Prius as a mini-RV for camping

Glenn Nagel Photography | Prius Camping- New & Improved


That's how you do it Glenn. Make it easy for us!

 

I'm 6'6. Tried laying in the back of mine...no way.

 

I did. But the gap where the rear seats end to the front seat is troublesome.

 

thats awesome. if only two people could fit in the prius like this....

 

one on the top one on the bottom

 

HAHAHAH

 

Digging up this old post.

I had read that blog while looking up stuff about Prius camping! I didn't realize that he was here. My husband and I have used that and some other blog posts as a jumping off point for planning a cross country trip early next year for our 25th anniversary. We will be two-peopleing it. We are both former longhaul truckers used to packing lightly and sharing a small space and traveling for extended periods, so we are (hopefully not unreasonably) confident we can make it work. We will be leaving southwest GA, going up and across to the pacific NW, down the west coast and then back across the bottom states with stop-offs at various off-the-highway points of interest. We have a year to plan it out. Maybe I'll set up some sort of thing and live blog it as we go. I really don't see any reason two people can't do this, but then that may be largely based on our experiences as truckers. Plus we have lots of friends and family scattered throughout the country that will let us shower and stretch out for a night or two. This travel thing was a huge influence on our decision to buy a Prius.

Anyway, Glenn! Loved your blog posts on Prius travel.

 

This is especially timely for me. I was wanting to take a trip and it appeared that finances would prevent it. I think I could do this. I'm seventy-two and don't know for sure if I can sleep this way but it certainly is worth a try.

 

We are 65 and 71 , and we find the back of our 2012 hatchback to be more comfortable than a camping cot for sleeping. The height of the car makes it much easier to get in and out than if you were at floor level in a tent on an air mattress, although you have to get used to getting in and out via the rear doors or hatch.
Depending on how "firm" support you need, consider having a layer of foam underneath with a thin, camping-style air mattress on top. Thicker foam and air mattress if you want "softer", of course. There is a small change-of-angle joint when the seats are folded flat, but with foam and air mattress it is not very noticeable.
We park the car pointed uphill if there is a slope, and sleep with feet toward the hatchback. I am 6-2 and fit fine when seats are full forward. Our heads are on a board supported by two of those stackable milk crates set in the footwell just ahead of the rear seat. We have to remove the headrests from the back seat to make room for the board when the seats are folded down.
I also have a Weatherbeater plastic floor mat in back, but we take that OUT and replace it with a piece of astro-turf like rug that has been cut to fit from the rear lip all the way forward to the board in back of the front seats.(about 4 x 7 feet)
Hope you can find a combo that makes it comfortable for you!

 

M

My husband and I have had a couple of short-term camping trips, and we enjoy it quite a bit. Our first was for an anniversary, too! I'd love to plan a longer trip and test it out.

 

I loved reading about your setup. Thank you for writing about it. Your photos are lovely, too!

 

Nice write up. I'm really tempted to do something like this too, just because I've now seen many people write about this. Being a shorter person at 5 ft, 3 inches, I think the sleeping space won't be an issue for me. Now to save up some vacation days from work...

 

If you need more of the fancy factor . . . . .
hideous .... but functional:

Toyota Prius RV Style: Will You Drive It? | TunedTech Car Enthusiasts



gutless on the steep hills no doubt.
.

 

I finished my Prius power center today for a future RV trip in it after the first of the year and figured I would share in case it helps someone else. The space over the 12 volt battery is in a small alcove. I used this spot to set up dedicated (non accessory) USB outlets, standard 12 volt car outlet, & pure sign wave 120 volt power.

I did this with no holes being drilled in the Prius. I bring the power up using 4 gage red & black cables to a circuit breaker where I can manually trip and reset as needed.

The house switch to the left that is separately fused turns on 12 volt power to the USB & car outlet and volt meter so I can monitor the prius battery wellness.

Out of the circuit breaker I feed a 400 watt pure sign wave inverter and wired the voltage out to the panel in a duplex outlet to the right. I have a watt meter plugged into it.

The power cables run through the access panel to the bottom rear and the 12 volt cable is in a loom.

I use Velcro on the bottom to hold it in place and the hinged panel has Velcro at the top left to hold that in place as well.

Now I have a power center out of the way for my trip and 120 volt for my sensitive electronics.






iPad ?

 

How much harder is it now to change your 12v?

 

JC excellent question- not much extra work. I designed this unit so I have full access to the tire. This assembly totally sets on top of the plastic shelf that is over the battery. With the trunk plastic tray removed you pull out this assembly that are just velcro'd held to the top of the plastic battery cover and place it on top of tire. Then lift off the plastic battery cover and you have full access to the battery. I made 3 foot 4 ga cables and this seems to be sufficient for space. Tied the ground to the same chassis mount as battery & positive to the battery cable clamping nut.


iPad ?