Jim's 2021 TRD Sport

I bought this beauty last night! I have been waiting for quite a while to buy a new (to me) truck, and the wife and I finally pulled the trigger last night!

Unfortunately we had someone run a stop sign last week and we got into an accident, ruining our plan of waiting until next winter to pay cash for a Tundra. But, alas, here we are.




So, we decided to take the plunge and start looking for a new truck. Prices are still decently high in our area and rates aren't great, we got 6.25%, but we were able to find a beauty! Haggled the price remotely, settled at $42,198 out the door, and got a 3rd party inspection that she passed with flying colors, so we bought it!

2021 crewmax TRD Sport, she had 32,310 when we left the dealership to take the 2 hour trip home. Left with 3/8 of a tank and made it home with ease, I am going to enjoy this 38 gal tank for sure.

I am going to use this thread as a general thread about my truck. I'll discuss maintenance done, mods, and my experiences over time. I am very hopeful that this truck lasts me 20 years. If you're interested in following along, feel free!

 

First up, finding side steps for the wife and kids. May go predator steps or TRD cast aluminum. The plan is to stay with aluminum to keep these Michigan winters at bay

 

The Sport is a nice truck. Welcome aboard.

 

Enjoy your new truck. The Sport is a nice platform to build off of.

 

Made a trip to Grand Rapids to get some parts from the dealership. Got some simple mods I'll be posting about later this week.

Didn't baby the ole girl, drove her like I normally drive and was interested to see what the truck thought if get mpg wise. The trip was 35/65 highway/back roads. Set the cruise at 80 on the hwy and 64 on back roads. Impressed with the numbers, we'll see if they match at the next fill up

 

Last night I undercoated my new to me Tundra with fluid film. It was 35° last night, low 40s in my garage. Definitely had to heat that fluid film to get it moving freely. Ended up shooting 2.5 gallons into every cavity I could find. Took forever, but I am hopeful that this maintenance will allow me to keep this Tundra for a lonnnnngggg time! Def need to drop some lbs. Scooting around under the Tundra was tight for my tubby self. Lol

 

After shooting the fluid film, I installed my new Taco tunes cat shield. This thing is very solid. Love that it's aluminum, helpful for these MI winters. I don't love the back two cats being slightly exposed, but after scouting the web and not finding anyone that has had their cats stolen using this shield, I opted for the the cost effective option.

 

Installed my new aluminum predator step boards. My truck hit a deer this fall before I purchased it and the passenger predator step was removed due to damage. I was perfectly fine with it, as the price on this bad girl was $4-7k lower than any other 2020 or 2021 TRD Sport in all of MI and northern OH and IN. These things are pricey though and I was unable to find a used one anymore near me. So, bit the bullet.

 

Nice looking truck! Congrats

Another MI member too

Just had the annual Krown treatment done to my truck and my wife's truck this week also, thought about doing it myself like you did but opted to just have it done by Krown instead.

 

May I ask what they changed?

 

$160

 

Assuming they got into all the nooks and crannies along the frame, the doors, hood ,tailgate, and rocker panels, this is a fantastic price.

I way over did it, but it was my first time on the Tundra and I was very thorough. I literally took off every single plug and filled every single gap on every part of the truck. It took wayyy longer than I anticipated, but I know it was done right with a thick layer everywhere. Next yr will be much quicker

 

yep, full coverage under as well as hood/doors/tailgate/bedsides/rocker panels and A/B/C pillars.

time was the biggest factor for me. Last year I was running low on time and this year I just didn't have time at all. But I agree, I prefer doing things myself because then I know it was done right.

 

Absolutely agree, time is a massive factor. You knocked it out of the park at $160. Heck, I have $300 into setup and supplies this yr, which I thought was fantastic value, as the lowest in my area wanted $450. If $160 was an option, I would just do that every year and save my time

 

You said you're in Mid-MI right? There is a couple Krown locations South of Mt Pleasant and one in Grand Rapids, not sure how far either of those would be from you.

