PRIUS Car Camper Tour | No Build Budget Design
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
- We turned our 2014 Prius into an easy and comfortable car camper for two! We convert from driving to sleeping in under 10 minutes, we have a kitchen set up, closet, and plenty of room for activities. We designed our Prius camper for National Park camping, city stealth sleeping and road tripping for 100 days from San Diego to Canada to New York.
The entire conversion is easily removed, turning our car back into the original vehicle giving us the ability to sell it in New York on day 100.
We've spent 100 days living in our Prius, car camping across America and Canada. We show you the NO BUILD BUDGET DESIGN and how we easily transform our Prius daily from driving to sleeping mode. This is no tools necessary, easy as can be, comfortable car camping on a budget. We also show you tips and tricks for small living storage, and the things that helped us most on this adventure.
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Will we make it to Canada? Subscribe to see the full adventure!
Instagram: @heres_good
Website: www.heres-good.com
Venmo : @alyssaburke
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Flash Fish:
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Cool Gel Memory Foam Mattress (we cut to fit):
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Bug Bite Thing:
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#vanlife #conversion #camper #campervan #carcamper #priuscamping #travelcouple #minimalism #hiking #camping #travelvlog #canada #prius
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00:00 Intro
03:15 The Setup (converting to sleep)
07:35 Window Covers
10:31 Clothes Closet
12:16 Getting in and out
14:43 Sleep Setup
15:00 Organization
21:39 Everything we own!
22:03 Driving mode
24:00 Please Subscribe!
I lived in my 2016 Prius for a year, spending most of the time overnighting in National Forests and last year in a Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA) in the desert Southwest. I, too, did nothing to the car; my mattress was two pieces of high-density foam bought at Joann’s and cemented together. It takes up half the size of yours since I live alone. I carried a bunch of plastic totes on the other side than the sleeping area. I had a Jackery with two solar panels for power and it worked well, which included keeping my food cold in my 12 vDC refrigerator, not a cooler like you had. I would not change one thing about what I did.
What took me off the road was the only thing a Person of a Certain Age cannot resist…grandchildren.
Sounds like an amazing experience. We always said if there was only one of us it would be so roomy.
If we go again we will definitely upgrade to a 12v fridge as well. Happy adventuring!
how did you get the solar cables into the prius? I've seen some squeeze them past the trunk lid but I'd be worried about the seal.
@@catorb6607 I don't. They are set up outside.
Love the minimalist lifestyle. Stuff doesn’t bring you happiness , but the love the joy we share with others do.
Well said🥹
Such an amazing set up! Can’t believe you guys did 100days in there
Thanks dude… can’t wait to live in your living room for several years
Fun watching a loving and adventurous couple❤. May you have many more wondrous journeys❣️🌺
Thank you so much. We’ve been been lucky to do some pretty fun incredible adventures in our life but living in the Prius for 100 days was for sure at the top of the list we saw so many amazing places did so many incredible hikes and got surprisingly comfortable sleeping in a small space together! Thanks for bringing the hype leaving us a comment and watching our videos. See you next week from Japan!
Howdy, guys!
Thank God I finally found a channel about a couple living out of a Prius, cause I’ve been planning to do the same with my wife in order to save some money and cross the country.
Have a safe drive!
Hi John! Thank you so much for joining along in the adventure! We freaking loved it, the first week or two was an adjustment but once we got used to everything it was the best thing we’ve ever done. We go to Banff in a couple videos and that was such a highlight of the trip. Feel free to ask any questions if we don’t get around to answering them in the videos🤙
very organized and nice 👍 I have a prius v that I took all the seats out of accept the drivers seat and made it into a home for my self and have been very happy and more than comfortable.
We would love that extra headspace for sure! We will definitely be doing this again soon, we love it
I have a 2017 Prius Prime which I've spent up to a month traveling/living in, and have watched most videos of everyone's Prius camping/living setups. For anyone wanting room to sleep 2, the best setup of any CZcamsr has been Intricate Explorer... until now. You've legitimately pulled off a system for 2 people to live in a Prius over the medium to long term.
While I could list a couple of dozen ways to improve the build for long-time Prius living by a couple, none are absolutely necessary. Your build is an excellent first pass, and pretty much trail blazing for actually working for an actual couple.
Intricate explorer had the full mattress like you, but normally traveled alone, while simultaneously using the car to drive Uber! So, his day mode had all 5 seats usable, no stuff visible anywhere, except the rolled up mattress in the hatch area. He got rid of the spare tire, and used that area for additional storage.
My Prime has no spare tire, no storage tray above the spare tire, it's all used for the bigger plugging-in PHEV battery, and in fact the level of the hatch floor is raised maybe 3 inches. So, I have less headroom in bed, though I take some of that back by using only a 25x75x4 gray trifold Olee bed (sometimes under $60 on Amazon). With no spare tire, I have the 200 mile towing option on AAA.
Any 2004-2022 regular Prius is preferable to the Prius Prime for living in it, due to the additional storage space outweighing the ability to gain the equivalent of 1/2 gallon of gas every time you plug in. The definitive videos on how to maximize space and get the bed platform as low as possible in a Prius, are by Vagabond Mango. She did not waste a millimeter of headroom in how she built out her 2016 Prius 2 Eco.
I copied and improved Intricate Explorer's curtain setup behind the front seats. Instead of a straight rod to hold the black photography background, I cut down a 48-inch aluminum construction ruler to flex up near the roof when jammed between the two seatbelt retractor trims. The curtain material he recommended is superb. Make it wider than you think you have to by probably at least a foot, to avoid light leaks by the door pillars.
