Ultimate bugout vehicle: Toyota Prius [Archive]

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vacuum

19th April 2016, 02:17 AM

Inconspicuous, stealthy, uses very little fuel, reliable, an incredibly high-quality gas generator on wheels, maximized for interior space....the more I think about it, the better it looks.

Slap one of these babies in it, and it will power your remote house (up to 5kW):
http://www.converdant.biz/plug-out/
When you need fuel, just drive to the gas station and "fill up your car".

Travel across the country for $100 in gas. Sleep in your car as you go.

Urban Prius living

Not so long ago I stumbled upon a blog titled “Hotel Prius” (https://chrissawey.wordpress.com/), and I loved the idea. Being a Prius owner myself, I decided to give Prius living a test run. Being cautious person I am, I decided to give it a test run for a week in a familiar area.
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/prius-in-a-corporate-area.jpg

Preparing for the journey

First, I decided to tint my windows. In addition to making a Prius look much more pleasant, it keeps the car cooler throughout the day, and most importantly makes it hard to peek inside the car. Especially at night.
Next, I ordered a Prius Gen III Camping Sleeper Conversion Kit (http://amzn.to/1NvY78S). It’s just a fancy name for two belts to push down the rear seats, and two wooden platforms with detachable feet to cover leg space. And two custom cut carpet runners to cover up the panels. Nothing one can’t make in their own garage, if the money is tight.
The kit requires front seats to be locked in the furthest possible position, rendering them unusable. So I only installed a panel behind a passenger seat. With the panel installed, I have nearly 7 feet of level surface to sleep on.
Another problem with the kit is that it blocks the console from being opened (arm rest storage between driver and passenger seat). I stopped using console as a quick access box, and it doesn’t feel like a big loss.
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/prius-sleeping-platform.jpg
I packed all my clothes in a duffle bag, bought a small toiletries kit, and put the rest of my belongings in a backpack. Queen-sized sleeping bag I had came in handy as a bed (with a couple of travel pillows).

After a second night I swapped my sleeping bag with a lighter and more compact summer sleeping bag. That’s also when I added a 1.5 inch sleeping pad to my inventory.
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/prius-in-a-sleeping-position.jpg
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/prius-bed-view-from-drivers-seat.jpg
My backpack/briefcase is on the passenger’s seat, I always take it with me.
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/prius-backpack-on-the-front-seat.jpg
In addition to all of the above, I took my guitar - even though it’s bigger than anything else I had to take with me, it’s a great source of entertainment.
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/prius-guitar-and-bed-view.jpg
If you’re feeling impatient, links to all the items are at the bottom of the post.

Sleeping in a Prius

Night one

First night in a Prius left me with mixed feelings. I parked in one of the corporate areas of the city at about 9 pm. I picked a well lit parking lot with some (but not much) evening traffic. I parked in one of the slightly darker areas of the parking lot (approximately one out of twenty parking spots was taken, and large number of cars made me feel safer).
It was 74F outside, slowly cooling after a 100F day. I left my car in accessory mode (spoiler: bad idea), turned on the AC, locked the doors, and hopped on my bedding arrangement to the back of the car. I didn’t want to keep the windows open since I just got them tinted. And sleeping with windows rolled down felt a bit eerie.
First thing I noticed was how obnoxiously bright instrument panel and GPS are. It was the opposite of stealthy, and it was plain annoying to sleep with those bright lights on. I reached out for my duffle bag, and pulled out a couple of towels to cover up both the instrument panel and GPS, as well as few AC control LEDs. This made me feel at ease, and I tried to doze off into sleep.
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/prius-towels-on-instrument-panel.jpg
The parking lot lights were a minor annoyance, mostly filtered out by a 20% rear window tint. I’ve heard some people pass somewhere within 20 feet of my car a few times, but other than that it was quiet. Still, unfamiliar situation made it hard to fall asleep.
And then a few voices and an engine noise disturbed my peace, pretty close to my car. I waited for about 10 minutes, and the noise didn’t go away. I raised my head to see what’s happening - turns out someone had a tire blowout a 2 parking spots away from me, and a pickup truck pulled in next to them to help with changing the tire. There were anywhere between 3 and 5 people walking around and talking.
That’s when I quickly got dressed, climbed to a driver’s seat, and drove off to look for a quieter spot. It was 9:55 pm.
I went to a more secluded, but still well lit parking lot behind one of the offices. Concentration of cars was about the same, but it looked like those cars were left there overnight. I picked a spot within 50 feet of other parked cars, where a tree was covering my car from the harsh street light.

Accessory mode, AC, lock the doors. Climbed in the back, and after some restlessness (a fairly normal thing for me), I fell asleep. I woke up sometime around 11:30 pm. It was fairly hot in the car, and it was hard to breathe. Turns out accessory mode turned itself off at some point. Maybe the battery ran low, or maybe there’s a time limit of sort. I opened all the doors to air out a car for a couple of minutes while I walked around and stretched.
In the meantime, I also noticed that because of the tinted windows, it’s nearly impossible to see what’s inside the car while only standing a few feet away from it. That was comforting.
Second attempt, this time I turned on the car the usual way (by depressing the pedal). I used a foot brake for a peace of mind, set the AC to 68 degrees (with external air flow setting), locked the car, covered the instrument panel and a GPS, and climbed in the back.
AC was blowing on my neck, but I was too tired to worry about it. The car cooled down and I climbed inside a sleeping bag (it was too hot before, and I was just lying on top of it). I’m used to sleeping on hard surfaces, so the setup felt comfortable enough. The light from surrounding light poles was a bit too harsh, so I covered my eyes with a T-shirt. I fell asleep.
I woke up a few times throughout the night, but I feel like I’ve had enough sleep. I woke up with the sun at about 6:30 am, got dressed, opened all doors to ventilate the car, packed away a sleeping bag, and drove to work. I felt well rested, even though my throat and neck felt a bit sore from the AC directed at me.
Oh, and it cost me $1.40 to have an AC running through the night. The car would turn on for about a minute every once in a while (30 minutes?) to recharge the battery.

Night two

This time, I found a perfect spot in a small parking lot behind an office. Less crowded than the previous time, but still well lit. I got lucky and found a space with no direct street light being visible when laying down.
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/prius-parked-in-a-small-lot.jpg
Turn the car on, AC to 68 degrees, lock the doors, hop to the back seat.
I’ve slept well for the first couple of hours, but I ended up waking up well rested at midnight. I stopped by my office and worked for a couple of hours. Back to the car to get 4 more hours of sleep.
It cost me $1.38 to camp through the night with AC on.

Night three

My sleeping bag was too hot to use at room temperature, so I swapped it with a summer down filled bag. I also purchased a self-inflating sleeping pad for more comfort.
Things are getting better from now on.
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/prius-on-top-of-a-parking-garage.jpg
Feeling more confident, I found a four-story corporate parking lot and drove to the top level. I parked at a well-lit spot without any direct lights coming through the windows. I easily fell asleep a tad bit past nine, and woke up at 6 am refreshed and well rested. Secluded spot, comfortable sleeping pad, summer sleeping bag, and increased confidence - all contributed to making sleeping in a Prius a delightful experience.
This was also the night I learned a neat trick: if you recline the driver’s seat all the way, it becomes really easy to move between front seat and a sleeping area.
Cost of running the car through the night: $1.63.

