Don't forget while you're shopping around for pickups, be sure and crawl under them and look at the brake calipers, rotors, tie-rod ends, pittman arm, drag link, ball joints and other components like Trans/drive-line. And remember that those are just the components that you can see on the outside. The Tundra has many components comparable to a 3/4 ton pickup in some cases, and is definitely more robust than other pickups in the same 1/2 ton class (mostly Ram).
I got a kick out of this when I bought my Tundra: I had the dealership (they sell both Toyota and Dodge pickups) put a factory leveling kit on the Tundra to bring the front back up to level, and when the truck was on the lift I compared these parts to the Ram 1500 on the next lift & bay down. I was quite amazed at Chrysler Corp. for skimping on these parts and was reassured that I had made the right purchase at that point, especially paying about $4K less. There was a noticeable difference between the two, with the Tundra being built with beefier parts. This is something that you just can't argue when you hold parts side-by-side and compare.
I've owned Ram 1500's, 2500's, and Silverado 1500's and 2500's over the past 15 years and enjoy this pickup more than any of them. The Tundra isn't perfect, because I do see more bed-flex or frame-flex with the camper on, and know that the F150 has a much better frame for payload and stiffness. It's also a stiffer ride.
Hopefully this post won't generate haters or worse the infamous Ford/Chevy/Dodge argument. I merely wanted to dispel the thoughts that the 1/2 ton Tundra won't handle the Hawk. I also wanted to give you one man's experience with the Tundra (like you asked). With the 10,500lb towing capacity and 1500lbs payload rating, I'm guessing that my 1900lb Hawk (loaded) is in good hands with this pickup for stopping. And 381 HP and consistent 15MPG in town and 18MPG on the highway is palatable. As a bonus, you'll save some cash on the purchase price and maintain a reasonably good ride with the 'smaller' truck. I have owned the 3/4 ton trucks too and will say that the Tundra is more than capable of doing the job you're wanting it to do.
Personally, one of the nicest looking (and likely very capable) pickups on this forum is owned by "Lighthawk". They own a few year old Tundra and Hawk combo that I'm sure has served them well. I've always appreciated the craftsmanship of Toyota's.
Depending on where you look, Tundra is tied with the F-150 for 75% domestic parts while the RAM is around 65% domestic parts. Chevy is at 40% with much of it being from Mexico. The figures vary from site to site, but it is an interesting comparison indeed. It kind of sucks that the Jap's make such a good truck because prefer buying American...
The last interesting thing I'll be watching is next year when the Tundra has a Cummin's 5.0L V8 diesel engine under the hood!
I hope this is also helpful.
KILR0Y
