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Sleeping in the Prius while raining

Discussion in 'Living Life in a Prius' started by Hobbes615, Jul 1, 2022.

  1. Hobbes615

    Hobbes615 New Member

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    Hi all,

    I plan on camping out of my Prius for about a month in Eastern Canada. It rains quite a bit there and I am not sure about the bug situation but will assume mosquitos/black flies will be present. I have a mesh cover for the rear windows to roll down a bit while I sleep. However, these mesh covers would soak the rain.

    I am considering putting a tarp on the side of the car and closing the door. Perhaps use magnets. Another idea is to purchase WeatherTech wind/rain covers window deflectors or a similar brand. However, I would like to open the window a bit more but that will allow bugs if I used the window deflectors.

    Have you created any solutions for this? Thanks!
     
    nicoj36 likes this.
  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Why not pitch a tent next to your car instead? Tents don't cost much and with the right kind of mattress will be way more comfortable than car camping? Sleeping outside in Summer in Eastern Canada sounds way better than sleeping inside a car?
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i've experienced canadian mosquitos :eek:
     
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  4. kenmce

    kenmce High Voltage Member

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    I am picturing something that either you close the top of the door on it or you magnet it down. It would stick straight out at a downward angle and have a flap on either side that hung down and propped it out from the window. It would be like the eaves on a roof.

    Any light rigid material would work and you could fold it flat to store. It could be rather pleasant to lie there in the breeze listening to the rain.
     
  5. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    Use a combination of the window deflector and that window-sock thingy. Window-sock will keep the bugs out and the deflector will keep the water out. You just need to be very careful removing the window-sock; so you don't tear it on any sharp corners of the deflector.
    You do realize that you'll still get bugs in your car? They'll hitch a ride into and out of your car as your getting in and out of the car.
     
  6. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    If you need a flight back to bah-stun ... they're big enough to accomodate
    ;)
    .
     
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  7. Hobbes615

    Hobbes615 New Member

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    I will bring my REI quarter dome SL1 tent incase. However, I will be moving around a lot so it would not be ideal having to setup and break down the tent every night especially with rain.

    I would like to make a mini-camper out of my Prius during this trip. I am planning on building a wooden platform like others have done. I have an Exped MegaMat which is really comfortable in or out of the car. I tested this workflow staying 3 nights in Vermont while sleeping in the back of the Prius.

    I attached a phot of how it looked. My 2nd screenshot(sorry for the poor quality) shows the dimensions of the wooden platform. I plan on putting a 2x4 on the bottom part so it sits flush with the middle since the 2022 has a small hump.

    Tyvek would fit the bill on this. I will ask around any home construction house for a piece of it or hit the store.

    I was thinking that I would have to magnet the sides as well. I would put a piece of string at the end and tie a small rock around it to create tension. How would you create flaps on the sides ? I could try to glue or tie it.


    I would do a spot check in the car to make sure there are none before sleeping.
     

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  8. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    Glad to see there's room for the clubs!!
     
  9. Hobbes615

    Hobbes615 New Member

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    Would you suggest using regular black magnets or neodymium?

     
  10. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    neodymium; If you have a couple of old computer hard drives laying around; rip the magnets out of them. Smash the disks with a hammer if your OCD or paranoid....
     
  11. kenmce

    kenmce High Voltage Member

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    I like the neodymium magnets myself. However, when I stick them on a car, I first wrap a piece of tape around them so I don't get metal-to-paint contact, I only get plastic-to-paint contact. I haven't chipped anything and don't want to start.

    The black magnets have a vinyl like surface and should be OK for direct contact.
     
  12. kenmce

    kenmce High Voltage Member

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    Yes, that's true, but your not going to like it when they tank up en route.:mad:
     
  13. DavidK52

    DavidK52 New Member

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    Given that the engine should only run for a few minutes every hour and you won't be in an enclosed space, I believe it is safe. That being said, it's always a good idea to err on the side of caution—if you're concerned, consider purchasing a car CO2 detector. I've heard that house detectors don't work well in smaller spaces, so make sure it's for cars. If you live in an area prone to blizzards or heavy snow, I would also make certain that the exhaust pipe does not become clogged.
     
  14. Ryder99

    Ryder99 Member

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    How could co2 get into the car if the windows are closed and the car outside?
     
  15. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The car has a ventilation system bringing in outside air, and whether the gases dissipate outside or pool around the car can be unpredictable based on terrain, wind, and weather conditions. It is not hard to find news reports where underestimating those effects led to fatalities.

    Here is one thread that has some links.

    It is good to remember that CO is the main concern, not CO2.

    CO2 is generally noticeable. It's the same stuff you exhale. When its concentration is high, you feel like the air is stuffy, you want to breathe more, you might be triggered to yawn.

    CO, you generally won't detect. You breathe it, you don't notice you're breathing it, and it binds to the hemoglobin in your blood cells and makes your blood unable to carry oxygen.

    You need your blood to be carrying oxygen.
     
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  16. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Most house CO detectors don't work well in a house either. Primarily because they require a significant amount of CO to alarm. In both cases a low level CO detector is preferred.



    From the fine print of a top rated $29 CO home monitor:

    BA4FE9B2-A25A-4B8E-B568-F683CBC03509.jpeg F24FEC1B-2008-448A-8339-01258544A10A.jpeg
     
    #16 rjparker, Aug 6, 2022
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2022
  17. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    FYI: Those SpO2 finger sensors can't tell the difference between O2 or CO being carried by the hemoglobin. You could be DEAD and blue, those sensor will read 100% O2 saturation. You'll need a direct blood gas analysis to tell the difference.
     
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  18. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    If I remember right, carboxyhemoglobin has a very bright red color, brighter than hemoglobin bound to oxygen, and it stays that way, rather than reverting to blue.

    So if you're DEAD, with your finger sensor reading 100% sat because of CO, you might not be blue, but a weird flushed red.

    The finger sensor won't notice the difference, but the person putting it on your finger will.
     
    #18 ChapmanF, Aug 7, 2022
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2022
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  19. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    Yep, you are correct. I just think it's very scary that I get a call once in a while from a physician that the unit has malfunctioned. It's a lot of paperwork, I have to file, re-certify the unit, and re-educate staff members.
    This sort of thing doesn't happen much in our sunny state. I can only imagine the headaches this causes in our colder northern states.
     
  20. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    What "unit" are you talking about?