Ever wondered about car camping in a Prius Prime? Check out this video. The Prime has one huge advantage over a standard Prius when it comes to car camping; battery life for overnight heating a cooling. Let me know if you have any questions on my setup or my first overnight experience!
I have been wondering about the capability of Prime’s overnight camping mode with the traction battery and charger not hooked up. It was about 95 here in TX yesterday and I was working inside the car under a tree shade for 30 minutes with auto temperature set at 76. During that time period, it consumed about 3 miles. With Prime’s 25-mile range with a fully charged battery, I guess it can only last about 4 hours more or less. After the battery depleted, I am not sure how often the ICE would kick in. Obviously this will be dependent on the ambient temperature outside and temperature setting inside the cabin. Good video though!
Great stuff! I have a question. Can you set up climate control to every 30 mins? I think it would be much better for battery than sleeping in ON mode with ongoing climate all the time. SM-G950F ?
Thanks for making this video and sharing. I have a prime and am looking to set it up for camping. This helped a lot. I like the little table you built for the seat (to level the deck for the mattress). Happy trails.
This is awesome! I was contemplating camping this weekend in my Prime, but the lows are going to hit 43 degrees so I was about to cancel when I saw this video and learned that, thanks to the battery, I won't freeze to death lol
Hi everyone! I’m working on building a platform for my 2021 Prius Prime (4th gen) to fit over the passenger side rear folded seat. I’ve spent days searching for precise measurements, materials, and tools needed, but no luck so far. Has anyone here tackled this project and can share: - Exact dimensions for a platform that fits snugly on the folded seat area? - Recommended materials/tools and where to source them? I’ve seen others use storage bins, ice chest, or even spare tires on the rear floor to support pillows or extend the sleeping space. If you’ve tried this, could you share the measurements for bins/ice chest that fit perfectly (or close) in that area? Attached are screenshots from videos I found—unfortunately, none mention sizes. Any advice or insights would be hugely appreciated! Thanks in advance!
An under bed storage bin works fine, so you really don't need to build a platform. You will need a piece of wood to spread your weight across the top of your bins - so you don't fall through. IMHO: foam padding is a waste of space. Use a pool float mattress or camping pad. Buy the more expensive stuff if car camping is in your future. In the mean-time; go with what you have to see if you like it. You really don't want to spend a whole bunch of money to find out you don't like sleeping in your car and motel room are only around $100. I spent a night in mine, probably won't do it again - too tall. Had to roll-up a jacket and place my head over the center console; so I wouldn't get a crick in my neck. Used my regular camping zero degrees mummy sleeping bag; so didn't need climate control running. It just got down to the low 40sF. Hope this helps......
Update! I’ve started building the platform current dimensions are 23 inches wide near the hatchback and 26.5 inches wide toward the front of the car. Now I’m stuck on two things: 1. Wheel well adjustments: How do I measure around the wheel arches? Any tips for shaping? After 16.5 inches I diagonal cut is needed to meet the 23 inches. 2. Total platform length: What’s the ideal length from the hatchback to the front seats? For the tapering width (23" → 26.5"), should I angle the side? Also, does the platform need support over the wheel wells or can it sit flat? If anyone’s done this before, I’d love your insights!
