The Mighty Tundra

My Last Chariot

We have shared many a road and more than a few eventful years together, me and the Mighty Tundra. 12 years and 155,000 miles. That is a lot of time and distance for a man who has a history of changing vehicles every two or three years. When I bought the Mighty Tundra that August night twelve years ago, I told everyone that was it was going to be my last truck. I was committed to that deep blue Toyota with the proven 5.7 liter engine – although it is rather sad to reach a point in life when you are starting to believe that some things and some events may be your last. Just facts of life and recognizing those things up front allows you to better embrace the moment at hand. Another twelve years and another 150,000 miles may not take me to the grave but it will probably take me to a point where I really don’t need a truck anymore.

The same night we bought my truck we bought my wife’s new Corolla. They have shared the same garage now for twelve years. We have taken of their needs and they have served us well. We had gone in to the dealership to find her a new car – after her previous Corolla was totaled in an accident. I had a 2008 Tundra that had whetted my appetite for a new one so I convinced her that we should buy them both at the same time. The dealership did well that night!

Since then, the Mighty Tundra has towed our travel trailer to Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, the Rocky Mountain National Park, Zion, and Durango, Colorado to name just a few. Since I have always worked close to home, the mileage has been built up primarily on our road trips. We have carried our bicycles, kayaks and friends to a wide range of places, always having enough room for everyone to be comfortable in the spacious crew cab while allowing for us to still carry all of the gear we could possibly need. The Mighty Tundra has carried us to so many wonderful destinations and great memories! Knowing my affection for the truck, my friends often ask,”Are we taking the Mighty Tundra?” or “How is the Mighty Tundra doing these days?”

I had a friend a long time ago that gave his cars names and he would actually talk to them and about them using those names. He always named them after girls so, when I got the Tundra, I thought about that but couldn’t think of a name that was appropriate so it just became the Mighty Tundra. I don’t talk to my truck but I will often look over at my wife or other passengers and say something like,”Did you feel that surge in power from the Mighty Tundra?” or “Don’t worry about a thing. Trust in the Mighty Tundra.”

A few years ago, my friends and I were out in the desert hunting javalina. We were down in a wash and looked up to where my truck was sitting at the top of a mountain, looking proud and dominant in the Arizona sun, like it had been staged for a television commercial. My friend Paul looked over at me,”That sure is a sexy truck, Kev.” I smiled,”Thanks, man. It has been a great truck! It has never let me down.”

I’ve looked at the new ones a few time, the ones with all of the bells and whistles to keep you “safe” and the large GPS screen but I was not even tempted to trade up. Even the new car smell doesn’t get me these days. I will stay with the truck that brought me this far. Sometimes, my buddies give me a hard time because I didn’t buy a four wheel drive but 99% of the time, even when hunting or dry camping, the two wheel drive is plenty. Like me, it’s got a few battle scars now but you gotta be looking for them. It is still a handsome truck that is always ready for the next adventure, the next road trip to destinations unknown.

Here’s to twelve more years and 150,000 more miles with the Mighty Tundra, my modern day chariot carrying me to the final sunset.