A Prius RV

My 2010 cross-country trip is a car camping trip.  That is, my '04 Prius will be my abode when touring the National Parks.  Before I arrived at this type of camping, I'd considered some other options.  I originally thought about towing our 4.5'x8' teardrop trailer.  But, I find the teardrop too large for me when I camp solo.  Then I thought of building a one-person, lightweight teardrop trailer.  Finally, I realized I could probably fit a bed and gear into my Prius and not deal with a trailer at all.  So, I did some research and found people who travel and live in their vehicles full-time (vandwellers).  I even found a couple of folks who have lived or camped in their Priuses  (http://www.ayearinacar.com/, http://www.techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/nest/).  I learned a lot from this research.  But, I needed to try it out for myself to see if it was going to be a good fit for me.

So, in Oct '09 I outfitted my Prius and headed south to meet up with brother Gary and wife Mary, full-time RV'ers, in Yosemite.  Although I slept on the couch in their 5th Wheel several nights, I actually found the cot-sized bed in my Prius more comfortable. 

My bed is a 1.5" cot mattress with a regular ThermaRest pad underneath for warmth and to "hide" the latch-bump.  It is made up just like a regular bed with sheets and a large down comforter.  I can double the comforter for extra warmth, if needed.  The bed is located behind the front passenger seat.

The seat behind the driver is my "entry way."  It's where I can sit and read before bed, use the laptop, plan the next day's adventure, get ready for bed, or dress for the next day.

I made window coverings out of black fleece.  During the day, the material hides the bed and gear from anyone who might look into the car.  At night, the fleece attached to the headliner with Velcro.  I don't cover the front windows.  Rather, I hang a long black curtain just behind the front seats.  At night, my car feels like a cozy cave.  Also, if the nights are cold, I put Reflectix, cut to size, on all of the back the windows.  Reflextic is bubble wrap with foil on each side.  It's a pretty good insulator.  My coldest night so far was 30F at Lake Tahoe where I was plenty warm.

This paragraph has kind of graphic information, so, if you don't want to read about bathrooms and bathing, you can skip it.  When I was camping with Gary and Mary, I used their bathroom occasionally, and their shower once.  Mostly I used public restrooms and campground showers.  Or, in lieu of a shower, I used unscented baby wipes.  When camping solo, I picked campsites near the restrooms and showers.  But, for those o'dark-thirty nature calls, I learned to "pee in a bottle" which I carried out later in a discrete container for disposal.  Also, I had, but never used a bucket and some Double Doodie Bags.  These bags are made to handle human waste for easy disposal.  Also, a female urinary device (FUD) came in handy while hiking.  "When placed against your body, [it] allows you to relieve your bladder while standing ..."  OK, enough of these details.

The unused half of the Prius' hatchback area held my gear -- butane stove, butane cannisters, cooking and eating utensils, tarp w/rope and stakes, duct tape, bungee cords, trash bags, folding chairs, trekking poles, tire chains, fire extinguisher, and an extra gallon of gasoline (not included on cross-country trip), etc. 

The front passenger seat and floor was where I stored my clothing, coat, towels and shoes (low-top hikers, sandals & thongs for showers).  I used soft sided duffel bags that collapsed inward as I wore the clothing, making room for my growing dirty-clothes bag.  I kept the hatchet, knife, air horn, SPOT, cell phone, etc. within easy reach.  On the floor behind the front passenger seat I stored the bucket w/Double Doodie Bags, hiking boots, and day pack.  The laptop was upfront with me while driving, and secured in back at other times.

Directly behind the drivers seat, I stored anything with a scent -- food, toiletries, cleaning supplies, medications, and water.  When camping in bear country, I moved these to a bear locker before setting up camp.  Otherwise, I moved them to the driver's seat at night.  I didn't use a cooler.  Rather, I purchased any need-to-be-refrigerated foods just before eating them.

Not only did I find that camping in my Prius was a good fit for me, but it worked better than imagined.  I enjoyed being able to set-up and break-up camp in a matter of minutes.  I was glad to have a mini galley area under the hatch for the stove when I didn't have a table or when it was raining or windy.  I appreciated using the hybrid system to efficiently power my electronic gear, fan, and heater (like a generator that only runs to recharge the battery).  I loved touring in a vehicle that gets great gas millage, has an integrated GPS and hands-free bluetooth.  The only things that would make it more perfect, is if I could sit up straight in bed and stand completely upright to dress.

A Prius makes a great RV!