2.7L 2nd gen single cab questions

Hello Everyone,
I know these questions have probably been asked before in the past, but i wanted to see if i could get some updated intel on a couple of issues regarding the single cab.

1. How is the 2.7 up big hills at altitude?
specifically Colorado and i-70 hills to be exact. no plans on towing. just camping gear and a mountain bike in the back. I'm no stranger to slow cars, I just don't want to relive the experience of driving i-70 with my old jeep tj 4 banger on 33's. i never got that thing past 35 on most passes. it was incredibly slow, so slow in fact i would get passed by semis in the slow lane. stock gearing was 4:10 and the engine had 120hp at sea level if i remember correctly. great 4 wheeler though.

2. tall people, is room an issue in the single cab?
im 6ft 4. im used to tight spaces, and fit comfortably in my wife's 1st gen access cab. just want to make sure my knees dont get crushed by the dash like my tj did.

3. toppers, i keep occasionally seeing ARE high top toppers on the forum. looks like there is a access cab version that fits the single cab well?
or is that coming from a topper thats no longer sold? otherwise it seems cab-hi is the only option. i plan on camping in the back, so it would be nice to get a topper with better headroom.

thanks for your input in advance!

 

2.7 isn’t a fast motor but the RC was the lightest configuration, so should be peppy. Mine sucked at altitude (Tahoe), but I had a DCSB and an auto trans.

Any of the long bed caps will fit, only difference was RC had a different cab profile. There are pics comparing the 2 here if you search. I know I’ve posted some several times.

RC is a bigger cab, so you should fit comfortably depending on how your body is built.

 

It's so slow, but I don't care. It pulls up any grade fine if say. Tall people need bucket seats in the rc, but easy to swap them in
Toppers usually will all fit from the 2nd gen, although not perfect unless from regular cab. Can get cheap us d ones from former commercial vehicles.
Go for it, although as a rc owner my next taco will be 4x4 access cab.

 

I'm 6'1 and have to have the seat slid forward 1 notch to push the clutch to the floor to crank it. Im way more comfortable in this single cab than most other truck that's not a full size. More room than some of the older full sizes, just not as wide. It's slow, ice only taken mine up to 3000 ft and it's slow on the hills but you can always wind it up on them. Also if you plan to sleep in the back with a camper the bed isnt a 6.5 ft bed so you will need to be curled up some. I think the bed is 6ft. Also reg cabs have a diffrent slope to ths back of the cab so a 4 door or extended cab camper will fir but you have to slide it back a few inches or else itll hit the back of the cab. Not sure on how that effects the water tightness of them for sleeping.
Should be fine on hills if you keep stock tires but may want to keep looking for answers because it for sure ain't going to cruise up them like a Cadillac.

 

I have pretty major issues maintaining 55mph up to Eisenhower from either side. I only feel comfortable holding 3rd gear for so long before having to go to 4th but 4th just doesn’t have enough to keep 55mph. So I just resort to cruising in the slow lane around 40mph on the longer climbs up high. The truck does great everywhere else in the mountains though!

For context I’ve got 32’s and stock gearing, sometimes a MTB on the hitch, and a softopper.

 

You might be able to get aluminum work truck models higher than the cab

 

I've got 29's and I love the power just enough to not complain.

 

ahh sounds similar to the jeep, but im sure its a little bit faster. i currently drive an outback xt, so the turbo keeps the power going up high. im not a fan of the constant trips to the mechanic though lol. im curious if a regear to maybe 4.56 or 4.88 would give you that 4th gear? my plan would be a manual 2.7 if i end up going that route so i have a little more control when heading up the hills. plus the idea of a manual single cab truck just seems awesome to me.

 

Manual really makes all those problems go away as long as you keep the tire size reasonable. Although the a340 is a bulletproof auto as long as you change the fluid.

 

thats good to know there is some room in the single cab. are you running the bench seat still? i sleep on my side so i think 6 ft is probably just enough length for me to fit in the bed.

 

thats good to know. im not trying to make it crazy off road capable. just enough to handle colorado's main 4x4 trails to campsites, which in my experience doesn't require massive clearance. is 32 the limit or 33?

 

Mine came with factory buckets, my dad has a reg cab 2nd gen with a bench seat, I guess it might be a little more tight but I haven't driven it in so long I really couldn't tell.