What truck to get next

Shadyapex

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
203
Location
Bishop, CA
Hi all, new member here and glad to have found this forum.
I have a FWC Eagle and I currently have it on a '97 Tacoma. I'm starting to look for a new truck and I'd like to find something a little heavier as the camper makes that Tacoma's handling a bit heavy. I'm considering a later Tacoma or a Tundra and would love to hear other's experiences with these models and an Eagle. Thanks in advance,,,,,,
 
You might want to wait until the new 2015 Chevy Colorado comes out. It will be light years ahead of the current Tacoma. There's a thread in the truck section that discusses it.
 
The extra power in the newer Tacomas is welcome. Mileage is 14 - 17 mpg with the camper. Air bags are a good idea as are heavier tires and an extra leaf on the rear. The newer Tacomas are about the size of the Gen 1 Tundras, so they are larger than your '97. As for the newer Colorado, I'll wait and see. The Tacomas have a history you can refer to, new models of any make don't. Call me careful.
 
Thanks guys, I worked on cars for several years and am a pretty committed Toyota driver.
Argo, how is the sway in your '06 when you're on rough, uneven terrain? I'm getting tired of the pretty strong lurching back and forth when I encounter large one wheel bumps.
I have air bags installed and can't imagine using the '97 without some rear suspension upgrade.
Really trying to decide between a new Tacoma and a recent Tundra. Cheers,,,,,,
 
I have a 2005 tundra and it handles my 2013 Hawk like it is hardly there. I have great power and I am getting 14 mpg. My truck loaded up but no water weighs 6700 pounds. I use air bags and 10 ply tires.
 
idahoron said:
I have a 2005 tundra and it handles my 2013 Hawk like it is hardly there. I have great power and I am getting 14 mpg. My truck loaded up but no water weighs 6700 pounds. I use air bags and 10 ply tires.
Same here 2005 Tundra TRD, 2013 Hawk. Only difference with my old 2002 Hawk I got 15 1/2 MPG @ 65 mph.. Did use a wing in front of the camper. Have not taken a long trip with the new Hawk yet.

1+Ready+to+hit+the+road.JPG
 
A bargain truck is a king cab 05-13 nissan fontier, go for the 6 speed and with ome leafs it would ride like a dream.
 
If you didn't need to put the Eagle on it, I'd wait to see the new Dodge Ram's coming out with a smaller diesel engine. Supposed to get around 28+mpg on the freeway and you'd get some great torque with it on a full size truck. I'll wait to see how they do before doing that though as this will be the 1st year of them (2014) and the engine is not from Cummins.
 
kmcintyre said:
If you didn't need to put the Eagle on it, I'd wait to see the new Dodge Ram's coming out with a smaller diesel engine. Supposed to get around 28+mpg on the freeway and you'd get some great torque with it on a full size truck. I'll wait to see how they do before doing that though as this will be the 1st year of them (2014) and the engine is not from Cummins.
Now that sounds like it could lure me away from my trusty Toyotas! Mileage and ability would be a great combo.
 
I tried the rest and I am now a Toyota or nothing kind of guy. I have 5 toys right now.
 
I had a 2006 Tacoma 4x4, 4 cyl manual transmission when I started looking at campers. I loved that truck and thought I would never sell it. While there were few with FWC's with similar trucks, it did sound marginal so I started looking for a V6 Tacoma. I ended up finding a 2006 Tundra V8 with 35k miles for $19k, about the same as a newer used V6 Tacoma, so I got it. Now it was time to pick a camper, and I went with a Fleet thinking if anything ever happened to my Tundra I would never go up in truck size, but back to a Tacoma if I couldn't find another of the gen 1 Tundra's. So, if you're a Toyota guy, as am I, a gen 1 Tundra with V8 is something to really consider. About the same price as a used newer Tacoma, essentially the same mpg, but the v8 is great and silky smooth.
 
Well, I just picked up a spanking new '14 Tacoma! I'll need to get some new mounts for the Eagle as well as some jackstand extensions and fit the plug in. But I still need to decide what suspension upgrades to do.
On the '97 Tacoma I used Firestone air springs and they seemed to do pretty well considering I was asking a lot of it.
Any input on what I might need with the new rig? I'm considering super springs or air bags. I'd love to not worry about air bag blow outs but I do run the truck without the camper quite a lot and the ability to adjust the ride height seems like a good thing.
Love to hear what has worked for others with a similar rig. Cheers,,,,,,
 
I went with Firestone airbags and have no issues even with lots of trips out to the Racetrack in Death Valley. I have read of lots of complaints about broken bolts, but I went to a suspension shop who installed them. They said if installed correctly you are not likely to have a problem, he has done 1000's and never had a broken bolt. E rated tires are also impt.

I see you are in Bishop - my favorite place! Done lots of climbing and hiking in the area since the 70's.
 
DonC said:
I see you are in Bishop - my favorite place! Done lots of climbing and hiking in the area since the 70's.
Yup, I'm lucky to live here. Spend a fair amount of time in DV, too. The Firestone bags on my '97 Tacoma seemed to work well although I'm glad to have a slightly larger truck now.
The eyebolts that secured the Eagle to the '97 are actually starting to deform, and pull through, the bed. Lots of rocking and lurching on those lovely "roads" in and out of Saline, etc.
 
Hi Shady, Glad you got the Tacoma as the Eagle won't fit in the Gen 2 Tundra with out putting plywood or a ladder frame between the camper bottom and the bed because it has higher bed rails. When I ordered my 2012 I ordered it to fit the second gen Tacoma as the bed rails are 3 "higher than the old '99. (Second Gen Tacoma only 2" wider and 10" shorter than the Gen one Tundra)

I would advise air bags if you plan to remove the camper because you can soften the ride. I opted to upgrade the springs because mine is bolted on full time.

You will have a much better ride because the rear springs are longer than your '97. There are no bad manners in handling. I don't use a wing in front because the oncoming trucks " wave of air" doesn't affect handling (perhaps because it is bolted down?) So far no problems with cross-winds either ( I drive HWY 395 a lot). Rides easier on Washboard roads too. I took the South pass into the "springs in October with 35 pounds air in tires,,,,and it was a comfortable (if slow ride).
 
Thanks again Jim, I've been using the air springs on the '97 and I think I'll do as you suggest on the '14 as well. I do use the truck without the camper mounted quite a bit and you're right that the adjustability is nice.
FWC tells me that I might have to raise the camper a bit though, we'll see how much.
 
OME leaf springs are a good alternative to airbags. They will make your truck ride like a truck, which is a good thing. I have the heavy duty set and I'm pretty happy.
 

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