With putting all your stuff in the front seats when in bed, you obviously need to use windshield and front-seat window covers, rather than keeping the front seats empty, no front/windshield window covers, and a curtain. Having the front seats visible and empty overnight, with nothing but blackness visible behind the seats, adds a tremendous amount of stealth. But with 2 people and their stuff, empty front seats at night is pretty much an impossible dream, unless you go the external cargo carrier route. I've resisted using external storage while Prius camping, though I did install a receiver hitch to occasionally use a cargo carrier locally at home base.
You did a superb build, and made a superb video here about it. Congrats! I hereby pronounce you both to be Efficient RVers.
Thanks a million for this awesome comment! We learned a lot from it and will implement these in our next Prius set-up (We are in the market for another Prius).
We will check out these other videos you mentioned, we love that the community of campers uploads and shares their unique set ups with the world.
Thanks again, B&A!
Wow! you guys really made this work! A really inexpensive way to see the country! When I first started investigating car camping, I wanted a Prius, but I had a Matrix. It works for me! I did something very like your window covers with the foam board (did a video on how) and found they also worked great! Excited to go back and watch your older videos!
Amazing, is the Matrix a little smaller than our Prius?
@@HeresGoodTravel I'm not sure. I've never been in a Prius. The Matrix is a little 4 door station wagon type. I can lay straight our in the back, with my head short of the back of the front seats. I think the Prius has a steeper hatchback door?? But maybe that's just a model I've seen. I liked the idea of a Prius due to the electric side of it. I travel with a cat and dog and have heard you can keep it cool inside while parked due to the electric.
Yeah the temperature control is great but we were always uneasy doing that for some reason. We only used the AC in really hot nights. The steep hatch is why we chose to sleep on with our heads against the seats. That way our mi da thought there was more room.
I’m impressed. Looks like you had a great adventure. Very efficient use of space.
Thank you so much! Would do it again 10/10
What a lovely couple! ❤ I have 2010 Prius, you guys gave me a lot tips. I may travel with my car after I retire. Thank you and may you guys happy for ever! ❤❤
Thanks for coming along on our journey! We would totally recommend it. The first two weeks were hard getting used to everything but after that smooth sailing! The freedom is intoxicating.
So wild! 😄 This is great!
Thanks! Can’t believe it worked!
Hi, I'm from Singapore 🇸🇬
Not everyone or any couples can do this. You guys rocks, perfect. Hopefully I will find someone, to do something like you both just did. Keep it strong, keep it real, keep it up guys.
Thank you so so much for your kind words. It presented some challenges but it has been a truly amazing experience!
You guys are amazing thanks for all the tips.
You’re welcome! Thanks for following along on our adventure!
LOVE LOVE good and plenty black and I ALWAYS have sunflower seeds wherever I am, all my life...😁😁😁
😂 Could never do a road trip with out them!
Wow! You guys are awesome! Great video!
Thanks for the kind words. We watched a ton of videos like this when we were building our setup so we thought it only fair to add one as well.
Amazing in so many ways! Safe, happy travels.
Thank you Dawn! You’re kind words encourage us to keep on moving! Happy adventuring!
Thank you so so much for watching! We can’t wait to go on another adventure!
Great tour. Great ideas!
Thanks a million! We had a blast doing it! Happy adventuring!
Love this! First time subscriber. You two are the greatest! Thank you
Thanks a million! Your views truly mean the world to us! Thanks for joining the adventure
I love this, good for you guys! My pets and I live in a Tesla so I’m always watching other carlife folk on here ❤
We were just talking to a friend about a Tesla setup! Just subscribed, can’t wait to watch!
This is so joyfull!!
I own a prius 2009 for 3 days now and removed the back seat, covered some windows. Pillow cases. Live in it but still a lot to do!! Loved this video
Thank you so much! I’m glad you found our video useful! We had to sell ours otherwise those back seats would’ve been gone!
Great couple. Thanks for sharing your home. You have some great tips
Thank you so very much! We had such a blast traveling in our little car, happy adventuring!
you guys are so cool love it
Thank you so much for the awesome comment! We were just talking that we need to get a new Prius and build it out to a camper again because we missed living and it’s so much
Probably the best video on car camping!!
🥹That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to us! Thank you for watching our crazy travels! 🙌🙌🙌
Wow, kudos to you both! You must be the very best of friends to be that close, literally, all the time! Very neat!
😂 We are pretty close, literally haha. Thank you so much for watching our little adventure!
Super helpful tips
Excellent! So glad you found d it helpful! Happy adventuring.
Really great job! You've inspired me. I've thought about traveling more and this looks doable.
Thank you for the compliment! We were blown away at how fun and easy and comfortable the Prius was! 10/10 would recommend!
Nice. Safe travels!
Thanks so much! Such an awesome wild ride!
Thanks for sharing this. Great video! Yes, the Prius holds an amazing amount of stuff! I camp in my 2010 Prius. The issues I have had was during heavy rain, the Prius windows are slanted so much that the rain spits in, as you mentioned. I have similar screens as you do. I got a Habitent, which goes over the rear hatch, like your screen. It keeps out bugs and rain, and gives ventilation. BUT, in areas with bears, I can't use the Habitent. A bear sow and her two cubs tried to get in once, but fortunately failed. Everything was closed up tightly. Instead, mice got in, probably because they smelled the trail mix I forgot to pack in the airtight box (similar with the boxes you have). They also chewed up tissues, to make a nest. Mouse traps with peanut butter got rid of them. I've added a compressor refrigerator which fits behind the front passenger seat. It's exactly the right height so I can lay flat. And I cook with a microwave oven, because I don't like washing dishes or pans. These run off a 1kW inverter. I like your velcro pouches stuck to the ceiling. Thanks for a fun and informative video.
