Just how rare are regular cabs? Here's what the data says.

The data presented here is a snapshot of just one day (today) in the US used truck market. That said, I've been doing these same searches every day since July and I think it's fairly representative of the market over that longer span too. I've excluded 1st gens (because I'm shopping for a Gen 2 or 2.5), and Toyota stopped producing regular cabs after 2017, so this data only represents Tundras produced from 2007-2017. Below are the number of Tundras for sale today on sites that allow for a nationwide search, filtering by cab and bed size as well as drivetrain. After filtering for year, I next filtered for regular cab, then within that set for long bed, then again for 4WD.

Edmunds: 4852 total, 71 RC, 46 LB, 20 4WD
CarGurus: 4533 total, 53 RC, 28 LB, 10 4WD
AutoList: 3810 total, 39 RC, 30 LB, 12 4WD
Carfax: 3160 total, 41 RC, 27 LB, 12 4WD
TrueCar: 1645 total, 13 RC, 9 LB, 4 4WD
TOTALS: 18,000 Tundras, 217 RC, 140 LB, 58 4WD

On average across the listings on these five sites today, 1.2% of 2007-17 Tundras for sale are regular cabs, 0.8% are RCLBS, and 0.3% are RCLB 4x4s. This conclusion aligns fairly closely with the sales reports for the final year of regular cab production. There is a substantial but unknown amount of overlap in trucks listed across these sites. So at any given time, there are maybe a few dozen RCLBs with 4WD for sale in the US, most of which are thoroughly rusted underneath. Once you start looking at other specific criteria like paint color or power windows, odds of finding even one truck in good condition that fits the bill are quite slim.

So OK, there are very few regular cabs for sale at any given time, but how many of them are out there?

Tundras sold in the US by year:
2007: 196,555
2008: 134,249
2009: 79,385
2010: 93,309
2011: 82,908
2012: 101,621
2013: 112,732
2014: 118,493
2015: 118,880
2016: 114,489
2017: 116,285
TOTAL: 1,268,906

If the used Tundras currently for sale are roughly representative of what was produced, then we can conclude that there were only ever about 15,000 regular cab '07+ Tundras produced, of which, a little under 10,000 would have been RCLBs, and fewer than 4,000 of those would have had 4WD. It's unclear what percentage of these trucks are still on the road, but accidents and rust over the past 15 years obviously cut these numbers down substantially.

So maybe there are still a couple thousand RCLB 4x4 '07-'17 Tundras out there. If anyone's got a white or silver one, preferably with power windows, that they'd consider parting with, given their rarity I'm inclined to offer you far more than the pricing guides suggest!

 

I've actually never seen an RCLB 4x4.

 

I'm not surprised! I've only seen them because I've sought them out online and traveled hours for a closer look.

 

Imagine looking for parts for one of those or taking them to the dealer and having that confidence inspiring "i didnt even know toyota made these"

 

Lol I'll pass.

 

Yeah, I've considered that, but it doesn't seem like there are many parts I'd be likely to need to replace that are specific to regular cabs. Can you think of anything in particular?

 

I would imagine drivetrain stuff like driveshaft or like random mounts and body related stuff. No doubt you would find out the hard way lol

 

Hmm, does seem like an important consideration. Any regular cab owners out there have trouble finding parts?

 

Mechanical things are just like any other truck with your engine/drive train. It's the RC specifics that are hard to find like interior trim pieces like @empty_lord is after. Link to his thread, here.

I'm technically looking for "non-regular cab" parts as the parts I need can come from any access cab, or regular cab from any of the 2000-2006 trucks. Link to my thread, here.

Mechanically, I wouldn't worry about finding parts that will fit, or pieces you'll need to repair things like that. It's the "creature comfort/aesthetics" you'll have trouble with

 

I realize that your thread is based around Gen 2-2.5, but still Regular cab parts are regular cab parts...

 

Yeah, I'm assuming that because there were 7 years of 1st Gen production, and 11 years of Gen 2/2.5, and because a higher percentage of newer trucks will still be findable out there, these issues will be somewhat less of a challenge with '07+ trucks. That said, if regular cabs comprised a substantially larger percentage of Toyota's production of 1st Gens, then there could actually be just as many of them around. Either way, I'm sure you're right that body-specific parts may be tough to find for any of 'em.

 

Also worth noting that RCSBs are even more rare than long beds, so experience with parts availability for those is every bit as relevant.

 

@Jeff_5_7 has one of the best ones around.

 

I am not sure if its a PNW thing or what, but I can't remember seeing a 2nd Gen Single Cab in Washington or Oregon. I see the 1st gen versions alot. We also rarely get 2wd versions of any Tundra here, almost everyone I see that is 2wd is originally sold in another state. So our allocation must be very different. Possibly the Single Cab's are regionally concentrated.

 

I've seen 2nd gen 4WD regular cabs come up for sale in both Oregon and Washington in the past month, but just a couple. Definitely see more in the "rust belt", though possibly just because people are less likely to sell less rusty trucks, and of course, what's for sale isn't necessarily representative of what's on the road in any given state. If regular cabs are indeed less common in the PNW (and the west more broadly), that might partially explain why it's so damn rare to find one that isn't thoroughly rusted underneath.