Night four

I decided to camp out in the same multi-level parking garage I did yesterday (it has high enough number of cars so that I don’t stand out - about one per fifty parking spots; and the foot traffic is very low to non-existent). I found another part of the garage with a roof access on a second level and pulled in there. After getting situated, I realized I didn’t account for all the lights - bright parking lot lights from other levels ended up shining right in my face. And even though I knew I couldn’t be seen behind the tinted windows, it did leave me feeling exposed.
I slid to the driver’s seat and drove up a few levels to the previous spot. Doors are locked, AC is set to 68F, instrument panel is covered, driver’s seat is reclined. I climbed to the back, and fell asleep.
It was a warm night, temperature outside was at 73F. It was hot enough for me to wake up two times through the night, but that was a minor inconvenience.
Cost: $1.73.

Night five

It was one of the chillier nights, so sleeping was a very pleasant experience. I picked the same spot I used on the third night. Absence of direct lights visible from the car windows plays a huge role in making you feel safe.
Cost: $1.53 while also bringing Nexus 6 to a full charge.

Night six

Picked another spot in a similar area, I parked under a broken street light in a well lit parking lot. I’ve slept well. Mostly due to this being a cooler night (65F).
Cost: $1.29 while also bringing Nexus 6 to a full charge.

Night seven

I was stuck in traffic in the evening, and I fiddled with the GPS for a while. Turns out you can disable the obnoxiously bright screen by going into “Setup” -> “Display” -> “Screen off”. Pushing any button on the GPS turns the screen back on. I’m still using the towels to cover up the instrument panel and AC controls though.
Another fairly cold night, which made sleeping more comfortable. I went back to the top of the parking garage. Night was a delight.
Cost: $1.39, with full Nexus 6 charging.

Impressions

Stealthy living in a Prius is very comfortable. With tinted windows there’s just enough privacy, it’s safe and cheap to run AC through the night (cost averages to about $1.48 per night). There’s more than enough space for someone of my height (5’11”). It took me a couple of days to get used to feeling relatively exposed in public, but once I did - it was a breeze. Last five nights I have slept without any problems.
Surprisingly, I’ve slept better in a Prius than I did in my own bed. Here I should probably note that I’ve been having troubles sleeping on an off for some time lately, and sleeping through the night in a car was a step up from where I was before.

Lessons learned

Some things I didn’t know before trying out sleeping in a Prius:

Pick a well lit parking lot, ideally with some cars of similar value parked overnight. Make sure there’s not too much foot traffic.
Park in an area without direct light source near you. Also account for lights visible from inside the car (light nearly a hundred feet away can still be bother).
If you’re using the AC, turn Prius engine on instead of leaving it in accessory mode.
Proper AC vent direction is important. Fiddle with those until there are no drafts in the sleeping area.
Use a sleeping mask to avoid being bothered by the lights if you couldn’t find area without visible light sources shining directly through the windows.
Since the temperature inside the car is regulated, summer sleeping bag is a must.
Sleeping pad is very helpful in making the surface softer. 1.5 inches made a huge difference in comfort.

Items I used

http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/prius-storage-compartment.jpg
Here are the items directly related to the trip which I either purchased or already owned.

Prius Gen III Camping Sleeper Conversion Kit (http://amzn.to/1NvY78S). While not as good of a fit as something one can make with a garage and a set of tools, it’s a quick (but rather expensive, depending on your situation) solution.
eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible Junior (http://amzn.to/1NvXpbA).
Kelty Cosmic 550 Dridown Sleeping Bag, Regular/41-Degree (http://amzn.to/1iFj0Sb). I started a journey with a sleeping bag I already had around - winter Coleman Calgary Cold-Weather Scoop Sleeping Bag (http://amzn.to/1Nw0clb). Needless to say, Kelty Cosmic 41 is lighter, and by far more compact.
Therm-a-Rest ProLite Plus Sleeping Pad (http://amzn.to/1imaIyz). It’s a 1.5 inch tall matress, I found it to be extremely comfortable.
REI Roadtripper Duffel - Medium (http://www.rei.com/product/870768/rei-roadtripper-duffel-medium). I don’t have too many clothes (and I live in California, taking winter clothing is out of the picture), so everything fits in a duffel bag.
Eagle Creek Pack-It Clean/Dirty Cube (http://amzn.to/1K5CQPv). Holds underwear and socks, also doubles as a sealed laundry bag for both.
Therm-a-Rest Compressible Travel Pillow, Medium (http://amzn.to/1imbiMJ). A comfortable pillow which goes under a sleeping bag.
REI Grande Shower Kit (http://www.rei.com/product/878299/rei-grande-shower-kit-black). It’s fairly big and holds all my toiletries.
Ready America Emergency Kit, 2-Person, 3-Day Backpack (http://amzn.to/1iFkJqF). Something I always have in a car for the peace of mind.

Future improvement ideas

I have a great stealthy setup, but having more privacy would’ve been a nice bonus. I’ll probably look for some inconspicuous looking shades or curtains, provided that the setup doesn’t look too obvious.

Philosophical implications

This was an interesting experience. Inability to retreat to the safety of my house got me out of my comfort zone. Initial discomfort passed quickly, and a world of possibilities opened up to me.
Not having access to a house made me, well, feel bored. And that’s amazing. Without having an ability to default to a TV, gaming platform, or even a laptop (it’s really not that comfortable to work on a laptop in a car) - I had to get creative. I got to play a guitar, a piano, sing, practice with a drum set. I worked on my blog (this article took multiple revisions and hours upon hours of time to look the way it does now). I went to Mozzart’s Don Giovanni publicly hosted in a nearby town.
And I finished this article, which took me about 8 days of revisions and additions to finish.
Now, thanks to self-imposed restrictions, I’m doing all the things I wanted to do.
I’m a perpetual planner. And that sometimes becomes a problem, since I’m always looking forward to the next thing that’s going to happen, sometimes not paying attention to life right in front of me. With everything I have packed in a car, there’s nothing on the horizon. Nothing is far away. There’s no home to go back to, so I don’t rush anywhere. I savor every moment I have.

vacuum

19th April 2016, 02:18 AM

Did I mention you can haul shit?

8ft boards are no problem. You can even do 10ft diagonally.

https://i.imgur.com/mvzQBsZ.jpg

vacuum

19th April 2016, 02:19 AM

Check out the setup to make a prius into a living space.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2DjzBhXhcw

vacuum

19th April 2016, 02:21 AM

Did you know you can practically reduce your entire kitchen cooking needs to an instant pot?

Look it up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y6MhhXvV80

vacuum

19th April 2016, 02:32 AM

Everything above is the SMALL version of the prius. There is a large version called the "Prius V".

People are living in and hauling things in the small version. The larger version is way bigger - should be even easier with this one.

It also has more weight capacity than the smaller one.

The bigger one has 6 - 8 worse mpg though. Still in the 40s however.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDBciCOSTws

vacuum

19th April 2016, 02:46 AM

https://i.imgur.com/UalMPOZ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/t4uAMgw.jpg

vacuum

19th April 2016, 02:53 AM

Did you know ANY hybrid vehicle can be used as a generator?

You just hook a power inverter directly to the high-voltage battery wires, and the gasoline motor will keep the battery within voltage range as long as the car is turned on. When the car isn't on, the computer usually disables the high voltage battery lines through a 12v relay, so you shouldn't have to worry about totally discharging your HV battery.

Hybrid vehicles have battery voltages from 100 vdc to about 400 vdc, with peak surges of up to 600 or 700 vdc from the electric motors while driving.

