New to us Tigermoth

[Kickapoo Tad]

After two decades of using a roof tent we decided to move out of the loft bedroom. Don't get me wrong we absolutely loved sleeping high. What we didn't like was having to break camp if we wanted to go out for a day trip or even an evening drive. I had researched a bunch of options - trailers that we could put our tent on, converting an old pop-up camper to something off roadable... we even traveled across the state to see the Opus trailer and decided it was too big for our needs. What we did need/want was small, simple, but a place to comfortably wait out a rainy day. The Taxa Tigermoth ticked all the boxes.

Nearing retirement (318 days!) we didn't want to take on a debt so I went looking for a used Tigermoth and found one on eBay. We bid, we won, and we took a trip to Connecticut to pick it up. The little trailer had been in either a backing accident or a tree fell on it, I heard two different stories, and it needed repair. The body shop that was selling it did a good job repairing the damage, added a solar panel, and new tires and wheels. There were something they didn't do, such as give it a good cleaning, and somethings they did cheaply, such as the awning, but the repair they made was very good.

I am going through things slowly with repairs, upgrades, and customizations and will be posting here and on Instagram. You can find me there @thylkema and @taxacation

So far the things that needed to be done have been minor and routine - sanding and urethane the "kitchen," making a new cutting board, adding a little wood bling to the handles, securing the screws and bolts the hold her together.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, constructive critique, and comments as I post. Don't be shy!

(Pictures coming as soon as I can figure out how!)

 

[SBSYNCRO]

Some pictures here would probably help liven up the conversation. I don't know anything about Tiger Moth trailers, but now I'm curious. ;-)

 

[Kickapoo Tad]

Got it. Finally. Had to resize my photos .

 

[Kickapoo Tad]

So one of the first things I had to/wanted to do was refresh the varnish on all the wood work. The cutting board was also missing so I made a new one. Very happy with the way it came out.

 

[Kickapoo Tad]

Then it was on to general maintenance. One thing I would urge all Taxa owners, as well as all trailer owners, is check your fittings. I found that most the nuts and bolts were loose, and the screws had little or no purchase. For that I glued in a wood dowl, cut it flush, and then reinserted the screws.

 

[Kickapoo Tad]

One of the big critiques I kept hearing about the Tigermoth was the hardness of pads for sleeping. They are great when used for sitting but they are very firm. We purchased a Big Agnes Hinman self inflating mattress. It fit perfect and with four inches of loft it makes for a great night's sleep!

 

[Kickapoo Tad]

One of biggest attractions to the Tigermoth for me over other micro-trailers is the ability to sit inside. As we plan our months long trips I know there are going to be days when we are caught in rain/snow/wind/etc. I like the fact that we can sit inside the Tigermoth to eat, read, write, hobby...

 

[VinmanP]

One of the big critiques I kept hearing about the Tigermoth was the hardness of pads for sleeping. They are great when used for sitting but they are very firm. We purchased a Big Agnes Hinman self inflating mattress. It fit perfect and with four inches of loft it makes for a great night's sleep!

ALL Taxa models have absurdly thin/hard “pads”. I can’t imagine trying to sleep on the ones in our Cricket. We have 4in memory foam folding mattresses on ours.

 

[VinmanP]

One of the big critiques I kept hearing about the Tigermoth was the hardness of pads for sleeping. They are great when used for sitting but they are very firm. We purchased a Big Agnes Hinman self inflating mattress. It fit perfect and with four inches of loft it makes for a great night's sleep!

I LOVE that map on your wall. Do you mind sharing info on that?

 

[Kickapoo Tad]

I LOVE that map on your wall. Do you mind sharing info on that?

I have seen those on etsy and other places. Ours was in the Tigermoth when we bought it.

The only thing that bothers me is the UP of Michigan is now a part of Wisconsin! Having a retirement home in the UP, and being born and raised in Wisconsin, I will be proud to call myself a Yooper soon!

 

[mep1811]

Then it was on to general maintenance. One thing I would urge all Taxa owners, as well as all trailer owners, is check your fittings. I found that most the nuts and bolts were loose, and the screws had little or no purchase. For that I glued in a wood dowl, cut it flush, and then reinserted the screws.

Better to run nuts and bolts for those.

 

[mep1811]

I had a TM for a while. I suggest you get a HD rivet gun and some HD "peel" rivets. A cordless drill with 3/8th bits. I usually would have to replace several rivets after a days driving.

 

[mep1811]

The rear fender is a good place to mount a propane tank. I also added a ammo can for all the propane hoses and a couple of green propane cans .

 

[Kickapoo Tad]

That is one loaded vehicle and trailer! How many days out were you?

 

[mep1811]

That is one loaded vehicle and trailer! How many days out were you?

92 days 13,000 miles Alaska , Deadhorse, Tuk and back to El Paso.

Here is a link to the three parts series I wrote for TCT magazine

Arctic Adventures in a Vintage Land Cruiser

During the summer of 2018, my wife and I embarked on an Alaska trip. We thought we’d be gone about four weeks. 92 days, two trips to the Arctic Ocean and 13,000 miles later we made it home …

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