Ford F150 or Toyota Tundra or ???

K

Karl Konecny

Member
I've been towing my CD22 cruiser with an old Toyota Tacoma and am looking for a new tow vehicle. The Ford F150 and Toyota Tundra look good to me. I've heard the Tundra is more reliable but the F150 gets slightly better mileage. Any advice out there in C-Brat land before I take the plunge?
 
I too am considering upgrading my truck to either of those choices. Have a '05 Tacoma V6 that does a decent job on the 22, but now that I'm going to the Venture 23 and our our future plan is to occasionally take it to a few inland lakes like Powell, we think we'll be more comfortable with a larger truck.

I would also like to add the question, is 4WD that important and how often has it been needed to help get it up slippery ramps?
 
WOW, did you just open up a can (barrel) of worms or what?

For me, no question. I am on my second Tundra, only because my B-in-law as going to sell his 07 with less that 50K miles on it, so I sold mine, (01) with 150K. This is my third Toyota truck, Taco and 2 Tundra's, and my 9th Toyota. One, had 860,000 miles on it and was still getting 30+mpg, and never a hiccup of trouble.

The newer Tundra (Gen 2) is strong and durable. The Gen 3, 2016 and newer I believe has more bells and whistles, but was more $$$$$. OH, and by the way, the Tundra is the only pickup that has towed a space shuttle. Guess if it can do that, I can trust it to tow my C-Dory.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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hardee":2xv2gam4 said:
... OH, and by the way, the Tundra is the only pickup that has towed a space shuttle. Guess if it can do that, I can trust it to tow my C-Dory.
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Click to expand...

Because it was the only truck given the chance to try. BTW, pulling a vehicle like the Space Shuttle is not that hard. It is built as light as possible for it's size. Get a dozen or so of your friends and a rope, you'll be surprised at the size of the airplane you can move.
 
I tow my 26 with a Tundra. The Tundra handles the boat rather easily and can do the speed limit with ease and accelerate up any hill on I-5 between Kalama and Anacortes while towing the boat at the speed limit. Best pickup I have ever owned and that includes one F-150, 1 chevy 3/4 ton, 1 GMC 3/4 ton and a few 1/2 ton chevs through the years.
 
C-Dorys are all about function over form. Reliability and resale are what drew me to my C-Dory... just like my Toyota Tundra. Ford, Dodge, and GM have lots more bells and whistles, but in the long run Toyota is your best investment. I found my 2019 Tundra Crew Cab used with 345 miles on it. I’ve had numerous Toyotas including two Tacomas. The Tundra is great. Wife and I just finished a 5,000 Utah trip and the Tundra ran great. It tows my petite Angler 19 like it isn’t there. Mileage is it’s biggest negative. I get 15 mpg around town, 17 mpg on the highway, and 12 mpg towing the C-Dory. But Ill be way ahead when you consider maintenance and resale value.
 
Had Tacoma then got Venture 23 and a Tundra 2017. We put about 5-7,000
Miles on towing per year. The 5.7L engine is great. Tows and handles well. We have 4wd as live in WY. Usually never need it on ramps unless wet and slippery.

We have to tow over 10,000’ passes to get to Puget Sound. Never misses a beat. But, towing is 10 mpg. Get extended tank! I do not worry about mileage I am on a trip and enjoy it. Diesel would do better but for higher initial cost and maintenance unless you need for another purpose Tundra is my choice.

Fact: Tundra made in Texas and has more American made parts than a Ford.

Longevity 200,000 to 250,000 realistic and if you check last I looked Toyota resale is higher.

But you request will get as many opinions as Trump vs Bidden. But, on trucks
Less lies.
Baxter
 
We put 365,000 miles on our first 2006 Toyota Tundra LTD and it never once broke and did not ever go to the dealer as in never. I did change the oil 120 times and put in two timing belts (not cheap). I sold it for 40% of what I paid for it and then found a "Grandpa/Barn Find" 2006 Tundra SR/TRD with only 62,000 miles. That one is now our new daily driver and we have 101,000 trouble free miles, never been to the shop even once. Mileage is in the 16-18 range, the LTD got better mileage but the TRD model is a joy to drive, much better suspension. I tow up to 7000 pounds with an equalizer hitch. The first truck needed some more front end brake so I put in Brembo rotors and custom order racing pads from Porterfield (https://www.porterfield-brakes.com/) and they lasted 100,000+ miles. The new 2006 has better pads and rotors. Otherwise, stock with a shell cap in the back. I would not buy a new model tundra (2007+), I am too cheap and do not need the bigger V8 nor lesser mileage. By the way, I paid $14,000 for the newer 2006, a good deal by my book. My ranch truck is a 2000 Nissan Frontier 4 cylinder stick with 250,000+ miles and it has never had a major repair and I do not do factory services but watch the components for aging and "need to replace". I also use Blackstone Labs for regular oil analysis, I now use their suggestions for oil change intervals (7000+ or longer on Shell Rotella Truck/Auto 5-30 full synthetic). Call if you want to talk trucks!!! Bob 714 686-2728
 
