john101477
Photographer in the Wild
Wow what is the total length of that beast? Looks awesome.
Shortbusadventure's Tiger Motorhome build
- Thread starter shortbusadventure
- Start date
shortbusadventure
Adventurer
Thanks to everyone for the compliments.
The rig is currently 23' long. Two motorcycles on the back will bring us out to 26'+. Keep in mind this is for two of us full time. We will dump the bikes when needed.
The spare is getting mounted on the back bumper soon. Until then, I hope I don't have to raise and lower the beast with rope in case of a flat. I also look forward to getting the weight lower, and the safari rack space back.
Heading to Bend, Oregon tomorrow to register the rig and do some finishing touches before we go to Death Valley for two weeks.
-Kevin
VikingVince
Explorer
Very interesting and cool custom Tiger build. I've had my eye on Tigers for a number of years and like them. I'm sure you'll love your rig. I would !!
I was wondering about your choice of the '09 Duramax...that's low sulfur diesel, right? Do you plan to go to Mexico...what do you do about that? Is there some "fix?" I understand low sulfur diesel is not available/hard to find south of the border.
I was wondering about your choice of the '09 Duramax...that's low sulfur diesel, right? Do you plan to go to Mexico...what do you do about that? Is there some "fix?" I understand low sulfur diesel is not available/hard to find south of the border.
shortbusadventure
Adventurer
Hey Vince,
The ultra low sulphur diesel was a concern, but there is a solution. While not "street legal", there are "Off Road only" bypass exhaust systems and programmers that can allow us to run regular diesel. We also just had a 65+ gallon tank, so that should give us a little wiggle room to be picky about our fill ups.
T.Low
Expedition Leader
Well done. Bravo. Great thread.
Pardon me if I missed this; is it a pass thru from the truck cab into the camper or are the two seperate?
The side entry door is awesome, especially since it allows access while dirt bikes are mounted on back. Looking forward to pics with the bikes on back and a paragraph on the rack etc.:ylsmoke:
Pardon me if I missed this; is it a pass thru from the truck cab into the camper or are the two seperate?
The side entry door is awesome, especially since it allows access while dirt bikes are mounted on back. Looking forward to pics with the bikes on back and a paragraph on the rack etc.:ylsmoke:
DiploStrat
Expedition Leader
Neither; it is a small motorhome, thus a walkthough. See: http://tigermotorhomes.com/
Couple of these have done all of South America and one is now in Europe. One good read: http://www.travelin-tortuga.com/Site/Home_Page.html
Not responsible for any :drool: on your keyboard.
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:sombrero::sombrero::sombrero:
Don't bother with an off road setup as you will then be violating US EPA requirements, just run it stock in Mexico. ULSD is available at all the border towns to meet NAFTA EPA requirements for trucks entering the US. Mexico City and Gaudalajara are supposed to have ULSD already. ULSD is coming to Mexico but as usual chnage is slow.
There are tons of snowbird guys running '07.5 and later Duramax trucks in Mexico. Only many tens of thousands of miles of non stop ULSD is a problem for the DPF. On the GM/Chev Duramax trucks, the truck exhausts white smoke when a regeneration is happening. If you get out and smell the smoke it just smells like sulfur (rotten eggs).
Ted White has done a ton of investigation into this issue and has written an article about this. He is well followed by snowbird RVers who go to Mexico. The article is at the following address:
http://writeslice.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Adrian
www.writeslice.com
Don't bother with an off road setup as you will then be violating US EPA requirements, just run it stock in Mexico. ULSD is available at all the border towns to meet NAFTA EPA requirements for trucks entering the US. Mexico City and Gaudalajara are supposed to have ULSD already. ULSD is coming to Mexico but as usual chnage is slow.
There are tons of snowbird guys running '07.5 and later Duramax trucks in Mexico. Only many tens of thousands of miles of non stop ULSD is a problem for the DPF. On the GM/Chev Duramax trucks, the truck exhausts white smoke when a regeneration is happening. If you get out and smell the smoke it just smells like sulfur (rotten eggs).
Ted White has done a ton of investigation into this issue and has written an article about this. He is well followed by snowbird RVers who go to Mexico. The article is at the following address:
http://writeslice.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Adrian
www.writeslice.com
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VikingVince
Explorer
that was a very interesting article...thanks for posting it!
shortbusadventure
Adventurer
Great news on Mexico! We are planing on heading down south this December.
I have been working on the rig since we arrived in Bend. I will take pics tomorrow of the interior and some exterior shots as well if the weather provides.
-Kevin
I have been working on the rig since we arrived in Bend. I will take pics tomorrow of the interior and some exterior shots as well if the weather provides.
-Kevin
The article about diesel in Mexico concludes by saying, in effect, "Don't blame me if you take your new diesel truck to Mexico and experience problems."
It's worth remembering that your engine warranty could be canceled if you experience problems after the vehicle was run on old-style fuel with elevated sulfur content, or if you use an engine oil that does not meet the manufacturer's specs.
It's worth remembering that your engine warranty could be canceled if you experience problems after the vehicle was run on old-style fuel with elevated sulfur content, or if you use an engine oil that does not meet the manufacturer's specs.
shortbusadventure
Adventurer
I did read that, and I will do further investigation before we head south. It was nice to hear that many report that limited use of sulphur diesel does not seem to have serious affects.
Pics below of the modified 2 bike moto carrier below.
Yesterday, I tackled my punch list for the rig. Installed some back up lights, front distance lights, new struts for the packasport, secured the Engel Fridge, and a few other odds and ends.
On a fun note, we took the new rig wheelin' today. Sorry to say, we did not get pics of the rig climbing the back side of Coyote Butte. Snapped a few pics up top, and decending the front side. Made it through some big woops and some pretty deep cinder. We might head back tomorrow and tackle it again with cameras ready. The Tiger did great!:smiley_drive:
I also took a few pics of the inside after we cleaned up. It's amazing how easily things get messy inside with two people full time. We are maximizing our cabinet space on Tuesday and having some shelves installed to better organize things.
chris_the_wrench
Fixer & Builder of Things
Are those solar panels mounted on top of your rooftop box? Do you find the box lid and hinges stable enough for that extra load, especially when open?
Thanks
-Chris
shortbusadventure
Adventurer
The packasport box on top is fiberglass, and much sturdier than the average plastic cargo box. I changed out the struts to support the additional weight of the panels. My panels are the lightest I have found. Packasport sells two sizes of struts, my box came with 45lb, and I upgraded to 55lb. Besides the holes to mount the panels, the box is doing great.
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