This gives you an idea of the voltages of some systems:
http://www.emergencytrainingsolutions.com/downloads/ERGs/

What kind of inverter can handle that? Inverters used in solar systems, like these:
http://www.sma-america.com/products/solarinverters.html

vacuum

19th April 2016, 02:59 AM

How reliable is a Toyota Prius? Potentially more reliable than a conventional non-hybrid car.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/677709-how-long-does-prius-last-least-315k-miles.html

Flew into SFO tonight. If you go to San Francisco much, you'll have noticed all the taxis are hybrids or CNG vehicles. That is due to city regulation. So, if you want to know about the long-term reliability of hybrids and CNG vehicles, there aren't many better sources of first-hand information than San Francisco cabdrivers.

In the Prius (2010 gen 3) taxi to the city, I had a nice chat with the driver about Prius taxicabs.

This particular Prius had 311,000 miles. On the original traction battery. It was still running fine, not using oil, getting the same gas mileage as when new (according to the driver). The car was comfortable, about as quiet as a gen 3 Prius normally is, no evident squeaks or rattles, interior was holding up except for a loose armrest passenger rear (as observed by me).

This, according to the driver, is the typical experience they have with the Prius taxis, gen 2 and gen 3. Yellow Taxi's Priuses rack up miles at appx 12,000 miles per month. At 315,000 miles, San Francisco taxis must be retired, by city regulation. The Priuses are then sold as taxis to companies in other towns, or exported to Mexico, they fetch about $4-5K. The Priuses are retired because they hit this 315,000 mile mark, absent the city regulation they would keep going. Almost none experience battery failure (he couldn't think of any, actually).

He did say that the Prius gen 3 doesn't get 50 mpg in San Francisco taxicab duty. They get about 45 mpg overall. He said that is because the city is so hilly, which makes sense to me. The average cab driver is kind of a leadfoot, too (my observation).

Our 2006 gen 2 Prius has 89,000 miles. It seems likely that we'll be driving it for many years, possibly even decades, more. Or until we get the hankering for a new car. Unless there is something about private car usage that is more demanding that tax cab usage?

I also got a little information about their CNG cars. Apparently the newer ones have partly solved the range problems. Used to be that after two roundtrips from SFO to the city, the driver would have to refuel, and with only about 4 or 5 CNG refueling stations in the area, that was a big problem. The new CNG cars have bigger tanks with a 200 mile range, which has made them "less unpopular" with the drivers. For the most part, the CNG taxis are larger vehicles (vans, SUVs) that the cab company converts to CNG.

With the larger hybrids available now (Camry Hybrid, Prius V, etc), it will be interesting to see if the cab companies continue to convert vehicles to CNG.

One possible reason, beyond the battery doing most of the work, is that the Toyota Prius uses an Atkinson cycle engine as opposed to the Otto cycle that every non-hybrid car uses. This is a more efficient cycle that produces less power from the engine, and as a result, less wear.

vacuum

19th April 2016, 03:07 AM

Be sure to install WIND DEFLECTORS so you can crack your windows at night.

http://i.imgur.com/wLpU2LT.jpg

vacuum

19th April 2016, 03:14 AM

You don't have to connect to the high-voltage battery to get power.

The prius provides up to 1000 watts of power through it's own 12 vdc system. Just connect a 1000 watt inverter to the car's battery, which is very conveniently located in the trunk area.

I don't recommend drawing more than 750 watts continuously, to be safe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh02JLAP3lo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5vjQAZXuAQ

vacuum

19th April 2016, 03:19 AM

These are my research efforts into buying a car, which I may be doing soon.

The highlander hybrids have many of these benefits and are a nice off-road vehicle and I was originally leaning in that direction, but for various reasons I think the prius is better. Ford Escape hybrids are ok, but I was told by a mechanic to stay away as they aren't reliable. The prius is a ubiquitous car, the SUV hybrids are very limited in terms of how many are on the road. Lexus hybrids are great but too small.

Non-hybrid vehicles aren't portable generators - that's why I am looking at hybrids.

And when is the best time to buy a used stealth camper/generator....I mean prius? Right now, when gas prices are low. These things aren't cheap new.

vacuum

19th April 2016, 03:39 AM

By the way, from the link in the OP:
http://www.converdant.biz/faq

At 1000 watts power draw, a full tank of gas lasts 81 hours.

How much fuel does the Plug-Out use?
Fuel use is directly dependant on average power use. Results are similar for any of the Plug-Out products, obviously some models can handle higher top loads than others, but all are similar at loads below their rating. The following data are for average power use. Your results may vary some.

Engine Duty Cycle Fuel Use Tank [9.9gal] Time
Load: 400w 15% .1gal/hr 100hrs
Load: 1000w 18% .122g/h 81hrs
Load: 2000w 35% .245g/h 40hrs
Load: 3000w 48% .4g/h 25hrs

Note: If all car systems are off [except ignition] the Prius systems uses about 200-400w, and the inverter has about 10% loss.

Joshua01

19th April 2016, 05:29 AM

Get a horse!

EE_

19th April 2016, 07:24 AM

Prius, the choice of liberal's, feminists with butch haircuts and assholes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpFHf0HwaDc

Prius driver
http://www.womensbeautylife.com/albums/women-very-short-hairstyles-pictures/Very_short_boyish_women_haircut_with_very_cool_sty le.png

The Most Liberal Cars in America (From most moderate to most radical)

10.) Tie: Honda Accord, Toyota Camry
9.) Tie: Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Beetle
8.) Mini Cooper
7.) Tie: Toyota Sienna, Scion Box (you know which one I mean)
6.) Honda CRV
5.) Honda Element
4.) Honda Odyssey
3.) Tie: Subaru Outback Wagon, Subaru Forester
2.) Honda Civic (Hybrid, and Non-Hybrid)
1.) Toyota Prius

Prius
Somthing Gay or The act of being a Fag

- Stop being prius , ask her out fag
- The guy is prius is hell with that rainbow shirt

Prius
Also known as the Douchebuggy, the Prius is the Batmobile for douches, dumbasses, and bad drivers.
Every person behind the wheel of a Prius/Douchebuggy is either
A) A douche
B) A bad driver
C) An idiot with no common sense
D) All of the above
Many Prius drivers think they are better than everyone else for driving one, however, they are like a giant "I Am A Douche" sign one drives everywhere.

If you ever think of buying a Prius, you are either not thinking or want to find another way to be a douche.
Person A: Did you see that asshole on his Bluetooth headset being rude to everyone at Starbucks leaving his car parked in 2 spaces like a total dick? Why would someone do that?
Person B: Well, did you see he was driving a Prius?
Person A: Oh... Well that explains everything.

Prius
Verb: to rage so intensely in a hybrid vehicle that you sport an erection (or penis-like enlarged clitoris) to the point of emission. Typically achieved after exhibiting excessively aggro behavior toward other environmentally-unfriendly vehicles. If the source stimulus, commonly a large pickup truck rollin' coal, is not immediately removed, emission or full ejaculation is imminent.
I throttled up the ol' Cummins yesterday and this clown next to me in his hybrid started to Pruis. I was rollin' coal all over his weak shit until he had to pull of into the shoulder to finish.

I dropped some black smoke on this bitch at a stoplight in her hybrid last week and she started Priusing. I kept feedin' her until she fired a femme-batch all over her upholstery.

prius
A car owned by homosexuals, often referred to as a "vagina"
Dude, that douche drives a prius I mean, vagina. What a homo.

http://legalinsurrection.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Bumper-Stickers-Hurst-TX-Wendy-Hillary-600x421.png

Ares

19th April 2016, 07:31 AM

I prefer the BMW 335i myself. They do make a hybrid model, but you don't get the raw power of that twin turbo. :)

madfranks

19th April 2016, 09:01 AM

Nice research vacuum, I never knew you could live out of a prius.

