Divorce Vehicle - Need Tips

Discussion in 'Prime Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Hybrid Hobo, Jun 5, 2018.

  1. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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    Haven't heard of that one before, I'll check it out!
     
  2. SteveMucc

    SteveMucc Active Member

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    You're thinking about it the wrong way... you've worked hard your adult life to pay into a system that is there to protect you should you ever need it. The system isn't supposed to be you paying in to give handouts to others. That's the entirely wrong way to think about it. Social welfare systems are set up so that you pay into it while you're working as a safety net should you ever need it. It seems you need that safety net now, so take advantage of all the money you paid into the system in the past and let it help you.
     
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  3. SteveMucc

    SteveMucc Active Member

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    Have you thought of getting a cheap van, installing a heat-pump (both ac/heat) and running it off of a small generator? That would give you optimal room (place to stretch out flat and slee), the heat/ac you're looking for, and a vehicle that is much easier to maintain. You can even run a small hot-plate/microwave off of the generator for cooking, etc. Basically you can make you're own RV for cheap using off-the-shelf components.
     
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  4. bobzchemist

    bobzchemist Active Member

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  5. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    I'm too new at owning a hybrid car to give you the most informed answer, but I do have a considerable amount of experience managing large batteries for professional purposes. Nickel metal hydride batteries do give some warning, generally speaking- but there is always a chance that the warning given won't be noticed. The car has systems to detect and react to battery problems. They might work. I'm too new to tell you. You might notice directly in reduced acceleration or a perception that the engine is starting more frequently.

    There appear to be well-developed tools available for sampling and monitoring the health of the HV battery pack. I haven't tried any yet, but what I've read so far passes the sniff test.

    There appears to be good fault isolation in the HSD. That is to say, if the inverter or MG #2 quits you'd naturally lose electrical traction, but the power from the HV battery can still be used to start the gas engine to achieve mobility, power for HVAC and maintenance charging.

    If the HV battery is completely dead, you can't start the gas engine.

    For a while I've been predicting that this trend would combine with the tiny house trend and the self-driving car dream to create self-driving mini houses. No land to pay tax on, it just aimlessly orbits around public roads at minimum legal headway. If you work in a fixed location it just swings past the office to drop you off in the morning and pick you up in the evening. Obviously not practical or sustainable if everyone were to try it, but I do think technology and economic forces will inevitably enable it. And once it's out there, somebody is going to depend on it.
     
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  6. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    That's what I was thinking and that's what I think I would do.
    At least in my area, you can get used stripped down Astro Vans pretty cheap. I've actually thought about doing a project like this, just for fun, and just to have a neat camping vehicle option.
    You would want to be very mindful and careful about what heating you employ. I've unfortunately read stories of people that have Carbon Monoxide themselves to death by using the wrong type of heaters. So nothing that wouldn't be completely safe in a closed in environment.

    I think you could build something much more comfortable to live in, much cheaper, with a vehicle that doesn't have the added possible failure expense of a older used Prius.

    But the OP seems dead set on being the Hybrid Hobo....so best of luck.
     
    #86 The Electric Me, Jun 8, 2018
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2018
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  7. Starship_Enterprius

    Starship_Enterprius Active Member

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    See, that's one of those dumb internet ideas that never dies. Why buy an Astro van, or bus, or any vehicle to convert to an RV when there are tons of dirt cheap low mileage aging motorhomes/ RV's that are far better than you can cobble up? Before I bought my 1990 Class B Motorhome for $4,800 I also looked at several others for half the price. All of them were in good running condition, in pretty good shape, and required only minimum fix. At the barest minimum all had cabinets, tables, convertible beds, and kitchen top with built-in propane stove.

    I went for the top of the line "lux" version of these cheapies cause above those it had a kitchen sink, propane tank, propane stove, propane heater, rooftop AC and heater, washroom, and 4 convertible beds, microwave, vacuum cleaner, a tv with external antenna.

