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.
2009-2010 Truck Maximum Tow Rating Guide – Part Two
Last week, we listed off all the maximum tow ratings for 2009 and 2010 half-ton trucks. The ratings ranged everywhere from 6,000 lbs to 11,300…and most manufacturers ratings are inconsistent. Ford’s 5.4L F150, for example, is rated anywhere from 7,700 lbs to 11,300 lbs depending on the presence of a tow package. That’s a difference of 46% for the same engine – how can this be?
There's something fishy about manufacturer's maximum trailer tow ratings.
There are a lot of factors that go into determining a truck’s tow rating, but generally speaking we can boil all the factors that determine maximum trailer tow ratings down to five categories:
Why Do People Buy Pickup Trucks?
A few weeks ago we showed that the demand for pickup trucks may not be all that related to gas prices. By looking at historical fuel pricing data and comparing it to sales data, we showed there’s little to no correlation between gas prices and sales. We also did some basic math to show that, for many consumers, the additional monthly cost of operating a pickup truck (when compared to a compact car) is affordable.
If our analysis is true – if truck sales really aren’t influenced by gasoline prices – the question becomes, why? Why do pickup trucks continue to sell despite their higher fuel costs?
2009-2010 Truck Maximum Tow Rating Guide – Part One
Maximum tow ratings are like diet pill claims – they all promise the world, and they all come with one of these – “*” – an asterisk. We’ll explore maximum tow ratings and what they mean in a two-part Maximum Tow Rating Guide. For part one, we’ll give a quick summary of the tow rating claims made by every half-ton manufacturer:
The 444 on an Amazing Show-Quality Tundra
Happy Labor Day! Since we’re out and about enjoying our weekend, we’re going to skip our normal attempt at a newsworthy blog post and serve you up some eye-candy instead – 444’s 2007 Double Cab Tundra. Enjoy!
Question: What’s 88″ tall, black, and weighs 5,000 pounds?
444's 2007 Tundra Limited Double Cab with HID fog lights ON
Answer: 444’s Tundra.
This show-quality Tundra has enough electronics to satisfy any member of the Geek Squad, and the truck just oozes over-the-top, in-your-face personality…kind of like a cross between a Dodge Viper, Lil’ Kim, and a sledgehammer (or something like that).
Here’s more info about the truck.
Shawn’s Kickin’ 07 Tundra Crew – Featured Vehicle
Shawn sent us some photos of his 2007 Tundra CrewMax a few months ago, and somehow they fell off the table. We want to publicly apologize to Shawn for forgetting about this for so long…this truck is cool.
Shawn's 2007 Tundra Crew with a Pro Comp Stage II lift, RPB wheels, and a lot of high end stereo equipment
Here’s what Shawn has done to his Tundra:
