The payload capacity on the tundra was a big deterrent for myself. The box is light just like my Titan. It depends what you use it for. I am looking for something that can be used as work truck so I need the larger heavier frame.
They are great trucks, but I big to differ that they have a more solid frame than a Chev
I agree the payload could have been better but 1600lbs is plenty for the majority of people, unless you are hauling gravel constantly. The titan could have been better in so many ways but Nissan just didn’t have the money to invest in the truck, too small of a market share.
And if your talking about putting on a workbox, then it should really be a 3/4 ton truck or better, not a half ton as they just aren’t designed for it.
But to make a truck buying decision on just a couple inches of interior room seems a bit odd (unless you are Shaquille O'neill in which case I fully understand), when so many more important factors are at play.
Also I never argued the frame was more solid, base off your "made of tin" comment I was looking for some sort of justification for that statement. Simply because other manufacturers including chev had major rust issues spanning multiple models over multiple generations. Toyota did as well and I mentioned that to keep it on the level and fair.
Reality is a half ton truck has a frame suitable for a half ton truck, simple as that. However if you are stating that the Chevy frame is more solid or stronger, then there needs to be facts and numbers included with that statement otherwise its just an opinion, as when it comes to making judgements only facts and figures matter not opinions and hearsay.
The truth is all the frames are built solid now, its not like we are hearing about frames snapping in half due to weakness, they are all engineered beyond what they are rated for, the only time the snap is due to rust. As a note of interest Toyota actually moved away from fully boxed frames due to their tendency to retain dirt and moisture causing rust and potential frame failures, Ford just started fully boxing their f150 frames in 2015(?), it will be interesting to see how that develops.
Having multiple relatives and friends with trucks and being a engineer/mechanic myself I have seen what maintenance is like for all of our trucks, and out of everyone I know, I have put more miles on my truck, towed more often (weekly towing boats of various weights and sizes) and spent more time off road, With the least amount of repairs or unexpected maintenance.
In 350k and 8 years of ownership from new I have had to do the following:
-replace 2 alternators (regularly drive through water)
-2 hitch plugs due to corrosion (regularly back into water)
-1 wiper motor (covered under warranty)
-4 sets of tires
-3 sets of brakes (pads and rotors)
-1 tail light (bloody tree)
-1 drivers side window and the back window due to a bear wanting lunch
-Swapped the headlight bulbs for LED because why not
-regular maintenance of oil/filters/plugs at factory set intervals.
-replace rear leaf spring bushings (just done last week)
-I even pulled the injectors and sent them for testing at 300k and they came back with no need for refresh.
every part of the steering and suspension are still tight, wheel bearings have no play and are still perfect, CV's are still working perfect no play, never had any issue with the 4wd, shocks are still working fine and no leaks, AC still works perfect with no recharge, every bit of electronics still works, engine doesn’t have a dip of oil coming from anywhere and neither do the diffs, transfer case, transmission. doesn’t eat oil, I have beat the crap out of the interior loading tools in and out (carry roughly 500lbs of tools everywhere at all times and) its still holding up, I regularly load the bed full of wood (logs) or buckets/barrels of oil, load in engines/outdrives/propellers, spend hours on logging roads (sometimes barely recognizable) going to remote fishing areas.
I’ve had Ford and Chev trucks before and so has my father, I’ve had Jeeps, and at one point my daily driver work truck was a M54 6x6 and 3 ton Hino that I spliced together into a 6x6 off road monstrosity that could drive over highway medians (Michelin XZL 52” tires helped out with that). But now we both own tundras, we both tow regularly, Load up the tucks with gear and drive long distances to remote locations, and we get to do this while we enjoy the blissful reliability, we have never looked back.
When it comes down to it, its pretty had to say the base level engineering of any truck is markedly better than the next, because a lot of that is now determined by minimum safety standards, which is why no review will ever include the breaking strength of the frames, or crush resistance of body panels. What it really come down to is the finite engineering that makes the difference long term, it determines the cost of operation/maintenance and reliability/longevity.