Life in a pt cruiser.

[Cynncat]

Due to the disillusionment of a 13yr relationship I will be living out of my pt cruiser come new years day. Way to start off the new year with a clean slate!

Originally I was only got to take my service pup in training, but it looks like I will be taking his sister as well. That's works for me,s I would hate to lose her too. She is my little shadow, and I have raised them both since they were 7 weeks old. And I have know them since they were 4 days old. She is just too timid to be a service dog. Not afraid of people, just shy. She is a good emotional support pup, as well as learning to bring me gifts. Her brother is just as awesome, and has a "gives no fucks" aditued.

any way, enough of me gushing about the pups.
My plan is to take out everything in the back. get a couple of 8" memory foam full beds, and throw them in. Cutting to fit if I have to. I was thinking about how to do some mild cooking, heating hot water for tea. Maybe cooking a small steak, making very small batches of fry bread. And getting a small chest for food.

I have to eat a high protein, moderate fat, low fiber, soft foods diet for medical reasons. So the ability to store things like yohgurt, milk, and cheese is a high priority for me. Having meats would be a bonus.

But I'm not sure how to plan it now that I am taking 2 pups and not one. neither one is very big, Frayja is 20lb, and Oberon 26. Both are built like chuahuas, skinny as all get out. Just on a larger scale.

I'm sticking with my heating option of the zipo hand warmers. And the bed. I'm wondering if I could still dedicate all of the space from the passenger side back (seat all the way forward), and still be able to keep the drivers side for the cooking (how ever that works out), food storage area. Yet still keep enough room for me and both pups to lounge around in comfortably.

Clothes storage is one bag on the passenger seat, pup food a in bag on the floor, with a covered bowl I refill and keep in the back. As well as a spill proof water bowl. Hmm, I'm going to have to dedicate part of the drivers side for puppy needs.

I may need a bigger boat. [emoji1] [emoji594] vroom.

 

[Suanne]

You may want to consider cooking from the back of your PT Cruiser.

In my Prius, I'll often place a large cookie sheet on top of the foot of my bed. This creates a flat, non-tippy surface for my one-burner stove. The car offers some wind protection this way too. When not in use, the cookie sheet is stored under the mattress.

The best to you and your pups.

 

[WriterMs]

I have a 6" dual foam mattress on a plywood platform in my van. Because the foam is so good, it is very comfortable for sleeping. The brand is Signature Sleep from Amazon. Your experience may vary, but I've slept well on just that ONE mattress for over 7 months -- I was just confused as to why you would want two? For height off the floor of the vehicle?

I think one large danger of cooking inside with your situation would be the dogs deciding to move near the stove. Whatever kind you have, there is bound to be flame. If they knocked it over or somehow drug some fabric (like your sleeping bag) into the flame.. yikes. So maybe you would have a way to secure the dogs during use of any stove? In a van, your stove would be up on some sort of counter or table, but I don't imagine you'd have the needed height in a PT?

 

[TMG51]

I have to eat a high protein, moderate fat, low fiber, soft foods diet for medical  reasons. So the ability  to store things like yohgurt, milk, and cheese is a high priority for me. Having  meats would be a bonus.

Yogurt is already cultured, and dairy with high fat content (half n' half, whipping cream, some cheeses) store well, and these things I often store without strict refrigeration. You'll need a cooler for sure but my experience is that these items allow for more lenience than most brick-and-mortar dwellers expect. "Regular" milk, or any other dairy with low fat content, indeed spoils quickly. If I want something comparable I buy almond milk as it also lasts longer.

 

[Cynncat]

I have a 6" dual foam mattress on a plywood platform in my van. Because the foam is so good, it is very comfortable for sleeping. The brand is Signature Sleep from Amazon. Your experience may vary, but I've slept well on just that ONE mattress for over 7 months -- I was just confused as to why you would want two? For height off the floor of the vehicle?

I think one large danger of cooking inside with your situation would be the dogs deciding to move near the stove. Whatever kind you have, there is bound to be flame. If they knocked it over or somehow drug some fabric (like your sleeping bag) into the flame.. yikes. So maybe you would have a way to secure the dogs during use of any stove? In a van, your stove would be up on some sort of counter or table, but I don't imagine you'd have the needed height in a PT?

I was thinking cause the bed is going to be directly on the floor of the car, with no ply wood underneath. And since I'm removing the back seats, there are hollows where the seats latch in. So the extra layer would for around it, and work until I can save up enough to maybe do something else bed wise. a platform sounds interesting.

As for flame and the pups. They have been trained not to go near flames. I some times use a hand torch, and I trained them to stay away from it. But that is something I am thinking about too. Stuff happens, best to be prepared.

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The idea of the cooking tray leads me to thinking about a fold up breakfast tray. It would work as a small table. Hrmmmm. But would it be stable enough for cooking?

One option would be just to cook my meals at a park or something during the day. But it would be the hot tea I would miss in the moring. I wonder if you can buy hot water from a coffee shop? *adventure*

 

[Oberneldon]

Cynncat, try to go with a piece of plywood for the bed platform and the thinnest mattress as possible. You will appreciate the space you will have better. Yes cook in the afternoon at a park. This is what I do with my Prius or use my backpacking table. I heat hot water in the afternoon and store 64 oz in a 24 hr thermos and have very hot water in am for tea or washing. I use a Stanley thermal coffee press from Walmart to make my tea do although not still boiling the water is hot enough to make tea steeping it a bit longer before pressing. You may want to check my blog for these ideas and more.

Brent

macaloney.blogspot.com

 

[USExplorer]

I know eggs can keep without refrigeration. If you want to drink milk, ultra-pasteurized milk doesn't need refrigeration when unopened. It is sold in the refrigerated section only because Americans don't like to buy milk off a shelf. Real cheese does not need refrigeration, and I've kept a block of mozzarella cheese in my dashboard for a week in warm weather and it didn't go bad, only got soggy.

I don't know if your cruiser has a trailer hitch, but if it does, you can get a platform in the back useful for cooking and storage. Alternately, you can cook on your hood, backing down a roadside embankment of appropriate steepness to level the cooking surface.

Staying inside your car all day can be intolerable, unlike an RV. The driver's seat can function as a living space, with a small piece of plywood for a desk/table, but better to get a camp chair and sit outside when relaxing, or stay in a park or library. I never had a dog, so I can't give any pointers regarding them.

 

[VJG1977]

A good site but very picture  heavy, aussie-cruiser-camper

There are also tents that attach to the rear hatch.

Napier Sportz Dome to Go Tent

 

[BigT]

Elevating the bed, even just a little, would be a good idea.  It would get you up off the floor and create more storage room.  If the dogs are small enough, they could sleep under it, out of the way and in their own little space (like a dog house).  
I used a piece of plywood and plumbing nipples (short lengths of pipe) for legs.  It was super easy and cheap to build.  I mounted foam and covered it with carpet material, but you could just as easily place your inflatable pad or memory foam on it instead.  

This photo illustrates the easy construction of the design.  Nothing is bolted together in the pic, just set up for the photo.  You can get plumbing nipples in various lengths, right down to just a few inches long.  

 

[sephson]

It might be possible for you to build a removable shelf across the back using your existing cargo cover mounts. You have the ceiling height to make this a usable, if light duty work/cook/desk space. I built something similar for my Kia Soul, which has a very similar layout to the PT Cruiser. I used some 1/2 in EMT conduit as the basic support structure along with some 5/8 in. steel rod to attach to my existing cover mounts. The shelf itself is made of 1/2 in. luan, though plywood would work just as well. I only used luan because my employer had plenty of scrap available. I covered the top of the shelf with a rubber mat and attached it to the conduit supports using magnets.

Even if your cargo cover mounts won't work for a similar setup, you should still be able to adapt and improvise something similar. I had to make mine removable, which somewhat limited my options for how to set it up. A permanent shelf would be easier to build and could be made stronger than mine.

 

[Cynncat]

Currently I have no tools to access. A lot of these are great idea when I can figure out how to do it. I'm literally leaving with a bag of clothes, food for my dog/s (he keeps flip flopping on keeping her), and a torn up sleeping bag. I will have about 400 for the whole month. I don't really plan on doing much traveling at least not yet, so the first set up will have to be slap dash.

I have an idea, but with out actually having everything out of it to see what I have, I can't be sure of what type of room I have to work with.. I'm going to have to stick the pups in front and just sit in the back to figure it out.

 

[BigT]

Currently  I have no tools to access. A lot of these are great idea when I can figure out how to do it. ing out of it to see what I have, I can't be sure of what type of room I have to work with.. I'm going to have to stick the pups in front and just  sit in the back to figure it out.

Home Depot will cut the plywood to any size you like, and you only need a screwdriver to attach the legs. 

Good luck with whatever you do, and please keep us posted on your progress!

 

[Cynncat]

Well the deed is done. Last night obi and I (he decided to keep frayja.) Spent our first night in the car. It was just me on the passenger side, obi in the back.

I also stuffed a hand warmer under him. He also has a puppy blanket quilt type thing that I keep on him most of the time. I take it off when he runs at the dog park, and to have some scratch time. And lots of blankets. Keeping him war was my top priority. Ever time he moved, I woke up and made sure he was covered.

I'm currently back at the rv. Obi is curled up in the bed. I'm still staying with my partner, but we are working to move to a different city that has more opportunities then our current one has. He is looking for a room to rent for him and frayja.

 

[Cynncat]

And that fell through. I'm in the end stretch of packing everything I'm taking for BOTH dogs. He is not capable of taking car of her, so I'm taking her. He is OK with this.

The bed is made as well as it can be right now. I'm going with a shit ton of blankets on the floor, with 2 dogs, and a -5 sleeping bag on top. One of the bottom ones is wool, and there is a 32DEG sleeping bag. The rest are a buck of random house blankets. I thunk there is 3 comforters, and 2 thick blanket on top of the other 2.

Time to drag my bag, and laptop case out. And to finish up gathering the dogs toys. I already put the rest of their stuff in the car. Woo hoo.

 

[Cynncat]

First night was workable. But man do I miss my memory foam! And I'm reminded that I'm not that younge any more. That ok though.

It looks like I'm going to turn the whole back into a bed. the pups like to sprawl. So I need room! The learning experience has begun!

 

[nobodyG17]

Take a look for old foam mats or camping mats for cheap.  I have a really cheap old one I use when I travel on my motorcycle and it's really comfortable. 

My only other suggestion would be to possibly think of picking up a tent.  When you are somewhere where you might be able to put it up(no idea if this would work for you, or where your AO is.) your space might have just doubled.

Best of luck to you.