How good (or bad) is the TRD Pro at things the Trailhunter was made for?

Hey guys! Like a lot of you, I've placed a deposit down on a new TRD Pro since pretty much the day it was announced. Back then, details were pretty slim and we had to guess a lot of what was going into this truck, and also what it would cost. I was a pretty firm believer that the TRD Pro would be cheaper than the Trailhunter due to what I thought were a lot of options on the Trailhunter that came standard, and my deposit on the Pro was in part influenced by that belief. Of course, we now know that is not the case and the Trailhunter comes in at a cool ~$1000 below TRD Pro pricing.

The latest news on pricing and features have me reconsidering the TRD Pro and wondering if I should try to make the switch to the Trailhunter with my dealer. There are a couple of things that I still prefer on the Pro:

• Better color options (Terra grew on me and is now my #1)
• Overall I prefer the look of it (even though that hood scoop is fake af)
• It includes a Sunroof (theres something about having all the windows down, sunroof open, during a beautiful drive that just feels good)
• Adjustable suspension

On the other hand, there are some things I prefer on the Trailhunter:

• The interior is nicer, it just looks a bit classier IMO, obviously this is subjective
• The snorkel sounds pretty dope - not a huge deal but ill consider it
• No stupid ass ISO Dynamic seats - this one right here is the big one. Those seats seem pretty gimmicky to me, and even if they're not, I wouldn't trade them for less backseat space if I were given the option
• Air compressor and bed lights come standard - I can install these aftermarket on the TRD Pro but still...its nice to not have to spend more money for them

That all being said, I think one of the most important distinctions on these two trucks is what they were made to do. The TRD Pro is being marketed as a desert runner, baja racer, etc. While the Trailhunter is being marketed as more of an overlanding vehicle. I live in Colorado and plan on taking the truck on some of our easy/moderate trails, and maybe hitting up nearby Moab. I certainly don't plant on doing some of the really crazy trails however, mostly I'd love to just be able to take my 600lb ATV on the bed of the truck wherever I decide to camp and to some of the same trails. I'd throw in some camping gear in the back, and call it a day, that's a far cry from installing a car tent or any other heavy accessories. From the information we've seen, this sorta leads me to believe that the Trailhunter may be the better option for me, but I wanted your perspective on it.

I guess my major question is, would the TRD Pro suffice for what I want to do with it? Is it capable of hitting up some Colorado trails and not necessarily desert running? Would it do alright with an ATV in the back as we drive to our camp site? How much rock crawling can the Pro do vs the Trailhunter?
I think there is some general confusion around the very general language Toyota has used around the marketing of these trucks, and I'd love to hear some of your thoughts on it.

I’m experiencing this same exact conundrum currently also..

Same exact chassis
Same exact drivetrain

i think they are both equally capable.. Having different shocks ( albeit as long as they allow the axles to droop the same distance) won’t make one rock crawl better than the other.
I’d prefer the single position shock on the TH and feel like it would work well for my applications. The Pro will work just as well as TH on trails and rock crawling, it only loses the extra protection of TH.. which can always be added to Pro

I would like to go TRD Pro. Hate the ISO seats though, but my only backseat passengers are usually my dogs, and I will likely pull the rear seats and build a platform for them. I was thinking about the TH instead the other day but I couldn't get over the snorkel and the half bed rack. Also, I think it is easier to make a fast truck do slow truck things than it is for a slow truck to do fast truck things so the TRD Pro will remain as my choice.

Things I wish I could get with my TRD Pro:
- The ability to build the one I want without all of the ridiculous add-ons that the distributors think that I want - but then again they know what I like more than I do.
- Terra
- Air compressor in the bed
- White/Yellow Rigid Fogs (TRD Pro is white-only apparently)
- No sunroof - haven't used it enough in any of my vehicles to justify the cost
- No ISO seats
- Bed Scene Lighting as standard

I had locked in an allocation a few hours away from me but when pricing was announced last Tuesday, the dealer called me and the entire build sheet changed and none of my requested changes were approved by the distributor. Unsure what I am going to do at this point, but hoping I can find the truck that I want.

Not a fan of the ISO seats, but also being in Colorado, I think they would be pretty fantastic on those 10-30 mile washboard 14er roads and mild off road passes. Imagine being able to zip down them at 45-50 MPH and not have your teeth rattle out.

That said, the trailhunter checks 90% more boxes for me, I just thought the ISO seats would be useful in that specific situation.

tacotaco said:

- No ISO seats
- Bed Scene Lighting as standard

Click to expand...

100% agree. Spray on bed liner should also be standard in these halo trims as well.

TacomaTrdPro said:

100% agree. Spray on bed liner should also be standard in these halo trims as well.

Click to expand...

Why?

The bed is composite and they Toyota spray is terrible and falls off

TalkingTaco444 said:

Why?