 

Yup. I'll be honest, idk much about Krown as a product. I called a Bay City and Midland place that advertised surface shield and/or fluid film. The prices those two gave me made or apparent that I was gna buy my own setup and do it myself

 

All good either way. I now have a couple buddies that plan to use my setup annually and they have offered to purchase the product. So from here on our, I'm covered. It will def get easier and less time consuming with each application. Cant imagine I need to hit the inside of the frame and body cavities too many more times. I filled those suckers until I saw product seeping out. Lol

 

Surface Shield and Fluid Flim/Wool Wax are all a thicker product that doesn't drip/run as much. Krown is thinner like oil and it will drip and creep into tight areas. My truck will drip for about a week or so, it does wash off cement after a few good rains but it won't come off asphalt (or so I'm told). As for which is better, depends who you ask lol. I was planning on doing exactly what you did and buy a full kit and do it myself, but I've been happy with Krown so far.

 

Gave her a quick wash to get the aerolized fluid film off her. Damn she looks good!

I do have to say I don't love the wheels. I will def be on the lookout for some limited wheels that I can powder coat gloss black, or some TRD Pro takeoffs. I may also get gloss black door handles at some point

I love this truck!!!!

 

This limited wheel in gloss black would be sexyyyy

 

Got the driver's side grab handle installed

 

Got a new battery under the b2b warranty. Next up, maintenance. Will need an oil change, both difs, and transfer case fluid changes over the next few months

Still on the prowl for some wheel take offs that I like

 

Coming along nicely there, looking good sir.

 

Thank you!

 

4k miles in and I feel like I have a solid grasp on how she rides and how efficient is(n't). Lol. Fuelly showed the avg for the Gen 2 Tundra is right around 14mpg on avg across the entire 14 years, my truck is no different.

My daily drive is roughly 45/55 in town vs highway. This truck loves to run about 64, seems to be the most efficient, but the highway speed here is 75mph and tbh, I prefer driving with traffic vs driving slower, so I typically run around 79mph on the highway.

I definitely idle quite a bit, as I live in Michigan. Typically give her about 5 minutes to warm up, and she sits for 3-5 minutes at the three stops I have for school/daycare drop offs for my kids.



First oil change is right around the corner. I do plan on getting the MotivX kit, unsure yet on the Fumoto valve.

To be continued!

 

Got over my fears of working on by far the newest, nicest vehicle I've ever owned, and changed my oil today. It went off without a hitch, thanks to the info learned here. I will likely be investing in ramps & a Fumoto valve going forward, to further ease the process

The MotivX kit was great. The funnel & filter tool are a must have. The screw in drain tube is nice as well

 

I landed a set of bbs pro takeoffs for my sport recently, that’s my vote for you

 

This is very likely the plan. I have some coin put back for new tires and wheels, but I wna wear these suckers out first. There is a guy in Illinois selling multiple sets of the BBS Pro wheels for around $1500, with a new set of round and blacks on them. Not sure yet if I'm willing to settle for the cheap-o tire they come with, but the way this thing drives through snow and ice with the worn out factory tires I have, I don't think it'll be too big of a factor

 

Completed my 2nd oil change since owning, now at 42k miles.

Per fuelly, I have been averaging 14.2 mpg over nearly 10k miles, roughly as expected. Every time I feel like my truck is super inefficient, I look up the fuelly info on the domestics and realize they aren't as much better irl than the EPA numbers would suggest.

Up next, front & rear dif and transfer case maintenance. Still on the prowl for a nice set of OEM takeoffs. I've missed two that I really liked, just wasn't quick enough!

Still in love with this beast of a truck!

 

Good looking truck OP!

Got my Sport in Nov. and loving everything about it. You should definitely look into powder coating your current wheels n save the money for other mods

Here's what they look like coated...(before/after)


Also, I don't think Sports have transfer cases. Is your Tundra 4wd?
Maybe thinking of transmission? Look into the maintenance interval for that. Many people may suggest doing that at 60k unless you tow a lot. I was looking into that as well recently. Im at 30k on mine so I have some time.