Thank you so much, and thanks for subscribing! We were terrified of having a bear encounter. We saw black bears on 3 different occasions we had a lot of sleepless nights with that fear. We also had a loused get into our car in Sequoia and ate our toilet paper but only had an issue that once. I didn’t think that the habitant also blocked the rain, our net didn’t do anything like that but it was only $11 so it was a great alternative and it only took 20 seconds to drape over the hatch and slap the magnets on. If we do this again I think we will try to figure out a way to add a battery refrigerator the only thing is that since there is two of us both seats need to go pretty far back while driving so we will cross that bridge when we get there. Did you hook the inverter up to the battery in the back or did you use a cigarette lighter inverter? Cooking wasn’t so bad but cleanup was such a pain in the ass, a microwave would be a game changer especially in bear country.
Loved the comment, thank you for spending some time watching our travels. Have a great seat!🤙
@@HeresGoodTravel Yes, bears can be scary. Brown/black bears are somewhat "rational," but grizzly bears are rather unpredictable. I never leave the hatch open if there's any chance of bears, but sleep outside in a tent. I never have anything in the tent that has any kind of scent, so feel safe there - safer than in the car where the food is! I keep the food in air-tight Ziplock boxes. And where there's a bear box, in the bear box. The time the bear sow and cubs tried to get in we had left a bag of everything bagels out by mistake. Though they were double bagged and inside the closed car, I think they could still smell them. The Habitent works really well in the rain. The side screens have covers that can zip shut, as well as the big screen in the back. The refrigerator, Dometic CFX28, fits nicely behind the passenger seat, and yes, that seat does get pushed forward. My wife can still fit, but she's short. If our daughter is with me, I put the refrigerator in the back and we camp in tents. The refrigerator will run off the 12V aux port in the car (which can supply up to 120W), but of course once you turn off the car the 12V port also goes off. I installed another 12V outlet in the back, but also a second 12V battery on the driver's side in the back, with a relay, so that extra 12V battery charges along with the car's 12V battery, but it's isolated when not charging, so the refrigerator can't drain the car's main 12V battery. Since you have a small power station, you could perhaps run the refrigerator off it during the night, and recharge it while driving. (BTW, it looked like you keep the power station on the floor of the driver's side by your feet. I wouldn't advise that. It may get in the way of the pedals, especially the brake pedal, in case of an emergency!) I now also have a power station. The refrigerator plugs into it, and the power station is plugged into the second 12V battery to keep it always charged. When stopped anywhere there's sun, I have folding solar cells, which I lay over the windshield and hold down with the wipers. They help keep the power flowing to the refrigerator and 12V battery. For the microwave, it's a bit challenging to find one that has a low enough power draw (under 1,000 W). It also takes up a fair amount of room. If I'm alone, I put it on the front passenger side seat on a board. If I have someone with me, then it goes in the back, but of course then only one person fits in back for sleeping - so tent(s) are used. My inverter is a 1kW inverter, which powers the microwave or a rice cooker. Because I hate washing dishes, it takes time, and the water is cold, I use paper plates and bowls and cook in the microwave. I use a "slim-twin" air mattress when sleeping in the car. It fits nicely in the back with one rear seat folded down. But I've thought about getting a different mattress. The advantage of an air mattress is that it takes up almost no room when deflated. I have a 12V electric pump for the mattress. www.youtube.com/@TerrellWSmith/videos
Bears love everything bagels as much as we do! Thank you for the information it’s really helpful.
czcams.com/video/Dd2-SdZ3YD0/video.html
Check this video out! Our first bear box and night in the car… we were NOT bear aware😂.
Smart setup, sounds like you have a ton of redundancy for peace of mind which is fantastic. Amazing, I’ll check out the videos!
Thank you for explaining that rain spits into the Prius during heavy rain! You have uncovered the reason Hurricane Ian blew water in and got my carpet wet in my 2015 Prius. I had been guessing that I had left the windows cracked as I normally do for the big battery to not get so hot (Florida), but that would have put inches of water in.
@@aurora571000 To clarify, I do not have rain spitting in during heavy rain as long as the Prius windows are closed, but when they are open and have screens on them. But a hurricane is much more than a heavy rain! Very high winds and pressure change may force rainwater through almost anything! My wife and I were in a motel during a tornado nearby, and rain water came in through the closed motel windows and flooded our room.
OMG THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! This is perfect! I’ll try to camp in a prius too and will do exactly like you guys haha
That’s so cool! I’m glad we could help! We just got back from our Europe trip (videos to come soon) and we are going to save up to buy another Prius so we can do it all again! Happy adventuring and thanks for watching!
Great editing.
Thanks a million! We really worked hard on it. Thank you for the kind words!
Love you guys, you are so adventurous, I wish my wife and I would have tried this.
Your videos are great, keep them coming, you with so good off of each other. Thanks again, GREETINGS from Riverside in Southern California! God Bless you both!
Thank you so much for watching! We are back in San Diego working on posting some Europe travel videos with a ton of really delicious food! Thanks again for subscribing, your kind words mean the world!
Amazing!!!!!!
Thanks so much! We had a blast!
That is amazing how you guys get all that stuff in there I’m super impressed well done
Thanks! Alyssa calls it the clown car😂. We had Ana amazing trip to Canada and cannot wait to return!
i love it, you should see where my Overlanding Prius has gone and is going!
Just followed 💯
You both are awesome and work so well together. So many good ideas. Great setup. Enjoyed the video. Doing your traveling while young. I loss my husband of 43 years 10 years ago. Treasure your time together. I subscriber to your channel. Thank you for the video. Bless you both.
Thank you very much for the kind words☺️. I am sorry for your loss we will take your advice to heart❤️ . Happy adventuring!
Great job, very efficient, thanks.😅
Thanks for the kind words and the watch!
Lovely👍👍👍
Thank you for the comment Sherry☺️
Your organization is fantastic!!! I am so impressed. Thank you. We are mid-60s and thinking of doing this for weekend birdwatching trips. Maybe get the station wagon model.
Amazing! Thanks for the compliment. It would be perfect for that. Let us know how it goes!
Amazing! Safe travels in Europe!
Thank you so much for the watch! We are so excited for the Christmas markets! We have finally gotten a plan for November, so far we are headed to Rome, Malta, Bucharest and Stockholm!
I'm defo stealing your organisation tips. ❤😂😂. Those pillow cases storage... Fantastic. Tnx for sharing😊
Thanks so much! We are glad we could help! We are currently in the market for a Prius to build into a camper again! I think we are going to try to add a roof rack this time. Happy adventuring!
Wow just amazing, great video thank you! Not a lot of content like this on here, i got so much joy from. I have a prius as well, kinda want to pack some stuff and hit the road as well lol Anyways, great video
Thank you very much for your kind words! Would highly recommend at least trying it out for a weekend to see if it’s for you. We have tons of adventures to come!
Amazing ~~ ❤
Thanks for watching, we’re thrilled that you enjoyed it💯
Wow, cool setup! I think I'm going to do something similar in my Honda Fit and drive from Michigan to Arizona to visit some parks!
Thanks so much! The fit would be such a great option for something like this! Probably way more fun to drive too!
Amazing! I’ve actually seen a few Honda fit builds! Have an amazing journey! We love southern Utah there’s a ton of NP’s there. And White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns are worth seeing and close to each other! Happy adventuring!
Wish my Prius Prime had the storage in the back!
What year is it? Is there anything like a similar compartment in the Prime model? It was really convenient. Since we sold that Prius we are in the market for another but are curious as to the space and features of different models.
That's the price we pay for adding 1/2 gallon worth of range every time we plug in our Primes at home. If I were truly living in my car, rather than occasionally taking trips to live in it for a month or two, I would replace it with a 2016-2022 regular Prius. But the car still has tons of room to bring more stuff with you than you should.
@@HeresGoodTravel It just has a tiny vertical storage bin at the very rear. The width of the hatch by I'd guess 4 inches forward by maybe 18 inches deep. There's room to stuff the charging cable in it, and a few tools No other storage under the floor, everything else is battery, and there is no spare tire.
19:30... Wow!!! A very informative video, very impressive how you fit all your stuff in your car and it’s so tidy and well organised.. best car camping video I’ve seen to date.. and trust me I’ve seen a lot 😂 has I’m looking for ideas for converting my 2011 Honda Civic.. thanks for all the great tips guys, thanks from the UK ❤
Thanks a million! We are posting our new series next week so we have a few London videos coming up soon! We ate so much amazing food there! Thanks again🙌🙌🙌
@@HeresGoodTravel looking forward to it 😊
Love it
Tha is! It was an epic trip, we got so comfortable living in the car. Headed to Europe next!
We've done a few nights of camping in our 2013 Prius, which got totaled by a suicidal deer, and now a 2022 Prius. I call it "Clown Car" camping.
😂love the clown car Nick name! Sorry your Prius is no longer with us, RIP!
Great video
Thank yo very much! Happy adventuring!
I learned so much that applies to me. Thank you so much.
Our pleasure. We watched a bunch of videos like this when we were figuring out what to do with ours and they were so helpful. Just our turn to share
Kudos to you both. I could not do this. It's way too much work for me, lol. My concern is if you had to leave in a hurry you'd have lots of trouble doing so, and have to probably leave most of your stuff behind. Glad you made it all 100 days! And looks like you had an absolute blast :)
😂 Totally understand, we didn’t think we could do it either! We got so used to setting up and breaking down that we could do either in less than 10 minutes. Needless to say it wasn’t something we necessarily looked forward to but in a pinch we could knock it out pretty quickly. Thank you guys for following along, we had a blast one of our favorite days was a sunrise hike in Banff, that video should be uploaded in about a week and a half🤙
Sorry I missed this comment! I think if (when) we do it again we are going to add a rooftop rack to store some things that way all we have to do is put the seats forward and flop the mattress down. Thanks a million for watching!
The key is obviously organisation. You should be proud of your teamwork and attention to detail without being obsessive. Deb from Oz
Thank you so so much! Alyssa gets all the credit. She’s in charge of all that😂. We are actually in the market for a gen 2 right now. We will probably document more of the process since we did t the last time. Thanks again for watching!
You’re my heroes!!
Thanks so much for watching our crazy trip. Happy adventuring!
😍
We own a Prius also and I’ve been wanting to this forever now. Thanks for video it gives us a much better perspective. We’re petite both under 5’3 and I was concerned the Prius is too small for car camping but now we have our answer 😊
The first 10 days are so took a little to learn the muscle memory but after that it was sooo comfortable. We are also huge people😂. I think when we do our next build we will lay down those foam interlocking pads and just purchase a memory foam mattress topper so that it takes up a little less room when folded.
Thanks for watching and for commenting! Happy adventuring!
@@HeresGoodTravel thank you 🙏🏻 😊. Btw what kind of insulations for the windows/windshield would you recommend for car camping around 30-40 degrees in Joshua Tree?
