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

[Butch50]

Did you think about a Phoenix Cruiser and have the 4X4 conversion by Phoenix for $20,000 or have it converted yourself for around $13,000 by the same company?

There is a poster on here that has one.

[valhalla360]

Eugarps wrote:
Mexico, Central America, Africa, Walmart 😉

While our Pan-Am trip is a few years out, we've driven in several of the countries and never felt threatened.

College kids partying are just not an issue unless you start something. If the noise bothers you, I can't see them stopping you from leaving.

Walmart...what do you expect...

[Eugarps]

Snowman9000 wrote:
I have to think a TC would be just the same way on rough roads?

I'm sure they are but you can't hear the dishes and flatware rattling. 😉

I remember DS having issues with that but it didn't seem to concern her with our travel trailers. That is until an overhead cabinet popped open and a Tupperware bowl of sugar tumbled out and popped open.

Best,

Bill

[DiploStrat]

I am an old line 4x4 junkie with over 30 years of driving in South America and Africa. My Tiger has the minimum suspension and tire upgrades to make it a joy to drive on dirt, rocks, and light mud - I have street tires. Ask Beloved Spouse, the beast handles beautifully on dirt.

You cannot ask a stock suspension, on a Tiger or under a truck camper, to stand up to bad roads without a bit of help. The good news is that that help is available.

[Snowman9000]

I have to think a TC would be just the same way on rough roads?

[Tiger4x4RV]

Another place that rents a Tiger:
http://www.tontotrails.com/

My Tiger is older, on a 2500 HD chassis. I added a Roadmaster anti-sway bar; I think some sort of anti-sway is standard on newer Tigers. I've mostly been very happy with the ride and have driven hundreds or possibly thousands of miles of rough dirt and 4x4 roads. This vehicle is not a rock-crawling Jeepy thing, but it handles rough stuff pretty well as long as you are OK with slow travel.

At one time or another, every cupboard and the refrigerator in my Tiger has done a contents ejection. I added a second set of latches early in the game, later sometimes used blue painter's tape, and currently have some strap-type baby locks. The trick is to keep heavy stuff low in the vehicle, standard RV protocol, and to pack so that nothing gets a run at the cupboard door. Boxes, baskets, little CD crates, non-skid material, whatever it takes.

[Eugarps]

jrobe,

Thanks. I'll check out the link. That's a very good idea and one I didn't even know existed.

Best,

Bill

[jrobe]

It might be worth spending a few dollars and renting a Tiger for a few days. I was convinced that I wanted one but quickly changed my mind after a short rental with this place in Colorado.
http://adventuretravelsportrentals.com/tiger-bengal-rig/

These guys have a great rental business. I loved the design and floorplan of the Tiger. I loved the pass through although you have to be pretty limber to sneak through the seats and into the back through the small pass. The kitchen, couch and bathroom are great. I loved the shower area.

I quickly tired though of crawling up into the top bed and I am a very thin and athletic 57 year old. I also thought it was the worst riding vehicle I have ever driven. It is a stiff, heavy duty pickup with a lot of weight on it. I took it on some moderately rough Forest Service Roads and just about rattled my teeth off. I remember getting passed by small SUV's because I had to drive so slow to keep everything in the cabinets. It was reasonable on smooth blacktop roads but the whole point of a 4x4 is to take it off road. Maybe some suspension upgrades would have helped this.

I was really glad I rented one to try it out before I spent a lot of money on one. I think a single person could maybe full-time in the living space but it wasn't for me. Everyone is different though.

[tatest]

Not a Tiger, as those are pretty rare, but I've met people full-timing or RV snow-birding in comparable spaces: 13-foot Scamp, 17-foot Casita, A-frame pop-ups in 10 foot boxes, tent campers in 10 foot boxes, 21-foot van conversions. Here is a Casita full-timer's blog. Not one of the people I've met and talked to about this.

I've met others who insist nothing less than 40-foot worked for them, once they started full-timing (or even snowbirding). And most of the time that 40-footer is towing another motor vehicle or a 20-25 foot trailer full of lifestyle essentials like motorcycles or shop tools.

It is a matter of lifestyle. Whether or not a Tiger works for you depends on whether you can adopt a Tiger-size lifestyle.

[Eugarps]

Tiger4x4RV,

That's the scenario I was referring to. I have a favorite campground that occasionally is frequented by college students and their kegs. If things get ugly, I'd just bug out. One rig I looked at had a button you could press and the doors all latch, the steps retract, the awning rolls in and the engine starts. Bye-bye issues.

Bill

[Tiger4x4RV]

valhalla360 wrote:
Though I still have to wonder where you are camping that walking from the cab to the back door is scary...why you wouldn't camp somewhere else.

A sensible person would camp somewhere else if the bad situation were apparent on the way in. However, I am remembering one occasion at a remote trailhead where I used the Class C escape from coach to driver's seat to down the road. I was camped. The other person arrived later and over the space of a few hours morphed from a sort-of OK neighbor into a ranting wildman who was throwing his camp furniture around. This sensible person left the scene.

[DiploStrat]

Eugarps wrote:
Mexico, Central America, Africa, Walmart 😉

One of those is REALLY scary!

[Eugarps]

Mexico, Central America, Africa, Walmart 😉

[valhalla360]

If a truck camper is big enough a tiger should certainly be fine.

Though I still have to wonder where you are camping that walking from the cab to the back door is scary...why you wouldn't camp somewhere else.

[DiploStrat]

Eugarps wrote:
DiploStrat,

Thank you, I will.

Bill

Sent you a PM.