Cebu_4_2

19th April 2016, 11:52 AM

http://youtu.be/lIhJ86cIn7U

https://youtu.be/lIhJ86cIn7U

Ponce

19th April 2016, 05:40 PM

Well, mine is a 2007 which I bought for $10,132 , including plates, no tax..... I can take the front head rest off and then the front back rest and then it will match the back seat and then I have a hell of a nice comfy bed.....and still have the back storage area free..... I carry all my winter stuff there. About 52 MPG.........and I still don't like it, to much electronics , if it ever breaks down I'll get rid of it.

V

vacuum

20th April 2016, 12:43 AM

Ponce, did you know you can use your prius to power your house? Check out my post here:

http://gold-silver.us/forum/showthread.php?89138-Ultimate-bugout-vehicle-Toyota-Prius&p=827739&viewfull=1#post827739

vacuum

20th April 2016, 12:44 AM

http://www.rosipov.com/blog/living-in-a-car-for-5000-miles/

Living in a car for 5000 miles

I have set on my journey across the United States and back a few months ago. It’s a fun thing to do, and really gave me a breath of fresh air. I watched elephant seals and whales on a California coast, spent what felt like days stuck in LA traffic, ran from a blizzard, made it through a flash flood, passed a tornado, celebrated New Year’s on the road…
But don’t let me get ahead of myself.
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/prius-with-the-hills-behind-it.jpg

What’s inside

My path started in San Francisco Bay Area, a place I’ve been lately calling home. I tried out living out of a Prius (http://www.rosipov.com/blog/urban-prius-living/) before, thus not having a sturdy place to call home wasn’t really a shock. After only a few weeks I didn’t feel like anything is out of place - being on a road feels just as normal as renting a house.

Living areas

First - the packing and organization. Just like in any living space, zoning is important. Space inside a car is separated into 5 major areas:

A driver’s seat, used solely for driving. No other activities are permitted, and the less time is spent in the driving seat - the better. This helps one to stay alert when on a road.
Front passenger seat. There’s not enough room to sit here due to the seat being moved to the front all the way (to give the most space for the bed). I usually just keep a backpack here (which I always take with me, so this area stays empty when I’m not in the car).
Rear passenger seat behind a driver. This is a primary seat for activities - reading, fiddling around with a laptop, having some tea or a snack. A cooler is taking up the leg space, but it’s never a problem: in the wilderness I put it outside, and nine times out of ten I don’t want to sit with my legs down (since that’s the position I drive in).
A bed. Level surface, approximately 6 and a half feet long. Sleeping mat, winter queen sized sleeping bag folded in two as a second mattress, a summer sleeping bag, two pillows, and a plaid on top (for added coziness).
Additional cargo storage under the bed. Water supply, out-of-season clothes, shoes.
Cargo area in the rear. A suitcase with food and clothes, toiletry kit, and miscellaneous stuff. Some things I don’t access often are in a secondary cargo compartment Prius has underneath the cargo surface.

http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/view-of-prius-interior-from-the-rear.jpg
After about a week, moving between the areas within a car becomes surprisingly easy and natural. I usually put on a hand break, lock the car, leave my shoes in a driver’s seat and move to the back sit or the bed.

Food, water, and cooking

Being prepared is essential for living on the road, so I keep a lot of food and water in the car. I make it a rule of thumb to keep 6-8 3-liter water jugs in the car, which amounts to 18-24 liters (5-6 gallons) of drinking water.
For boiling water I use RoadPro Smart Car Pot (http://amzn.to/1Pj5kpe). I’ll upgrade to something better eventually, since it requires me to plan too far in advance - it takes 20-25 minutes to get water to boil.
I also have teabags and coffee with me. I used to have instant coffee, but it tastes terrible compared to the real thing. Now I use a simple one-cup coffee maker (the one where coffee drips through a funnel) to brew my pre-ground coffee.
When it comes to food - I use rice, grains, and pasta as a base for some meals. Canned goods like corn, peas, mixed veggies, pasta sauce, or chili add a nice touch to the base. I heat up canned soups with a backpacking stove when I’m not in the mood for cooking whole meals or doing the dishes.
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/making-dinner-in-the-dark.jpg
I have a 16-qt Stanley Adventure Cooler (http://amzn.to/1Pj5BbN) which keeps items inside cold for nearly three days (or practically indefinitely if I’m up in the mountains where it’s cold). When I’m preparing to be out in the wild, I fill it up with eggs, meat, cheese, veggies, fruits, and berries.
In addition to everything listed above I always carry 6 days worth of MREs and water in an emergency backpack (http://amzn.to/1meZgWz) underneath in the cargo compartment in case I am ever stranded somewhere.

Washing the dishes

For cleaning my cookware I’m using a backpacking approach I’ve read about on WikiHow (http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Dishes-on-a-Camping-Trip#Spray_and_Wash_sub). I spray the dishes with some natural cleaning solution, let them sit for a bit, wipe it off with paper towels, and then thoroughly rinse degreased dishes off in a 5-liter travel kitchen sink.

Clothing

Most of my clothing is pretty regular - pants, T-shirts, shirts, cardigans, sweaters, jackets. However I did switch to using merino wool for all my base layers: underwear, socks, compression tops and bottoms. While being significantly more expensive, merino wool is much more comfortable to wear, and it stays clean for much longer than normal clothes.
All the things I wear day to day fit in a backpack. When I stayed in New York City for a few weeks without a car I had everything I needed in it:
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/backpack-filled-with-stuff.jpg
In addition to all of the above, I carry a few pairs of shoes and an additional outer layer I wear when I anticipate to be near a campfire. That goes in a storage bin under the bed.

Laundry

I started with visiting laundromats and just carrying a lot of coins with me. But after a while, a number of items which require hand washing or delicate care have increased - mostly due to above specified merino wool base layers.
I’ve been looking for an excuse to try out Scrubba wash bag (http://amzn.to/1QdUGjt) I’ve heard so much about - basically a dry sack for washing clothes. I found it to be quite convenient and not at all cumbersome to use.
While I still use laundromats for washing bulkier items, I hand wash my easy to clean and quick to dry base layers.

Sleeping

A self-inflating sleeping pad and a winter queen-sized sleeping bag folded in half create a great mattress. I sleep in a summer sleeping bag, with an added sleeping bag liner and a few travel pillows.
I run AC in the car throughout the night. While keeping the temperature pleasant, it tends to dry out the air and results in a major case of a sore throat in a morning. I use a small travel humidifier which connects to a USB power supply to regulate the humidity in the car at night.

Entertainment

Boredom seems to never be a concern with this lifestyle. I use laptop for rare acts of writing, and a Kindle for reading during the little downtime I have. I also have a little harmonica I hope I’ll learn to play one day. And some juggling balls I throw around once in a while.

A few words on stealth

While I enjoy staying at campsites, a large portion of my journey involved staying in urban areas. Looking inconspicious is a big deal when you’re relaxing in a car - it’s not fun when somebody comes knocking on your door (didn’t happen to me though).
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/hiding-in-plain-sight.jpg
The fact that it’s a white-ish Prius helps a lot. Car dwelling is not a first thing people think when they see a tiny city car parked on the side of the road. Tinted windows (heavier tint in the rear, lighter in the front) are enough to shield the dweller from the passers by. A blackout curtain separating the front seats from the back area and covering rear windows is enough to cover one from curious eyes peering inside the car.
Here’s how the car looks in ful lighting with the curtains down, if you look closely you can see the black fabric behind the seat backs. But most likely you’ll just pass the car:
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/prius-in-an-underground-parking-garage.jpg
Finding a place to stay boils down to four simple steps for me:

Drive around in advance, find a place where it’s easy to blend it. I prefer a balance between empty and fully crowded lots. Avoid parking at a chosen area until later in the evening.
Arrive late, hide in plain sight, park near similar cars. Don’t tuck in somewhere far and look suspicious.
Be respectful to whichever place you picked for the night. If possible, leave it cleaner than it was when you arrived. Try not to be in and out of the car too much either.
Leave early. Do not stay at one place multiple nights in a row. Avoid easily recognizable patterns when returning to the same spot.

