Anyone camp in their Prius Prime?

I made a platform that levels out the floor of mine. I only used it once. It was pretty uncomfortable with the floor being so high, since I couldn't sit up. I also had to move both seats all the way forward to make it long enough with the hinged part of the platform deployed, so that also makes it inconvenient since I couldn't use the front seats.

I slept with the car off but ran the heat in the morning. I think I ran it for about an hour and that used 25% of the battery, which is more than I expected. It was a few degrees above freezing. The lights from the gauges would be a problem if I wanted to run it all night.

I should make the hinged part split so I can sleep behind the passenger seat but leave the driver's seat in position. And a roof box would help with storage. But even then I think there's just not quite enough height in the prime because of the higher battery.

 

I am currently researching this. I am a photographer who will be doing a lot of traveling cross country and living in a Prius. Although the plug in 4 prime is very cool with it’s extra 25 mile range in EV mode....it is not quick charge compatible and will take 5.5 hours to charge that tiny battery. Which is fin if you have a home base...but a pain i would imagine if on the road. The other downside to the Prius Prime is the raised uneven floor in the back when the seats are folded down. Unlike the gen 3 which is flat and you don’t have to worry about rigging something to even out the floor and make sleeping comfortable. So in that sense i’d lean towards the 3. But i think the prime is very cool too...especially if you live near home or can rig a platform in the back to even out the floor.

 

There is this video here where someone used his carpentry skills to create a little platform that bridges the seat dropdown in the Prime. Has anyone been able to accomplish that with purchasable items like boxes? How are you guys doing to leave AC/heating on? What's the strategy to have heat/AC on all night. Just leave the engine on and have the car in P? I assume the gen 3 can do that just as well, it's just that the ICE will come on frequently to charge the battery?

 

I shared my platform here:
Prime Camping Platform | PriusChat

I concluded that camping in the Prime is impractical for me. There wasn't enough headroom to be comfortable. And leaving the heat on for an extended time is impractical. The car has to be on, and as a result there are a bunch of lights from the dashboard. The heat doesn't last too long if it's below freezing (maybe 3-6 hours), and if it's above freezing I wouldn't need it.

You could use Charge mode to charge on the go and use the electricity while camping.

Or a standard (non prime) 4th gen would have a little more height in back. If you can wait, the RAV 4 Prime might be perfect.

 

So even though AC/heat is 12V it cannot be directly fed by the 12V battery but only by the converter/inverter of the traction battery?

If it would be fed through the 12V battery I'd think that the ICE would do its work automatically to keep it at a minimum charge level and everything would continue to work. That's how I have experienced it in non hybrids.

If it only gets fed by the traction battery, then yes, once that is depleted, you'd need to put the car into charge mode, and drive for a while. No way then to have the ICE supply energy to the heater while stationary.

 

The compressor for AC and heat runs directly off the HV battery. But if that battery is depleted, the engine will start and run as needed to maintain a minimum charge. That's similar to any other Prius as far as I know, with the difference being the HV battery is much bigger, and it has a heat pump for heat.

If you don't mind the engine running at random intervals you can theoretically leave the heat on all night. But it might annoy people if you're in a campground, and there's a slight risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

 

I’ve been looking at a lot of 3rd gen 2011-2015 used prius in the $9k -$13k range. But i also found these three 4th gen models. One of them(the white one) is a plug in version. Wondering what everyone’s opinion of these models are and if they are a good deal? The miles seem incredibly low for 3 & 4 year old cars. Thanks!


Here are the 2 blk models a 2017 & 2016 touring.


Manhattan Preowned Toyota Vehicle Inventory | Used Cars in New York City



And here is the white 2017 plug in model. I’d have to deal with the uneven cargo space, but the extra ev range might be nice.




Used 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Advanced in Seaford NY

 

I just got back from RTR in Arizona, and there's a whole bunch of us in Prii. I might be the only one in a Prime though.

I'm super fanatical about Prius camping, but I would not suggest the Prime if you have two people. It's pretty rough trying to get everything set up.

 

Love the stuffed Japanese toy. What's your setup below those mattresses? Just folded seats, or any additional support?

 

I'm working on different iterations of the support. Right now I'm using the plastic shelving from Home Depot that is roughly the right thickness and liberal use of gym mats. It's a bit of a juggle to put the platforms in place, and I'm hoping to get a solution that requires less setup.

 

i am really tempted to buy a prime. I like the idea of an EV range. There is a 2017 Prime with 30,000 miles for $20k near my home. My ultimate goal is to save up for a fully electric Tesla or VW ID Buzz in a few years...so for that reason, i think i am going to buy an older gen 3 as a stop gap until then. I plan to do uber in it and drive across country...so a floor that folds flat is kind of important for me. Dont want to deal with rigging a bed system to even out the floor of the prime. Plus since i wont have a home base for awhile, i wont be able to charge it overnight...and the prime even at a fast charger takes over 2 hrs to charge. Might be more hassle than it’s worth while out in the middle of nowhere. So all these things steer me away from the Prime and towards the regular gen 3. But again...the Prime is cool.

 

Yeah, without the ability to recharge it every night, the Prime is more like a regular Prius with less storage space. It shines the best when you can do your daily commute entirely within its EV range.

 

20k for a Prime that's 3 years old and has 30k miles sounds high to me. I was able to get the federal tax credit and a $5000 state tax credit on mine, so I only paid around $22k after everything for my 2018 brand new. I have the Plus (lowest trim level), but I don't put much value on the higher trim levels, and I like the climate control on the lowest trim level more than the upper ones.

I have no idea how to value a used car where most people are taking tax credits on it when new. But it seems like it should depreciate from the price after credits not the MSRP. It's also weird that different states have different incentives. I'd suggest starting another thread to ask about how to value a used prime because I'm definitely not an expert.

It sounds like you might not be able to fully take advantage of tax credits. But at least in Colorado the $5000 state credit is refundable (in other words even if you owed no tax, you'd still get $5000 back).

Another potential issue, before 2020 the Prime is a 4-seater. I don't think that works for Uber.

 

It’s funny. Living here in NYC i haven’t owned a gas car in over 20 yrs. I wanted to do vanlife and convert a van, but was hoping electric vans with a 300 plus mile range & quick charge would be a thing by now...but they are still a few years away. VW’s ID Buzz is coming in 2023. Or perhaps Tesla will come out with an electric cargo van by then. So thats why I thought if I am gonna get a gas car now, i’d get a used Prius then upgrade to an EV down the road.

Anyway, about the Prime...yeah...not on my list. Going for a used gen 3 most definitely. About trim levels, I don’t care either...except that i know i want one with the imitation leather seats and not fabric. Mainly because i will be traveling across country in it & doing uber too...so synthetic leather is Much easier to clean.

About the tax credits, hopefully if we get a new President this year who actually believes in science & green energy, those will be coming back. Might be perfect timing when i am ready to buy a high end EV in a few years!

 

Yeah, if i had a home base long term and a short commute to work, i’d nab any EV. Charging overnight in such a scenario is perfect. But my traveling goals are extensive. No matter what, the EV future is very exciting. Gotta hand it to Toyota and the Prius. They were ahead of their time. But i think it’s days are numbered as a line. I read a recent Wall Street Journal article about how the Prius line might be phased out soon. Or evolve into a full long range EV eventually. We shall see. But the next 10 years is going to see major shake ups in the automotive industry.

 

This is all my opinion...

I still think there's a place for hybrids and plug in hybrids, but the technology is mostly ideal for bigger vehicles like trucks and SUVs. The EV range is enough to handle commuting, and it could work as a hybrid for everything else. There are tons of people who commute in trucks and SUVs. They aren't likely to buy little electric sedans and hatchbacks. I think it will be difficult to make all-electric trucks and SUVs with useful range and capacity. Large batteries are still heavy and expensive.

I love being able to commute on electricity but also having an efficient car to take on longer trips. I could have bought a cheap EV and it would work for my around town driving, but I'd need something else for long drives. I still have my 4runner which gets 17mpg, but I use less gas with a Prius Prime for the majority of my driving, than having an EV and using the 4runner for medium and long trips. As it is now I only use the 4runner when I need the space or off road capability. But if Toyota made a 4runner Prime with decent EV range (20-30 miles is fine), decent HV efficiency (30 mpg would be nice), and the same off road capability (a Highlander Hybrid is useless to me), I'd sell both these cars and buy one right away.

The tax credits are still around, even federal. The federal one is phasing out, but that's nothing new. To be honest I think the credits I got on my Prime are too high. Maybe for a pure EV it would be reasonable. There are probably better things the government could spend money on to help the climate than subsidizing electric cars.

 

i hear ya. Hybrids will be around for awhile. This EV revolution is going to be a loooooong process. Besides the technology not being quite there yet... Lots of green infrastructure has to be invested in to handle the future demand. I agree. Right now EVs have a perfect niche as a daily commuter. It’s almost a no brainer if you have a house. Add a 240v charging station and you’re golden.

Having said that, EVs will definitely be making inroads(pun intended) into the offroad, suv and pick up market. Tesla’s cyber truck was the first salvo. Sure, it’s gonna be super expensive at first. But just like solar prices, EVs will reach parity. Rivian will be releasing an EV pickup truck with a 500 mile range and insane hauling ability. Elon is about to announce a million mile battery...and with new advances in battery tech, we are on the cusp of a 10 minute quick charge. As battery prices continue to drop...the transition will accelerate.

But as you say, this will take time. Gas & hybrids aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Which is actually good! There is no way the current green infrastructure we have could handle a major shift right now. I live on Long island New York and there are relatively few fast or super charging stations out here. Imagine if everyone started driving EVs...it’d be a nightmare. Even in Cali where fast charging stations are popping up everywhere...it would not be enough to handle the demand if suddenly everyone were driving EVs.

That is why we need a Government with a long term vision for building out our green infrastructure. This is not something you do overnight. Car manufacturers know this. They know they have to build whole new factories to produce these new EVs. Some big car companies like VW are preparing. Others like Honda are resisting. The comments from their CEO about how there was no demand or future for EV adoption...were well...short sighted. It’s happening. It’s inevitable. As EVs become more prevalent, they will happily coexist alongside hybrids & ICE vehicles for decades to come.

 

Would you call tent camping a sign of homelessness?

 

Please tell us more about this years RTR gathering, or start a new thread if it moves you

 

The Prime fits well into my situation despite not having a place to charge. Both my shared apartment complex and my workplace has no place to plug in, but my commute is short enough that I can use a free public charger every 3-4 days to fill up. We also have a charger downtown here for me to grab 10 miles during my lunch break. I end up paying nothing for gas for the month.

Then I have it outfitted as a mobile hotel room for weekend travel with my partner. It’s so cheap to travel with it that we can spontaneously go anywhere within 500 miles without breaking a sweat. Gas is $3.60/gallon here, so random Disneyland trips are easier to do if "travel and accommodations" costs $40 for two.

Finally, I hold the Prius v up as the standard for the ultimate car camping vehicle. I had my eye on a barely-used FIVE with ATP for $18,000, which would've been a steal. Unfortunately, after all the tax incentives and rebates, a brand new XLE Prime costs $20,000 and it has all the guts for me to install OpenPilot (The ATP in the v gives you ACC, but not LKAS). Since I seem to think of 1000 mile drives as "weekend trips", I figured that I should hop onboard the experimental self driving train.

I'm probably going to upgrade again in 2023 or so to a RAV4 Prime. L2 charging isn't good enough for road trip charging since you only gain ~10 miles an hour. Widely available charging needs to be able to do 200 miles/hour at minimum for me to go full EV.