1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Yet another first road trip in a PiP

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by jerrymildred, Nov 20, 2017.

  1. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,490
    14,095
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I know there are lots of threads about road trips in the PiP, but all the ones I found were about 4 years old or more.

    Enough short hops. Tomorrow's the big day. I can hardly wait to see how it does on the big hills on I-75 in TN and KY. We're leaving at about 3 AM to try to get to central Ohio in time to go to bed at a decent time. Figuring on using most of the EV getting over to the interstate so we'll have capacity for the big down hill stretches, but then save a mile or two for fuel stops. I'll let you know how it goes as soon as I get the chance.

    But this is definitely going to wreak havoc on my Fuelly numbers. :LOL:
     
  2. bluemanalbert

    bluemanalbert Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2017
    40
    22
    0
    Location:
    visalia, CA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    One
    I'm doing the same except driving from California up to Oregon. 787 miles one way exactly. I'm looking forward to seeing how it handles on the long up hills.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    jerrymildred likes this.
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    i'd be more worried about my back than fuelly. :cool: all the best jerry, have a great trip. hope the weather stays calm for you!(y)
     
    DLC82SV and jerrymildred like this.
  4. MattStevenson

    MattStevenson Member

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2017
    57
    35
    0
    Location:
    US
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I actually learned a neat little trick. When you want to save some of that generated power from going down all those hills you can do so by getting the plug in battery icon to show instead of the hybrid battery. Once it does just switch to EV mode and charge that pack as much as you can. When you get to where you need to use the throttle again just switch back to hybrid mode and use your EV power when it makes the most sense!

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    Data Daedalus and jerrymildred like this.
  5. KevinPluggedIn

    KevinPluggedIn Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2017
    25
    33
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    N/A
    Can't wait to hear about your trips.

    I just bought my '14 PiP on Friday, 11/17, and drove the family of 4 from Tampa to N. Palm Beach, FL, for Thanksgiving week. Overall, the trip is about 225 miles, mainly freeway, with a few small towns and lights to contend with. We had plenty of room for our luggage, and it was a smooth, comfortable trip. There was a strong crosswind for most of the trip, and despite that, I averaged 51mpg for the first 2/3 of the trip (Tampa to Ft. Pierce via SR and the FL Turnpike) and 54mpg for the last 2/3 from Ft. Pierce to N. Palm Beach (I-95 to Inidantown Rd to A1A).

    About to take the kids up the Jupiter Lighthouse along the Juno Beach, all electric!!!

    Loving this car so far.
     
    Neohippy, bisco and jerrymildred like this.
  6. KevinPluggedIn

    KevinPluggedIn Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2017
    25
    33
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    N/A

    Have a safe drive. If you can, I would love to know your MPG from Lexington to Cincinnati. That stretch of highway is really interesting, since most of the truckers get up to very high speeds on the downhills, and use that momentum on the up-hills. I am interested on how the hybrid system performs on that sort of terrain at highway speeds.
     
    Data Daedalus and jerrymildred like this.
  7. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,490
    14,095
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Thanks, everyone. I can't say the trip was uneventful, but it was successful if not unusually long. I lost count of how many lane closures there were with hundreds of Larry, Curly, & Moe trios trying to get through those narrow openings all at once. Then there was the 18 wheeler that did a fainting goat impression in a rest area. We heard a big boom as we approached the rest rooms. I and another guy ran around the corner of the building and there was the rig on its side. We called 911 and stayed with the driver till crews arrived. Several others pitched in. The driver was pinned but OK other than a rather nasty gash on his head. We saw lots of other wrecks and one bonehead with a trailer that he forgot he had forced us onto the shoulder. Trips like that don't do much for my faith in humanity till I think about all the good samaritans helping out that truck driver.
    IMG_6791 copy.jpg

    My back did fine. But, after 22 hours, my tailbone was power whining. Shoulders and hands were a little tired. And, for some reason, when we got here, the whole world was buzzing slightly. :D

    I do something like that often. I've found out that, it'll regen a bunch in HV mode, especially if you leave just a little EV range available. Then put it in EV and back to HV and it'll lock that range in. I didn't get the kind of regen I thought I might. Most often, on the big descents, the HSI needle would go to about neutral between charge & drain. On the big drop to the Ohio River in KY, I did get about two miles of regen, which came in very handy as we crept along through yet another failure to merge zone in Cincinnati.

    Awesome!!! Congratulations. Hope you get lots of great service from it. Did you get it from Todd? He's a great guy. I noticed that he had some more PiPs in stock.

    Edit to add: On the stretch from Lex to Cinci, it did well considering that I was getting in a hurry. On those roller coaster roads, I take over from the cruise and, traffic permitting, keep the HSI out of the power section. It makes a HUGE difference in the one-minute fuel consumption bars. However, traffic seldom permitted. It was insanely crowded, even at 9 PM.

