Hello everyone,
I am planning on modifying my Gen III Prius into a camper setup for countrywide travel between rural and urban areas, though I would mostly sleep in more rural areas. For privacy I plan on tinting the windows to 50% (Legal in most states I plan on visiting by vehicle). I am thinking of either using the Blinds4Cars.com mesh screens and/or a curtain for an extra level of privacy when using electronics with lit screens. To set it up in a way that creates a concealed cabin where only the front seats are visible and free of clutter and make my vehicle less appealing. I understand danger is everywhere and the basic rules of being aware of surroundings, trust your instincts, etc. I am originally from Los Angeles and stealth camped for about 5 months there; I am no stranger to danger. I worked hotel security where we had a bad few months of car break ins from Oakland criminals. I saw they usually targeted the cleaner newer vehicles where they could clearly see belongings (through 35% tinted windows) without even triggering the alarm during the DAY!
I plan to have the sensitivity of my vehicles alarm set so it wouldn't activate if I moved around the vehicle (while I sleep mostly), see if I can turn off the beeping sound when locking/unlocking the vehicle, and activate the alarm if I hear/feel someone trying to enter the vehicle. The Prius alarm is pretty loud and obnoxious. For personal defense within the vehicle I am considering pepper/bear spray (might not be the best for inside vehicle use), my fox dart trainer knife (I train in Kali and use it in classes) and a short kali stick (used in classes too and great for thrusting in tight spaces). Ideally the car alarm would scare the person off, if they still tried to enter I would grab the stick/spray and use it upon them entering if verbal threats didn't deter them. Worse case scenario, I wake up to someone already in my vehicle (possibly knowing I am inside) and have to deploy my dart followed by multiple strikes before I grab the spray/stick. Based upon the stories I have read, if they had a firearm, by the time I could react I might already be dead or injured.
Why I steer away from firearms or lethal weapons is due to the different laws. The dart and stick are technically blunt weapons, but I figure if I pack some other martial arts gear, wouldn't arouse any suspicion if I were pulled over. The spray I doubt would arouse suspicion as well and the stick could double as a walking/hiking stick if long enough. At this point in time, I don't have the time nor training to feel comfortable enough in my ability to be grab, load, and deploy a firearm in a tight space like a Prius effectively. Hence deploying the dart first and stick/spray second if verbal threats didn't deter the perp.
Thank you for taking the time to read through my post and comment!
I am planning on modifying my Gen III Prius into a camper setup for countrywide travel between rural and urban areas, though I would mostly sleep in more rural areas. For privacy I plan on tinting the windows to 50% (Legal in most states I plan on visiting by vehicle). I am thinking of either using the Blinds4Cars.com mesh screens and/or a curtain for an extra level of privacy when using electronics with lit screens. To set it up in a way that creates a concealed cabin where only the front seats are visible and free of clutter and make my vehicle less appealing. I understand danger is everywhere and the basic rules of being aware of surroundings, trust your instincts, etc. I am originally from Los Angeles and stealth camped for about 5 months there; I am no stranger to danger. I worked hotel security where we had a bad few months of car break ins from Oakland criminals. I saw they usually targeted the cleaner newer vehicles where they could clearly see belongings (through 35% tinted windows) without even triggering the alarm during the DAY!
I plan to have the sensitivity of my vehicles alarm set so it wouldn't activate if I moved around the vehicle (while I sleep mostly), see if I can turn off the beeping sound when locking/unlocking the vehicle, and activate the alarm if I hear/feel someone trying to enter the vehicle. The Prius alarm is pretty loud and obnoxious. For personal defense within the vehicle I am considering pepper/bear spray (might not be the best for inside vehicle use), my fox dart trainer knife (I train in Kali and use it in classes) and a short kali stick (used in classes too and great for thrusting in tight spaces). Ideally the car alarm would scare the person off, if they still tried to enter I would grab the stick/spray and use it upon them entering if verbal threats didn't deter them. Worse case scenario, I wake up to someone already in my vehicle (possibly knowing I am inside) and have to deploy my dart followed by multiple strikes before I grab the spray/stick. Based upon the stories I have read, if they had a firearm, by the time I could react I might already be dead or injured.
Why I steer away from firearms or lethal weapons is due to the different laws. The dart and stick are technically blunt weapons, but I figure if I pack some other martial arts gear, wouldn't arouse any suspicion if I were pulled over. The spray I doubt would arouse suspicion as well and the stick could double as a walking/hiking stick if long enough. At this point in time, I don't have the time nor training to feel comfortable enough in my ability to be grab, load, and deploy a firearm in a tight space like a Prius effectively. Hence deploying the dart first and stick/spray second if verbal threats didn't deter the perp.
Thank you for taking the time to read through my post and comment!