# Tundra Vs. Diesel



## jaeson7

I am looking into upgrading by tow vehicle and need your feedback. We are pulling a 2004 Outback 25RSS. I love the newer toyota tundra but am worried how well they pull. Especially over the mountains. Any Tundra owners having any feedback. I am also considering a GMC Sierra diesel, but not completely comfortable with a diesel. What is your opinion. Does the tundra pull well enough or should I stick with a diesel. I currently tow with a 1/2 ton GMC sierra and it struggles alot over the hills.


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## jozway

*diesel*


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## Jewellfamily

Your camper is <5000 lbs dry so figure 7000 lbs loaded. Its probably a struggle for your 2004 chevy. I had a 2005 silverado with the 5.3L and the 3.42 gears and updated to a 2008 Silverado with the 365HP Max motor and 3.73 gears. It was a world of difference in towing my last camper which was comparable to what you are towing. The new rigs are running high HP motors (405HP) and you can gear them with the tow packages. The Toyotas have the 4.30 gears with the tow package. I would definetly get the tow package if you go with the Toyota. There are some Toyota runners on here that Im sure will chime in. I would like a diesel to tow with too, I just cant overcome the expense of one since only about 1-2% of my mileage on mine each year is towing.


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## MJRey

As long as you don't plan to upgrade to a bigger trailer the Tundra should do very well for your trailer. You should also take a look at the new Ford F-150 with the turbo V-6 EcoBoost engine. It's been getting some very good reviews for towing and it gets very good mileage when not towing. The turbo should also help in the mountains as you won't loose much power as the elevation climbs. Depending on how high you're going this could be significant. Depending on configuration the F-150 can also have much more payload capacity than the Tundra but just be careful to compare similar configurations.


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## SDCampers

I have an 08 Tundra and tow a 2009 23RS. The truck tows this camper along with kayaks on top and a load of fun stuff in the back with no problem. I towed to Missoula, MT over the mountains with a full load of water and had no problem increasing speed up hill when I wanted. Also towed up the Bighorns out of Sheridan, WY with plenty of power to spare. Only drawback, at an average of 65 - 70 MPH on the interstate I get around 8.5 - 9 MPG.
I wouldn't hesitate at all to tow your camper.


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## Carey

All of the higher end 1/2 ton gas pickups with the big engines can tow a 25 trailer no problem. Or like MJ Rey said the ecoboost can too.

The diesel will cost ya at least another 10k so for sure it will be better.

You get what you pay for when it comes to spending money on a tow vehicle. The Tundra can do it no problem, but the 3/4 ton diesel can do it easier and better.

Carey


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## Insomniak

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> All of the higher end 1/2 ton gas pickups with the big engines can tow a 25 trailer no problem. Or like MJ Rey said the ecoboost can too.
> 
> The diesel will cost ya at least another 10k so for sure it will be better.
> 
> You get what you pay for when it comes to spending money on a tow vehicle. The Tundra can do it no problem, but the 3/4 ton diesel can do it easier and better.
> 
> Carey


Heck, you could tow that 25RSS sideways with a Tundra!


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## jcat67

Insomniak said:


> All of the higher end 1/2 ton gas pickups with the big engines can tow a 25 trailer no problem. Or like MJ Rey said the ecoboost can too.
> 
> The diesel will cost ya at least another 10k so for sure it will be better.
> 
> You get what you pay for when it comes to spending money on a tow vehicle. The Tundra can do it no problem, but the 3/4 ton diesel can do it easier and better.
> 
> Carey


Heck, you could tow that 25RSS sideways with a Tundra!
[/quote]

.....and we are now where the towing question often times goes. I think you would want to avoid the trailer getting towed sideways.


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## KosinTrouble

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> All of the higher end 1/2 ton gas pickups with the big engines can tow a 25 trailer no problem. Or like MJ Rey said the ecoboost can too.
> 
> The diesel will cost ya at least another 10k so for sure it will be better.
> 
> You get what you pay for when it comes to spending money on a tow vehicle. The Tundra can do it no problem, but the 3/4 ton diesel can do it easier and better.
> 
> Carey


What Carey said, The newer 1/2 tons with towing packages will easily tow your trailer around for you. Do you plan on buying the truck or leasing? Do you plan on upgrading the trailer? If you are planning on upgrading the trailer I would get the diesel if you can, then when you do upgrade you will have so much more options. If money isnt a huge issue again go with the diesel, but be expected to shell out more at the beginning.

