Matt - September 6, 2020
Prius camping has been one of our favorite ways to vacation around the US in 2020. We'll explain why it's so great, how to sleep comfortably, and what you need to make it a great trip.
There are so many advantages to Prius camping. Where to start..
Being able to comfortably sleep anywhere you can safely park is an incredibly liberating way to travel. No more worrying about making campsite reservations months in advance. Not more worrying about getting to your Airbnb or hotel in time for your reservation. With Motel Prius, you can quite literally choose when and where to call it a night.
One of the best parts of Prius camping is the ability to change your plans on the fly. If you're off exploring Death Valley National Park and you realize you need a couple extra days for everything you want to see, no problem in Motel Prius. Or let's say you're ambitiously making the 12+ hour drive from San Francisco to Seattle in one go and realize after 8 hours that you can't go any further. You're good to go with your Prius car camping arrangement, just find a safe place to park and get some zzz's.
What may be the most influential aspect of your car camping logistics is access to a public restroom, which is not very tough to get. We'll touch on that in the Where To Park section below.
This one's not rocket science.. not paying for a place to sleep means more money in your pocket. With the average Airbnb and hotel coming in at around $100-$150 per night, those savings rack up quickly. Even if you look at a motel, with an average cost of $45-$100 per night, the savings are still significant.
For a three-night trip, you're looking at saving between $135 and $450, or more!
The Prius is deceivingly spacious inside. Its secret weapon to being able to sleep comfortably in the Prius is that the rear seats fold forward to be nearly completely flat. The front seats also slide forward quite far to give even more space to the rear. This allows enough space for two people to sleep full length, as long as they're around 6'0 or under.
We recommend sleeping with your head towards the bumper and feet towards the front, opposite of how some may think to orient themselves. The reason for this is because you can sleep comfortably with your feet hanging off the edge of the seats instead of your head partially off, so this orientation makes it possible for taller people to sleep in Motel Prius. A bonus of this setup is that you'll have a sweet view of the stars on a clear night since the trunk window will be right above you.
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You can try Travel Mapper for free and get 10% off using coupon code DJEI8PJR!
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Here's the gear you'll need:
1) Slide the front seats forward as much as you'd like to create more space.
2) Fold the rear seats and headrests down. Notice the area is nearly completely flat with the seats folded down.
3) Set up your sleeping pads.
4) Clip your sleeping pads together if possible to prevent them from sliding apart.
5) Set up your pillows.
6) Set up your sleeping bag on top and call it a night!
If you're Prius camping in weather that's too hot or cold to sleep comfortably, fear not! Since the Prius is a hybrid car, it has a big battery to power the AC or heat. When the battery gets low, the engine will kick on to recharge the battery and then turn off when it's charged enough. This process will repeat throughout the night.
Even better, the Prius has an auto climate control feature that will turn the AC or heat on or off as needed to maintain the temperature you set. This helps to minimize how much energy is used overnight to keep you comfortable. Most Prius owners seem to report that this auto climate control approach will use about one gallon of gasoline per night. You can read more on how auto climate control works in a Prius here.
You'll want to avoid storing your travel gear on top of your sleeping bag to stay comfortable, which isn't hard since the Prius has so much of space.
The leg area in the rear seats has LOTS of space after the seats are folded down and the front seats are slid forward. That should be where most of your gear fits, like your duffel bag and food. You can also store more goods, like your backpacks, in the front on the seats and dashboard.
And if you need even more space, there's a compartment beneath the rear trunk that you can store some smaller gear in.
The flexibility of sleeping in your Prius allows for tons of options, but here are some recommended spots to park and sleep.
A great resource to find free camping spots is freecampsites.net.
Though the recommendations above are great suggestions, here are some key factors to keep in mind when choosing from any type of Prius camping location.
With great freedom comes great.. vacations? There are so many great destinations in the United States for Prius camping. Here's a list of places where we can personally attest to having had great Prius camping experiences.
And that's a wrap! You should be all set to get your Prius camping on and go exploring.
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You can try Travel Mapper for free and get 10% off using coupon code DJEI8PJR! Check out this video to see all the features in action:
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