Handbasket
Asheville, NC
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Joined: 01/17/2003
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Since there are at least three late-model Tiger CX owners now active on RV.net, I thought it might be a good idea to open a Tiger thread. MSN has killed their 'Groups', including the Tiger owners' group. Their suggested move to 'Multiply' has not worked out at all well.
Here's my tiger, 'Loafer's Glory': 
This was on Old NC 105, on the west side of Linville Gorge, on a daytrip to see the fall colors.
Since Burlmart found this ancient B forum thread from three years ago http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseac......../thread/tid/16849919/srt/pa/pging/1.cfm but it's too old to reopen, I'll just post a link to it. It's a bit long, but will provide anyone interested with a lot of info about this unique little pickup-based RV. I've owned mine for three years now, and am darned pleased with it. The factory website is www.tigermotorhomes.com.
Jim, "All reports are in. Life is now officially unfair."
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison ('Loafer's Glory'); '07 Forester 2.5 ( the 'HANDBSKT'); '95 Toyota SR5 V-6 4x4 pickup, ARB locker, Bilsteins, Warn hubs & M8000, etc;
'94 968, M030 swaybars ('DOPPLER')
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burlmart
Baton Rouge
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Joined: 03/28/2005
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Jim, I hope and expect that this becomes a long standing thread for Tiger CX issues.
We looked hard at this unique rig when first researching RVs probably 9 years ago. I remember calling the factory (in Colorado back then) for info. We never got to actually see one, but I think we knew that the two of us and our medium size dogs would likely overfill the interior.
I know this thread will benefit many posters to come.
Burl and Martha (Sissy, Red, and Peanut, too)
2005 Trail Lite 213 B-Plus w/ 6.0 Chevy
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shadowz
PacificNW
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Joined: 11/29/2008
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I got a question. Aside from being able to go back and use the head while underway, what advantage do your Tigers have over a quality modern truck and camper combo? I'm sure each of you considered this when choosing to buy. What other buying considerations did you have?
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Dakzuki
Carnation, Wa, USA
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Joined: 11/01/2002
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shadowz wrote:I got a question. Aside from being able to go back and use the head while underway, what advantage do your Tigers have over a quality modern truck and camper combo? I'm sure each of you considered this when choosing to buy. What other buying considerations did you have?
I can give a quick answer to that qustion as I have a small C and used to have a truck camper.......SPACE. A small C has way more floor and storage space than a truck camper. That and being able to send crew aft while on the road...and having access to the cab space while parked (from the inside).
I do not regret the change a bit.
95 Chinook Premier
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shadowz
PacificNW
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Joined: 11/29/2008
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I've thoroughly digested the website and the '06 thread. Jim/Handbasket....where do you get those hilarious P.S. statements? The skitzo one had me roaring.
It seems to me it comes down to a matter of how long one is going to stay in it and if you are using the rig for alternative purposes, like hauling or towing. If the latter, then a pickup camper makes sense unless you intend to stay in it for a month or more. My f-in-law just bought a brand new loaded Lariat for 24k. Put a used pop=up camper or permanent one on it for a 10k and you're set for half the price of a Tiger.
But....would you want to live in one longer than a weekend??
If not, then a buying decision for a small RV could come down to a choice between a B or this hybrid---> (I was amused by the discussion how one classifies it....some got their knickers in a knot about it). Given the price, it's interior room, the huge bed above (which doesn't interfere with livability) decent-size head, and 4X4 option, I'd go with this over any B or B+ I've seen. The RT's and PW's I've viewed are considerably more expensive, with less to offer.
That's my two bits thus far..
Jim/other owners, has Tiger made improvements since '06? Curious why they don't install a swivel passenger chair. Ours was fixed in our B+ but we put new ones that swivel. Makes a heck of difference in terms of livability.
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burlmart
Baton Rouge
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Actually, we were giving the truck camper a hard look - we liked them. Not being very mechanically inclined, I assumed we would need a new truck w/ heavy duty suspension, perhaps a dually (really ups the cost).
I wondered if we would ever use the truck for anything else, so the camper would probably never come off. And, with two mid-size dogs at the time, unless we got a really big extended cab or a four door crew cab, our dogs would not be with us while traveling.
These were things we thought about in the early days of searching, and just kind of wandered off looking at other things like Casitas, Hi-Lo, Trail Manor, Van Campers, Starflyte, etc.
I liked the Chinook a whole lot, but, again, cost was up there.
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Westronics
Redmond, WA
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Joined: 08/07/2002
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Good Sam RV Club
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shadowz wrote:I got a question. Aside from being able to go back and use the head while underway, what advantage do your Tigers have over a quality modern truck and camper combo? I'm sure each of you considered this when choosing to buy. What other buying considerations did you have?
The question is backwards, I think. It should be what advantages does a truck/camper have over a small C?
Part of the answer, at least, is:
1. Price.
2. You can leave the camper behind and use the pickup to run around town. Along the same lines, you can leave the camper and use the pickup as, well,... a pickup. So it might be one less vehicle you needed to own.
