In the run-up to 30,000 miles, a new tonneau cover and 500-plus miles of driving range showed us how the Tundra can be a long-haul hero.

30,000-Mile Update

It's no secret that the current crop of full-size pickups has become comically large compared with those from not so long ago. That has led some to question whether all of the 1.5 million people in the U.S. who bought one last year truly needed it. But as the past few months with our Tundra have shown, a half-ton pickup isn't just for hauling big payloads or towing heavy trailers. It can be great for road tripping too.
While a full-size pickup might not be our first choice for long highway slogs when traveling solo, the Tundra CrewMax is currently one of only two vehicles in our long-term fleet that has enough space for five people to comfortably make a long journey. That's exactly why testing director Dave VanderWerp chose it for an 1800-plus-mile roundtrip with his family, traveling from southeast Michigan to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. And it proved to be a long-haul hero.


VanderWerp's family adventure was hardly the first time we drove the Tundra across multiple state lines, but it was among the first with the new bed cover installed. The RetraxONE MX tonneau cover cost $1550 and turns the truck's five-foot-five-inch cargo box into a massive trunk. The polycarbonate lid manually retracts into a cannister at the front of the bed. While it's lockable and easy to use, the cannister does protrude into the cargo bed by more than a foot, although the open space below it allows long items like lumber to use the entire length of the floor.

Most importantly, the tonneau cover kept VanderWerp's luggage dry during various downpours on his journey, although he noted that water beads dropped into the bed when he opened the cover. Still, the bolt-on accessory is a big reason the Tundra has become a road-trip all-star, as it helps preserve people space in the generously sized cabin. VanderWerp says he didn't hear a single complaint on the trip—at least not about the truck's comfort. Which is about the best you can hope for.


We might have hoped for better gas mileage from our Tundra hybrid pickup, which after 30,000 miles is still averaging 17 mpg. It got 18 mpg on the trip to South Carolina and back, respectable for a full-size truck at interstate-highway speeds. However, that's far thirstier than most other family-friendly alternatives like, say, our recent long-term Toyota Sienna hybrid, which managed 33 mpg on our 75-mph highway real-world test. Then again, the Sienna can't tow an 11,000-pound trailer or handle 1600 pounds of payload.

The crew-cab Tundra 4x4 can do both, and thanks to its enormous 32.2-gallon fuel tank, it can easily go 500 miles or more on the highway between fill-ups. Associate news editor Caleb Miller was happy to report that it only needed one fuel stop while traveling over 600 miles from Ann Arbor to his ancestral home in Brooklyn.

Young Miller also noted that the Tundra's driver's seat was supportive and didn't cause fatigue. As for maneuvering the nearly 20-foot-long Toyota in NYC? Let's just say that was more stressful, accompanied by the incessant beeps triggered by objects constantly threatening the parking sensors. When, after an extended search, Miller finally found parking, the previously annoying sensors, along with the bird's-eye-view camera and the digital rearview mirror, came to the rescue, helping him parallel-park the Tundra without a scratch.


We managed to wedge the Tundra's fifth service visit in among all the road trips that took place between 20,000 and 30,000 miles. This visit was outside of Toyota's standard two-year/25,000-mile complimentary service period, so we had to foot the $183 bill, which included an inspection and an oil and filter change. We also got a second key fob, gratis, as Toyota originally only provided one due to the global semiconductor shortage. We declined the tire rotation, as we performed the rotation ourselves after an out-of-spec alignment prematurely wore the front tires and required $625 to replace them. The truck's sixth service visit, at 30,000 miles, cost us quite a bit more. Along with filter replacements and the normal oil change, the $785 charge included replacing the fluids in the transfer case and both differentials. They also correctly aligned the front wheels at no cost considering we had them perform the previous work.

Shortly before the Tundra cracked the 30K milestone, we fitted it with a set of knobby General Grabber A/TX all-terrain tires. The rubber quartet costs about $1340 on Tire Rack. The Generals definitely make the truck look tougher, but we'll have to see how else they affect the Tundra over the final 10,000 miles of this long-term test. If the past few months are any guide, the Tundra will be swallowing those miles in big gulps.

Months in Fleet: 9 months Current Mileage: 30,012 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 17 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 32.2 gal Observed Fuel Range: 540 miles
Service: $1238 Normal Wear: $0 Repair:$0
Damage and Destruction: $180