Tiger Owners: Full-Timing in a Tiger?

[Eugarps]

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

[Eugarps]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

#1
#2

[Tiger4x4RV]

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]

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]

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.

[jrobe]

I would definitely make the drive to do a test drive. The pass through from the cab and the ladder into the bed were a challenge for me and I am 160 lbs. If I bought one, their ladder would be the first thing to go. It was almost dangerous at night to come down that thing in bare feet to use the bathroom. Maybe one could rig up some kind of a step stool although it would take up space. After our rental experience, both my wife and I eliminated the idea of an elevated bed. Kids would love it though.

[Eugarps]

paddykernahan,

It's not a long drive for me. I may just drive down next week. If nothing else I can see if I can hoist my 260# 6' frame into the bed.

Bill

[paddykernahan]

Good luck.
I have been lusting for a Tiger for years.
Used to do a search on HandBasket (was a member here) to get all of his Tiger impressions.

In the end I decided to go with a very small class C (B+) that we don't have to climb a ladder to get into a bunk.

Still have second thoughts that we should have gotten the Tiger.

I wonder if they would let you spend the weekend in the Tiger that is for sale.
Keep in their lot just a long trial run with a short test drive.

[Eugarps]

Butch50,

Good point about the Phoenix Cruiser and I'll check the market.

Thanks,

Bill