Prius campermobile

Slide the passenger seat forward, get some strip magnets from Home Depot. a piece of mosquito netting and a small adjustable curtain rod , and Voila a camper mobile. Good for a 5'10" person, oh yes, and a piece of 2 inch thick foam for a mattress. Very comfortable 60 mpg RV of sorts. The only problem is a small red light blinks on the dash to indicate door open (even though you trip the latch! ), and the security red light blinks looking for a key, but these do not drain the 12V battery enough in a nights sleep to be a problem. Rainy or cold weather or for traveling just shut the back hatch. Helps if you tie the mosquito netting to the door hinges, and pull the bottom ends thru the Prius tie downs and it works well to keep the bugs out.

It never fails to amaze me how many different ways an owner can use the Prius.

DBCassidy

Does the fuel system test cycle that runs 5 hours after shutdown wake you up?

That's great! Think it would fit 2 people? Or a 6'2 fella like me?

No it would not fit 2 people, and without some seat extenders fro the passenger seat to slide it forward some more I do not think a 6 ft person would fit, but try it out. Nothing runs when you shut it off, just the blinking door open light and security flashing red symbol.

Maybe Toyota should start promoting the Prius and camping and r.v. shows. Heck, VW been doing ot for years with their van, why not Toyota? It could appeal to people just starting out, on a limited budget. This would allow them to try camping and see if it is for them. If so -great, if not, then their money spent for a mosquito net, sleeping bags are at a minimum.

This does have potential. Toyota (or a third party supplier) could offer this as an option.

DBCassidy

I got your solution right here! A $1000 find on Craigslist, and a $150 tow hitch from U-Haul...

What is the total weight and tongue weight?

Doesnt look very well balanced. And it probably exceeds the GCWR.

Yup, that would void the warranty!

Mark,

Simply get a thick inflatable twin size mattress. If you put your gear in the rear seat area footwells there is enough support for the mattress so that it doesn't bend. I used to sleep in my GenII all the time with this setup. I used to be 6' 2.75".

This is very similar to what I used.
Coleman Twin Inflatable Air Bed - Walmart.com

Will kill the gas mileage, but the car will likely handle it ok otherwise

If you are going to do it, do it right.

Hybrid RV Conversions - The Prius Camper Van Makes the Four-Door Green Machine Habitable (GALLERY)

Yeh, but what does that do to the MPG???

Good question. How about this then:

I haven't weighed the contraption, but I'd estimate about 700 lbs. The tongue weight is around 100 lbs... I can move it by hand without too much effort.

I'm not performance driving in this setup. No need for exact balance!

The most exciting experiences in life come when you start breaking rules.

I wouldn't say "kill". I get about 33 mpg fully loaded. Find me an RV that comes close to that mileage and I'll gladly buy it!

OK how about drop it in half

There is a company that makes trailer rvs that probably that much or less and only have a tongue weight of 50. I forget the company name. If I find it I will let you know.

Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk 2

I don't really see a difference between that and just having the hatch closed ?

What am I missing ?


REV

It keeps the interior cooler and less humid. It also provides a bit more vertical room for your legs/knees when turning over and such. It's hard to understand the concept unless you've slept back there quite abit. LOL