 

Just took a look at Autotrader to see what I could find. Looks like no Single Cabs within a 100 miles, but did find a 2017 about 250 miles out VIN: 5TFNY5F19HX218582. Then checking the VIN its a 2WD that was sold at Toyota of Orange (California). So there may be something to this where nearly all single cabs were sold someplace else (Southwest or East Coast or Southeast?) and got here for various reasons.

 

It's a 2016, so technically slightly outside your criteria, but this 4WD RCLB 5.7 just popped up today at the local Toyota dealership.

https://huntsville.craigslist.org/ctd/d/huntsville-2016-toyota-tundra-4wd-truck/7558838577.html

 

Thanks @dbittle! It's actually not outside my criteria (considering every year from 2007+). Found the same one via AutoList this morning. Waiting on more photos from the dealership. Wish it had a sliding rear window, and mileage is pretty high for a 2016, but it's still looking like a strong contender for now.

 

A few months ago I reverse engineered the VINS for all possible regular cab short bed 5.7 trucks. I then checked the Vins against a carfax API to validate them.

The results are not many were produced. I have no info on long beds but I can almost guarantee they are just as hard to find.

Read more about it here
https://www.tundras.com/threads/200...-short-bed-production-numbers-4x2-4x4.111745/

I would agree with your numbers in quickly approximating only 50 ish regular cab tundras are for sale listed online at any given time.

 

In my experience most 2wd regular cabs went to the south while 4x4 ones went up north.

Down here in Texas I can find 10 2wd ones for every 4x4 one. The northern 4x4s are more prone to rust ect.

When I found my 07 4x4 5.7 short bed in Texas and knew it was originally sold in Arizona, I jumped on it fast.

I came close to buying a 2010 4x4 out of New Hampshire but after seeing underneath with all the rust and salt corrosion I passed on it. 3 months later I found the one I own now down here in Texas.

 

Well, here is a nice deal. Great price for a rare truck. Awesome shape

2013 Toyota Tundra 2WD Reg Cab Long Box - Nanaimo (autotrader.ca)

 

There's a white 2008 6 1/2' 2WD on Facebook marketplace, in Savannah GA, for $14.8k....Spotted while choking over prices for high mileage regular cabs!

 

There are a couple of RCLB's in town where I'm at - all but one of them are 4wd. The 2wd one showed up in the last year with Cali plates til they change them; it was fun to watch him try to drive straight down the road one ice morning. I'm sure he'll figure it out eventually. Actually, there might be two 2wd's - I don't remember if the Toyota dealer's parts truck is 2wd or not. I thought it was 4wd but they are cheap, shady sons of motherless goats so it wouldn't surprise me to see they cheaped out and went with a 2wd where 4wd is needed.

Anyways, a nice older gentleman owns a clean, low mileage silver RCLB with aftermarket wheels and tires on it that I see often enough. I chatted him up at the gas station one day about getting rid of it. He told me he was going to keep it forever and have his coffin carried to the graveside in it. haha. You laugh, but I know a guy around the corner that passed away early and had his funeral procession led by his F350 Crewcab long bed 7.3PS with him in the bed... His boy was behind him in his toyota mini truck with twelve 12" subwoofers in the bed providing tunes for the whole block. Nice folks, really.

I would LOVE to have a RCSB. There are a few of them around here as well. One just sold on Craigslist a few months ago for a deal (a college kid a few towns over). I'm kicking myself for not snatching it up, but it was either kick myself or have my better half kick me to the couch for dragging home another project. We saw the exact truck in a parking lot when we went out to eat last week. I pointed it out and told her I would love to have a truck like that. She just gave me that look like, 'really...?' and asked 'what's wrong with your truck?' Well, nothing. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't take a RCSB. I have fun plans for one...

 

Damn, that's impressive work! Glad to see my rough estimates are probably not far off, but mostly glad to learn so much about how to interpret a VIN.

 

Never knew how rare my '10 RCLB 4X4 was! I got a great deal on it last year.

 

I have an 07 SBRC and have no issues finding any parts for it. Infact I just installed a Magnuson SC.

 

Not mine but spotted this gem on FB marketplace so I had to share!

 

A 4x4 regular cab with a manual transmission would be so awesome but no more…sad face.

 

I picked up this 2012 RCLB 2WD W/4.0 V6 back in August for hauling parts for my machine shop. Truck had 225k highway miles, not a spec of rust, paid only $7,000.

I replaced all four corners with Powerstop “towing” pads, rotors, and calipers, added a set of SumoSprings to the rear, and added LT tires.

I also changed all the fluids, and FluidFilm treated the frame and underbody.

She routinely hauls 2,000 pounds of machine parts around the hills and mountains of southwest Virginia and eastern Kentucky.

People talk about the all-aluminum 4.0 V6 being a “dog”, but I think Toyota’s engine tuning and transmission programming, combined with lighter empty weight, make this truck fairly peppy. Even with a load she gets up to speed and holds it plenty well enough for our use.

Plus she gets about 20mpg when running without a load!

ToolCat

 

Havent looked at prices in a while. That is sweet truck and conversion but thats a lot of $ for that mileage, rare or not.

wonder what my 2013 RCSB with under 57k miles would go for?! I've only put 11k miles on it in since 2019.


also not sure if its been mentioned since some asked about Reg Cab only parts. The doors are Reg Cab specific. RC doors are much longer than the 4dr models.