Just wanted to share an experience I had last night at Toyota of Plano.

My Inferior American vehicle had an unexpected fuel pump failure with only $235K miles on it and it cost $800 to fix (I'm only kidding.. I'm really impressed and love my Expedition 4x4).

But repairs on my vehicles would make several monthly payments on a new truck. I have looked at the Ford Ecoboost, and almost purchased one, but local dealership failed to provide it to me (in July) when I would have wanted to use it most (towing down to Islamorada and back). That EcoBoost will rip the axles off my boat (over 4,000 lbs ) trailer with the incredible torque.

I have no doubt that Tunda has excellent reliability.

Everyone that I know who owns a Toyota Tundra (including my brother) loves those trucks. They ride and tow well, but would they have the ability to tow my next dream boat (after kids get out of college). We have seen the commercials about the Tundra towing the space shuttle, and someone looking to tow his boat ("that's me"). I called Toyota of Plano, and they boast that these trucks can tow 15,000 lbs, and it towed the 140+ ton space shuttle in California (How is that possible? "it had to use 4-wheel drive"LOL!!), and this salesman claims to have actually towed a trailer with 13 Harley motor-bikes, with another 2 bikes in the back of the truck, delivering around to dealers around the country. Then continues to boast that Ford builds their trucks in Mexico, while his trucks are built in San Antonio (bashing an American vehicle is a big turn-off).

I comment, that I have seen many large (32+ - 11k to 12k lbs) boats towed, mostly by Ford F-250, F-350, 2500 Chevy's, Dodge trucks, but NEVER see a large boat hooked up to a Tundra. I believe that I have only seen smaller boats (including my brothers 17' Shearwater CC) towed by these 5.7 Liter Tundras. If they can tow the space shuttle, shouldn't they be able to tow a much lighter 32' Fountain?

I was asked to test drive a 2013 Texas Edition Max Cab with 4x4, although I expressed that I wanted a 2-wheel drive limited slip. He claimed that the 4x4 increases the amount you can tow ('BING' - BS), after we returned, and while he worked with a sales manager to locate the vehicle I wanted, they would bring out stats on the trucks, but none of them stated GVWR (Ford always provided that in their stats sheet). I believe they were editing those specs off the sheet before printing and bringing it to me. I asked for something that provided the color options for both internal/external, and was provided the 2013 brochure, while I waited for him to bring a 2-wheel drive truck around to test drive. That provided me the time to find that the max vehicle tow for this truck is only 10,400 lbs (5.7 Liter with 2-wheel drive). I'm guessing that the 1/4 mile that the Toyota was hitched up to the Space shuttle, the trailer was actually running on electric motors.

The look on the salesperson face when I pointed that out was memorable. How can these tow a spaceship (He never called it the space shuttle) that weighs 140 tons?

I'm sticking with American trucks (still like the Diesel Excursions), but they are aging as fast as my Expy.

Interesting story. I love how they flash it can tow a space shuttle.

I just bought a F150 ecoboost last week (after being a Chevy guy) and I love it. It tows great!

That space shuttle commercial is the dumbest thing i have ever seen, lol. I laugh everytime i see it. If thats not a huge leap to sell a truck i dont know what is.

I want to see those huge brakes on that Toyota that they boast so much about try to stop a space shuttle at a 5 mph roll!!! That would be funny!

Two of my friends Were GM guys true and blue. They both have Ford Trucks for the first time in their life , yes it's the Ecoboost

They wouldn't go but a couple blocks in a Toyota and would have to be pulling into a gas station to refuel.

Wouldn`t think that would be enough truck to tow a boat 25ft +safely..won`t even mention gas milage?????????????

I can't help but think if that Toyota could actually pull the space shuttle at over 200k pounds then why build semi's? Lets just stick a 5th wheel in the bed of the Tundra!. I drove a truck with a trailer permitted for 110k and with a 450 horse detroit diesel and it took abit to build speed especially climbing steep hills so yes the commercial is most certainly BS.

My family members hauled autos in the teamsters from 1972-2008 and my dad hauled them also. Ford trucks are built in the U.S. the truck plants are in Kansas, st. Louis and Norfolk Va. Hey I have had Ford work trucks all my life and so has other construction company's. You ever notice how they put there uaw plant location sticker on the windshield, or they did until recently if they stopped. Ford reputation is there trucks. Im not knocking toyota but when they show the drive shaft part on the commercial normal grade 8 bolts wouldn't hold up to that. They would have to special make those for that weight. I like the stop making simi comment if toyota could pull that kind of weight. I know people like them and they are good trucks but yea the commercial is to far out there for me.

Correct but you also have to take in account how fast the Tundra "supposedly" pulled the space shuttle. GVWR is a number that they put on trucks to show how much total weight the truck can tow and stop safely.

For instance, my truck has a max towing cap of 6,300 lbs. (cant remember my GVWR). Can my truck pull more than that? Sure it can. Safely? No, especially at 50 mph. Could my truck tow a 30,000 lbs trailer in first gear at 2-3 mph? Probably, but no way is it gonna ever shift out of 1st gear or get over 7-8 mph because of the strain on it.

Thats why the commercial is dumb. You can tow alot more than your GVWR or max towing cap with your truck at a very low speed.

Just about any towing set up truck could break the space shuttle loose, but I wanna see one stop it!

I'd still like to see it. My boat weighs about 2500 pounds. So at 165k pounds, that's 66 of my boats hooked up to one another behind the truck. I'd be more than a little shocked if any half-ton could break that loose. I certainly could be wrong, but I'd love to see someone try either way.

Could a tundra pull 15K, heck yeah, Im sure several people have, but is it a good idea and would it hold up to it on a regular basis, probably not.

I pulled over 12k with a '94 half ton chevy with a 350... but I dont think the truck liked pulling that trencher much and I only did it twice, home from the rental place and back.

Whats worse than the space shuttle commercial is the guy asking if it could tow his boat and the lady replies "It towed the endeavor at 200k lbs, how much does your boat weigh?" That commercial drives me nuts! He obviously wants something that can pull his boat safely and at speeds over 5mph, and stop it. Those needs are not comparible to breaking a space shuttle loose. a;lsdkjfas;ldkjf!!!!!

+1

if it actually did, ten bucks says the torque converter was toast by the quarter mile mark, and if it weren't the TC it was the gear clutches