    All I did was replace the front brakes (precautionary/not needed), a new gasket for the rooftop AC, a blade valve for the black water tank, and emission tests. A month after minimal testing we shot all the way to Florida Keys for 3 weeks camping and nary had a problem.

    Hybrid Hobo prefers a Prius because he doesn't need any of that and he want's to sip on fuel.

    Versus a Prius 50mpg my 15 mpg Dodge Ram Wagon motorhome doesn't make sense unless our stay is long enough our savings from camping offsets our fuel.
     
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  8. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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    I've contemplated a van on many occasions. And yes, I've even thought about using a portable a/c in one. But the problem with that is...

    You either need to be plugged in to shore power to use the a/c, or, as you said, a generator has to be used. The issue with plugging into shore power is a financial one...you need to be at a campground to get it, and campgrounds are expensive. The LEAST expensive one here in NJ is $25 per night, and that's only because it's actually a wooded reservation on state land. And it is literally the only one in the entire state that has hookup's. Most traditional campgrounds starts at $40 or $50 per night. As for the generator...

    Since I will be mostly boondocking (parking in the parking lot with other vehicles) at truck stops, Walmarts, casinos, etc., generator usage will not be permitted, nor would it be appreciated by those in close proximity. If I lived out west where there was tons of BLM land, and one could just drive into the desert and set up camp, then yes, I would certainly use a generator. But for boondocking it's not a possibility. Which brings me back to the big appeal of the Prius'. I can gladly sacrifice shower facilities. I can gladly sacrifice cooking facilities. And I can gladly sacrifice sleeping in a traditional bed. But one thing which I will not sacrifice is staying cool in the heat and keeping warm in the cold.

    And thanks for your comments about the social programs, but I'm in good health, am fairly well educated, and live in the NE, where finding work isn't too difficult. IMO, there are better options at my disposal.
     
  9. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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  10. bobzchemist

    bobzchemist Active Member

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    I saw a mod where the owner of a Gen 2 prius pulled out the back seats and installed a fridge and porta-potty. He sleeps in the front seat, which reclines all the way to horizontal when the rear seat isn't in the way. Can't find the link now, though.

    If I were doing this, my biggest concern would be re-routing the exhaust to where there was no chance any of it would get into the car when I was sleeping. Shouldn't be too hard to do.
     
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  11. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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    Thanks, Leadfoot. As I said before, my major worry is a battery failure. On top of that, I would hope the batteries tend to die slowly, over time, with sufficient warnings via the dash icons. It would be pretty upsetting to be driving and the battery suddenly dies, or I try starting the car one day and it's completely dead...which happens all of the time with traditional vehicles. The only difference here being a traditional car battery can easily be replaced for $100, versus the $1,000+ on the Prius'...plus the specialized labor to install it.

    I can see something like you described with the self-drivable homes becoming a reality one day. I think/hope that society is finally starting to figure out that it's not all about "things", and having more, more, more. There's something to be said about simplicity. Sometimes, less is truly more.
     
  12. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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    Yes, I've seen similar mods. It really is amazing how little space we need, if we think about it. Of course, not everyone wants to live in a car, and I understand that, but the point being that, of all the stuff we usually have in our lives, probably 95% of it isn't needed at all.

    Even in a house or apartment, if you think logically about it, most of the time you aren't there. It's basically a place to eat, crap, sleep & shower. Which is why I sometimes laugh when I see these celebrities that have ten and twenty million dollar homes.
     
  13. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    I'd be insulted...except for you might be right.

    It's mostly just Full Moon Craigs List hunting.
    My logic is I see some pretty "nice" stripped down vans, for less than $2000. They are full utility vehicles, and just don't have a lot of resale value.
    I kind of like the idea that I could use it as a full utility vehicle....and/or I think make it viable as a camping vehicle pretty cheaply. You'd get out of it, what you wanted to invest into it. But it could be as easy as throwing a mattress in the back and maybe buying a privacy curtain.
    That's a LOT cheaper than the cheapest used RV.

