Our "new" Tiger...

[HMR]

what kind of gas mileage are you getting and what's the tank size?

We've only driven a few hundred miles with a mix of city and highway. So far it looks like 16mpg (same as our Tacoma). The fuel tank holds 27 gallons. It's hard to get an "exact" measurement due to the way the fuel filler hose is setup- the hose probably holds an additional gallon of gas but I'm not sure if the hose actually fills up completely when the gas pump shuts off? Refueling is a common complaint even on some brand new Tigers due to the way the fuel filler hose is routed. The hose is unusually long and the filler cap is nearly level to the fuel tank. The lack of slope in the hose causes fuel to slosh around and shut the gas pump off several times during each refueling. Takes more attention and patience than it should. Not a problem here in SoCal but it would be a drag to have to babysit the fuel nozzle in freezing temps.

We just got back from another 2500 mile camping trip in the Tacoma. We LOVE the Tacoma and will continue to use it for more "rugged" trips. However, when we realized that the little Tiger gets the same mileage as our Tacoma but has the convenience of a pass-through, stand up cabin and flushing toilet, my wife commanded me to hurry up and buy one.

BTW- A few years ago, I was searching for camper info for our Toyota and your Tacoma/Bobcat thread is what led me to Expo. Thanks!

 

[adventureduo]

Im so late the party.... but Congrats Jeremy!! Tiger's are cool!

 

[HMR]

Im so late the party.... but Congrats Jeremy!! Tiger's are cool!

Thanks Dave. It's fun to have a project my wife and I can work on together.

So far this week we've:
-Removed carpet on cabin floor and replaced with Pergo.
-Thorough cleaning of all the nooks and crannies that haven't seen daylight in years.
-Removed original 3-way refrigerator and ordered an Edgestar 43qt, 12v/120AC to replace it. I'm building a fridge slide that'll fit in the original space.
-Measured and ordered materials for new curtains.
-Replaced every old screw, nut, bolt I removed with stainless steel hardware.
-Ran all the appliances for awhile (hot shower is nice!) to make sure everything is working properly.

We didn't "need" to do any of the above as the camper is in great shape. We just wanted to make a few changes that will fit our needs a little better and update the interior a bit.

 

[HMR]

I've had a couple people ask about the size comparison between the Tiger and the Tacoma...

The Tacoma is approx. 2' longer than the Tiger:

The Tiger is only slightly wider but a lot taller:

Our only concern with the interior space was the narrowness of the upper bunk. We wished it was just a bit wider for 2 people (works fine for 1 person). I was trying to design a pull-out bed similar to the one in the Four Wheel or Bobcat Campers. I was preparing myself for a lot of cutting. We had a good laugh when, after a few days, I leaned against the upper bunk and noticed it moved slightly. I grabbed it with both hands and it slid out. Apparently, Provan stole my idea before I even had it. :sombrero:
Not sure how I missed this great feature during my 6 months of research (doh!).

Here's the bed in the closed position:

Here it is open (this shows one of the two cushions that fill the open space):

Turns out the bed is a perfect size after all.

 

[UHAULER]

Looks like a nice clean rig.Now all you need to do is put some Dana 44's under it

I need to learn to be more patient when looking for vehicles, I usually try to be but sometimes I just see something and have to have it.

 

[suntinez]

That's great Jeremy, I had no idea the beds did that either! Cool.

Was it alot of work to pull carpet and put in the Pergo? Did you remove the sofa to do it, or just lay it in the center section?

Do you have more pics of that GT with the awning? I don't see the awning itself anywhere, a little tricky with the poptop.

Ran into a fellow with a 1988 Tiger towing desert toys, he had almost 170,000 miles on it and he'd taken it everywhere. I see some fun trips in your future.

 

[HMR]

Was it alot of work to pull carpet and put in the Pergo? Did you remove the sofa to do it, or just lay it in the center section?

