Author Archive for Jason Lancaster
Jason Lancaster is the editor and founder of TundraHeadquarters.com. He has nearly a decade of experience on the retail side of the auto industry, and another decade of experience of the part and accessory side of the industry.
IFW BedSlide – No More Crawling In Bed
Pickup trucks are often hauling gear. Big pickup beds are great for cargo of all shapes and sizes, but they’re not always ergonomically friendly when it’s time to load or unload. Gear placed in a long, deep box is hard to reach for all but the tallest people, and many of us find ourselves jumping (or crawling if we have a topper) into the truck bed to retrieve it. At the end of the day, crawling around or jumping in and out of the bed is usually felt in the lower back and shoulders.
IFW's BedSlide is like a big heavy-duty dresser drawer for your truck bed.
Fortunately, ingenuity has come to the rescue. IFW has a slick truck bed accessory that really should be a factory option. Called the BedSlide, it’s a sliding floor panel that mounts in your truck bed and does exactly what it sounds like it does
10 Features and Improvements Needed On the Next Generation Tundra
Toyota typically redesigns their vehicles on a 5 year cycle, meaning that the next generation Tundra is due out in just a couple of years. We’ve been told that a diesel Tundra isn’t on the to-do list anytime before 2012 (not until the truck market “recovers” – whatever that means), and that hybrid and HD Tundras still seem to be a few years off (think 2015).
Toyota should copy the Ram Box feature on the next-generation Tundra.
However, there are going to be some enhancements in the next-gen truck. We don’t know what all of those enhancements will be, but here are some suggestions for features and changes that Toyota should include in the next-gen Tundra (feel free to comment to add to the list).
TunDrop 2008 Tundra – Doing The Truck Show Circuit
Most of our featured Tundras are street rides with some custom extras. Lately, however, we’ve been featuring Tundras that are more show trucks than street rides. Mark (aka LowRiderMan) has an 08′ Tundra Double Cab that is most definitely a show truck. When it comes to shows, there’s not much importance on “function” per se – the mods are for show.
Check it out – and enjoy the craftsmanship and creativity. This isn’t so much a truck as it is an artwork.
We present TunDrop - a 2008 Tundra Doublecab show truck
NHTSA Investigating Tundra Frame Rust
UPDATE: As of May 2010, Toyota has extended the warranty on 2000-2003 Tundra frames. Please see Toyota Tundra Frame Replacement Program for more details.
NHTSA has officially announced a 2000-2001 Tundra frame rust investigation. According to multiple news sources, Toyota has begun to quietly replace frames and/or buy-out Tundra owners. Whether this is Toyota deciding to act in good faith or an attempt to avoid an embarrassing safety recall is hard to say, but the good news is that 2000-2001 Tundra owners with rusted frames are finally going to get consideration from Toyota.
Rusted frame on a 1st generation Tundra
Curt After-market Trailer Hitches
Considering that towing a trailer is one of the main reasons people buy pickup trucks, it’s no surprise that most trucks come with trailer hitches. However, not all trucks come with the right trailer hitch. Some auto manufacturers try and save money by installing a light-duty hitch on a heavy-duty truck. In fact, it’s not uncommon to find a new or used half-ton pickup without a hitch at all.
Fortunately, there’s an easy fix.
Class III and Class V trailer hitches from Curt Manufacturing.
Curt Manufacturing Inc, better known as Curt, is a precision builder of after-market trailer hitches. Curt uses an army of precision welders, electricians, and finishers to produce some of the highest quality tow components in the industry.
First, here’s a quick review of trailer hitch classes and weight ratings:
