Traveling with the Prius

Hi Barb,

There are tons of threads on Priuschat discussing tire pressures. On a trip to Florida that our family took this past February, I set my front tires at 40 lbs and the rears at 38 lbs and have maintained those settings pretty much since I got the car over a year ago. If you read some of the threads explaining the rationale about higher tire pressure settings, you'll see that your decision can become a matter of personal preference. You can go with the manufacturer settings stated on the sticker on the driver's door or opt for proportionally higher settings that other drivers on this site maintain will help improve your overall MPG. With the standard tires, you will notice a somewhat firmer ride but I don't find it objectionable. Handling doesn't seem to be adversely affected.

Regarding oil changes, don't worry about being exactly on time for your oil change. If you really are concerned about having it done at the 5000 mile mark, chances are you're not going to be terribly far from a Toyota dealer.

Most importantly, enjoy your new Prius and have a safe and pleasant trip. And Welcome to Priuschat!

Randy

 

We are also going on a trip at the end of this month, from Munich Germany to Chania Crete, Greece.

Our packing list includes

Oven with hob, 4 chairs with table, Microwave, Ktchen extractor for the cooker, 2 large mirrors, generator, rotorvator, 4 table lamps, cieling lamp with fan, double air bed, 2 meter tall room lamp, 4 sets of towels, 4 sets of sheets, music centre, bathroom rug, wall sculpture, 24pcs crockery set, 12 settings of knives forks etc, set of 8 pots and pans with lids, wine rack, TV, DVD player, sack of BBQ coal, fan, clothes for 2 people for 1 month, several pictures in frames, video camers, stills camera, laptop, 2 pairs of curtains, 2 curtain rails, drill, various hand tools, and a wife.


Now, it will be fun to pack all that! :roll:

Pictures will follow.

 

We have used our Prius for several trips. 1 To Florida this past Nov. 1 to jekyll Island this past May. We were load to the brim but everything fit. I didn't adjust the tire pressure as i keep it at 42/40 all the time. This Nov. we are planning to go on a cruise leaving from Charleston so that will be the real test for luggage. Also Evan had a post about removing the plastic holders under the floor in the trunk to increase luggage room.

 

I take it by 3 sleeping bags, that it will be only three going on this trip? If so, you should do fine, though you might have to remove the false cover in the hatch to get more depth in the hatch. However, you might be able to get the small stuff stored in that hidden space and still have the cover in place.
If you need more room, you could fold down either the 60 seat or the 40 seat, though folding down the 60 probably would cramp you a bit. The Prius has loads of room, especially with only 3 passengers including the driver.

 

We are going on a 31 day trip in August. We have purchased variously sized clear plastic bins to use instead of suitcases and will remove from the bins only what we will need each night. Removal of the cover in the rear provides a perfect fit for the bins. I will be carrying a compressor/tire inflator and golf clubs.

 

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I hope one of the what seems like thousands of kids on noisy Vespas don’t hit your Prius like they did our taxi when I was in Chania in 1990.

Kid OK - Vespa not - taxi driver ready to kill kid! :x

Three must dos:
Walk out to the lighthouse in the evening.
Visit the Naval Museum at the old fort on the left of the harbor near the entrance.
Visit “The Market†(kind of a “visit the Glockenspiel when in Munich†suggestion )

Chania is a very charming city!!! I'd love to go back some day.

 

Consider using "Space Bags". You know, those nifty plastic bags that let you vacuum seal you clothing and other items. You'd be amazed how much you can cram into you car that way.

Plus, it will add some modularity to your packing which may make it easier.

 

Sounds all interesting..Just dying to test out mine on the road. Doing a Mini trip this weekend. I want to go to NYC and see my family in the fall or later, with the Prius. I think you can pack it pretty much full, and it will be no problem. I have brought along a 12v/120/aircompressor unit for emergency, it jumps the Pri or some other lost soul's (always a good samaritan, YOU CANNOT JUMP OFF ANOTHER CAR WITH THE PRIUS, you can jump start the Prius, but not the other way around). Make sure you have a mechanical emergency key, especially if you do not have SKS, and a 12 volt source to re-start yours in case you forget a light or something. Other then that, just drive it and have a great trip.

 

We are currently enjoying a trip from the SF Bay Area in CA through the Colorado Rockies. We will be traveling next to AZ and will drive by the Grand Canyon and who knows where else. So far the Prius is doing great. The only problem was a tire with a slow leak which sped up considerably and caused me to spend a couple of hours at a tire store getting a nail removed. Also spent time educating the tire guys there in Colorado Springs about the Prius and tire inflation. My SO takes no roads slowly so we've seen quite a few seriously pink bars. But it has recovered nicely. We are also enjoying the gas mileage. We are getting between 48 and 52 on the freeways and mountain roads. We're pretty happy. Got thge back full of stuff, too. It'll be fuller on the way back, I'm sure.

Like they say, just drive it!

 

Completed the trip 200 miles or so, to/from Houston, it was 102 hot., had the wife aboard, and going 65-70..got 43.8 on the tank so far.

 

IALTMANN, what branch of the service did you serve in?

 

Emilyjohn; served in the US NAVY., SAR 107 det 110 Uss Saratoga, 1971-1973 served +at Naval Academy from 1970-1985, went USNR in 1976.