The only Toyota I have owned is the 1977 FJ45 that I have owned for 43 years - albeit now a lawn ornament. Loved that truck and would buy another if they still made them.

Fords fall victim to corrosion early in life. I recently repaired a 2016 F250 that was rusted through(perforated) around the wheel arches - both box sides. Repair panels had to be glued in. Unbelievable considering how much the owner must have paid for it new. The aluminum units corrode as well. Most panels cannot even be repaired and require replacement. Specialized equipment and repair procedures are required to work on them - not exactly "user friendly" if you like to maintain your own.

Just my 2cents - we have both Ford and Toyota plants here in Ontario :P

Rob
 
I'd never put Toyota down, as I think they make great vehicles! I've owned several, including our Highlander, that I use to tow Midnight Flyer with, and that included several trips out west over the Rockies! (The other Toyota's were small cars.) But now days I am towing with a Ford F150, with the V8 5.0L. It did a superb job towing the 22, and now that I have a 25, it's doing well with it also. Just made two trips out west in the last two months, involving climbs into Yellowstone and over the Rockies. And on the last trip, somewhere in the Rockies I lost a trailer brake caliper, which took out the brake line for all the trailer brakes. The F150 did fine towing that 7500 lbs without brakes, even against my better judgement. (Short version, I couldn't get any shops to do the repairs for me, so brought it home to do myself.) Colby (P.s. My Highlander was a 2010 with the V6. My first F150 was a 2016 model, my current one is a 2019 model. Both had/have the 5.0L v8. The first a 6 speed auto tranny, this one a 10 speed. Towing C-Traveler, a 25, I get 12 mpg on flat land with no wind. Hills and winds knocks me down to 9. Not towing anything, I'm good for 21 mpg. But I have the high rearend, 3:31 gear ratio, as opposed to the gearing for towing. Colby Late note, at least on the F150's, Ford started using Aluminum with the 2016 model.
 
Do much research on the internet for this subject and read truck comparison articles. Drive both truck to see which one has the best fit and road feel for your comfort. Much to consider in making a wise purchase.
 
I’m going to add a small twist to this. We tow our 23’ Venture with a 2008 Toyota Sequoia SUV, which is essentially a Tundra with a cavernous passenger and cargo area when the back seats are folded flat. It has the same large engine and brakes that the Tundra has but we wanted the fully enclosed and secure passenger/cargo area. We love the vehicle. It tows our Venture effortlessly and I especially like the tight turning radius. It actually turns a circle significantly tighter than our Honda Accord. There have been a few times when the tight turning radius has come in handy, especially with the long tongue trailer that allows for such if need be. When towing long distances, after we pack all our stuff in the back we cover it with a black tarp. Because the Sequoia has relatively dark tinted windows, you cannot see the tarp nor know the SUV is full of cargo. Makes me feel more comfortable when stopped and away from the vehicle for any meaningful amount of time. Additionally, having the 2 side passenger doors allows for easy access to the gear in that area.

We love the Sequoia, but with that said if I were buying a new tow vehicle today I would have to think twice because Toyota has not kept pace with towing technology. My kids have a newer Ford Expedition and it has been a great vehicle. The new ones, properly towing equipped, can tow well over the max weight a Sequoia can, and they have some interesting technological advances for towing.

Rob
 
I have owned both Toyota and Ford. When someone says "blablablah (insert any brand name) they never brake down." I'd say then why do they have service bays at the dealership? Anything mechanical will breakdown. The resale on both are very close, looking today at a five old Tundra and F150 with the same amount of miles and trim on KBB shows $24,700 F150 and $25,074 Tundra. Drive them both with similar equipment and decide which you like the best. That will be the right decision for you!
 