    That wasn't the best part of the trip. Traffic was insane and we were so far behind schedule from all the delays that I wasn't able or motivated to be very frugal. Of course, going back south will be totally different since it's more up hill in that area. My first tank calculated to 48.2 mpg. The second one was 51.3. That was in southern KY. I plan to fill up later today. That one won't be so great. It's only showing 47 mpg. After about 20 hours in the saddle, you start not caring how much it costs to get to a bed. LOL!

    Over-all?
    IMG_6807 copy.jpg

    No complaints at all considering how much was at over 70 mph.
     
    #7 jerrymildred, Nov 22, 2017
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2017
  8. KevinPluggedIn

    KevinPluggedIn Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2017
    25
    33
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    N/A
    Great info. Thank you. How in the world did that truck end up on it's side like that???

    Yes, I bought the PiP from Todd. I am lucky that he is about 10 minutes away from me. I had seen the "Tampa Hybrids" stickers on cars several times. I recently had some recurring trips added to my already long weekly commute, and decided that with gas prices low, my '03 Chevy Trailblazer would have some value now, and I could likely find a Prius at a reasonable price.

    Prius was acquired. Great buying experience. Now, time to sell the truck when I get back at the end of this week.

    I had a trip this afternoon from Ft. Lauderdale up to N. Palm Beach on I-95. I think it really put the PiP in her sweet spot. The route was about 67 miles, mainly via I-95, Set in HV the whole way, but lots of slow and go freeway traffic, never really getting above 65mph. I got 64MPG on the trip.

    Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
     
    jerrymildred likes this.
  9. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,490
    14,095
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    On the truck, I'm not sure. I was on the other side of the rest area restroom building and just heard the big boom. The driver was really cursing his brakes, but it also may have been an excuse for taking a sharp curve too fast. I think I did hear a bit of a sliding sound before the boom. That could have been a sideways or a forward skid.

    Todd's a litte bit of a drive for me, but not bad. I'm in New Port Richey. It takes about 30 minutes to get there. My wife found Todd via the Internet while we were preparing to move back to the area from Honduras and we were researching the Prius. Good find!

    And back to the trip, I filled the tank just now. On the last part of the trip I only got 46.2 mpg. But that was under far from ideal conditions. Total fuel used was 22.862 gallons. Total miles were 1,112 including the eight mile drive to town today for gas. That comes to 48.64 mpg over-all. As for my tailbone, it had no complaints when I got back in the car today, so I guess they made up with each other. :)

    For the return trip, I'm going to try to plot a route that avoids I-75. We'll probably make it a two-day trip as well. I'll update you in a couple weeks. Now I'm learning to heat a 32 degree car carrying elderly passengers with minimal engine use. Needless to say, in this case, comfort takes priority. I'd just wear a coat. Anyone ever tried shoehorning a wood burning stove into a Prius? LOL!!
     
    #9 jerrymildred, Nov 22, 2017
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2017
  10. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,490
    14,095
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I couldn't wait. I plugged in the start and stop points in Apple Maps and said to avoid highways. The selected route that's 21 hr 10 min might be the basis for a nice two-day drive going home if the weather is OK. Especially compared to the route we took north that took 22 hours and should have taken about 17-18. No interstates, but it does use US highways like US 19 in GA & FL. Looks like lower speeds, better fuel efficiency, and a better use of a Prius. It will be very interesting to compare mpg's & total fuel burned between the routes if we do this. Miles are very similar.
    Screen Shot 2017-11-22 at 6.45.24 PM.png
     
    KevinPluggedIn likes this.
  11. KevinPluggedIn

    KevinPluggedIn Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2017
    25
    33
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    N/A
    By any measure, getting from Central FL to Central OH on 23 gals of gas is amazing.

    Your trip back is sure to be much more interesting. Enjoy it.
     
    jerrymildred likes this.
  12. bluemanalbert

    bluemanalbert Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2017
    40
    22
    0
    Location:
    visalia, CA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    One
    My turn to update on my trip from Central California up to Portland Oregon. I pumped 8.15 gallons of gas at $3.03. I left after 5PM (That's when the future wife gets out of work). The was lots of traffic through Fresno, including a stretch of about 4 miles where I got up to 15MPH and thought I was flying. There was some construction through Merced, CA and then it cleared up pretty well. I will say that I usually keep the lumbar support fully out and when I was somewhere in the Merced area my back was starting to really feel it. I drove up to Redding,CA and stopped to get gas there. I averaged 53 mpg for that stretch. I got back on the road and only drove for about an hour to Shasta where I camped for the night. Sleeping in the back of the Prius was a pretty comfortable actually. I had packed two sleeping bags and my future wife packed her "comfy blanket." I'm 6 foot tall and she is 5'4 maybe 5'5 and we were pretty comfortable in the back of the Prius. Got up real early and drove up to Medford Oregon on the second tank of gas, 8.22 gallons. After stopping for breakfast I got back in the car and realised that I had regened 5.4 miles through all the up and down driving. Getting into Portland Oregon my average was 52 MPG. Not bad considering I used the cruise control the whole way. Lots of traffic through and areas. The radar cruise control is a nice feature to have.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    jerrymildred likes this.
  13. KevinPluggedIn