If you dont plan on upgrading the Trailer, I would recommend the ecoboost, I love mine and just recently took it through Kananaskis (Rocky Mountains In Canada) and had 0 issues towing up the hills.


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## egregg57

jaeson7 said:


> I am looking into upgrading by tow vehicle and need your feedback. We are pulling a 2004 Outback 25RSS. I love the newer toyota tundra but am worried how well they pull. Especially over the mountains. Any Tundra owners having any feedback. I am also considering a GMC Sierra diesel, but not completely comfortable with a diesel. What is your opinion. Does the tundra pull well enough or should I stick with a diesel. I currently tow with a 1/2 ton GMC sierra and it struggles alot over the hills.


 Wolfwood has used thier venerable tundra to pull three different RV's. one was a 25rss, another was a toyhauler model forget which model though, and now a Rockwood fifth wheel. They have been into Canada, out west and all over New England with it and they are happy very happy with it.

What year are you looking at for the Tundra?


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## Up State NY Camper

The Tundra is more than enough truck for what your pulling now. I have a Sequoia and a 312bh and I love the way it pulls. I definately lack wheel base so I take it easy on windy days, but as for power, I'm very impressed with Toyota trucks. Many people on here have Tundra's and love them. MO is that they are the best half ton for towing. 3/4 or 1 ton Diesels tow almost anything, anywhere. But they are pricey and you mentioned you were concerned about going with a diesel. If I towed thousands of miles a year, with a 31 foot trialer, I would go with a diesel. But I don't, so our set-up is fine.


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## Tangooutback

jaeson7 said:


> I am looking into upgrading by tow vehicle and need your feedback. We are pulling a 2004 Outback 25RSS. I love the newer toyota tundra but am worried how well they pull. Especially over the mountains. Any Tundra owners having any feedback. I am also considering a GMC Sierra diesel, but not completely comfortable with a diesel. What is your opinion. Does the tundra pull well enough or should I stick with a diesel. I currently tow with a 1/2 ton GMC sierra and it struggles alot over the hills.


I have a 2005 25RSS. I towed it with a Dodge 1/2 ton, 3.73 diff and it made top speed 60 mph on flat road. On small hills in west Texas it made 40 mph going up. Its transmission blew after an 800 miles trip. The odometer read 49K.

After an expensive transmission rebuild, I sold it and bought a 2000 F250 Powerstroke with 120K miles on the clock for 12K. I do not even feel the 25RSS behind me on flat road and I make 12 mpg on the average. 
My son has a 2011 4WD 5.7L Tundra with tow package costing 32K. We towed the 25RSS with it just to find out how good it did and was happy with it so long as the road was flat. He made 8 mpg towing the 25RSS.

I'd take my F250 diesel over the Tundra any time of the day.


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## SouthRider

We kind of did it backwards. When we bought our 230 RS we had a 1/2 ton F150. It pulled ok, but I just wasn't comfortable. Gas mileage was terrible, and it had a tail wagging the dog feeling on flat ground (especially when 18 wheelers blew by).

So we upgraded to an 09 Chevy 2500 Diesel, and couldn't even tell when the camper was back there. Mileage went up to 12 when towing.

So we looked at each other and said "we should have gotten a bigger camper".

Now we have a 35' Jayco 5ver and it still pulls like a dream. The neat thing is that with the profile of the 5th wheel I'm actually getting 12-13 mpg when towing, and over 20 if I keep the speed reasonable when not towing.

The 2011 Chevy/GMC models supposedly get even better mileage than my 09, and handle & ride better to boot.

Like the other posters, if you ever think that you MIGHT want a larger camper get the diesel if you can afford it. I won't ever go back.


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## Carey

Tangooutback said:


> I am looking into upgrading by tow vehicle and need your feedback. We are pulling a 2004 Outback 25RSS. I love the newer toyota tundra but am worried how well they pull. Especially over the mountains. Any Tundra owners having any feedback. I am also considering a GMC Sierra diesel, but not completely comfortable with a diesel. What is your opinion. Does the tundra pull well enough or should I stick with a diesel. I currently tow with a 1/2 ton GMC sierra and it struggles alot over the hills.


