Prius info

[TWIH]

Wile I'm thankful for the a/c, it wakes me up every time it starts. 

Have you tried using some of those foam ear plugs?  Very inexpensive.

I personally have mixed feelings about them.  I would much rather be awakened by things that go bump in the night - or what's the point of sleeping with a loaded gun next to your bed?  Still, if I wasn't getting enough sleep, and had trouble functioning the next day . . .

It’s not so much the noise, it’s the rattle and shake as it starts. Awakens me every time. Makes for a crappy rest.

[TWIH]

Prius camper update. 

Try as I like, I haven’t been able to convince myself to sell it and purchase a minivan. Getting between 50 and 56 mpg on a regular basis just keeps me coming back. That plus I’m a “driver” as opposed to a “camper”. I rarely stay in the same location more than 2 days (unless I’m couch surfing) and as an example, I will put on a (planned) 12-13K miles from June 1st-October 1st, that’s only 4 months.

Recently I actually spent a night in a cheap motel just off the gas savings from my trip up to mid-BC and back. The 8’ sytanding room and shower felt good! I also did my “Chinese laundry” routine in there... But then I was reminded why I don’t like motels, hearing everyones tv, snoring, the trucks on the highway etc...

I’ve wasted many hours reading forum posts from all over on using flexible or rigid panels on the roof of a van to charge house batteries yadda, yadda. Then I remember that I have a 1.3KW, 202 volt battery from which I can draw power. There’s several articles about people powering their homes during weather events from the Prius...

So I’m still quite cramped and not able to carry much of anything but it’s cheap. If you are single, no pets, a minimalist and travel a lot, give it a try.

TWIH

[MN C Van]

Yeah, well, human nature i to always want more. Once you get a minivan, you start looking at all those Roadtrek's, and really knowing that life would be so much better ...

And so it goes, until you're in a custom coach!!!

[rvpopeye]

I went straight from a homebuilt pickup camper to a 29' class A .(medium size)
Fortunately I have logged some miles in a Prevost tour bus and seen how much it costs just to keep one on the road
Working my back down to reality with my current 23' class C.
I think my comfort spot is somewhere between a Roadtrek size extended hightop van and one of the Toyota mini C rigs. The Toyota being top choice because it's  SO much easier to work on the engine with a full size hood.
(This Chevy van is a pain to do ANYTHING under the hood )
ALTHOUGH......
I think I may eventually end up with a 1 ton pickup with something homebuilt on the back though......  
almost back to where I started living on 4 wheels. Before that it was in tents on foot , on touring bikes and a jeep/canoe setup.

[TWIH]

I recently watched some guy’s video series who lived in a pop-up camper with his wife. They were in their 50’s, based down around South Carolina. Anyway sometime earlier this year they were in a state park campground and someone torched the popup, burned it to the ground, just the steel frame left. The couple was at the ranger station investigating being campground hosts...

Anyway within a week he had built a plywood and 2x2 framed truck camper on his pickup, just with minimal power tools and his own carpentry skills. I think he said he had about $500 in it (no bath, no kitchen). Theres lots of plans and videos about it on YouTube, I spent that motel evening watching several. Most people tend to overbuild weight-wise.

Shows that it can be done by regular folk’.

TWIH

[rvpopeye]

I'll admit , I tend to build on the stronger side...picturing in my mind (no comments) a bear using my rig as a back scratching post .

[Motrukdriver]

This is my favorite home built...

http://fordrangercabover.blogspot.com/?view=classic

My Ranger has the 3.0 so I could do this and still pull my 4x8 utility trailer that I turn into a kitchen/bathroom with no issues.

[Motrukdriver]

I understand about the rattle and vibration when the generator kicks on. I drove a big truck for many years and it took me quite a long time to get used to the APU kicking on at night. Eventually I was able to sleep thru it but in the beginning it was a tough go to try and get a good night's rest.

[TWIH]

Well since in less than 2 months I won’t have it anymore, if anyone has a question fire away or go to priuschat.com... I will say that its been the most trouble-free vehicle in the 45 years I’ve been driving.
Kudos to Toyota for designing and building something so good, now if the rest of the automotive industry could just do the same...