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Can you use a 2022 Toyota Tundra with a snow plow?

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With the new Tundra on the market, a lot of fans have been wondering if they can use a 2022 Toyota Tundra with a snow plow. We wondered as well.

Reaching out to Toyota, we received a direct answer from engineering in regards to using a snow plow. The answer is pretty simple:

“Toyota engineers did not design the truck with a snow plow in mind, so we cannot recommend it for that usage. The front end was opened up considerably in terms of airflow compared to the prior generation, and obviously blocking that would be problematic and therefore we do not advise doing so.”

As the picture above shows from Fisher Plows, it used to be possible to use a Toyota Tundra with a snow plow until they changed engines.

Why does air flow matter for a 2022 Toyota Tundra snow plow?

While the attachment points could be worked around for attaching a Toyota Tundra snow plow, the real problem is the air flow, and that is basically due to the new 3.5-liter V-6 twin-turbo engine.

Turbo engines require a consistent influx of air flow for the turbos to work properly. For the Tundra, there are additional radiators in the engine bay to help keep the turbos working properly.

Putting a massive wind block, which is what a snow plow is, would drastically reduce the air flow coming into the engine and severely reduce the effectiveness of the radiators.

This reasoning is inline with why the Ford F-150 can only use a snow plow on trucks equipped with the 5.0-liter V-8 engine, aka the one without turbos.

The bottom line on the 2022 Toyota Tundra snow plow

New trucks with new engines meant to meet rising global emissions standards are going to disrupt some people’s plans for how they want to use their truck. In this case, the snow plow for the 2022 Tundra is going away forever.

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Tim Esterdahl

Automotive Journalist Tim Esterdahl has been a lover of trucks and SUVs for years. He has covered the industry since 2011 and has pieces in many national magazines and newspapers. In his spare time, he is often found tinkering on his '62 C10 pickup, playing golf, going hunting and hanging out with his wife and kids in Nebraska.

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9 Comments

  1. J R March 24, 2022

    That is interesting who is right. The owners manual has 3 references to snow plows. For instance.
    Page 290 section 4-5. Using the driving support systems
    When equipment that may
    obstruct a sensor is installed, such
    as a towing eyelet, bumper pro-
    tector (an additional trim strip,
    etc.), bicycle carrier, or snow plow.

    So is the print in the manual wrong? that mounting a snowplow will affect the driving aids and the driver should make adjustments for the snow plow or other items they have added. Or is the engineering department wrong?

    Toyota has clearly defined the fact that they expect a snow plow to be attached, they have also clearly defined that certain sensors may not work with these attachments. Which Toyota is right? The print manual or the engineers? Those of us with snow to plow will be buying a different brand if the engineers are right.

    Reply
    1. Tim Esterdahl April 4, 2022

      Trust engineering and this article. That one spot in the owner’s manual is simply a CYA blanket statement. If a snow plow was approved by engineering, you’d find a lot more on it in the manual.

      Reply
  2. J R April 2, 2022

    So Toyota engineers will not stand behind their design with a 7.5 by 2.5 foot plow, wind block at 28 degrees f. But being behind a Prevost tourbus 8.5 feet wide by 11.4 feet tall while towing a 12,000 lbs trailer in bumper to bumper, stop and go, in a Dallas Fort Worth summer at 110 degees is okay???

    Can’t buy that at all. If the plow story is true then so is the tour bus blocking airflow in bumper to bumper at higher temperatures and heavy trailer loading.

    The snow plow is 18.75 square feet while the bus is 96.9 square feet of wind block. The plow is in 28 degree temps typically, the bus is summer time where 110 degrees is typical. In bumper to bumper the bus easily approximates a plow 5 times the size.

    Someone needs to get their story straight. Did they build a sub-standard design or not? Can the truck handle a snow plow and towing behind a tour bus or not? They can answer or the real world will for them.

    Reply
    1. Tim Esterdahl April 4, 2022

      Huh? Sorry, I’m trying to follow what you are saying here. Airflow blockage is an issue regardless of the situation. Whether it be a semi truck, a large RV or a snowplow.