Thanks for sharing! I’m getting new ideas for organizing! I have the same Prius and have been out 4 times overnighting with it by my self and with my husband. I really like overnighting in a car compared to a tent😝 and boondocking even better! I’m getting so much more traveling done without the need for hotel and campsite reservations! The Prius hotel is still a work in progress. It is much harder with two people, and we haven’t quite worked out his sleeping situation. I find I sleep well on a 6” coleman air mattress. He on the other hand is ok with a yoga mat and a foam raft😀 but sleeps on stomach. Something about his arm falling asleep when it’s hanging over the inside center, it’s his issue! I’m thinking you have a Mary Poppins Prius as I don’t know where you are pulling all this stuff from! I love the pillow cases for storing clothes and goods! Can use them for sleeping too! I’m still deciding on a cooler. It will go behind the seat and be used for a platform too. I have bass pro rewards points so I can get a Yeti Roadie but not sure I want to deal with its theft issues by having to watch out for it all the time. It does have the best interior space dimensions for that 25 quart size. I’m not sure those igloos are insulated like the Yeti with the polyurethane inside the walls. I’ve seen those igloos at bass pro and they are hollow sounding like the old style coolers. They are a better price, however. I have a roof rack I need to see if it will attach securely on the Prius. There’s not much of an edge on this year Prius for the roof rack to grab, though. My rack is older, but can use different claws and attachments. Thought there will be a drag and mpg reduction. Ok, happy travels, thanks!
Thanks for the comment! Comfortability was huge for us which is why we opted for the 4 inch memory foam. It also helped insulate the bottom of the car on cold nights but it took up a considerable amount of space. Those igloos did not do a great job with the ice on hot stretches, if we had more money we would’ve gone yetti without questions. Also a plug in fridge and increasing our solar battery bank might’ve been wise. If we do Prius life again it will be with a roof rack for sure! When you get your setup dialed in you should make a tour video, we would love to watch it!
Have you ever received the Knock and get asked to move?
How does impromptu moves work?
Loved you video 🎉
Thank you so much for watching, it means the world to us! We actually did get the knock a couple of times and the thing that sucked was 3 nights in a row! If you watch our Portland video we talk about getting woken up by these construction workers. Then the very next night got the boot from an apple bees and then wound up waking up to construction again! We didn’t sleep for a few days, it was awful. Luckily it was only those three days and we learned where to avoid because of it. Packing up only took like 8 minutes but it was hard because we were so tired. Looking back those days almost broke us but we’re glad we stuck it out.
Wow! That is amazing. How do you do all that each night and morning camping on a city street?
We got much faster as we got used to it. We could put some things in their place and move some stuff from the front seat before exiting the car. Then all we had to do was move the coolers, throw some stuff up front and fold the mattress down. We were lucky and found mostly quiet commercial streets. But if It had rained more where we were traveling we might have had to come up with a different setup. It worked great for us for our 100 days
Wow I love your story and independence. I moved out of my apartment and into my c-max hybrid and sometimes I think the social aspect get to me being a single woman.
That’s amazing! Are you able to run the AC and heat off of the hybrid battery in the C-max as well?
I an old so I need heat/ac. I would only be camping. I would buy a prius and then buy a used Kamp Out motorcycle trailer to use with it. You can even air condition it. I wouldn't want to sleep in a tent. This is why the trailer would be a great addition to the prius for me. I need 4 wheel drive where I live so this is just on my bucket list lol 😂
4 wheel drive would be amazing! The Prius also has notoriously low clearance. I’ve heard of people lifting theirs but we chose not to, bottomed out a few times. A motorcycle tow would be so amazing! Thank you so much for watching, we wish you well on your adventures!
Awesome!!!👠🚌👠
Thank you so so much for watching our strange adventure! It means the world to us💯
Getting a rain/wind guard will help for rainy nights when you want to Crack the windows for air flow
That’s a great idea. We are going to add them to our next CaRv
Fantastic no build video. I would have liked a bit more time / detail with kitchen bins. Did front to back packing / repacking get tedious?
Thanks so much! This was towards the end of our adventure so we had gotten rid of some things which is why there wasn’t as much detail on those bins. If you go back to our Kings Canyon video we cook a yummy pasta and you can see in greater detail how we arrange everything. Our Olympic National Park video we make a weird dinner on the side of the road too😂.
It took some time to get a system down in order to efficiently set up and break down but we eventually got to a point we could knock it out fast. It wasn’t something we really looked forward to but it was t the end of the world either. If we had been in rainy or cold weather we probably would’ve figured a different approach.
For us it worked out surprisingly well! Thank you so much for the watch have a fantastic day!
This is so simple and effective! Do you have a link for the fans and ceiling cargo nets by chance?
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Ours had a base but we cut it off. Would probably spend a few extra bucks to get one with a clip. Thanks a million for watching.
QUESTION - This is awesome. I'm going to watch it again to take notes. When you were sleeping in cities on side the road, you still got out and moved everything to the front seats, and then got in the back and went to sleep? I'm in a mid-size SUV but I'm using all my extra room to store craft supplies I plan to sell at flea markets on the road. Thanks again!
Yes, we got really fast and efficient at doing the transition (7-9 minutes). Most of the time we were stealth camping like that we were rolling in at night in industrial areas and wouldn’t draw a ton of attention to ourselves. We could also maneuver the Tupperware onto the dash and grab some bags while we were seated in the front seat so all we had to do was move the coolers and flip the mattress. And in the morning we didn’t care as much who saw because we were leaving😂
So sorry we missed this comment! We could move a bunch of the stuff that lived on top of the bed up to the front from the passenger seat to “stage it”. But we still had to move the coolers and flip the bed down. I feel like we parked in pretty quiet areas if we were urban boondocking but we wouldn’t take everything out all at once to cause a scene. That’s amazing to sell crafts on the road, what a great idea for income! Please update us on how your travels are going!
Cool
Thank you so much! Prius life forever!
i hope you got the new sienna hybrid for more car camping
Omg GOALS!!!! We just watched a CZcams tour of that thing and were like “could you imagine!?” Maybe one day!
Are you guys still traveling in this? nice setup!
Thank you so much! We actually had to sell it to fly to Europe and we were in Europe for 100 days Asia for 50 days. Are there in Mexico for 50 days! We are currently in the market for a new Prius and we plan on doing a similar build soon.
@@HeresGoodTravel do a V!
Sorry if it was asked before.
How long it takes from driving to sleeping mode when you've not filming and explaining how to do it and also, how much that changes on a rainy day?
I slept a few times in my Prius but I just laid the seat all the way down for it.
I also have a shuttle bus camper but I love the idea of living in the Prius.
In the beginning it probably took us about 15 to 20 minutes to set up but after the first week or two we got that down to 8 minutes. We could do it even faster in a pinch. Luckily for us it didn’t rain very much in our 100 days. When it did happen we were able to bring all the stuff that goes on the dashboard from the front seats and we would move as much up front as we could without being outside. Then all we really needed to do was move the coolers and flip the mattress down.
We ended up selling the car when we left for our 100 days in Europe. We are back home in San Diego now and are already saving up to purchase another Prius because we loved it so much! Thanks for watching, happy travels!
Great video, about the mattress, I checked out the link and it doesn't look like a tri-fold so how do you keep it folded?
We just used a turkey slicer and literally sliced it onto 3. We also shaved around the wheel wells. It was “full” size. We bought baby crib fitted sheets to wrap each individual piece in since the cover was unusable. Then we put a cushioned fitted mattress cover over all 3 and it had enough slack to fold up. Hope this was helpful
@@HeresGoodTravel, wow, pretty intense. I assume it was trial and error... why not purchase one of many tri-fold out on Amazon from the start? Appreciate it 👍
It actually only took about half an hour start to finish. We used the mat from the trunk as a guide line. We wish we cut it a little less but it ended up working out cuz we could stash our sheets in the crevasse. We opted for the us because the tri-folds had mixed reviews about comfortability and the regular matress was REALLY comfortable, which was important for us. That being said we do wish it was a little thinner because folded up it took up quite a bit of space. For us it worked out perfect but a pre-folded thinner one would be a great option as well!
@@HeresGoodTravel, tried replying but i think it was deleted because I added a link tp an Ikea Junior mattress. I was contemplating ot since I'm only 5'5 and wouldn't be much to cut. Thoughts?
Totally! Less is more in a small space.
I'm trying to figure out which Prius models have the seats that fold flat.
I don't remember that you mentioned if your seats go completely flat --- other than you took off the headrests.
Did you have to do anything else to make the back part completely flat?
I think every model of Prius the seats lay completely flat. Ours was a 2014 gen 3. There was a slight elevation but after sleeping on it a few nights the cushions seemed to deflate to perfectly level. When we were finished they inflated again and you couldn’t tell we had been living in there.
Great video thanks! How do you handle going pee in the middle of the night? Where do you go?
Great question! We are going to do a video and answer some FAQ’s but we were lucky enough to park in campgrounds or rest stops we could use the restrooms. We also would do some wild camping as well and when we were city camping we would try to go right before bed, first thing in the morning or we would just use plastic pee cups with lids as a last resort. Number 2 we were pretty scheduled and would just make our way to facilities in the morning.
We always try to get one last one in before bed. If we are at a camp ground we use those facilities and if we are in the woods we just go outside. We did have some emergency stuff in the car but luckily we only had to use them a handful of times. We did almost pee ourselves waiting for a Whole Foods to open so we could use the facilities once😂
I live in a Prius as well and I have the same car.
Amazing! We’ve since sold that one to travel over seas but we are back in the states thinking about buying another Prius!
@@HeresGoodTravel Awesome. Well let's meet up sometime on the road. Keep me posted if you wish. Happy Travels
Have you had a problem with blocking the air cooling vents to the batteries
No. It seemed it got enough air flow even with the seats down
Excellent! Which Prius is this? I thought the cool thing about camping in a Prius is that you can use the cooling system without running the car?? Which Prius model allows that?
This one is just a regular Prius model 2014. You can’t run the AC unless you have the engine set to “ready” mode. It burns about 1 galon of gas per night roughly
So ours was a 2014 which is a gem 3. All of the Prius models have the ability to run the AC while the engine is on and burn very little gas. I think our model has the largest storage space in the back apart from the 5 that is huge.
@@HeresGoodTravel The big one is actually the v, small v, their abbreviation of versatile. Capital V meaning 5, is a trim level. People get them confused all the time, and even Prius v owners call it a Prius V, but pronounce it as vee, not five.
What's the brand of your portable fan with the blue blades?
OPPOLAR. You can find it on Amazon and at Walmart. It had a base that we ripped off. It was great but I might op to spend a few dollars more for one that clips on.
Thanks for the watch, happy adventuring!
Wow, two people.
🤣We have no idea how we fit, but we did!
Thank you for watching our journey!
Sorry, what brand/type stove did you show?
Ours was $19.99 at Walmart and it was Coleman brand 10/10 would recommend!
Happy people. Have you noticed, that in car ads, the people are happy shiny people, smiling and laughing…and noticed people’s faces in the cars going the oppo way on the road networks…contrast much. Miserable, that’s what most people are in their cars. Miserable, ready to get good’n’angry. Stay happy, keep not taking cars too seriously. Your RV is a ‘serious’ camp-life vehicle. The Prius, expectations are much more tempered and there’s about $50,000 of difference ish?! Remain interested in life, keep going new places, stay happy. Good luck and thanks for this ‘how-to’, I just got my Prius as my ‘retirement’ car here in the UK. Just need it to be able to turn its hand to this, it doesn’t have to be mega. And I hate putting up tents in my beloved midgie-infested homeland, Scotland. A midge, is like a mosquito, but not, and even smaller. They bite rather than stab a schnozzle into you, and only live an hour allegedly. The busy life they lead though, they really pack in those bites! Midge-magnets on camp sites and at sailing clubs have become a thing, really, really works. There’s some buzz they are attracted to, and you could make some protein sandwiches out of the contents of those devices, I tell you. Crunchy. Packed full after a week or so. Really work to keep the local numbers down in an area near campsites. Take care, this was a really useful video.
