How liveable is a 2012 Rav4?

[JennyJ]

Who loves their 2012 Rav4 and how liveable is it for nighttime climate control?  I'm looking at one but know nothing about Ravs or potential problems with a 2012.

I have a 2007 Prius. After seeing multiple setups, sleeping in the car looked quite doable.  Except after trying it overnight several times, it feels like a coffin, an image not entirely preventable at 67 years old, lol. I can't see myself doing this more than a few nights.  Worse, driving the Prius is uncomfortable after a couple of hours... I do not look forward to it.

So I checked out a 2015 Prius V with 79k miles I really liked:  the back has more hatch space and a 12-volt plug, decent mpg, very comfy, and feels safer to drive, but the headspace is exactly the same... and $15,400 is more than I should spend.

Looked at some 2015 hybrid Rav4s: decent mpg with the same hybrid-generator benefits and a lot more headspace, but I didn't like how they drove, they didn't have a 12-volt plug in the back, the spare's still under the hatch floor, plus they were even more expensive.

The last car I looked at was a 2012 Rav4... only because it was $11,000 with very low miles. It gets only 21-27 mpg with none of the hybrid's benefits, and the back door swings sideways rather than up, BUT, I was surprised by the pristine condition and it carries the spare on the back door so more storage.  And somehow, unlike the newer Rav4s, it "feels right."

But I know nothing about Rav4s or potential problems of an older car.... and being a 70's "green girl" it's hard for me to get around the low mpg, lol.  How will I manage climate control in the Rav4?  OTOH, it IS $4,000 cheaper, lol.

 

[Malamute]

When looking at vehicles, rav 4s were on my list. Id driven a rental hyndai that was the same basic vehicle and i was able to sleep in the back of it.

The Hyndai i drove was getting 28 mpg on the road, which is double what my 95 Suburban got. Its all a balance. Space to live in the vehicle is probably not going to be in the same mpg category as a prius, but, you have to decide what your balance point is for green/economy/living space.

I ended up with a 4runner. It gets about 22 mpg on the road, which actually really tickles me. It gives quite a lot of useful space for myself and a largish dog, has decent towing capability, and was quite affordable all things considered.

I make very usable space in SUVs with a shelf in the back. Instead of raising the sleeping part, i raise the dog and some cargo, allowing me to have some room to move around, and get dressed inside. My legs go under the dog platform, and I move stuff from underneath it to the sides or front seat to sleep. Its workable for me and I dont feel claustrophobic. the shelf basically allows me to utilize the floor space twice without being too cluttered. A rear hitch mounted cargo rack and box also eliminates clutter inside yet gives accessible storage and I use it for a generator to run a window AC unit for summer to keep the dog cool when not driving.

Good luck with your vehicle shopping.

 

[Qxxx]

Hi jennie, and belated welcome, .

Not knowing where you are at I entered the zipcode for Jacksonville into cargurus.com. From my consideration, they are the best place to shop. The price you gave above is in the ball park of similar RAV4s. You can refine the search all sorts of ways, distance to zipcode, price, mileage, engine, age, on and on.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inven...ngHelper.selectedEntity=c23168&startYear=2011

FWIW, I bought a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe 6 years ago. 4 cyl with all wheel drive. It gets upwards to 28 MPG on the open highway. I did look at the RAV4 back then, but it had much less space behind the driver's seat than the Hyundai, which is considered to be a mid size SUV. In that class, the Subaru Forrester had the best overall ratings, I believe.

With the rear seats down the Santa Fe has a bit over 6' feet of length so you can easily put in a regular length mattress. In more compact cars, a lot of people end up pulling out the passenger seat to put in the bed, so a "slightly" longer length makes build up much easier (and more stealth too). When I was shopping I took along a tape measure. Good luck.

 

[JennyJ]

Thanks for all the advice and the welcome! 

There is a lot to consider, that I've never had to consider before.  My biggest problem seems to be wrapping my head around having an all-gas vehicle again vs the tiny hybrid.  But I'm getting there... a safer, roomier vehicle with 4WD for cross-country travel is definitely a good idea.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Colorado's Rocky Mountains after 25 years away!

 

[sneaks]

As long as you don't live someplace that gets nasty winter weather, should be fine. Both my mom and I had one in northern NH, winter melt off the roof would drain down over the rear hatch hinges and freeze. Could not open the back until they thawed. Happened both on my 2012 and her 2013. YMMV

 

[Qxxx]

Most of these SUVs are AWD and not 4WD specifically, but will still do good in most conditions, except really bad snow. But living out of the back of an SUV will be much more comfortable than sleeping on the seat of a Prius. Again, I'd advocate buying one where there is a good 6' of space behind the front seats.

In regards gas mileage, people are not necessarily traveling constantly, but rather tend to stay in local areas for some time, so gasoline costs do not need to be overwhelmingly high. The other thing is, you can buy a good-sized tent, like a 4-6 man dome tent, and that makes a comfortable addition to when you're staying in an area for several days. Move a folding chair and table into the tent.

 

[GypsyJan]

My 2016 RAV4 is longer than my previous 2005 RAV4 (not knowing that led me to think that I had clearance for that train!). If I can swing it before retirement (in a few years), I would like a newer Hybrid version, for climate control. I plan to be in the NE seven months and in FL five months each year.

I have one rear seat folded into the floor which gives a roomy cargo area. I placed the cot there from behind the front passenger seat to the rear hatch door and have storage underneath for bins, tent, etc. I leave the seat behind the driver's seat up (not by choice; it is stuck, LOL) and keep the camping potty there. Behind that seat I have a shelf for cooking gear with a cooler underneath that slides out onto a board which I use as a table/kitchen counter. I find the cot cozy, not cramped and prefer being up by the window for ventilation vs. on the floor with less storage space.

When staying in parking lots (Cracker Barrel, Walmart, Flying J) I just crawl onto the cot and sleep. When staying at campgrounds (usually for several days in a row), I put up either a small dome tent for stashing the folding table, chair, etc. and making the cargo area roomier or a large SUV tent, in which I set up a Bass Pro Shop Deluxe Kitchen, reading/lounging area, dining area, and changing area with camping potty. So I am not always sharing the cargo space with a lot of gear, but if I need to go stealth, I can.

 

[JerryJ]

A prius with the seats folded down has 6' of space for sleeping.  The advantage an SUV has is additional headroom, allowing you to sit up easier.

 

[RVTravel]

Plus higher ground clearance plus awd for most SUVs

 

[JennyJ]

Thanks so much for all the discussions!

After going back and forth on pros and cons, I finally decided to get the 2012 Rav4. Increased headspace won out in the end, as well as being able to sit up in bed, more ease in moving around inside, more storage, and last but not least... $4,000 less.

So, all morning I've been looking at Rav4 conversions and have seen several I really like, but this one... really appeals!

https://erinoutdoors.com/how-to-turn-rav4-into-a-camper/

 

[Malamute]

Saw your other post about having started working on the car. Heres some pics of the platform I made in my 4runner, it may or may not appeal or work for you, but Ive found it really useful overall, both as dog habitat and as storage space for junk and being able to sleep in the rig without having to take everything out.

 First couple pics give idea of the basic platform, which me be adequate as is for most uses. Last one is boxed in with plywood for travel, with valuables inside, dog on top, and you can see how much junk fits around it and still gives useful space. To sleep, I remove the wood panel on front and move precious junk from underneath and slide my legs under. Its worked pretty well, and lets me hauls tons of junk without totally wiping out sleeping and dog space.

 

[JennyJ]

Thanks, Malamute! I've been considering a similar design, but yours looks better with the removable back panel... will pass your ideas to my handyman builder!

 

[Malamute]

Thanks, Malamute!  I've been considering a similar design, but yours looks better with the removable back panel... will pass your ideas to my handyman builder!

 If he wants more pics for details/ideas, let me know.
 
 The first one I did was made from wood. It was OK, but Im more of a steel person on such things, so later versions were made in welding shops. Ill see if I can get the rear doors open on the old work truck suburban and get a few pics of the wood version. Wood may be fine for your use, but I had an 85 lb dog that was jumping up and down on the platform, it eventually loosened up some.

 Keep in mind to leave room to access your spare if the platform would interfere with access. I didnt on the first one, and ended up having to take everything out to get to the spare once. Uncool. The suburbans had the spare on the left side in the rear.

 

[JennyJ]

Thanks, I appreciate that! Wood will work for me, as I won't be clambering around much in there, mostly sleeping... and if I ever get another dog, it'll be a small one.

My Rav4's spare tire is on the back door, effectively doubling the space in the "basement," something that easily tempted me away from the Prius's generator advantages and better mpg! If we go with your design, he'll have to put in a hatch door to access that storage, easy to do, I'm sure.

He's coming over tonight with his plan, so I'll bring up your ideas then! Meanwhile, I'm curious to see what he's drawn up.

I just found this pretty radical design for a 1997 Rav4... not sure if I'm brave enough to do it to my 2012 model:

Possibly in a year or two, when the car no longer seems so new. lol

 

[highdesertranger]

Nice Malamute. I see it's K9 approved. highdesertranger

 

[JoshPigeonFeather]

I follow a youtube channel about a guy who spends most of his time camping in remote areas in the west in his RAV4. I think it's about a 2012 4x4 model. He seems to like it a lot and has done a nice 'no-build build' on it and seems quite happy with it.

the channel is "SUV RVing"

 

[Calaverasgrande]

I have looked in to SUVs in the past myself.
AWD or 4WD is attractive to me. Both for camping and for dealing with snow and rain.
I noticed after a while that you can't judge a book by it's cover.
Some SUVs that look big outside are not that big on the inside.
They puff out the body panels, and the interior plastic bulkheads can take up a lot of horizontal space. I suppose for sound deadening purpose?
I eventually gave up on SUVs. As they mostly seem more suited for fitting groceries in the back than actual storage.
I went with a Subaru Outback for a while. Great cars. AWD, pretty durable interiors. Decent cargo space with seats folded. The gas mileage isn't bad but not spectacular. On a freeway driving very gently I could squeeze out 28 mpg. But in the city this is more like 18 or 20.
If I were you I'd take a look at minivans also. There is a Chevy model with AWD. You can find these in wagon versions I think it's called. Where the interior is carpeted and such like a regular car. So you don't have to DIY your own insulation. (as I am doing right now in my full size Ford van)
I also think it is a good idea to go with a pretty common vehicle if you are planning on traveling. Nothing worse than having to sit in a motel while you wait for a part to be shipped. That is why I went with Ford Transit myself.