This post is about a truck I saw sitting at the dealer:
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I just saw a new Toyota Tundra "Rock Warrior" edition.
( This one was the CrewMax model which has colossal room in the
rear seating area. )
It was $ 46,500, of which $ 3,300 gets you the Rock Warrior package.
It was a 2009 model.
I surfed the web looking for a truck like the one I saw and could not
find a good example. I had never seen "this model" before, and I
didn't see any "specific" reviews on the web.
It "sort of resembles" the photos below, except with 33 inch off-road
tires on 17 inch
rims, and a few more inches of ground clearance ( dealer lift-kit ? ),
and a heavy-duty step-rail along the side, ( not a rock-rail ).
http://images6.ecarlist.com/photos/1738/88073/640/00.jpg
http://photos.leftlanenews.com/photos/cars/imageresizeronfly/phpThumb.php?src=/photos/cars/toyota/toyota-tundra-crewmax-3.jpg
http://photos.leftlanenews.com/photos/cars/imageresizeronfly/phpThumb.php?src=/photos/cars/toyota/toyota-tundra-crewmax-1.jpg
It had a big "Rock Warrior" label on the bed, which you pay a whole
lot of money for.
The truck I looked at, which probably had some dealer added
accessories was impressive looking.
However, the plastic skirt on the front was cheezier than on their
regular 4x4 model, so there is likely an option to fix that defect.
( Most off-roaders will immediately remove it, before they go anywhere.)
The rear tow connection is called "integrated hitch connection." It
hung low and
would not be good for off-roading, and removing it looked very difficult and
very impractical. Looked ideal for towing something really big and heavy.
There are only 2 skid plates, one under the front approach angle, and the other
on the bottom of the plastic gas tank, but they were just thin metal sheets.
There was not enough skid plating, like what you would expect on a
real off-road vehicle.
It has large rear disc brakes. What do you think about rear disc
brakes on a Speleotruck ?
It had a sticker that said "Made in Texas," on the rear window, and an
large green E85 badge on the
tailgate.
Although it had nearly 11 inches or more of ground clearance, it was so long
that the middle would be dragging on all kinds of humps on a good off-road
drive, like going up to Conrado Castillo.
If I ever can afford another truck, I would like one to take up into
the remote areas of the Sierra
Madres; however, I can't imagine doing that in a truck that I owe $
46,000 plus on.
Here are some possible specs for the off-roaders:
Axle ratio: 4.30:1
Transfer case low range: 2.618:1
Crawl ratio: 37.52:1 ( six-speed automatic )
I think you the electronic roll-down rear window is standard, and
there is also an optional sun-roof.
I think the rear seats recline, so rear passengers can snooze comfortably.
The truck I saw probably only got 10 mpg on a good day.
Personally, if I had $ 46,000 plus to spend on a truck, I would want a
nicer truck,
but the one that I saw was one of the finer looking trucks I have ever
laid my eyes on,
and some of the defects could be fixed with money.
The off-road forums have said the "Rock Warrior" label is just
marketing hype and
should be called "Pavement Warrior." I agree with that, but still
would like one.
It would not be fair to review this truck and not mention that Dodge
has had a similar
and much more rugged truck on the market for at least 2 years, the
2007 Dodge PowerWagon,
which had a much better off-road package. But I haven't seen one
of those on the road in
a long time. And the Powerwagon did not come in the luxurious
Tundra CrewMax trim.
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/1345/2801/28361400053_large.jpg
David Locklear
Ref:
http://www.fourwheeler.com/roadtests/129_0908_2010_toyota_tundra_v8_engine_review/index.html
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