I have a 2005 25RSS. I towed it with a Dodge 1/2 ton, 3.73 diff and it made top speed 60 mph on flat road. On small hills in west Texas it made 40 mph going up. Its transmission blew after an 800 miles trip. The odometer read 49K.

After an expensive transmission rebuild, I sold it and bought a 2000 F250 Powerstroke with 120K miles on the clock for 12K. I do not even feel the 25RSS behind me on flat road and I make 12 mpg on the average. 
My son has a 2011 4WD 5.7L Tundra with tow package costing 32K. We towed the 25RSS with it just to find out how good it did and was happy with it so long as the road was flat. He made 8 mpg towing the 25RSS.

I'd take my F250 diesel over the Tundra any time of the day.
[/quote]

If you had a dodge 1/2 ton with a 3.73 rear gear it would have been the previous generation, 2003 and down. 2004 and up dodges have a much improved tranny behind either the 4.7 or 5.7 engine. The 5.7 hemi is on par with the tundra but the tundra is a better truck for towing since it still uses leaf springs in the rear. The new dodge will ride the best of all 1/2 tons because it uses a 4 link coil sprung rear suspension. It is not on par payload wise as the leaf spring equiped 1/2 tons of other brands though. The previous dodge generation cant be comparred to what is available today. They were underpowered with those 360 or 318 engines and used weak trannys behind those engines.

The best 1/2 towing platform is fords new f150 with max tow package. It has a good 1000lbs of available payload over the tundra. But ford still isnt up to par power wise with the tundra. There standard engine is the 5.4 or the ecoboost. The 6.2 engine would be on par with the tundra, but its only available in special f150's, such as the raptor or limited and both of those have limited tow allowances.


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## W.E.BGood

I tow a 250RS with an '08 5.7L Double cab 4X4 with tow package and TRD off-road package. The trailer's 6,000 dry, 7,000 loaded, 2 adults and about 300 lbs of gear. Last trip a couple weeks ago got 10.1 MPG actual (not trip computer) mileage running 60-62 on 1/2 interstates / 1/2 Wisconsin 2-lanes. We had to pull some pretty steep and hilly backroads, nothing like long mountains of course, but I had no problem even when having to stop on hills and start again.
I would guess the diesel factor would give you the feeling of "don't even know it's back there", but another thing to consider...what's the majority use of the truck (towing, commuting, etc), overall mileage expectations (I get 12.5 to 13 in town on short hauls and 19 to 19.5 on the interstate) and maintanence costs. My oil/filter/lube services at the Toyota dealership are $27.22 every 6 months/5,000 miles, takes 25 minutes. You won't find a diesel service ANYWHERE near that price, and when you buy new the first 2 years service is included.
Just my opinion...a Tundra would do you fine. Regards, BGood


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## wolfwood

Well, we love our Tundra. We have a 2007 5.7 with the TRD package. The 25RS was like it wasn't there, and the tow/haul was fantastic down a 9 percent grade. We took the 28KRS from NH to Wyoming 3 summers ago, through the Rockies without a question. Now we pull a fiver and we're getting the same mileage as the 28. Bottom line for us is that the Tundra has been everything we could have wanted. It's especially fun passing other trucks up a grade @ 65.

Diesels are foreign to us, so can't comment. From our experience, the Tundra will be plenty of truck for what you're looking to do. Oh, and it's nice to drive when you're not towing as well. Gets about 18 mpg not towing, 8-10 towing.

Best of luck!


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## Duanesz

You need to ask yourself if your going to stay with the 25rss? If you think you might want to upgrade some day then you need to think about the truck to pull it. Are you going to buy new or look for used? How much towing do you do a year? Is the truck a daily driver if so how long is your commute? A little more info and people will chime in with there ideas.

Duane


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## akjason

I have not owned a Tundra myself, but comparing a gas engine vs the Diesel I will go with the Diesel. The Tundra may have nice HP, but the low end, high amount of torque in a Diesel is just uncomparable. I upgraded from a 1/2-ton to my current 2008 F250 6.4 PSD, and it was night and day over stability and pure pulling power.