2002 Jayco Greyhawk 24SS, Camera, ScanGauge/Blendmount, Inverter, Airtabs, Portabote, SeeLevel II, Tireman valves, Xatnrex Battery Monitor, Aero-flo vent, Trik-L-Start, XPS Rib, Lil' Stanker, Be kind to septic systems Ford cust svc: 1-800-444-3311.
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Handbasket
Asheville, NC
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Joined: 01/17/2003
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Why a Tiger instead of one of the numerous alternatives named here? For me, several reasons. (Content warning: Long-winded and boring unless you're really interested in the Tiger.)
I loved the 19' park-anywhere-ability of the two class B's that I had before. Nothing bigger / longer would suit my personal uses. My B's let me discover that we've got a great downtown here, and I like being able to use the RV as a 'base' for all-day Saturdays and festivals there. $10 a day for a parking meter sure beats $150+K for a downtown efficiency condo....  So no trailers or bigger C's.
90% of the time, I'm touring rather than camping. This means sleeping in a lot of WM's, FJ's, and rest areas. I liked the 'stealthiness' of my Roadtreks. But most of all I liked being able to go from bed to driver's seat in about three steps, and drive off in PJ's, or bad weather, or most importantly, from trouble. I've never been hassled in any way, but Chicken Little only has to be right once... Can't do that in a truck camper or a trailer.
I don't really want a full-sized pickup and camper. I'm perfectly happy with my l'il Toyota for that, and once drove almost 500K in F-150's. The way I use the Tiger, it'd be a hassle setting the camper off and on. Matter of personal preference.
But there are so many neat and/or interesting back-country places around here and elsewhere that involve dirt forest service trails or worse. I've got serious foot problems, so hiking in isn't an option. My 2WD Chevy RT 190 surprised me with where it would go, but it was still limited by lack of ground clearance & traction. And I like cooler-cold weather, so I like to travel in the winter, and be able to get home... A 4x4 isn't a necessity, but it's darned nice.
Roadtrek offers a 4x4 conversion in their very nice C190 class B, which I considered. But it's limited structurally by the B conversion to improved trails & snow, and it's about $10-15K more. You can't find one _anywhere_ to test drive, and it had a ~6-10 week waiting period from ordering. I bought my first RV without a test drive, and that's a mistake I will never, repeat, never, repeat.
The Tiger drives like a heavy pickup, totally undisturbed by passing trucks. The short wheelbase does require a bit more 'driving' than my last B, but not by much. I've done a 500+ mile day, but don't like to travel in that kind of a hurry. I have added a rear sway bar, and at 25k miles, it's time for new shocks.
The coach improvements since '06 are mostly detail. House batteries are now underfloor (I'll DIY copy that this spring, to free up some storage under the couch). Hugely nicer countertop and woodwork in the cabinets.
There's now a choice of Ford or Chevy (I'd probably still take Chevy; the Ford looks to bulky for the narrow trails here).
Regrets? Mostly taking the oven option instead of the pantry cabinet. I wish Chevy had offered the 6-speed with the 6.0; the 8.1 is mostly overkill for this little thing. But I do love the Allison... I do a lot of mtn driving, and there's never 'not quite the right gear'. I do wish I'd stuck with my first thought of a green interior... 
Perfect? No. I had a 10-item punch list that I took back to the factory in the first month. Yep, could have had all of it done locally at no $$ to me. The worst failure was the Onan completely cra**ing out at 8 hours; not Provan's fault. I spend a good bit of yesterday trying to fix two pesky window leaks, and think I've done it (we've had so little rain that they've been hard to find). Chevy is still trying to find and fix an intermittent chassis vibration.
The front seats _can't_ swivel. Look inside a pickup; the tunnel is higher than the floor. And the Tiger's coach floor is higher still, at about seat level. You'd have to raise the seat base, and there's no headroom for doing that. Maybe in the Ford? It's a major plus for the class B's.
But I still smile every time I get in the driver's seat.... 
Jim, "My typos and misspellings are intentional and copyrighted."
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Tiger4x4RV
San Diego County, California
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Joined: 03/14/2007
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The Tiger CX is not as tall as the average truck camper. My Tiger, which I ordered without roof A/C or railing, is just over 9 feet tall. At this height and only 87 inches wide, it fits through tight spaces to get into the remote camps that I love.
I both tour and camp, and I hike whenever possible. The Tiger goes wherever I want. It's great to drive on highways or dirt back roads.
I spend about sixty nights a year in my Tiger. My longest trip, in a similar-sized pre-Tiger, was 32 days. There's just one of me, and I had plenty of space.
Take a look at few trip photos: here and here. Yes, a small 4x4 TC or pop-up could have done all of these trips; a large TC would not have fit through some of the narrow roads or under various overhead obstacles.
2006 Tiger CX 4x4, 8.1 L gas V-8, Allison 6-speed
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shadowz
PacificNW
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Joined: 11/29/2008
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Tiger. Thanks for the pictures. Very inspiring.
Jim. Your rationale for buying makes perfect sense. We have an oven in our boat and it worthless to us. We use it for storage.
Curious. When boondocking, do you use a genny or an inverter or both? 4x4...what do you use for AC?
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