Final thoughts about my journey

I traveled for an approximate of three weeks, and ended up hunkering down in New York City for another month while leaving a car outside the city.
I gave up my apartment back in Bay Area for the duration of the travel, and it feels liberating. It’s comforting to know that one doesn’t need to own a place to live a happy and fulfilled life. Even further, living in NYC for weeks with a single backpack worth of posessions and realising I don’t need anything else was an eye opening experience.
http://www.rosipov.com/images/posts/beautiful-vista.jpg
Turns out I really don’t need much stuff to enjoy life.

Posted by Ruslan Osipov Mon 22 Feb 2016, 11:27 AM life (http://www.rosipov.com/blog/categories/life/)

http://www.rosipov.com/blog/living-in-a-car-for-5000-miles/

palani

20th April 2016, 03:38 AM

To be a truly stealthy bugout vehicle you would need to have a hole in the floor ... then you could have a rolling outhouse.

In the entire series there is no reference to the #1 and #2 duties that are going to arise.

mick silver

20th April 2016, 11:57 AM

http://cdn4.img.sputniknews.com/images/103830/79/1038307925.jpg

mick silver

20th April 2016, 11:59 AM

http://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/images/103830/83/1038308308.jpg

ximmy

20th April 2016, 01:45 PM

http://www.worldwar1gallery.com/tanks/czar-tank.jpg

http://img.weburbanist.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Tsar.gif bug out vehicle

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6a/7b/fd/6a7bfd80c7a088ba77d105006750b1b6.jpg

Serpo

20th April 2016, 03:15 PM

https://s16-us2.ixquick.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=https%3A%2F%2Fkomarjohari.files.wor dpress.com%2F2014%2F08%2Fisuzu-mu-x_02.jpg&sp=a4e84555ce7a333fbaf9cc063d48e074

mick silver

21st April 2016, 11:51 AM

before long people living out of there cars will be called a terrorist for not paying rent are buying a house.....you heard the shit here by me

ximmy

21st April 2016, 12:04 PM

before long people living out of there cars will be called a terrorist for not paying rent are buying a house.....you heard the shit here by me

They are doing that now with the micro houses...

http://www.activistpost.com/2016/03/hud-wants-to-make-living-in-a-tiny-house-or-rv-illegal.html

and you know it's true because snoops says it is not.

FALSE: Tiny Homes Ban : snopes.com (http://www.snopes.com/hud-tiny-homes-ban/)www.snopes.com › Fact Check › Legal AffairsSnopes.com

Apr 4, 2016 - These items referenced a pending "law" or claimed tiny houses would soon be "outlawed," leading many readers to infer that whatever HUD

EE_

21st April 2016, 12:52 PM

They are doing that now with the micro houses...

http://www.activistpost.com/2016/03/hud-wants-to-make-living-in-a-tiny-house-or-rv-illegal.html

and you know it's true because snoops says it is not.

FALSE: Tiny Homes Ban : snopes.com (http://www.snopes.com/hud-tiny-homes-ban/)www.snopes.com › Fact Check › Legal AffairsSnopes.com

Apr 4, 2016 - These items referenced a pending "law" or claimed tiny houses would soon be "outlawed," leading many readers to infer that whatever HUD

Everyone must pay the Jew tax, or they will come with guns and cause bodily harm to you.

vacuum

23rd April 2016, 09:22 PM

The 2016 prius is the first model of the 4th gen redesign, and the first prius ever with factory towing package available.

It can tow up to 1600 lbs. It's pretty incredible that a drive-train that gets 55 mpg can also tow 1600 lbs (obviously not simultaneously).

So you now have an inconspicuous generator on wheels, gets super mpg, is climate controlled, and can tow 1600 lbs.

Sleep in the prius. The prius powers the trailer.

https://i.sli.mg/1IApei.jpg

vacuum

23rd April 2016, 09:34 PM

Sleep in the prius. The prius powers the trailer.

Ideally, I'd have a shower, toilet, sink, and kitchen in the trailer (in that order).

The main issue with living out of a prius is that you need a gym membership and/or some other method of shower access.

Toilets are more readily accessible than showers. The main issue with toilets is that (1) who wants to use public bathrooms? and (2) you may get sick and have to go in the middle of the night, multiple times.

You can prepare food with a small kitchen setup in the prius. It would only be more convenient to have that located in the trailer. A sink/running water is the most difficult thing for the kitchen inside the prius. You can get portable sinks and water however, spray bottles, wipes, etc. Eating out is always easy to do if necessary, or buying prepared food at a grocery store.

midnight rambler

23rd April 2016, 09:40 PM

Too bad, looks like it's over the towing capacity for the Prius -

http://casitatraveltrailers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/patriot-exterior1.jpg

http://casitatraveltrailers.com/patriot-deluxe-13/

vacuum

23rd April 2016, 09:49 PM

Too bad, looks like it's over the towing capacity for the Prius -

http://casitatraveltrailers.com/patriot-deluxe-13/

You could probably ditch the propane since you've got electricity from the car.

vacuum

23rd April 2016, 09:52 PM

A Guide To
Ultra-Lightweight Travel Trailers

Third Edition, Spring 2009

Note — I am no longer updating this page. When I first started looking at ultra-lightweight travel trailers, there were very few models available in the marketplace. That was during the boom years of the big Class A RVs. Several manufactures tried marketing smaller trailers, and most ended up being discontinued due to lack of sales. Fast forward to 2008 with the high gas prices and nationwide economic problems, and we find that the small travel trailer is undergoing a renaissance. There are many models available with more hitting the market all the time. While the rest of the RV industry is in a major slump, the ultra-lightweight category is booming. Given their popularity, this information is much more widely available, and given the number of new models, I don't have the time needed to keep track of them all. I will leave this page up for historical purposes. Thanks for visiting, and thanks for all the nice comments over the years.

Introduction (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#INTRO)
Trailer Specifications (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#COMP)
Discontinued Trailers (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#DISC)
Descriptions (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#MY)
What Did John Buy? (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#JOHN)
Links (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#LINKS)

Introduction I have been looking for a small camper/travel trailer that I can pull with my existing Ford Ranger pick-up truck with a 3.0 liter engine. I was surprised how few travel trailers are light enough to be pulled by a car or light pickup truck. No wonder so many people are buying the huge SUVs and monster pickup trucks. I also found that most RV companies have little interest in this area of the market. My goal is to have a mobile motel room suite that I can easily pull. Easy to pull is essential given my 150 horsepower engine, and my desire to not be hampered when I travel. My list of wants is a comfortable bed that I do not have to make up every day, storage so I don't have to unpack every day, breakfast making equipment, cold place for my Diet Coke, and bathroom facilities. As it turns out, the bathroom is the trick since it adds all the plumbing and it requires a high ceiling for a shower. I don't want to use campground showers. Finally, a nice to have would be the ability to rip out the useless dinette and put in an easy chair. The other nice to have is A/C power so I can have a flat screen TV and satellite dish.
There are four classes of travel trailers that fit this market area. Those are the pop-up tent trailers, fiberglass eggs, teardrop trailers, and ultra-lightweights. I have no interest in pop-ups since I want to use my trailer in both the heat of Arizona and cold of Minnesota. An Egg would work, but I seem to be bothered by the fiberglass smell. A teardrop simply doesn't have the room for the items that I want, but it is a great option for those folks who really like to camp and spend time outdoors. That leaves the ultra-lightweights of 2000 pounds or less, which I review below.
Note—I am not a dealer, nor am I affiliated with any of these companies. I am just an RV'er who did some research on this topic, and I would like to share this research with others. The best prices that I quote are not an offer to sell. Rather, they are simply the lowest prices that I have seen advertised for each of these units. Note that changes in exchange rates may cause prices to vary.

