up to the anemic payload of this "truck". Do the math, by taking a hunting partner and adding a topper to the back you've already used up well over half the payload. Warning on the Tundra: it's got the lowest payload of any of the full sized trucks I looked at.
5. Manual shift knob broke.
6. The sunroof would no longer close normally this spring/summer. An engineering work-around was able to make it close.
7. The head unit would not play nice with an upgraded stereo. Lots of check engine lights to be cleared.

I sold the truck with 58,000 miles on it.

Yeah, the Tundra is still probably still pretty solid (mine was) but I'm not drinking the kool-aid anymore.
 

Wrongside

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Where is that data from?
Consumer Reports.

It’s only one year sample in the pic, but the Tundra has been at or near the top of that ranking every year since Toyota introduced it.

For perspective- CR seems to dislike the Tundra overall. Ranking it low against the competition in most other categories- tech, interior, etc. But Toyota almost always (current Tacomas obviously excepted) scores highest on long term reliability.

A person just has to rank their priorities and purchase based on that. I bought the Tundra because I value reliability & durability over anything else, and the latest tech or nicest interior mean zero to me. Just my priorities, based on my uses.
 

boom

WKR
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Messages
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OK, the laundry list:
1. The aforementioned transmission failure, which happened twice on my first road trip to Wyoming. It's a known item where it will not get out of gear unless a pretty stout pull/push is delivered to the stick. Someone lacking physical strength (ie elderly, etc.) is absolutely going to be pulling over to the side of the road.
2. The air conditioning never worked properly on the highway. It only completely failed once (on the same trip in WY). It could never be diagnosed properly at my dealership (city location), my assumption (engineer) is that there was a sensor calibration issue.
3. Parking sensor failure. The entire rear bumper had to be removed for its replacement and the first fix was not successful so it had to be repaired (under warranty) twice.
4. Rear leaf springs flattened out. Another known issue with these trucks (leftover from the Gen 2 I believe). I likely contributed to the failure by taking it elk hunting last year but I'm chalking this one up to the anemic payload of this "truck". Do the math, by taking a hunting partner and adding a topper to the back you've already used up well over half the payload. Warning on the Tundra: it's got the lowest payload of any of the full sized trucks I looked at.
5. Manual shift knob broke.
6. The sunroof would no longer close normally this spring/summer. An engineering work-around was able to make it close.
7. The head unit would not play nice with an upgraded stereo. Lots of check engine lights to be cleared.

I sold the truck with 58,000 miles on it.

Yeah, the Tundra is still probably still pretty solid (mine was) but I'm not drinking the kool-aid anymore.


yikes. the flattening springs. i looked under a lot of tacomas. all the springs are flat. mine are, but the ass end isnt riding super low. truck is still level. so it never did jive in my brain. if it had arched like regular leaf springs, my mental brain calcs would put the truck ass high. mine were flat the second i picked it up for that rear leaf spring TSB. i never understood the springs..but yes, the pay load is anemic. i do have a topper on mine, and i have had an elk in the back. no real issues coming back heavy from Idaho.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
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4. Rear leaf springs flattened out. Another known issue with these trucks (leftover from the Gen 2 I believe).

It's been that way for longer than back to the Gen 2's. Here's my 1989 pickup, it's had the sagging springs for almost 30 years now, but hasn't been a problem at all. There's no other vehicle that puts a smile on my face while driving it, like this one. One day I got back to camp and could hear a pack rat that got up under it from where I parked that morning. So I took him for a ride to try and bounce him out. Felt like I was driving the Baja 1000 going 50mph around the curves and jumping it off of the water runoff cuts across the road. Still tight as a drum and no rattles and no leaks after 31 years. And no pack rat after that run.
100_4154.JPG
 
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fiskeri1

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 1, 2016
Messages
197
yikes. the flattening springs. i looked under a lot of tacomas. all the springs are flat. mine are, but the ass end isnt riding super low. truck is still level. so it never did jive in my brain. if it had arched like regular leaf springs, my mental brain calcs would put the truck ass high. mine were flat the second i picked it up for that rear leaf spring TSB. i never understood the springs..but yes, the pay load is anemic. i do have a topper on mine, and i have had an elk in the back. no real issues coming back heavy from Idaho.

OK, I misspoke. When I said "flattened" I really meant "inverted"......:LOL:

It never really rode quite right after that elk hunt. I was tempted to install a Dakar leaf pack to bandaid the problem but by that point the writing was on the wall for my ownership of that truck.
 

Titan

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Texas
I didn't see anyone mention the rear locking diff. You are only going to get that in the Ram.

Also- you were only talking new, but I think its worth mentioning that if you did look at older vehicles, there's a big difference between the full-time and part-time transfer cases on 4th gen Rams. Not an issue with the 5th gen.

You hear positive and negative on both sides. Get whichever one fits the bill and you like the most. Either one can have issues.
 

slowyota

FNG
Joined
Jul 15, 2013
Messages
17
After having an arb locker in my '00 Tundra and now having the A-Trac system in my newer Tundra I'd never go back to a locker. With A-Trac it's like getting the best of a front and rear locker without the negative characteristics that come from having lockers installed.
 

boom

WKR
Joined
Sep 11, 2013
Messages
3,185
my o6 Taco has a rear lock. love the thing.

the annoying thing for me on the new Dodge truck is that dial shifter. how the hell do they expect us to pull a proper Rockford with a dial? :)
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
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Where's the D1, D2, and D3? When I drive an automatic (rarely) I still drive them like a manual and need and use those gears......especially going down hills.
 

Rob5589

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my o6 Taco has a rear lock. love the thing.

the annoying thing for me on the new Dodge truck is that dial shifter. how the hell do they expect us to pull a proper Rockford with a dial? :)

The dial does take some getting used to.

Where's the D1, D2, and D3? When I drive an automatic (rarely) I still drive them like a manual and need and use those gears......especially going down hills.

There is a gear limiter button set on the steering wheel.

15710926819156432692713957338294.jpg
 

Titan

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The dial was hard to get used to at first. I would get in other vehicles and turn the radio up.

Now I love it. You gain so much center console space without a lever shifter in there.
 

BullElk

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Aug 24, 2017
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It's been that way for longer than back to the Gen 2's. Here's my 1989 pickup, it's had the sagging springs for almost 30 years now, but hasn't been a problem at all. There's no other vehicle that puts a smile on my face while driving it, like this one. One day I got back to camp and could hear a pack rat that got up under it from where I parked that morning. So I took him for a ride to try and bounce him out. Felt like I was driving the Baja 1000 going 50mph around the curves and jumping it off of the water runoff cuts across the road. Still tight as a drum and no rattles and no leaks after 31 years. And no pack rat after that run.
my 1st gen 4runner(87) was the same way...saggy butt. anyhow theres a guy in canada that makes stock height springs with stronger steel. the carrying capacity of my 4runner is quite ridiculous now. no body roll around corners and feels fine on the dirt with low air pressure in tires.
 
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