      Ford’s EcoBoost engine is the same with regards to snow plows. The smaller displacement turbo engines require more airflow. Not a Toyota thing or a Ford thing. An engineering thing.

      Reply
      1. J R April 4, 2022

        Ok sorry will simplify.

        If i can’t plow when it is really cold with a small wind block in front of a Tundra.

        Then i can’t tow when it is really hot with a bigger wind block in front of a Tundra

        Reply
        1. J R April 4, 2022

          I am an engineer and spent 30 years in a job where they paid me not to trust engineering. My job was to test vehicles and prove what engineering and contracts said was true or not true. Then to report back with data from the testing. Not what anyone said or even thought, just what the test instrumentation recordings showed under specific test conditions. If the data said the test condition passed good, but if it failed then it needed to be fixed. Or the contract had to be modified and costs data changed to match.

          In this case (the Tundra) testing was likely done. They no doubt have data from the tests. To what extent they test and what data was collected i have no way to know. But from a legal side they have implied in writing the users manual (backed with a corporate insignia and trademark) that this product is expected to be used with a snowplow or a bull bar or a winch etc. and the user should take precautions based on that.

          Example: If a snow plow is used, turn off the parking sonar so it doesn’t beep all the time and realize it will not give correct warnings when it is turned off. The same type of language was used in the previous generation trucks manual. Lawyers love to use this to CYA as you mentioned. But it works both ways, it also implies that the corporation expected this type of use might happen and if it did the user should be aware of the warnings stated in the CYA statement. So it implies you can use a snowplow or a winch or a bull bar but there maybe issues with a system if you do.

          With regard to the airflow statement you are correct airflow is required for the 5 radiators that this truck has. But the previous truck covered the bases with supplemental systems that managed the temperature changes. Systems like Fans with clutches, sensors for temperature measurement, thermostats to control coolant flow etc. And it could plow snow.

          This new truck has those on the the main radiator but appears lacking them on the intercooler radiators. I may be wrong but the truck i looked at on the showroom floor didn’t have fans on the intercooler radiators unless they were hidden from view. So that means the turbochargers will not like being at a zero air flow state. If in fact it does have intercooler radiator fans then it makes me wonder why they are worried at all?

          How bad the zero airflow issue is remains to be seen by the users. But most likely Toyota has lots of data on that and knows the answers. Based on what you heard from engineering it maybe that they know it is to close to the margins. So they are saying no plow. The fact that they didn’t communicate that with the technical writers who wrote the manual is not surprising. We rarely did at my job, and they had to seek us out to get information for the manuals.

          As an aside i read your site because the stories are interesting and it yields data that doesn’t show up often in other places. You do a pretty nice job of covering trucks and SUVs that is appreciated. For instance you caught this

          https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2020/08/chevy-3-0l-duramax-diesel-design-flaw/

          That made my mind up i was not buying a truck where
          i had to pull the transfer case and transmission for an oil pump belt inspection. Just as a truck that can’t plow snow is off the list.

          Would love it if Toyota would get their corporate head together and say in writing yes or no to snow plows. But sadly i suspect you are right. The new tundra can’t plow snow. Maybe the next time you talk to Mike Sweers you might suggest changing the name of the truck from Tundra to Gobi or Sahara. Just to get rid of the idea of…. well you know a frozen waste land called a “tundra” and a truck that can’t plow. It is kind of ironic don’t you think?

          Reply
          1. Tim Esterdahl April 8, 2022

            Thanks for that well thought out comment and explanation. The owner’s manual is interesting and yes, you are right engineering likely doesn’t work closely with the writing on that manual or maybe they did in fact just put CYA language in.

            From what I’ve been told from engineering, no snow plow. That’s really all I have to go on.

            Reply
  3. Peter Pappas October 7, 2022

    Interesting comments. I am shopping for a plow for my 2022 Tundra. Boss has the bracket designed but not manufactured yet. Do you know of any manufactureres that make one? I too require a plow for my Tundra.

    Reply
  4. James October 21, 2022

    This is a cool website. Thanks for posting

    Reply

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