since the Yukon thread had a lot of us comparing tow rigs i figured id put up the actual numbers on my truck after a full year of pulling a bass boat around. 2018 Toyota Tundra SR5 double cab, 5.7 V8, 4x4, 72k on it when i bought it, one owner. found it on boonvilleautosales.com last fall when my old truck finally rusted through a brake line and i decided i wanted something dry out of central missouri instead of another salted northern truck.
asked the boonville lot for the history and they actually had it, the truck was a one owner trade with real service records. paid a mobile guy in the columbia area to look it over before i wired anything, and the only things he flagged were the front brake pads at about half worn and one tow mirror motor that was slow to fold. neither was a deal breaker on a truck priced about 7 grand under the toyota stores near me.
ran it hard all year pulling the bass boat to stockton and pomme de terre and truman. here is what it actually cost me to keep it going, for anybody trying to budget a used half ton tow rig:
- Front brake pads (known going in)$210
- Oil changes, three of them$240
- Set of trailer tires and a bearing repack$560
- Unplanned mechanical repairs$0
that is the whole year. no check engine, no shop surprises. the tow mirror freed up on its own once it got worked a few times, never spent a dime on it. for what a comparable Tundra was bringing at a dealer i am way ahead even counting the trailer tires.