Thank you so much for watching! Luckily we don’t have to worry about midges here in the us and mosquito’s we’re easy to keep out. We said the whole trip “man this would be great in the RV”😂. When we first lived in our motor home you could park anywhere on the street or at a Walmart, now you get ticketed because people leave trash and just become a nuisance. The best thing about the Prius is we could park and sleep anywhere and it turned out to be much more comfortable than we could ever dream of! Happy travels, thanks again for watching!
where are the plastic utensils containers from??
We found those “tool boxes” at home depot. There are cheaper ones in the tool section at Walmart as well!
Where are you storing all that boxes. Keep bringing and bringing
Haha, Alyssa calls it the clown car
I wish you could tell us in kilometres as well as miles (a lot of us live in countries that use kms) ;). I think there is a Prius in my future!
That’s amazing! We couldn’t believe how comfortable the Prius was. Unfortunately the American school system failed at teaching the metric system. We loved that the Prius had a button you push whenever we would cross the border to switch from mph to kph, it was one of our favorite things to do. We will do our best to include both in the future. Thanks a million for watching!🙌🙌🙌
@@HeresGoodTravel Thank you! CZcams obviously has viewers from all over the world so just saying something like “it’s this many miles, or if your country uses km, it’s this many kms” would be very helpful. Yes, I definitely see aPrius in my future! Keep up the great videos 👍👍👍
I just don’t understand how do you do this during the bad weather?
We totally lucked out and only had a few rainy days on our trip, even in the Pacific Northwest. We became so fast at it that it wasn’t the end of the world. If we were to have had worse weather for a length of time we would’ve made some adjustments
You handle it just as you would if you were camping. 🤷🏻♀️
Very poorly🤣 and quickly
I think getting both roof rack and a hitch rack would make a big difference
We were concerned a little about losing some gas mileage and ruining some of the stealthiness for urban boondocking. That being said, definitely getting one this next time around!😂
Great setup and so helpful. You two are awesome. On our 25th anniversary we spent 3 months traveling the U.S. on one motorcycle and we carried two sets of clothes, sleeping bags, tent, 1 burner stove, our towels and personal items and our Bibles. So thinking of expanding 😂 to our Prius this time ! Happy travels as you continue your journey.
“Expanding to a a Prius” 🤣haha never met anyone who lived smaller. I feel like it truly puts into prespective what is most important to you. Cheers! And happy adventuring, thanks for watching!
How does air get in and out when you sleep and the car is all closed?
We try to have fresh air and the windows open as often as possible but if it’s too hot we crack one of them very slightly and turn the AC on. With the Prius you can run it in ready mode and keep the AC on and the engine only clicks in about once every 45 minutes to recharge the hybrid battery.
I own a 2015 Toyota Prius and having a roof rack and cargo box is worth every PENNY. Also, I've installed 2000 watt inverter to the auxiliary battery and it completely changed the game, I have a running microwave. I'm actually going to install another auxiliary batter on the other side with an automatic isolator charger so I can have 24hr running fridge
Amazing! Does the cargo box affect the mileage at all? We would’ve had to go that route if we were continuing on. A microwave would’ve been cool too, we got so sick of cold food! Was it difficult installing the inverter?
@@HeresGoodTravel you should be able find it on CZcams. I used gorilla tape to secure mine 2 years ago. No joke, it took me less then 30 mins
Freaking amazing! Thanks!, will look into it!
I found the 2000 watt inverter with clips, and I simply clipped them on to auxiliary battery. Took me around 20mins
@@HeresGoodTravel My cargo box is thule force xt size XL. But I wish I would've purchased size XXL. Just heads up, when it comes to cargo box I say bigger the better guys. Maybe I'll show you guys my set when I'm done with it, yeah I'll post it on CZcams this springtime
You the only one with 2 people in a small car. Couples we see more with suv or vans
Thanks! We used to live in an RV so I guess it was a gradual progression for us. We love the simplicity and the cheap gas!
It must suck when its raining?
Luckily in the whole 100 days we only had a handful of rainy days. We were able to move a lot of the stuff to the front while sitting in our seats and we would jam the pillows up there too so we would only have to be outside to move the coolers. Not ideal and if when we do it again we will look into a roof rack
A Skinnier memory foam mattress would have been better. It would have given you more upper space.
We couldn’t agree more! We are actually in the market for another Prius, and we were thinking the same thing when we do our next build. Hopefully it’s just as comfortable even though it’s thinner.
How C about you’re #2 in a Prius V?
We are actually considering that option. The extra head room would be really great although I think it would be harder to cook / heat while sleeping and there would be a slight loss in MPG. I think it’s worth the extra space. We would also probably look for a slightly thinner mattress to make it take up less space.
I saw a lady traveling solo in a Prius C😍
Isn't this car hybrid? So why not use the car battery?
We ran the car to use the air conditioner on very hot nights but didn’t want to do that all the time.
This is exactly what I was looking for. Let me explain. We are family of 3. My husband will want to travel or camp with us occasionally BUT he is tall. Comfortable bed is really important to him, and lots of clothes(no matter how much he purge, he will always buy more clothes). Having to build platform will take up so much space, and I know my husband will complain about the space. Seeing this how you guys(I'm visual, I prefer to see it than just explaining it, this is by far my favorite video for no build camper) arrange the set up, this gives me hope to be able to do this in our Toyota highlander without sacrificing my husband's comfort & clothes. I can't wait to do this with my family after winter. Thank you!
That’s amazing! Thanks for following along with our crazy adventure. The full size mattress was a perfect fit. If you decide to cut it like we did start small, you can always cut more. Also, I’m 6’3 and Alyssa is 5’8 so we aren’t small people and we honestly got fine. There are a couple more inches on the passenger side. Also, we forgot to mention we bought crib fitted sheets on the three pieces of the mattress so they were always enclosed. Happy travels!
I would ad a small motorcycle trailer and boom no complicated rearranging
For real! That would be amazing! Plus added fun
I want to be like you guys free from the illusion and slavery of society
Thank you! It’s crazy how hard it was to get ourselves in a position to be able to take this trip. We are back and working full-time again, but man we miss the road.
The main problem with a prius is the main big battery. Learned thru my dad is that it only lasts about 10yrs & is expensive to replace. Just beware for others people. It is a good idea though.
Thank you so much! I guess that’s why the warranty runs out after 10 years so they make you purchase a replacement.
It's cheaper to replace than a transmission, and the Prius really doesn't have one of those, just gearing that is similar to a differential. No gears are physically changed. The gear ratio appears to change like in a CVT, but it's all just magic done by varying the speed of the electric motor and the speed of the gas engine, relative to each other, connected through a planetary gear set. Even going into reverse doesn't involve any mechanical gear changing. They just spin the electric motor backwards!
Even if you need to replace the battery one time, the cost of running, maintaining, and repairing the drivetrain, is probably lower than for ANY other car. Cheaper than any gas car, due to its quality, lack of transmission, and mechanical wear being proportional to the amount of fuel burned. And in the unlikely event that's only breakeven, then the 10 years of burning 1/2 or 2/3 as much gas, makes it a winner. Also less financially risky than any EV, due to the hybrid battery being MUCH cheaper than any EV battery.
There is a reason that taxi companies and Ubers choose to beat the crap out of a Prius over any other car. They are super reliable, and NOT an expensive nightmare due to the battery.
How do you cope if u need toilet in middle of night?
Great question! We are going to do a video and answer some FAQ’s but we were lucky enough to park in campgrounds or rest stops we could use the restrooms. We also would do some wild camping as well and when we were city camping we would try to go right before bed, first thing in the morning or we would just use plastic pee cups with lids as a last resort. Number 2 we were pretty scheduled and would just make our way to facilities in the morning.
I did travel nursing in my tiny Kia optima. But I think I had too much stuff.
Haha That’s amazing! We almost got an optima, I’m thankful for the lay flat seats and hatchback in the Prius. We had a ton more than we really needed and whenever we thought of getting rid of something we would say “if it fits it ships!”😂. Happy travels🤙
@@HeresGoodTravel it was a real sight....me trying to sleep, during the day, in the back seat! I'm a full figured gal! Lol
😂 lol dying haha. Thank you for making our day
A high watt powered Inverter would be good if you want to cook with electricity. Just make sure 0000 or 4/0 gauge cable wire for Inverter. Note: 4 gauge and 4/0 gauge is not the same thing
To hook up to the battery in the back right?
I recommend keeping it to under 1000W drawn from the 12V, even with the car on (Ready). Personally I have a 2000W pure sine inverter, but never draw much more than the 700W of an Instant Pot.
With a 150A fuse, even 1 awg copper wire is safe, 1/0 awg is preferred, and 2/0 is both overkill and allows a 200A fuse, though I'd not personally want a 200A fuse going to a 2000W inverter, I'd use a 150A fuse even with 2/0 or heavier wire. Drawing even 150A for more than a few seconds, from any normal car's electrical system, is pretty inadvisable. Keeping it to 60A or 70A is smarter.
Anyone putting 4/0 gauge copper wire into a Prius, must really hate money, or probably bought CCA (copper clad aluminum) without realizing it, in which case you do need thicker wire because the stuff is on the sketchy side.
Keep in mind that only 2016-2022 Prius have a normal-sized 12V battery under the hood. 2004-2015, and 2023-2024 have a smaller 12V under the hatch floor, in the passenger compartment. You really don't want to blow up that little 12V battery, and you really don't want to draw more than 1000W at the very most, from the car's DC-DC charger (which it has instead of an alternator) for longer than the battery can act as a buffer providing any power above that.
I'm an engineer who is pretty aggressive about using the full capabilities of the car, within its design limits. Despite having the big under-hood 12V battery in my 2017 Prime, with the bigger PHEV battery feeding it, the biggest appliance I will use is 700W actual draw, plus 35W-60W fridge, and whatever phone chargers and stuff I don't want to unplug. I would not even use a 700W "cooking power" microwave, hence actually higher power draw, though I know that some people do. Yet, I'd have no problem with starting up a table saw, because it only has a high draw for a few seconds, which the battery can act as a buffer for.
That is RIDICULOUSLY TINY AND FOR 2 PPL, IT'S ABSURD.
The first couple weeks were really tough. Once we got used to it it actually became really comfortable and cozy. I’m 6’3 and had enough room but any larger than that would be pretty difficult. The hardest part at the beginning was learning how to get In and out.
Did I miss the bathroom????
We mostly went in the woods when camping or at the bathroom of an established campground. We had jugs for number one when we would sleep in a city setting but would try to go right before bed and right when we woke up. It actually worked out better than you would think.
Maybe he misspoke, but you said you literally got rid of everything you owned except a scrapbook and box of Taylor swift memorabilia. Then later he says you own an RV? Maybe he meant you used to own an RV?
Well we are making payments still in the RV. We have a few belongings tucked away inside and it is parked at our friends house for the time being. We are trying to decide weather we should sell the RV or perhaps move back into it for a little while.
Be careful with reusing the water bottles. It's thought that wear on the inside creates small cracks that can harbor bacteria.
Oh man. Thank you so much for the warning. Looking into it now.