Return to top (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TOP) of page.
Currently Available Ultra-Lightweight Models

Item
Airstream
Basecamp (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#BASE)
American Retro
Retro-Lite 140 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#RET14)
American Retro
Retro-Lite 160 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#RET16)
A-Van
Week-
ender (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#AVAN)
Cikira
Classic Cruiser 13 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#CIKC)
Cikira
Cruisin Lite 13 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#CIKL)
Hi-Lo
Mojo (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#MOJO)

Dry Weight (lbs)
1,930
1,590
1,830
850
1,960
1,960
1,400

Gross Weight (lbs)
2,750

3,830

3,100
3,100
2,200

Capacity (lbs)
820

1,830

1,140
1,140
800

Outside Length
16'2"

12'2"
14'9"
14'9"
16'0"

Inside Length

6'3"

Outside Height
8'2"

5'11"
8'1"
8'1"
7'0"

Inside Height
6'1"

6'4"
6'4"

Width
7'2"

6'6"
7'0"
7'0"
7'6"

Air Conditioner
Home
Home
Home
No
Yes
Opt
Home

Microwave
No
Opt
Opt
No
Yes
Opt
No

Refrigerator
Opt
Opt
Opt
No
Yes
Yes
Opt

Port-A-Potty
Opt
No
No
Opt
No
No
Opt

Bathroom
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No

Best Price
$19,000
$14,000
TBD
$8,750
$13,700
TBD
TBD

Item
Hyperlite
HLT (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#HLT)
Microlite
Vymeron (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#VYME)
Microlite
Wazat 4x5 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#WAZA)
Microlite
Wazat 5x5 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#WAZA)
Prolite
Eco 12 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#PL12)
Prolite
Mini 13 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#PL13)
Prolite
Profil 14 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#PL14)

Dry Weight (lbs)
1,800
1,300
759
857
750
950
1,400

Gross Weight (lbs)
3,500

1,750
2,450
3,800

Capacity (lbs)
1,700

1,000
1,500
2,400

Outside Length
15'0"

13'4"
13'4"
12'10"
13'10"
15'2"

Inside Length
10'5"

9'4"
10'2"

Outside Height
7'10"

5'8"
6'9"
7'4"
7'4"
8'1"

Inside Height
6'2"

4'1"
4'10"
5'8"
6'0"
6'2"

Width
6'6"

4'10"
4'10"
7'4"
6'4"
6'6"

Air Conditioner
RV Style

No
No
Opt
Opt
Opt

Microwave
No

No
No
Opt
Opt
Opt

Refrigerator
Yes

No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes

Port-A-Potty
Opt

No
No
No
No
No

Bathroom
No

No
No
No
No
Yes

Best Price
TBD
$9,000
$3,900
$5,000
TBD
TBD
TBD

Item
Safari Condo
Alto (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#ALTO)
Sidekick
Twelve (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#SK12)
Sidekick
Fifteen (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#SK15)
Sunset
Cozy Traveler (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#COZY)
Thor
TAB (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TAB)
TRE
Amelia (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TRE)
Utilitoy (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#UTOY)

Dry Weight (lbs)
1,635
1,450
1,750
1,960
1,360
1,820
1,020

Gross Weight (lbs)
2,500
2,000
2,400

1,939
3,000
2,000

Capacity (lbs)
865
550
650

516
1,180
980

Outside Length
17'3"

14'9"
15'6"
15'8"
14'6"

Inside Length

10'3"
12'0"
9'10"

Outside Height
6'11"

7'9"
9'3"
6'10"

Inside Height
6'10"

6'6"
5'9"

5'2"

Width
6'11"

6'6"
6'7"
6'8"
6'10"

Air Conditioner
Heat Pump
RV Style
RV Style
RV Style
Heat Pump
RV Style
Heat Pump

Microwave
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Yes
No

Refrigerator
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

Port-A-Potty
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Opt

Bathroom
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No

Best Price
$19,000
$6,988
$7,988
$9,999
$9,000
$13,900
$5,995

Item
Taylor Coach (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TAYC)

Lil El
8 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TAYC)
Dyl
10 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TAYC)
Bobbie
12 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TAYC)
Codester
14 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TAYC)
Codester
15 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TAYC)
Nik-Nat
17 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TAYC)
19 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TAYC)

Dry Weight (lbs)
700
850
1,000
1,175
1,275
1,450
1,700

Gross Weight (lbs)
2,000
2,500
2,500
2,600
2,600
5,000
5,000

Capacity (lbs)
1,300
1,650
1,500
1,505
1,505
3,550
3,550

Outside Length
8'6"
10'6"
12'6"
14'6"
15'6"
17'6"
19'6"

Inside Length

Outside Height
7'11"
8'4"
8'4"
8'4"
8'4"
8'4"
8'4"

Inside Height
6'0"
6'4"
6'4"
6'4"
6'4"
6'4"
6'4"

Width
6'6"
6'6"
6'6"
6'6"
6'6"
6'6"
6'6"

Air Conditioner
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt

Microwave
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt

Refrigerator
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt

Port-A-Potty
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt

Bathroom
No
No
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt
Opt

Best Price
TBD
TBD
$12,000
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

Return to top (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TOP) of page.
Discontinued Ultra-Lightweight Models

Item
A-Liner
Cabin A (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#CABINA)
A-Liner
Lil Demon (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#DEMON)
A-Liner
The Twist (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TWIST)
Hyperlite
Superlite (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#HYPER)

Dry Weight (lbs)
1,310
735
1,295
1,650

Gross Weight (lbs)

3,200

Capacity (lbs)

1,200

Outside Length
18'0"
11'0"
13'1"
15'0"

Inside Length

6'7"

10'5"

Outside Height
6'8"

7'10"

Inside Height

Movable Roof

6'0"

Width
6'8"
4'10"
6'0"
6'6"

Air Conditioner
Home
No
Home
RV Style

Microwave
Opt
No
Opt
No

Refrigerator
Yes
No
Opt
Yes

Port-A-Potty
No
Opt
Opt
Yes

Bathroom
Yes
No
No
No

Best Price
$11,500
$5,800
$8,900
$11,000

Item
R-Vision
Cassette (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#CASS)
Shadow Cruiser
T-139 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#T139)
Shadow Cruiser
T-160 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#T160)
Sun Valley
Roadrunner 130 (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#SVRR)

Dry Weight (lbs)
1,350
1,680
1,980
2,025

Gross Weight (lbs)
1,640
3,150
3,650
2,910

Capacity (lbs)
290
1,470
1,710
885

Outside Length
12'6"

15'6"

Inside Length

14'9"
16'0"

Outside Height
6'3"
8'1"
8'1"

Inside Height

6'4"
6'4"
6'6"

Width
6'6"
7'2"
7'2"
7'6"

Air Conditioner
No
R/V
R/V
R/V

Microwave
No
Opt
Opt
Opt

Refrigerator
No
Yes
Yes
Yes

Port-A-Potty
No
No
No
No

Bathroom
No
Yes
Yes
Yes

Best Price
$5,000
$10,000
$10,500
$9,000

Return to top (http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/#TOP) of page.

