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Prime Camping Platform

Discussion in 'Prime Accessories and Modifications' started by m8547, Nov 18, 2019.

  1. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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    Shortly after I got my Prime, I built a platform for it to level out the floor and make a space at least 6 feet long for sleeping. It works, but it turns out it's not that comfortable because it's a pretty small car. I thought I'd share the design in case anyone wants to make one like it, but otherwise I'm going to take it apart and reuse the materials for something else. Or if anyone near Denver wants a camping platform, I'll give it to you for free!

    It's made of 3/8 plywood, a length of 2x4, a length of 2x4 ripped to 2.5 inches wide, some 1x2 boards, and a piano hinge (note for readers outside the US, those are nominal dimensions for the wood, and the actual size is smaller). Not shown is a piece of wood that rests on the armrest to support the hinged section.

    The hinged section allows the seats to be in a comfortable position all the way back for driving. To switch to camper mode the seats need to be all the way forward and completely vertical (they can't tilt forward more than vertical).

    There is a little storage behind the front seats, but not much when they are all the way back. There's no way to access the space under the seats from the top, but the hinged part could be split to add an option for access. That would also make it possible to leave one of the seats in a normal position which might be nice. Lack of storage for stuff is one of the biggest problems with this setup, but a roof box would help.

    Another problem is, if you put too much weight over the hinge it will collapse, since it acts as a lever that lifts up the end towards the trunk. Maybe some kind of latch or brace at the hinge could lock it in place.

    Another problem is, with an inflatable camping pad (a few inches thick), there's not much room to do anything besides lay down while in the back in camping mode. I went camping in late fall, and it was cold and windy outside, and it got dark early. I wanted to hang out in the car, but all I could do was lay on my back, on my side, or on my stomach. It got uncomfortable pretty quickly. Sleeping was fine. My sleeping bag would just barely brush against the rear glass.

    It was only around freezing, so I didn't run the heat at night. The dashboard lights were too bright to want to leave the car on. I did run it for a while in the morning to warm up, and using the heat for about an hour plus the rear defroster for a bit to dry out condensation on the back glass, used about 25% of the battery.

    Another possible improvement would be to put the passenger seat in "relaxation mode". Remove the front and rear passenger side headrests, slide the front seat all the way forward, and tilt the seat all the way back so it's flat with the folded rear seat.

    I'm having technical difficulties with this terrible forum software, so I'll post photos in the next post.
     
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  2. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    ah, working with wood, my favorite. well done, great write up and pics!(y) most campers here are very comfortable. are you used to a larger vehicle?
     
  4. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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    The Prime has about 4 inches less headroom than a standard Prius because of the battery. Plus I used a fairly thick inflatable pad (about 3 inches). But I find even my 4runner to be a bit too small. Maybe I just have high standards.

    I'd like to build a van. It's always so windy out here, it would be nice to have a place to cook and eat that's sheltered and comfortable.
     
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    build a van? or convert one?
     
  6. tedjohnson

    tedjohnson Member

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    Anyone just pull out the back seats and make room for a spare, plus a pile of storage space? Basically make it into a 2 seater...
     
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  7. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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    I tried it, and you don't really save that much space. The seatbacks are really thin, and the seat cushions are only a little thicker. You might gain 6-8 inches across the back row. Under the seat cushions there is a perforated aluminum platform, but it doesn't cover everything. A lot of things are exposed that really should be covered, like high voltage wires and other electronics. Its would be a bit difficult to fabricate something to cover what the seats cover.
     
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  8. tedjohnson

    tedjohnson Member

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  9. tedjohnson

    tedjohnson Member

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    How easy was it to take the back seats out?
     
  10. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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    For the seat cushions, it just takes careful but forceful pulling. I can't remember the details, but if you search you can find some advice for how to do it without breaking the clips. I think there are clips under the front of the cushion and a hook at the back that comes off after you undo the clips.

    I didn't actually take out the seat backs, but it's usually just a couple bolts.
     
  11. Suspi

    Suspi Junior Member

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  12. 1x1

    1x1 Member

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    Very interesting. Almost looks like both front seats are taken out. I assume they are just pushed forward and folded down as much as possible? So you made a platform that sits on top of them, extending from where the trunk becomes the back seats? Please share more details and pics if you can. Thank you!
     
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  13. Suspi

    Suspi Junior Member

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    The Prius v could do it better, but if you push the seats all the way forward and remove the headrests, they lean down to touch the top of the back seats after they're folded down. This ends up being very similar in height as the trunk hump.

    [​IMG]

    The driver's seat can lean back further if you raise it first. It'll wedge itself against the tops of the back seat.

    I desperately miss the Prius v for camping and I super wish it wasn't discontinued. Those seats lay all the way down to the edge of the back seat's platform so you had one continuous lounger from the back to the front.
     
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  14. m8547

    m8547 Senior Member

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    With the front and rear headrests removed and the front seat slid all the way forward, you can fold the front seat first, and then the back seat will fold about level with that. That's the configuration I use to move 8 foot long material.

    I think Toyota used to call it "Relaxation Mode" with the front seat folded like that (but I'm not sure if it was officially called that). You could sit in the back seat with your legs stretched out on the front seat.
     