    In the end, when the sun rises, and my vision clears, I realize I really don't want to buy a used van and live down by the river.
    But in my defense, I don't think it's really such a dumb idea.
     
  14. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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    Exactly, as I've mentioned in prior replies, I have indeed entertained the van option before. But being that I'm not technically minded at ALL, doing the wiring work, construction stuff, etc. would be above my abilities. Which means it would also be expensive and time consuming. The much easier option is simply buying a Prius, which already has everything I need ready to go. Yes, buying an earlier model will be a roll of the dice, but I would be taking the same risk with an older van or RV, too. And as Starship said, the other angle is the mileage. As I will probably be doing a lot of driving, every penny saved will be a penny earned.

    All older, high mileage vehicles present risks, no way around that. The main downside of the Prius though, is that they're a lot more expensive to fix. For me however, the upsides (on-demand climate control, superior gas mileage & being able to blend in with other vehicles) makes the risk is bit more tolerable.

    If anyone hasn't already, please look up "living in a prius" on Youtube. You will be amazed at some of the ingenious set-ups. Many have stoves in the vehicles, porta-potties, showers attached to the roof racks, etc. Which makes living in one far from uncomfortable. Some might consider it an unpleasant way to survive, and for them, that may be true. But it certainly beats sleeping under a bridge or in a shelter. It's basically just a very small apartment on wheels.
     
  15. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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    To be candid, if I didn't need the climate control or the excellent gas mileage, I would ABSOLUTELY go for a van or small RV over a car. The ability to stand up and the added headroom would be awfully nice to have. So for everyone who has suggested it, I know why, and it makes a lot of sense. But it's very tough for me to neglect the climate control option and bigger fuel savings by going with the Prius.
     
  16. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Downright decadent living here:

    Screen Shot 2018-06-08 at 2.17.52 PM.png Screen Shot 2018-06-08 at 2.18.55 PM.png Screen Shot 2018-06-08 at 2.19.09 PM.png
     
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  17. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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    Agreed! I'm sure most of us could live in that pretty comfortably. Again, yes, there are roomier/better options than living in a vehicle, but if one has to do it, or wants to do it, it can be done where it's pretty close to being in a conventional home.

    But as your photo above proves, ANY older vehicle (Prius, van, RV, etc.) is a gamble. While that set-up is VERY nice, 285,000 would be a bit high on the mileage, even for my tastes.
     
  18. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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    One thing I'd like to point out here, which I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed, is...

    Craigslist has become a breeding ground for unscrupulous dealers. I say this because when you search for cars, there's an option to filter out dealers, which I always do, however, a good 8 out of 10 listings are from dealers anyway, which really defeats the purpose. I don't know why CL doesn't crack down on this, as it really hurts the site, IMO. Many people prefer only dealing with private parties (which is why they offer the filtering option to begin with), but since the dealers all post as private parties, it's hugely inconvenient.

    You can usually tell the dealer ads from private party ads based on how the photos are taken, the backdrops (which you'll see in many different ads), the wording in the ads, etc.

    And it's not just Craigslist, either. I've seen the same thing on Auto Trader and numerous other sites. On the one hand it's understandable, as these websites need to make money, and there are only a small amount of private sales to go around. The bigger profit comes from dealer advertising, which is fine. But my gripe is when dealers try to hoodwink the public by making their ads SEEM like they are an individual selling a vehicle.
     
  19. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    If you don't or can't see the license plate=dealer. Other (some rather obvious) clues: professionally cleaned and detailed, paper floor mats, inventory tag on keyring, backgrounds show indications of a car lot or commercial property, inventory type markings on windows, paper license tags, the list goes on.
     
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  20. Hybrid Hobo

    Hybrid Hobo Member

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    Yep, precisely. My beef isn't that dealers are posting, they have to make money too. The issue is WHERE they're posting. It makes it a PITA to have to scroll through the listings and cherry pick only those from private parties.

    Someone mentioned looking on eBay, but I've never bought anything on there before, and unless the seller was local, I wouldn't even consider buying a car before looking at it in person.