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## Insomniak

wolfwood said:


> Well, we love our Tundra. We have a 2007 5.7 with the TRD package. The 25RS was like it wasn't there, and the tow/haul was fantastic down a 9 percent grade. We took the 28KRS from NH to Wyoming 3 summers ago, through the Rockies without a question. Now we pull a fiver and we're getting the same mileage as the 28. Bottom line for us is that the Tundra has been everything we could have wanted. It's especially fun passing other trucks up a grade @ 65.
> 
> Diesels are foreign to us, so can't comment. From our experience, the Tundra will be plenty of truck for what you're looking to do. Oh, and it's nice to drive when you're not towing as well. Gets about 18 mpg not towing, 8-10 towing.
> 
> Best of luck!


Argghh!! I just can't believe you get 18mpg when not towing! I couldn't get 18mpg in my Tundra even with the engine turned off, and sitting in my driveway. The best I've ever been able to do was 15-15.5mpg on the highway. City driving is always around 10-11mpg and towing is consistently 8-9mpg. The Tundra is a good truck, but it drinks gas like a camel at an oasis.


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## W.E.BGood

Not so Insomniak...as I posted above my '08 5.7L DC consistently gets 12.5-13 around town and (being careful at 58-60 on the Iowa interstates) 19 to 19.5 highway. Those are actual mileage numbers, not based on the funky trip computer calculations. The only mods to it are a K&N air filter, the factory charcoal air-intake filter removed, and a Truxedo bed cover.
Regards, BGood


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## tomstacey616

I'll add my .02 worth.... I have a 2010 Tundra, 5.7, Double Cab, TRD + Towing package... Pulls my 21RS like a dream!!
Now, not towing, i get average 15-17 mpg, and towing, yeah... about 10.... 
Love my TRUCK!!


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## Insomniak

W.E.BGood said:


> Not so Insomniak...as I posted above my '08 5.7L DC consistently gets 12.5-13 around town and (being careful at 58-60 on the Iowa interstates) 19 to 19.5 highway. Those are actual mileage numbers, not based on the funky trip computer calculations. The only mods to it are a K&N air filter, the factory charcoal air-intake filter removed, and a Truxedo bed cover.
> Regards, BGood


Maybe California emissions plays a bit of a role here too in pulling the numbers down. Driving on traffic packed Los Angeles freeways doesn't help either. I'm not sure why people doubt the trip computer built into the vehicle though. It's pretty simple for the truck to know how far it's traveled, and divide that number by the amount of fuel used - which it also should be able to calculate. On the other hand, I bet I couldn't fill the tank to the exact same level on consecutive fill-ups if my life depended on it. My manual calculations would then depend on my accuracy and the accuracy of the gas pump. I have done my own quick comparisons, and the numbers are pretty much the same - the mileage sucks - probably one of the biggest complaints about the Tundra in online reviews. My combined city & freeway mileage for the last few months is running 13.7-13.8 mpg.


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## Tangooutback

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> I am looking into upgrading by tow vehicle and need your feedback. We are pulling a 2004 Outback 25RSS. I love the newer toyota tundra but am worried how well they pull. Especially over the mountains. Any Tundra owners having any feedback. I am also considering a GMC Sierra diesel, but not completely comfortable with a diesel. What is your opinion. Does the tundra pull well enough or should I stick with a diesel. I currently tow with a 1/2 ton GMC sierra and it struggles alot over the hills.


I have a 2005 25RSS. I towed it with a Dodge 1/2 ton, 3.73 diff and it made top speed 60 mph on flat road. On small hills in west Texas it made 40 mph going up. Its transmission blew after an 800 miles trip. The odometer read 49K.

After an expensive transmission rebuild, I sold it and bought a 2000 F250 Powerstroke with 120K miles on the clock for 12K. I do not even feel the 25RSS behind me on flat road and I make 12 mpg on the average. 
My son has a 2011 4WD 5.7L Tundra with tow package costing 32K. We towed the 25RSS with it just to find out how good it did and was happy with it so long as the road was flat. He made 8 mpg towing the 25RSS.

