Hello All,I like truck campers but view the lack or a realistic pass-through from the camper to the truck. In bad weather and sketchy security scenarios that would seem to be important. All weather capability is important to me, since i often travel Canada and the Rockies.I'm no newbie to camping, having traveled 30 states with my family with a 19' Terry Tarus and a 24' Prowler in tow and later in a 28' Southwind motorhome. Having lost my wife of 47 years to cancer in 2014, I now travel solo and have no real reason to own a home. My kids live in Laramie and Albuquerque, so traveling to see them is more attractive in a camper of some sort.Do you know of anyone who is full timing in a Tiger? From your experience, do you think it would be possible? Thanks,Bill

You might take a look at the Howes' blog:http://www.travelin-tortuga.com/Travelin-Tortuga/index.htmlI am not sure that they are really full full-time, but close. They do some non-Tiger travel.As to my personal experience: I travel solo, no pets. My longest Tiger trip to date was 7.5 weeks and I could easily have gone longer but my employer had other ideas. Sometimes I try to imagine living in the Tiger. There is enough space in my regular cab CX for me and for my gear. The kitchen and the plumbing system and tanks are good sizes. My Tiger's bare-bones electrical system (no generator, no solar, charges from truck alternator when driving or from hookups which I usually avoid) might be a problem; I'd have to drive more to keep things charged up. Where would out-of-season gear go? And what about AC, which I don't have? It all works fine for my usual off-grid camping and travel in the Western states. Your travel/camp style may be different.If you had a Tiger with an extended or crew cab, or if you wanted to have a back-bumper cargo box or tow a cargo trailer, or if you are a minimalist with no large toys, then maybe you could FT in one. In terms of availability and flexibility, you might want to consider a more mass-production small C and tow and small vehicle for exploring. Or maybe buy a used rental small C such as PhotoMike recently did. He put info about it on the TC forum.

Tiger4x4RV,You wrote "In terms of availability and flexibility, you might want to consider a more mass-production small C and tow and small vehicle for exploring."I've thought about that but really like to be immersed in wilderness, a dweller and not just a visitor. Dispersed camping on BLM and other public lands will be my norm, be it in a truck camper, 4x4 Roadtrek, or a Tiger.The 2012 Tiger currently has listed on their site as inventory would be attractive, if I sold my house and became a condo dweller. That is an attractive alternative to full-timing because of the points you've noted.Unlike you, I only have a reason to return home bout once a month. I have a small list of clients with whom I consult and all of that can be done from the road, given a MiFi.Thanks,Bill

Bill,That used Tiger currently on the web page is a nice one. Used Tigers are extremely rare, so do not wait too long to decide. It would be perfect for the life you describe, and the factory would probably make any modifications you wanted.I could leave home more now that I am retired, but health gremlins have been messing that up. There is still some hope that they can be beaten back. Even without them, the FT life is not for me. If you choose a home base, be sure to factor RV storage into your budget. In the 55+ mobile home area where I live, RV storage is $50 a month. Outside, it would cost over $200 a month!Tiger4x4RV

Tiger4x4RV,I'm looking at condos right now and have written to Provan to find out about its cold weather capabilities. I've also considered buying a small park model trailer and parking it in a community that's built for wanderers. They're out there but not that easy to identify.I've also asked about costs and advisability of converting the coach heating, hot water, cook-top, and generator to diesel.Best,Bill

FWIW, there will be a used Malayan Tiger, 50k miles, on the Tiger site as soon as it is refurbished. It is all diesel.

Tiger Owners: Full-Timing in a Tiger? | Good Sam Community

Eugarps
Explorer
Nov 22, 2016
paddykernahan,

I think I have seen some Tigers modified in just that way. The owners created a U shaped opening to allow easier cap ingress and egress and dedicated the remaining space to storage. The sofa could easily accommodate one person and be no more inconvenient than folding down the bed in a Class B.

Bill
paddykernahan
Explorer
Nov 21, 2016
Just thought, doesn't the rear dinette fold out into a bed?
Might be cramped for two but one might be perfect.
Then just use the cab over bead for storage.
DiploStrat
Explorer
Nov 20, 2016
Bill,

I just drove that Tiger back from Idaho to Columbia. It is a very, very nice unit. Empty and driving at 70 MPH or the speed limit (whichever was lower), it got 12.5 MPG for the over 2,000 mile trip. The owner, who has ordered a new Tiger, noted that the performance with the turbo diesel is outstanding at high altitudes. I would agree.

The unit is at Provan now and will be refurbished before sale. It will go FAST.

You might want to visit one of your local truck camper dealers; I haven't seen every truck camper out there, but I have been to a few shows and I have never seen a truck camper that can approach the quality of a Tiger. You will see it in the selection of components and the quality of cabinetry. Plus the owner added some nice features, like a Froli system bed and extra insulation under the bed.
Eugarps
Explorer
Nov 20, 2016
All,

Just about the time I think I've settled on a truck camper, Provan posts this beauty. Wow, what a nice coach!

Bill
DiploStrat
Explorer
Nov 20, 2016
As you may have noticed, Tiger owners tend to be rabidly loyal. If you have not discovered the Tiger Owner's Forum, you may enjoy reading here: Tiger Owners Forum

At the end of the day, you need to get the vehicle which makes your (not me) comfortable. That said, I would make some observations:

-- The cabover bed on a Tiger, double or queen, is no harder to get into than the cabover of a truck camper. It tends to be a bit lower. There are many ladder options; ours has three inch treads, perfect for bare feet. (Or cats, for that matter.)

-- The CG of a Tiger is generally much lower than that of most truck campers as heavy tanks and batteries are below floor level.

-- I( have never seen a Class B which had anywhere near the floor or storage space of a Tiger. It is easier to get from the front seat of a Class B to the camper area, of course. It is much harder to close off the front of a Class B to keep the camper warm or cool.

-- There are lots of different Tigers as they have been built for 25 years on a variety of platforms. You can make your truck as mild or wild as your pocket book will allow; ours is superb on dirt roads and rocks.

-- Tigers are all custom built; there are not dealers and there really isn't a show room. What you will see at the factory depends on what is under construction and what is on consignment sale. That said, there are two very nice Tigers at the factory right now. Golden Tiger/
TARDIS_TIME_TRA
Explorer
Nov 19, 2016
We (my wife & I with two 40# dogs) have a 2011 Ford F350 Supercab Tiger (the Tardis). We have logged 75,000 miles with little or no problems. all of the cabinets have push button locks to prevent them from popping open on rough roads. The manufacture "provan" makes every effort to correct problems which are reported to them such as the cabinets popping open.the have upgraded the interior lighting to all LED, reducing the electrical draw. Extra exterior lighting was first added to our Tiger at our request for added night time security, and is now being installed on other vehicles. the list goes on & on. We are not full timers but we do spend 3 to 4 continuous months on the road each year plus other shorter trips thru-out the year.We do a lot of boondocking primarily out west utilizing BLM & NFS roads. In 2013 we traveled from our home in Virginia across the gulf stares into Texas and then north into Canada on to Alaska as far north as the Arctic Circle and back home. During this 97 day trip pur average cost for camping was 6 dollars and change per night. we went 19 straight days without staying at campgrounds. We also tow a Smartcar at times on a car trailer. We love our Tiger and have no problems with the over the cab bed. we also carry Kayaks, folding bikes, extra fuel & water & an extra spare tire (Alaska trip) as needed depending on our travel plans. This is a great off-road vehicle, but not ment for rock climbing. Buy what you need for your personnel adventures and enjoy every travel moment.
Tiger4x4RV
Nomad
Nov 19, 2016
Tiger bed ideas, from my file of photos of other people's Tigers. If you buy a Tiger which is for sale used at the factory, they might be willing to do these or similar mods for you.

Remove couch, have a twin or XL twin bed built there.

Remove part of cabover bed, put a mattress in what remains. This allows better ladder access to/from the cabover. I like the idea of having sides to hold onto.

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Tiger4x4RV
Nomad
Nov 18, 2016
You have to be emotionally comfortable with your chosen RV, which means it has to meet your security needs. I wanted a Class C because of security and also because of not wanting to tow back in 1991 when buying my first one. I still prefer a Class C now, after over 25 solo years and many thousands of miles and much boondocking, for the same reasons. Would I give up 4WD to get a small C? Not sure.

Class B's have their own issues. They are mostly taller than my Tiger, and some are also much longer. What about ground clearance? And those tiny tanks, those huge side doors (security again), and refrigerators so low to the floor in a narrow aisle that I might have trouble bending to access them.

There is no perfect RV. That includes my Tiger. I say choose what checks most of your boxes and get out there and enjoy it. We are not getting any younger!
Eugarps
Explorer
Nov 18, 2016
All,

It sounds more and more like either a 4x4 Class B or a truck camper would meet my needs better than a Tiger. I'm fully aware of my age and its limitations. I'm not very fit and the overhead bed sound untenable. I can easily enter and exit a truck camper cab over and of course a Class B would be a piece of cake for mobility from bed to bath and cab.

Maybe I'm making too much of the security issue. That said, Class B 4x4's are really expensive. I know folks older than I who've boondocked over 1,200 nights in a truck camper with no issues. I'd be camping largely in public lands and the Walmart parking would be minimal and that in rural communities.

Best,

Bill
Tiger4x4RV
Nomad
Nov 18, 2016
I have found that getting from driver's seat to the living area is close to impossible for me, but the other direction is fairly easy. Gravity helps. Getting into the driver's seat is what matters most as a safety feature; I have used that feature a couple of times. The other direction is nice if it is very windy or raining so you don't want to go out and around, but I can live without it.

As to the cabover bed, most Tiger owners seem to reject the factory ladder. The agile types climb up via the kitchen counter. Others use a more comfortable ladder, build steps, or whatever they can think of. I have never slept "upstairs" in my Tiger; I can get up there but am very uncomfortable about safety factors in getting down. I travel alone and am very concerned about avoiding further injuries to my aging body. I sleep on the couch bed and have logged over 500 Tiger nights so far.

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