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ______________________

Too many images to paste, visit the website here for trailer images: http://www.johnweeks.com/tour/campers/

By the way, the whole reason this guy put together this list was because he wanted to be able to travel without sleeping in hotel rooms. The prius solves that.

vacuum

23rd April 2016, 10:22 PM

This one weighs 1450 lbs, and has a shower.

http://www.roulottesprolite.com/english/plus.htm

http://www.roulottesprolite.com/plusS/data/images/p1010105.jpg

http://www.roulottesprolite.com/english/Plus/plus-en.jpg

vacuum

23rd April 2016, 10:51 PM

2014 Prolite Plus "S"

Only 1290 lbs. Has a shower.

I think this is ideal. The bed sucks, but you wouldn't be sleeping in it. So it has what you need, and doesn't have what you don't need.

http://www.roulottesprolite.com/english/plusS.htm

https://i.sli.mg/jKYyNG.jpg (https://i.sli.mg/jKYyNG.jpg)

https://i.sli.mg/huFnJ7.jpg (https://i.sli.mg/huFnJ7.jpg)

https://i.sli.mg/gNLsaI.jpg (https://i.sli.mg/gNLsaI.jpg)

https://i.sli.mg/6A9Kp7.jpg (https://i.sli.mg/6A9Kp7.jpg)

https://i.sli.mg/OFbzE7.jpg (https://i.sli.mg/OFbzE7.jpg)

https://i.sli.mg/C6enFI.jpg (https://i.sli.mg/C6enFI.jpg)

https://i.sli.mg/SYlhRe.jpg (https://i.sli.mg/SYlhRe.jpg)

https://i.sli.mg/dpXU7Z.jpg

(https://i.sli.mg/dpXU7Z.jpg)
Layout:

Front Dinette
Side Sofa
Rear Bath
Side Kitchen

Sleeps: 2
Dry Weight: 1290 Lbs
Base Price: $21,240.00
Options: N\A ---------------
Total: $21,240.00
Sale: $17,995.00!

Bi- Weekly Financing: $68.38 @ 240 Months (20 Years) OAC
$105.99 @ 120 Months (10 Years) OAC

Additional Information:

Combined Toilet & Shower
3 Burner Stove
Furnace
Single Door Fridge (Propane, Electric & Battery)
Awning
DSI Hot Water Heater
Spare Tire

Add a 7 Year Ultimate CorCare Extended Warranty for $1400
or Bi-Weekly Payments of:

20 Years - $5.49/ 15 Years - $6.42/ 10 Years - $8.39/ 5 Years - $14.90

For More Information or Pricing Please Phone Our Sales Office
or Email Chardell @ admin@jerrysrv.com

or Tracey @ traceypark@jerrysrv.com

(https://i.sli.mg/dpXU7Z.jpg)
http://www.jerrysrv.com/2014pluss.html (http://www.jerrysrv.com/2014pluss.html)

https://sli.mg/a/9XB3TS

Outside

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXIYaL-vxPI

Inside

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW6WIUXy5e0

"v2" of the PlusS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vlozPe2YkU

vacuum

23rd April 2016, 11:01 PM

If I did have a trailer with propane, I'd get one of these propane heaters which is safe to use indoors.

Mr. Heater F232000 MH9BX Buddy 4,000-9,000-BTU Indoor-Safe Portable Radiant Heater

https://i.sli.mg/4rCbOd.jpg

I'd also get a carbon-monoxide detector or two though, just to be sure.

vacuum

23rd April 2016, 11:34 PM

Toyota’s Prius for the first time delivering towing capabilities

Tweet (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inautonews.com%2Ftoyota s-prius-for-the-first-time-delivering-towing-capabilities&text=Toyota%E2%80%99s+Prius+for+the+first+time+del ivering+towing+capabilities) Share (https://facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inautonews.com%2Ftoy otas-prius-for-the-first-time-delivering-towing-capabilities&t=Toyota%E2%80%99s+Prius+for+the+first+time+delive ring+towing+capabilities) Share (https://plus.google.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inautonews.com%2Ftoyota s-prius-for-the-first-time-delivering-towing-capabilities)
By Aurel Niculescu (http://www.inautonews.com/author/aurel-niculescu) on April 22, 2016 in Green (http://www.inautonews.com/category/green), News (http://www.inautonews.com/category/home/news), Toyota (http://www.inautonews.com/category/manufacturers/toyota)
https://i.sli.mg/ObwAWI.jpg
The Toyota Prius, a 19-year old model, is for the first time ever capable of attaching a trailer to its back – a feat that may be common to regular cars but not to hybrids as well.

The world’s best selling hybrid has reached its fourth generation and the model is going to become more interesting for adventurous people that like to go camping. The 2016 model year Toyota Prius has been granted a maximum towing capacity of 1,598 pounds (725 kilograms) – good for a light caravan or a braked/unbraked trailer. The model’s official range of compatible accessories now also encompasses the necessary towing hitches and wiring systems – and linking up the accessories should be very easy since the hitch is fitted with clear green and red indicators showing when a secure connection is achieved. When not in use, the towing arm can be unclipped from the car and it will be stored in a special bag located in the trunk.
By the way, if anyone’s wondering if the quirky design of the car will have to suffer, we can tell them it will remain just as odd, since the necessary connecting hardware has been hidden under the rear bumper’s lower lip. The preceding generations were unable to tow a trailer or a light caravan, which is now possible thanks to the improved heat management of the hybrid system’s electric motor-generator and differential. The new Prius is also the safest hybrid generation ever, taking home a five-star rating at Euro NCAP’s crash tests, which are stricter than ever before.

vacuum

24th April 2016, 12:23 AM

How much does it cost to replace the battery in a prius? Anywhere from $700 to $1600.

http://www.battery4prius.com/cost.html

Depends on your location though. You probably need to be near a big city for shops like this.

A toyota dealer would do it for ~$2500.

If you open the battery pack up and do it yourself (clean the internal connections, replace bad cells) it can be a lot less. You would probably still want to get the battery conditioned after you replace the cells, so that all the battery cells are electrically balanced.

woodman

24th April 2016, 04:41 AM

vacuum

24th April 2016, 01:28 PM

Two of the problems I have with working out of town or just traveling in general are nasty motel rooms (bed bugs are a real problem nowdays) and fuel costs. I am not interested in being 'green' as I think green is usually just the opposite when all things are considered. I am practical and conservative though and a prius might have some justification for me, especially if I could haul a trailer for sleeping. I would want a shower though. One thing I am very uncertain about when considering a travel trailer is the health effects of the materials used in construction. The more one finds out about the off-gassing of the construction materials the more sense it makes to stay away from them, unless you want to die a painful and needless death by poisoning. I wish there was a healthy alternative.

I would sleep in the prius, because the prius has climate controls (AC and heat). That's one of the big reasons I'm looking at a hybrid in the first place. A non-hybrid car isn't able to run AC all night, nor is it able to provide electricity. If I only cared about highway fuel efficiency and towing capability, I'd look at diesels and even non-hybrid cars.

The main problem you run up against is needing the shower. The person below didn't think it was an issue because he said there are gyms in every city, and you can get a free trial membership at almost all of them. I've never tried it, so I can't say how good or bad doing that might be.

http://www.rosipov.com/blog/living-in-a-car-for-5000-miles/

Glass

24th April 2016, 05:34 PM

I think diesel has it's advantages in that you can run it on other things if you need to. I guess gasolene is the same to some extent. You can run it on alcohol.

Although I figured alcohol would be one of the first targets of the zombies come appocalypse time. But drums of waste cooking oil are probably not going to get much attention apart from people thinking the same.

Preps can include collecting and washing waste oil. It's non volatile to easy/safe to store a fair amount of it. Can be stabilized for extended life. I also think you can scavange waste oil from light industrial areas, electrical sub stations - that are off line, abandonded vehicles, trucks etc. Auto workshops.

I chose a vehicle with an engine thats tried and trusted. Can haul 3 ton. Goes off road to just about anywhere. Has the torque to push through zombie masses, burning car road blocks and can drag things out of my path if needed - fallen trees, wrecked cars etc. Great mileage for what it is.

Cebu_4_2

24th April 2016, 05:38 PM

You can make your own diesel oil by cooking plastics... Pretty common knowledge if in the loop, which I am not.

Glass

24th April 2016, 05:50 PM

You can make your own diesel oil by cooking plastics... Pretty common knowledge if in the loop, which I am not.

I didn't know that. Makes sense. So add recycling plants to your list of places to visit. The local super market, walmart, fast food joint - the tables are plastic, the seats are plastic.

Dogman

24th April 2016, 05:57 PM

I didn't know that. Makes sense. So add recycling plants to your list of places to visit. The local super market, walmart, fast food joint - the tables are plastic, the seats are plastic.

Can be done but it takes some high pressure and heat, along with other factors, not good for small scale..If it was created with oil it can be mostly reduced back into it, but not cost effective..

Think tires...bunch of oil in them but not so easy to get a usable fuel from them, that is clean overall. Making heat for boilers , it is being done now, but the logistics just does not work. That is why there are tire graveyards and mostly they get buryed or turn into mosquito breeding grounds.

Glass

24th April 2016, 06:04 PM

Can be done but it takes some high pressure and heat, along with other factors, not good for small scale..If it was created with oil it can be mostly reduced back into it, but not cost effective..

Think tires...bunch of oil in them but not so easy to get a usable fuel from them, that is clean overall. Making heat for boilers , it is being done now, but the logistics just does not work. That is why there are tire graveyards and mostly they get buryed or turn into mosquito breeding grounds.

again another good idea I had forgotten to have.

I saw a guy who made a system to return the tires to oil. Was backyard thing, Strip the steel belts out and then process the tires. I think he did use some pressure though. But if the zombies are all gone and it's just the survivors left, chances are you are going to be able to set up a base of some sort. Then get to work on these things.

if you want alcohol, get a still or two. Or work out how to run it on water.

Dogman

24th April 2016, 06:27 PM

again another good idea I had forgotten to have.

I saw a guy who made a system to return the tires to oil. Was backyard thing, Strip the steel belts out and then process the tires. I think he did use some pressure though. But if the zombies are all gone and it's just the survivors left, chances are you are going to be able to set up a base of some sort. Then get to work on these things.

if you want alcohol, get a still or two. Or work out how to run it on water. The belts and such removial is a challange, but chopping everything up and distilling everything , then from the ashes recover the steel which by that time will be mostly clean, minus the carbon in that steel, or not. Would be the best way to wholesale process tires. Tires have one hell of a bunch of btu's stored in them, but those same btu's are very dirty in use and recovery.

Unless there is a good recovery system in the stacks (smoke) to recover the carbon and other ash, Tires are a gold mine for carbon black, but very nasty to deal with in real life as I have seen in the past.

Glass

24th April 2016, 06:37 PM

having a look there's a ton of systems out there.

This is obviously a commercial sized unit but the one I mentioned seeing before was a small unit in a backyard shed. Basically anyone could build and run something that size. I looked for it a while back but could not find it. Was not unlike this one, but much much much smaller. maybe 15 - 20 m2 what ever that is in feet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wAwmvd8ATc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wAwmvd8ATc

Cebu_4_2

24th April 2016, 06:40 PM

Glass

24th April 2016, 06:42 PM

when the world has gone and you have nothing else to do except defend against raiders and survive, cost effective has a new meaning.

Cebu_4_2

24th April 2016, 06:45 PM

I am sorry I didn't post the simple video. It was scrubbed, I just pointed the ideas. Original was probably very effective.

Dogman

24th April 2016, 06:47 PM

Look into cracking units that refinery's use to break down crude into its components..

Basically pressure and high temp are used to separated the different factions (?). Heat under pressure heat and at the different faction conduction points .

Sorta like making corn liquor, alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, so the stills temp is kept below the boiling point of water and ideally at abt 174°F.

Same with crude and its component recovery for use.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracking_%28chemistry%29

Dogman

24th April 2016, 10:05 PM

Bullfuck mad man.

https://www.google.com/search?q=diesel+from+plastic&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=diesel+from+plastic&tbm=vid

Humm, ?

Pour gasoline on your hard-on and light it!

Personally I do not swing your way unless with more than one female and I am the only male invited to the party!

And now I am, sorry that truth hurts you little man!

You used friend in a bunch in your intoxicated posts (PMS) to me last night and I did friend you, once!

until I saw your true nature when you asked on Facebook !

Then zip!

Carry on carrying on, showing your ignorance!

Which can be cured!

Unlike stupidity!

Enjoy your life.

Sent from my Nexus 7

Neuro

24th April 2016, 10:49 PM

Bullfuck mad man.

https://www.google.com/search?q=diesel+from+plastic&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=diesel+from+plastic&tbm=vid
Here ya go!

http://youtu.be/4G34HQQqHRw

Could be made with a solar reflector oven, me thinks.

vacuum

24th April 2016, 11:01 PM

Here ya go!
http://youtu.be/4G34HQQqHRw

Could be made with a solar reflector oven, me thinks.

So basically, you just gasify the plastic, then you fractionate the resulting liquid to it's components, gas, diesel, oils, etc, through distillation.

Neuro

25th April 2016, 01:28 AM

So basically, you just gasify the plastic, then you fractionate the resulting liquid to it's components, gas, diesel, oils, etc, through distillation.

Yes, that is how I understood it...

cheka.

23rd October 2016, 08:37 AM

prius destroys cop car, drives away

http://www.texaspolicenews.com/default.aspx/act/newsletter.aspx/category/News+1-2/MenuGroup/Home/NewsLetterID/64168.htm

At approximately 11:30 pm Friday night, October 21st, 2016, a Galveston Police Patrol Officer was traveling eastbound on Ave J approaching the light at 45th St. As the Officer proceeded through the intersection a Toyota Prius, traveling southbound ran the red light and struck the Officers patrol car directly on the driver’s side, causing the patrol car to roll and come to rest on its roof. The driver of the Prius then fled the scene in the vehicle south down 45th St; however, during the accident the Toyota’s front bumper and license plate detached from the vehicle and were left at the scene of the collision.

The patrol officer involved in the accident crawled out from his overturned unit, and quickly relayed the description of the fleeing vehicle, the direction of travel, as well as the license plate number that was left on scene. The license plate was found to belong to a 2007 Toyota and was registered to an address in the 4700 block of Sherman Ave. Officers immediately began heading to that location and intercepted the suspect vehicle as it was pulling up to the residence.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as 61-year-old Patricia Riley. Riley was arrested and has been charged with Driving While Intoxicated as well as Accident Involving Injury, a Felony, and is being held on a total bond of $27,000.

The officer involved in the accident was transported to JSER for various injuries and is currently being assessed but is in good condition.

Dogman

23rd October 2016, 08:48 AM