I'd take my F250 diesel over the Tundra any time of the day.
[/quote]

If you had a dodge 1/2 ton with a 3.73 rear gear it would have been the previous generation, 2003 and down. 2004 and up dodges have a much improved tranny behind either the 4.7 or 5.7 engine. The 5.7 hemi is on par with the tundra but the tundra is a better truck for towing since it still uses leaf springs in the rear. The new dodge will ride the best of all 1/2 tons because it uses a 4 link coil sprung rear suspension. It is not on par payload wise as the leaf spring equiped 1/2 tons of other brands though. The previous dodge generation cant be comparred to what is available today. They were underpowered with those 360 or 318 engines and used weak trannys behind those engines.

[/quote]

You are right. My Dodge was 1999. It was a sad vehicle even though I pampered it.


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## Tangooutback

Insomniak said:


> Well, we love our Tundra. We have a 2007 5.7 with the TRD package. The 25RS was like it wasn't there, and the tow/haul was fantastic down a 9 percent grade. We took the 28KRS from NH to Wyoming 3 summers ago, through the Rockies without a question. Now we pull a fiver and we're getting the same mileage as the 28. Bottom line for us is that the Tundra has been everything we could have wanted. It's especially fun passing other trucks up a grade @ 65.
> 
> Diesels are foreign to us, so can't comment. From our experience, the Tundra will be plenty of truck for what you're looking to do. Oh, and it's nice to drive when you're not towing as well. Gets about 18 mpg not towing, 8-10 towing.
> 
> Best of luck!


Argghh!! I just can't believe you get 18mpg when not towing! I couldn't get 18mpg in my Tundra even with the engine turned off, and sitting in my driveway. The best I've ever been able to do was 15-15.5mpg on the highway. City driving is always around 10-11mpg and towing is consistently 8-9mpg. The Tundra is a good truck, but it drinks gas like a camel at an oasis.
[/quote]

My son's Tundra made 17 mpg on freeway now and then. Most of the time it is 16 mpg.


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## Traveling Tek

Motor Trend did a huge shoot out on trucks last year. Might want to check it out. While Tundra has a ton of towing power, it wasn't highly rated for drivability compared to other brands. That being said, a truck rides like a truck.  My gasser van only get 6mpg. I will go with a Duramax next time.


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## wolverine

The payload capcity is a lot less on the 1/2 ton Tundra compared to any diesel or any other 3/4 ton. That is why I went with a 1500 HD which has a payload of 2700 lbs. I can put my Polaris ATV in the bed and the truck will still have plenty of capacity left for people and other gear. The Tundra would work great if you do not need a lot of payload capacity.


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## Blackjack

If money is not a problem, without question go with a diesel!

Only you can decide which one to buy. If you have no intenetion of going to a bigger trailer than the Tundra is for you. Payload is the weak point. Add up what you put in the truck to help you decide. I bought my Tundra for reliability and dependability.

I, like Insomniac, only get 13-14 mpg combined, not towing. I noticed a drop of 1 mpg when I switched tires from Bridgestone Dueller H/T to Michelin LTX M/S2 so tires will make a difference also.


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## SDCampers

Seems Tundra MPG is all over the spectrum. During the warmer months I get 17.5 - 18 around town.In the winter it drops to around 16. It drops to about 15 when I hit the interstate cause we always have wind in SD and I'm too impatient to go 65. I set cruise about 78.


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## muttbike

SDCampers said:


> Seems Tundra MPG is all over the spectrum. During the warmer months I get 17.5 - 18 around town.In the winter it drops to around 16. It drops to about 15 when I hit the interstate cause we always have wind in SD and I'm too impatient to go 65. I set cruise about 78.


My winter mileage drops also, right about the time the vendors switch to the "winter formula" gas. More oxygenation or something like that. I get better mileage out of non ethanol fuel also.

JR


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## Tangooutback

muttbike said:


> Seems Tundra MPG is all over the spectrum. During the warmer months I get 17.5 - 18 around town.In the winter it drops to around 16. It drops to about 15 when I hit the interstate cause we always have wind in SD and I'm too impatient to go 65. I set cruise about 78.


My winter mileage drops also, right about the time the vendors switch to the "winter formula" gas. More oxygenation or something like that. *I get better mileage out of non ethanol fuel also.*

JR
[/quote]

Congress is in the process of dropping subsidies for ethanol fuel, but no mentioning of dropping the mandatory 10% ethanol addition into gas. That means we the consumers are going to see higher fuel cost since non-ethanol fuel is non-existent by law. Corn price is going to hike once this subsidy is gone.