Just on the issue of 4WD, it depends on where you are launching. On Vancouver Island, at many ramps at low tide it is an absolute lifesaver. This is because of the sea lettuce and algae coating over everything. I have seen many a family van or other 2WD stuck and unable to pull their boat. I have seen a couple of incidents where the vehicle gets part way up the ramp then loses grip and slips backwards. With the weight of boat and trailer they got pulled back with some momentum and ended up with the rear end of the vehicle submerged in the saltchuck. This of course was highly entertaining to watch, but resulted in some foul language and words between couples. When there is a lineup of frustrated boaters wanting to launch or retrieve, getting stuck in this way would be very stressful. So for me at least, 4WD is a must.
 
I have only had 4 x 4 in the last 10 or so years, yet have been launching boats since the mid 1950's. Most ramps are OK with 2 x 2. We sometimes use a local gravel ramp, and there there 4 x 4 is almost essential.

Another issue not always addressed is the lack of weight in a pickup truck's bed. For example, I have to pull my boat trailers over about 100 feet of grass until I get back to the gravel pad. If the grass is wet, then the rear wheels of the pickup, even with an aggressive tread, will spin. Putting into 4 wheel drive, helps a lot.

At ramps, there may not even be the full weight of the boat on the hitch, and adding weight to the bed of a pickup may give more traction. We have seen several situations where we had to hook up to a stuck truck on a ramp, and pull the rigs up and out.
 
The days of Toyota being more reliable than the rest are gone. Just about everyone has caught up or gotten close.
Engine wise the Ford Ecoboost motors are very popular for a reason. An F150 with the 2.7 EB has plenty capacity for your boat and will get significantly better fuel mileage than the reliable but dated Toyota engine.
 
I have an ‘18 expedition with the ecoboost. Zero problems with power, 4x4 is adequate for ramps so far and driving in unplowed mountain snow. Having the covered rear seats is nice for keeping kids from having to ride to town in the bed like it’s 1972 and as an added bonus it rides better than any truck i’ve been in. If i was looking for a truck truck right now i’d probably go diesel. Tundra vs F150 though, I dont think you can go wrong these days. Most modern trucks are pretty damn reliable. Fords feel comfortable to me, i can drive a long time with little fatigue and theres plenty of space to store all the things i haul around. When Not towing i find mileage acceptable for a full size SUV (low 20’s if you drive conservatively). The layout of the manual shifting controls is absolutely terrible. You have to fumble with it on the center console and it is not intuitive. This is not a problem for soccer mom suv drivers. It’s bordeline idiocy for people who drive mountains, tow heavy loads, or otherwise need/want control over shifting. I hate not being able to rock a 4wheel drive if stuck (electric dash mounted shifting knob : no thank you), but thats become pretty standard for any automatic transmission. I know I dont have an f150 but the expedition is pretty similar. The preset driving modes are actually pretty good, tow hooks are in the right places, visibility is ok once you learn the vehicle. I put things like wet dogs, muddy kids, dead deer, and stinky canvas tarps with fish on them in my luxury SUV and keep it about as clean and maintained as a person who does these things could be expected. By that i mean if it wasnt reliable I probably would have killed it by now. That said, best vehicle I ever had was a slightly lifted 2wd tacoma. Good luck
 
Thanks for all the responses! I will test drive both trucks. On the ford, I hear a lot about the eco-boost 6 cylinder with turbo. Does anyone have experience towing with that engine?
 
Karl,

I can only speak from driving a friends F-150 ecoboost from Oregon to Bellingham, Wa. With 4 people and all our gear we averaged 21 mpg and the 36 gallon fuel tank gives you great driving range. The engine has the sound, feel and performance of a much larger V-8 engine but with better fuel economy.

Hopefully Colby towing C-Traveler (25 Cruiser) will chime in for towing performance on his new F-150 with the ecoboost.
 
I have owned both, though of course not all engine versions of the F-150.

Toyota for basic build quality and durability of systems (switches, electric motors, locks, etc.). And the Toyota 4.7/5.7 is a gem of an engine. The Tundra is a major gas hog, both towing and non-towing.

Ford for fuel economy, tow capacity, modern technology, engine choices, and ability to scale up interior comfort if that's an important consideration. The F-150 is Ford's flagship vehicle and they try to put their best effort into its success.

I believe 200K miles is very realistic for either with regular maintenance, and closer to 350K for the Tundra. The Ford might be more prone to repair d/t their increased use of technology but still pretty reliable.

Best of luck whatever you decide.
 
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