Carpet wasn't too difficult to remove. Probably took me an hour including pulling up the wooden tack strips (used a chisel and a rubber mallet). I only installed Pergo in the center section and entryway. I wanted to leave the inside of the storage bins carpeted to reduce rattles. Cutting the Pergo and installing it took me 4+ days because I kept fiddling with it. A less compulsive/obsessive person could probably do it in an afternoon.

I'll try to post some before and after pics soon.

Do you have more pics of that GT with the awning? I don't see the awning itself anywhere, a little tricky with the poptop.

Edit: No more pics. I can't figure out why it has all the hardware but no awning?

 

[HMR]

New floor and fridge...

Before:

After:

The old carpet was faded and in need of a good cleaning. We decided to tear it out and replace it with a Pergo-type laminate floor. After 16yrs, the original fridge still worked "like new" but the newer 12V/120AC compressor fridges work much better. We opted for an Egdestar 43qt (delivered to our door for $360, hard to beat). I'm going to build a cabinet around the Edgestar that allows it to be accessed via a sliding drawer. I'll also have some leftover space to build an additional drawer above it. The burgundy carpet in the cab will be replaced with the same beige carpet visible on the step.

 

[ersatzknarf]

The new flooring looks great ! ! !
I like the fridge idea, too.
The nice, clean, er, spotless garage is making a lot of us envious, I think

 

[spencyg]

I've been meaning to tear the carpet out of Boomer as well. "Love what you've done with the place". Neat little rig!

Spence

 

[HMR]

Finally got the floor done...

The carpet in the front of the cab was a MAJOR hassle. I probably spent a solid 6-8 hours just removing the burgundy carpet. Provan used a strange method for their carpet install: Instead of removing the factory carpet and properly installing the new stuff, they laid the new carpet over the factory carpet then used 70+ screws to hold it all in place. The screws were cheap quality and buried in the floor so nearly every single one stripped when I tried to extract them with various screwdrivers. I ended up having to use a pair of Vice Grips and carefully twist and pull each one. It was a long day.

However, we had budgeted to buy a factory carpet kit and were pleasantly surprised when we discovered the OEM carpet underneath. Since the carpet has been covered for the past 16 years, it's in perfect condition.

Old vs. "new":

Some of the screws (UGH!):

Before:

After:

Before:

After (the swiveling seat is cool!):

The refrigerator slide and additional drawer are the next project and will go in the space on the left side of the photo above.

 

[spencyg]

Did you place the laminate flooring directly over the carpet??? I see red under the edge of the flooring....

If so, isn't the flooring "squishy"?

Spence

 

[HMR]

Did you place the laminate flooring directly over the carpet???

No. All of the old carpet and padding were removed. I scrubbed the plywood floor clean then used the proper foam "underlayment" between the plywood and laminate. I used new carpet padding below the small strip of new carpet.

I see red under the edge of the flooring....

Those are loose pieces leftover after I tore the old stuff out. The whole interior and the garage floor around the van were covered in red fibers. It was a messy job but cleaned up easily with a ShopVac.

Here's a pic showing the rear carpet removed:

The floor is solid underfoot and doesn't "click" when you walk on it.

 

[Herbie]

Nice work!
I hope you have "reupholster seats" on the to-do list. Everything else looks so nice its a shame to have those bright-red seats!

I've been a big fan of conversion vans and the like for a long time, but I will NEVER understand the industry's obsession with big puffy overstuffed velour, velvet, or corduroy seating.

 

[HMR]

Nice work!
I hope you have "reupholster seats" on the to-do list. Everything else looks so nice its a shame to have those bright-red seats!

Thanks. I think we'll end up swapping the front seats for factory Astro seats in the correct color. We're looking at a couple different "water resistant" covers to protect the rear couch from wet dogs. The top bunk will be covered with sheets and a bedspread. That should take care of the 70's disco theme.

I've been a big fan of conversion vans and the like for a long time, but I will NEVER understand the industry's obsession with big puffy overstuffed velour, velvet, or corduroy seating.

+1.
Even brand new, $80K-120K conversion vans often have the same decor. Weird.