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## wolverine

Tangooutback said:


> Seems Tundra MPG is all over the spectrum. During the warmer months I get 17.5 - 18 around town.In the winter it drops to around 16. It drops to about 15 when I hit the interstate cause we always have wind in SD and I'm too impatient to go 65. I set cruise about 78.


My winter mileage drops also, right about the time the vendors switch to the "winter formula" gas. More oxygenation or something like that. *I get better mileage out of non ethanol fuel also.*

JR
[/quote]

Congress is in the process of dropping subsidies for ethanol fuel, but no mentioning of dropping the mandatory 10% ethanol addition into gas. That means we the consumers are going to see higher fuel cost since non-ethanol fuel is non-existent by law. Corn price is going to hike once this subsidy is gone.
[/quote]

You can still get ethanol free gasoline for off road use. My neighbor delivers it to farmers and marinas. I get it for my atv's, tractor, boat, and snowmobiles. I believe that the percentage of ethanol for on road use is going up to 15%, which will make our gas milage even worse.


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## Bob in Virginia

But my diesel is still 100% diesel, glad it isn't messed with...yet.


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## Tangooutback

wolverine said:


> Seems Tundra MPG is all over the spectrum. During the warmer months I get 17.5 - 18 around town.In the winter it drops to around 16. It drops to about 15 when I hit the interstate cause we always have wind in SD and I'm too impatient to go 65. I set cruise about 78.


My winter mileage drops also, right about the time the vendors switch to the "winter formula" gas. More oxygenation or something like that. *I get better mileage out of non ethanol fuel also.*

JR
[/quote]

Congress is in the process of dropping subsidies for ethanol fuel, but no mentioning of dropping the mandatory 10% ethanol addition into gas. That means we the consumers are going to see higher fuel cost since non-ethanol fuel is non-existent by law. Corn price is going to hike once this subsidy is gone.
[/quote]

You can still get ethanol free gasoline for off road use. My neighbor delivers it to farmers and *marinas*. I get it for my atv's, tractor, boat, and snowmobiles. I believe that the percentage of ethanol for on road use is going up to 15%, which will make our gas milage even worse.
[/quote]

I wish that is true around here in Texas. Ethanol fuel is killing my outboard motor.


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## 1jeep

My previous truck was an 07 tundra with the 5.7 and it had enough power to move my trailer, howver like other 1/2 ton trucks it fell short on cargo capacity.

However looking back i will never return to a non diesel 1/2 ton as long as i have a trailer of this size. Current truck does a much better job, but i do know the trailer is back there so dont believe all the stories from diesel owners making claim that they forget they have a trailer when towing.


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## e5b

I tow with a Ram 3500 SRW with the Cummins diesel. Pricey but now we have the option to upgrade and pull just about anything we want.

Before we got this TV we used a GMC Yukon to pull the E4. After several trips I knew I wanted a 3/4 or bigger. It just makes for much easier towing.

On a side note: with the exhaust brake and tow/haul mode stopping is a non issue. Very little braking is required


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## Up State NY Camper

Insomniak said:


> Well, we love our Tundra. We have a 2007 5.7 with the TRD package. The 25RS was like it wasn't there, and the tow/haul was fantastic down a 9 percent grade. We took the 28KRS from NH to Wyoming 3 summers ago, through the Rockies without a question. Now we pull a fiver and we're getting the same mileage as the 28. Bottom line for us is that the Tundra has been everything we could have wanted. It's especially fun passing other trucks up a grade @ 65.
> 
> Diesels are foreign to us, so can't comment. From our experience, the Tundra will be plenty of truck for what you're looking to do. Oh, and it's nice to drive when you're not towing as well. Gets about 18 mpg not towing, 8-10 towing.
> 
> Best of luck!


Argghh!! I just can't believe you get 18mpg when not towing! I couldn't get 18mpg in my Tundra even with the engine turned off, and sitting in my driveway. The best I've ever been able to do was 15-15.5mpg on the highway. City driving is always around 10-11mpg and towing is consistently 8-9mpg. The Tundra is a good truck, but it drinks gas like a camel at an oasis.
[/quote]

Our Sequoia gets about 15 too. I blame it on the 4.3 axle. But I knew that goig in.