The bed is composite and they Toyota spray is terrible and falls off

Click to expand...

Oh i did not know and have no experience. I read that the composite liner is slippery af and thought the spray on would be a very welcomed thing by everyone.

TacomaTrdPro said:

Oh i did not know and have no experience. I read that the composite liner is slippery af and thought the spray on would be a very welcomed thing by everyone.

Click to expand...

I actually prefer the composite bed with a bed mat.

TacomaTrdPro said:

Oh i did not know and have no experience. I read that the composite liner is slippery af and thought the spray on would be a very welcomed thing by everyone.

Click to expand...

Yeah, everyone just gets the bedmat instead

Additional thoughts

1. The TH comes with frame mounted rock rails while the Pro has body mounted rocker protection
2. The TH also offers a 6 foot bed option to give more room for your ATV plus other stuff, but at the penalty of longer wheelbase/worse breakover
3. There seems to be some confusion over whether the TH comes with a sunroof or not. The website and a forum members TH build sheet both include it, while recent feedback from Youtuber TRDJon apparently says it doesn't
4. Would a Terra wrap be out of consideration if you don't like any of the TH colors?
5. Would you really want to manually have to switch the shock positions for each wheel, especially on a filthy truck, and then have to avoid any of the dirt getting into the cab?

This TFL video has a detailed technical comparison/discussion between the two trucks with Toyota Chief Engineer Sheldon, well worth watching If you haven't already seen it. Includes a fairly decent discussion on the suspensions, including how easy or not they may be to access.

JustPassingBy said:

Additional thoughts

1. The TH comes with frame mounted rock rails while the Pro has body mounted rocker protection
2. The TH also offers a 6 foot bed option to give more room for your ATV plus other stuff, but at the penalty of longer wheelbase/worse breakover
3. There seems to be some confusion over whether the TH comes with a sunroof or not. The website and a forum members TH build sheet both include it, while recent feedback from Youtuber TRDJon apparently says it doesn't
4. Would a Terra wrap be out of consideration if you don't like any of the TH colors?
5. Would you really want to manually have to switch the shock positions for each wheel, especially on a filthy truck, and then have to avoid any of the dirt getting into the cab?

This TFL video has a detailed technical comparison/discussion between the two trucks with Toyota Chief Engineer Sheldon, well worth watching If you haven't already seen it. Includes a fairly decent discussion on the suspensions, including how easy or not they may be to access.

Click to expand...

getting dirt in the truck isnt a big deal, i want to know why you cant just roll around on the super soft setting to make my commute extra comfy

tacotaco said:

- White/Yellow Rigid Fogs (TRD Pro is white-only apparently)

Click to expand...

EDIT: Sorry, this is no longer the case.

The first TRD Pro build sheet posted to the forum had the color changing Rigid Fogs as a +$ installed option I believe, as well as the scene lights.

North said:

The first TRD Pro build sheet posted to the forum had the color changing Rigid Fogs as a +$ installed option I believe, as well as the scene lights.

Click to expand...

Yes, that was my original build sheet. But the dealer is now saying that the white/yellow fog lights is not an option on TRD Pro anymore. Bed scene lighting is an option still, but was removed from my build sheet. I think both of those should be standard on the TRD Pro for the price

Just jumping in regarding whether or not the TH has the sunroof. It’s still a mystery. Every single mention on Toyota’s website says it comes standard with a sunroof. But I’ve only seen one media truck with it. All the other ones don’t have it. I’m leaning toward saying it doesn’t have it, but I don’t think we know for sure yet.

I currently have an old LX470 with hydro suspension and a side by side with Fox suspension. I like both the camping/adventure/hunting type of off-roading and the higher speed trail riding on SXS and sled. I take my LX when I need to bring gear and enjoy a scenic, slower drive where the fun is in getting out, exploring, and taking on some challenging terrain, but it's no good for high speed, seat-of-your-pants type stuff. That's where the SXS with the Fox shines.

I'm 100% team Trailhunter simply because for me a brand new, expensive truck is a little more tool and a little less toy. If I lived in the desert maybe I would lean more Pro. If I were OP I would be watching with interest as reviewers get to ride these more both off and on road. The Trailhunter on-road driving impressions video I posted makes it sound like it holds it together quite well on the road. I'm sure the Pro does as well, but the suspensions on and off road are going to be the biggest difference in terms of the day to day driving feel of these rigs.

I think like with anything, we should be honest about what we will actually do with our vehicles vs. what we imagine we will do. If you love to bomb around fast and have access to places to do it, Pro will rip. If you just like off-roading at mild speeds, camping, Colorado mountain trail type of adventures, either truck will do it, but Trailhunter will have the advantage with the true rock rails and additional under armor. Either way you'll have an awesome truck.