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  15. Suspi

    Suspi Junior Member

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    I'll have to give that a shot. When I try doing that, the back seats rests on the tops of the front seats. I wasn't confident on putting my body weight on that without deforming the padding over time.

    I've been contemplating bending some tubing to insert where the headrest posts and create my own headrest platform thing. Unsure of how much work is required or if it's feasible though.
     
  16. 1x1

    1x1 Member

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    Maybe start with some cheap pvc pipe cut to the required length, for your supports?
     
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  17. The Big Sleaze

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    I'm about to do almost exact same thing to my new Prime. But I might make mine just passenger side for front seat, with option of making full width. I'd like to be able to go directly from lay-down sleeping to driving without any re-arrangement whatsoever. Also, I'm going to have a headboard (my pillow always squirts out if I don't have a headboard) and maybe, if I get really ambitious and dimensions work out, an adjustable raised back AND buttocks indent, sort of like a Hospital Bed (but without raising feet). This would be for comfy laptop etc use while "in bed".

    I used to run Ford Escort wagons, and make plywood "desks" so I could use big flat screen AND laptop, or two laptops, plus place for writing, dinner, etc.

    As far as van-camper conversions: I've installed basically big plywood bed with 2x3 rim along driver's side in full size van for Extra Long Twin, hinged so it can be folded up against van wall to make the van instantly 90% full cargo mode. Worked out really good. Going to make slightly narrower platform, to allow for storing higher 5gal buckets under the bed, AND make it dual-mode with extra set of hinge-halfs, so platform can be mounted higher to become big desk. I guess I'd use a rope to secure the mattress up and out of the way along the wall/roof corner....2/3 up against the wall and 1/3 up against the ceiling.
     
  18. mitcheli

    mitcheli Junior Member

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    I did something like this for the four touring to fill in the dip in the back. Ah, long gone are the days in my Gen II where I would just sleep in the truck stops on a long drive. Keep the keys in the car, lock the door, and leave the car on all night with the AC set. Pretty comfy sleep.
     
  19. OptimalPrime

    OptimalPrime Member

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    I'm beginning to set my Prime up for an extended road trip, maybe 2 months doing mostly dispersed camping in remote areas out west, plus a bit of rest area, truck stop, or stealth vanlife-type parking while enroute from the east coast. Traveling light is key in the Prime, as is selecting space-efficient gear matching up the available spaces. I do think I'll remove the rear seats and fabricate sheet metal covers and use every cubic inch for something, above and below the covers if necessary. The basic setup as of now is envisioned to include: 50 liter compressor fridge to fill the space behind passenger seat and support the pillow end of bed; trifold bed from hatch to passenger seat; folding table and other stuff to level from behind fridge to plane of cargo area; either a springy pop-up privacy tent for shower/potty/dressing or a bigger pop-up clam tent; folding potty chair and supplies; telescoping stool; crazy geometric puzzle of a chair/lounger/cot for outdoors; alcohol stove and cooking gear; 4x 4.5 gallon cube-shaped water storage jugs; backpack of camera/laptop/charging/phone/internet gear; duffel of clothes; maintenance/emergency gear; cleaning/laundry/hygiene supplies; versatile electrical setup; the usual reversible silver/black window privacy covers, but also a black curtain for behind the front seats for places where covering the windshield and front windows loses needed stealth. Oh, and bug netting, don't forget the bug netting. Probably cameras and motion sensors too, they're pretty cheap now, and it will be nice seeing it's coyotes and not creepy people, hahaha.

    I've sworn to myself I'm going to make the window covers perfectly, which nobody seems to do, and then they complain about it but never re-do them! I'm hoping to not need to use ANY wood in building it out. Ideally, just use stuff which just perfectly fills the spaces. Maybe some sheet metal and a few compact stainless tubes/beams/legs, a plastic organizer or two; toolbags and duffels; etc.

    I've already raised ground clearance 16.75mm with 205/70R15 tires, will probably do a 20mm lift kit on the front, 40mm on the rear. May or may not do a receiver hitch and cargo carrier box. Heavily debating that one, it gives up the totally anonymous stealth, though a Prime with big tires and out of state plates may already have given a bit of that up. Locally the tires don't seem to draw much attention, they're barely minivan-sized, but I haven't done the lift kit yet, hahaha. I often used a cargo carrier on a Gen 2, and it attracted less attention than expected, though I didn't have a box on it, just whatever I was hauling only when I was hauling it, usually empty. Adding a cargo carrier box could make the car less packed, add more water, a gas can, a winch or come-along and cable, a real jack or jackstands, more supplies to shop less often, a place to stash dirty stuff I don't want in the car, etc. Maybe even the holy grail, a spare tire bolted to it. I'll see what fits where, first. I always take too much stuff, but now when I might need it, I'd hate to take too little.
     
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  20. spudnut

    spudnut Active Member

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    I've had the passenger front seat out of my '13 PIP for 4 years now, it frees up a huge amount of room. I left the rear seat for any passengers, and one of them anyway has tons of leg room!
     
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