__
Image uploading. Refresh page to view


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## Tangooutback

Bob in Virginia said:


> But my diesel is still 100% diesel, glad it isn't messed with...yet.


They did mess with it with the new ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. This new fuel lacks lubrication necessary for diesel engine. I was told diesel engines designed after 2007 no longer need the extra lubricants but those before that year would pre-maturely wear out with this new ULSD fuel.

I add 2-stroke motor oil to my fuel tank at every fill up to make up for the lack of built-in lubricant. The engine sounds a lot smoother with the 2-stroke motor oil. When cooking oil is on sale I buy a dozen gallons and add to the tank for lubrication.


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## jaeson7

Thank you all for your suggestions. I was really torn between the reliability and reputation of a Toyota. I test drove them all. Tundra, cummins, powerstroke, duramax. As nice as the tundra was it was just as expensive as some of the diesels I was looking at. In the end. I couldn't argue with the power, longevity and mpg of a diesel. I ended up buying a 2007 duramax crew cab LTZ. $30000. Some of the tundras I looked at with all the bells and whistles were the same price. I will get my vehicle next week and look forward to taking it out.


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## Bob in Virginia

Congrats, I am sure you will love it. You might want to look at dieselplace.com, a forum for duramax owners.


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## Duanesz

Im towing a 06 25rss with a 2000 f-250 with a diesel. I came from a 03 150 its night and day. I just came from London Ky to Pigeon Forge Tenn today and I got 10.5mpg and I was not being easy on it. The only hill I could not pull in overdrive was Jellico right at the Tenn border. I do have a different set of injectors exhaust etc. Coming from Detroit to London Ky before it got real hilly I got 12mpg thats pretty flat up until Lexington KY. Thats between 65-70mph.


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## luverofpeanuts

jaeson7 said:


> I ended up buying a 2007 duramax crew cab LTZ. $30000. Some of the tundras I looked at with all the bells and whistles were the same price. I will get my vehicle next week and look forward to taking it out.


Congrats!!!... pretty logical decision if the price points were that close. I think the only thing you'll miss is the smoother ride of the Tundra when not towing. A small price to pay, IMHO.

And I'd bet the crew cab duramax will have at least 1000 pounds more in payload capacity than the double or crew cab Tundra... probably more (esp if a 3500 ).


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## 1jeep

jaeson7 said:


> Thank you all for your suggestions. I was really torn between the reliability and reputation of a Toyota. I test drove them all. Tundra, cummins, powerstroke, duramax. As nice as the tundra was it was just as expensive as some of the diesels I was looking at. In the end. I couldn't argue with the power, longevity and mpg of a diesel. I ended up buying a 2007 duramax crew cab LTZ. $30000. Some of the tundras I looked at with all the bells and whistles were the same price. I will get my vehicle next week and look forward to taking it out.


first off congrats on the new truck. However i dont think toyota is built any better than other brands! 
Granted my tundra was an 07 model, but it was a disaster for me with issues ranging from tailgates falling apart to engine water pump replacement. It turned out to be the worse truck i owned, but i give toyota credit, everytime i pulled in the fixed it with no questions asked.


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## jaeson7

Finally got by new pickup. Our first outing will be labor day weekend. I just finished installing a break controller to the pickup. I found this to be much more difficult than on my 2004 GMC Sierra 1500. In my old pick up all I had to do was plug in the connectors. On my new pick up I had to find the wires under the dash. Manually connect. Drill holes to mount the controller (in my old pick up there was already holes to mount the bracket) find the power distribution wires under the hood, connect to fuse box and add a 40amp fuse. Luckilly there was pretty detailed instructions out on the web. Aside from all that I love my pickup so far, but haven't really taken it out. I will keep you all posted. I'm also interested in what my MPG's will be towing and driving.


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## jaeson7

Another question I have is now that I have a Diesel pickup to pull with should I still use a weight distribution hitch and sway bar? I'm assuming that I would still use the sway bar, but now sure about the WDH.


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## CamperAndy

jaeson7 said:


> Another question I have is now that I have a Diesel pickup to pull with should I still use a weight distribution hitch and sway bar? I'm assuming that I would still use the sway bar, but now sure about the WDH.


Yes you should still use the WDH and sway control.


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