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.
New Accessory Review System
We’re happy to announce a new system for reviewing accessories that allows everyone to contribute their opinion – please take a moment to check it out:
The new TundraHeadquarters.com accessory review system
You can find it by clicking on the “Tundra Accessories” link in the menu bar or by clicking on the “Tundra Accessory Reviews” link in the drop-down menu.
This system is brand new and relatively un-tested. SO – if you find something that’s broken, or something that doesn’t look right, please let us know.
Also, if you don’t see a part or accessory that you’d like to review, please send us a quick note and tell us what you’d like to see us add.
Finally, if you haven’t done so already, please leave a review for your favorite parts. Sharing your opinion will help all Tundra owners figure out what parts they should or should not buy. Your opinion counts!
Special thanks to Cache for your development work and Justin for helping us get this thing up and running – we really appreciate all your efforts.
Are Diesel Truck Engines Doomed?
For as long as I can remember, truck enthusiasts have been clamoring for a half-ton diesel. Diesel engines offer a lot of advantages over gasoline motors, many of which truck owners find particularly appealing.
Diesel truck advantages:
- Diesel is more efficient. Depending on who you ask, diesel engines are about 30% more fuel efficient than a gasoline engine of comparable size.
- Diesel engines are heavy on torque. Diesel engines provide gobs of torque at very low RPMs – much more than a typical gas motor.
- Diesel engines run a very long time. Your typical diesel truck engine will run 200k miles minimum before a problem develops. For gasoline engines, 120k miles is a more realistic “no problems” life span.
Of course, it’s not all roses and horsepower with diesels – here’s a few reasons diesels aren’t better than gasoline:
2000 Tundra With 415k Miles On Original Motor
Here’s a good story about a 1st-gen Tundra that will get your motor going. Mark, who is from Northern Minnesota (the land of extreme conditions) has a 2000 Toyota Tundra with 415k miles on the original motor and transmission.
62k mile 2003 Toyota Tundra Shows 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.
UPDATE (10/7/09) – NHTSA has begun investigating 2000-2001 Tundras for frame rust issues.
Last week the owner of a 2003 Toyota Tundra contacted us about significant rust on the frame of his 2003 Toyota Tundra. If the pictures aren’t shocking enough, the owner says the vehicle only has 62k miles:
“Have 2003 Tundra with rusted out frame and 62,000 miles. I can’t adjust alignment because the frame has fused with those parts. So much for my new tires. Cross members are also shot as well as rear bumper attachments. I love the truck, it’s just that it is now worthless and dangerous in this condition. Two years ago the gas filler pipe rusted out – what gives?”
This 2003 Tundra has 62k miles and significant frame rust.
The stark contrast between the rust on the frame and the nearly rust-free underside of the body panels is quite telling.
Search terms people used to find this page:
- Toyota tundra rust
Truck Bed Liners: 7 Tips For Buying The Right One
Bed liners might be the most popular truck accessory of all time. Truck owners love them for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is their role in protecting the shiny factory finish inside the truck bed. If you’re a new truck owner thinking about getting a bed liner, here are 7 truck bed liner buying tips for you:
