Prius tent kit

[Goshawk]

Interesting way to adapt a Prius with a tent for camping.

 

[dhawktx]

How do they keep the interior lights from staying on with the hatch up?

 

[RVTravel]

Couldn't those lights simply be turned off? They can be on my CR-V.

 

[LeeRevell]

In my Grand Caravan the interior lights go off after a certain amount of time with the side/rear doors open.  I would think Prius may be similar?

I like this Prius Camper rig......  

 

[sephson]

I'm scratching my head a bit here trying to figure out what exactly is gained by using the tent. You don't gain any extra storage space though you do gain a bit of extra head room at the back, which really doesn't seem like much of a plus since it's not really usable headroom.

 

[dhawktx]

I understand that they needed to face the camera for recording the video, but it makes more sense to have your head at the bumper end of the vehicle, sort of like in the cabover part of a camper shell.

 

[WriterMs]

Seems like you folks don't yet know Roxi from her blog www.thegoodluckduck.com

Roxi has an odd but often hilarious sense of humor. At the top of her site, you'll see a menu item of Spud.... Spud is her Prius and she's used a tent on it (I think the same one in the OP comment). You'd have to go back several months or more to get a lot of her regular blog posts about using Spud with the tent -- she has had a recent long period of traveling with a friend, etc.

But, you can find her personal experiences living that way if you search earlier posts.

I believe her biggest reasons for loving the tent have to do with being able to get dressed more easily and still have privacy plus being able to sit up on her bed to read or use the computer.

Regarding interior lights -- I think all vehicles have a dimmer switch for dash gauges and interior lights.. then you keep turning it and it kills the lnterior lights entirely so they don't come on when a door opens. You know, so when you are on a stakeout and have to exit your vehicle, you don't give away your location.

 

[Oberneldon]

I called the Prius Tent Company last year about making another version to include a 4x4 base area floor with zipper door to get in and have a privacy area you could stand in to change, wash, and take shoes off before bed. It would also be good for some items to be stored when sleeping.

They were not interested in the suggestion.

For me and my Prius travels there is no advantage of the tent the way it is other than ventilation and I solved my venting a different way.

Brent

 

[LeeRevell]

How about using one of the SUV tents hooked to the back of the Prius?  In a campground or true boondocking you'd gain a workable stand-up area.

 

[Oberneldon]

LeeRevell,

I've looked at the SUV tents and they would work but just much bigger than what I would want to carry

Brent

 

[eDJ_]

I like this idea for using the Prius equipped in this manner.  It could provide anyone who needs to travel in order to secure employment an affordable and dependable means to so.

If they travel "lite" and find employment, then they have a decent car that could be used in their job and
they could rent a small one room efficiency apartment to start until they have saved up enough to get the
type of place they really want.

I can envision a market for redesigned rear seats that would make this concept more workable as a travel camping platform.   I can see a lot of College graduates with substantial student loans embracing something like this today.  Divorced people, displaced workers in rust belt towns, and those who live on the facility where they work (Imagine the Crew members of the River Boat & Barge industry or Merchant Marine) who would rather not be landed and travel during the 3 to 6 months of the year that they are off duty.  For this last group, their Prius could be parked in an elevated parking port with a car cover over it and it be clean and ready to roll on returning.

I could see such an option in the same spirit as the VW Westfalia. 

LOL,  Stranger things have happened.