    KevinPluggedIn Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2017
    25
    33
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    N/A
    Sounds like an awesome trip through some beautiful country up there. I love the idea of camping out in the back as well. Not sure that my current wife would be as "hip" to that idea as your future wife is :)

    The 5.4 mile re-gen is really impressive.
     
    jerrymildred likes this.
  14. PA Prius

    PA Prius Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2007
    753
    240
    0
    Location:
    SE Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    We slept in the back of ours six nights on our almost 14,000 mile trip this summer/fall PA-AK-PA. I could have done more nights back there, but that was enough for my wife. 6'1" and 5' 5".
     
    Data Daedalus and KevinPluggedIn like this.
  15. Wolfie52

    Wolfie52 Senior "Jr" Member

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2009
    143
    124
    1
    Location:
    No. Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    Have fun! And watch the crazy drivers.

    I did do a report on my long road trip... https://priuschat.com/threads/2013-phev-prius-7445-mile-road-trip.168378/#post-2387768

    I have done several 1000 to 1500 mile trips, including about 933 miles this weekend to the Carolina Outer banks. I did use a charger at the hotel and one at a restaurant but it did very little to increase my overall MPG. Generally I don't worry about charging on these trips unless I can charge somewhere I plan to be. BTW, this trip I got 56 going (more downhill) and about 50 coming back.

    I don't sweat the numbers on my road trips. But between them I can go for 3-4 months between fill ups! This is EXACTLY the reason I got a PHEV instead of a pure EV. I can drive 600 miles a day and not have to worry about range or sits for hours waiting a charge!

     
  16. smallschumi

    smallschumi Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2012
    42
    16
    0
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    In general, when camping in the car for the night, where do you all park the car?
     
  17. PA Prius

    PA Prius Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2007
    753
    240
    0
    Location:
    SE Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    Regulations vary state/province to state/province. Some allow overnight in rest areas unless otherwise marked. Some allow anywhere unless otherwise marked. In our recent trip we did some at rest areas and others at remote unmarked areas. We did some campgrounds too, but avoided public/crowded spaces like Walmart parking lots. Personal opinion comes in to play here of course.
     
  18. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2016
    11,490
    14,095
    0
    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Made it home last night and final results are in. We took two days coming home so we could avoid the Interstates and see some friends. But we did travel about 100 miles or so of I-75 in KY. We gassed up within a couple miles of home at each end. Total miles for the entire trip were 2,662. In total, we used 51.45 gallons for an average of 51.68 mpg. We got 48.64 for the 1,105 miles going up, 67.28 for the 437 miles we drove while in Ohio, and 50.48 for the 1,120 mile trip home.

    What impressed me was that the car was loaded to the max for both trips. (Mini spare tire, two duffle bags, shooting range bag with a nice supply of target ammo which we didn't have time to use and had to haul back home, winter coats, cooler, food, tools, etc.) We had lots and lots of 65 mph+ travel. And we spent one entire day driving into a 25 mph head wind and medium to hard rain and the next day was about half in the rain.

    Later, I'll have time to plug all that into my spreadsheet to see how it compares in cost to a regular 28 mpg gasser. Might be interesting.
     
    Neohippy, markabele and Yea Right like this.
  19. KevinPluggedIn

    KevinPluggedIn Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2017
    25
    33
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    N/A
    Sounds like a great trip. Thanks for the updates. I have also wondered how much being loaded down with luggage impacts fuel econ. I suppose that with all the variables involved in a road trip, there is really no way to figure that out for sure. I have to imagine that passenger and luggage weight have an out-sized impact on a Prius compared to, let's say, a full size SUV.

    Glad you made it home safely, and brought some of that crisp cold air down our way. It might actually feel like Christmas tonight.
     
    jerrymildred likes this.
  20. PA Prius

    PA Prius Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2007
    753
    240
    0
    Location:
    SE Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    Weight certainly effects mpg, but not as much as speed. Our family did 7500 mile cross-country trip in '07-- two adults, two teens, all the camping gear, including an aero roof rack that I set up. We were at or a bit over that maximum recommended weight. We drove 60 mph (yes I know that not many would choose to do that) and we averaged 50 mpg for the trip.
     
    KevinPluggedIn and jerrymildred like this.