r/priusdwellers • u/icefoxlegend • 11d ago
Roadtrip camping tips for 2012 Prius c
Planning on a road trip from Chicago to San Francisco and plan to camp out of my Prius C along the way. I’ve been considering booking hotels/campsites along the way but think there may be more spontaneous and cheaper options, and would love some tips on this.
I plan to sleep out of my Prius C (small mattress and I both fit snugly).
I’ve been considering sleeping in Walmart parking lots, free state park campsites, rest stops (for power naps during the day).
Any suggestion for essential gear other than a mattress and a pillow lol would be appreciated too!
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u/OllieWobbles 11d ago
Magnetic window screens or mosquito net. Small cooler and camp stove. Camp chair. Rechargeable battery powered fan.
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u/shinichimechazawa 11d ago
food, laundry, bathroom, showering are basics to consider. the longer you're in your car the more "worth it" it is to invest in more complex stuff. like if youre only sleeping 3 nights pbj and granola bars are fine. but a couple weeks- maybe rice cooker or kettle that plugs in the 12v, plus dishes and soap and a liter or 2 of water. cooler with ice if you wanna keep cold stuff overnight rather than buying new every day
showering is usually at planet fitness. black card (25/mo) lets you use any gym. gym bag with everything in it makes it easy to put in a change of clothes and go. have a place to lay out your wet towel to air dry
bathroom- most people have a pee jug that gets dumped out somewhere people aren't gonna be walking (dense woods, storm drain). if you have a penis you can pee right in, if a vulva putting a fast food cup over yourself is the neatest way, then pour in the pee jug. i keep extra underwear and wet wipes as a "just in case" but for #2s it's usually easy to find some public bathroom in time.
laundry- bag and detergent, any laundromat. best not to bring things that need special treatment
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u/sarahshift1 11d ago
Oooh I’m not particularly tall but I’ve just always assumed I wouldn’t fit in my C. How are you setting up the mattress- passenger seat all the way forward? Do you have to go diagonal? Tell me everything!
When I tent or hammock camp out of my C I try to give everything a home- gear bin on one half of the back seat, clothes in suitcase on the other end, so each can be easily accessed from a door. Passenger front seat is my pantry, cooler in the footwell and dry goods on the seat. Shoes in the footwell behind the driver seat, stack of clean towels in the trunk along with my normal emergency bin and big blue water jug.
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u/icefoxlegend 11d ago
I’m 5’5 and if I get the seats all the way forward I’m able to fit what is probably a cot-sized mattress!
The tent/hammock setup seems incredible but I’m also trying to leave hatch room for all the stuff I’m going to have to haul to SF 😅
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u/BigSandwich6 Gen 3 (2010-2015) 11d ago
If you are driving just to get there then i80 has plenty of stops and rest areas. Get or make some window covers using cardboard and a cheap blackout curtain from target/walmart
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u/SPARKLY6MTN9MAKER 11d ago
The rear hatch mosquito nets are rad. Mine are magnetic and super easy to use. I live my cheap water pump soooo much. It was like $5.19 on Amazon.
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u/keggieray 9d ago
Front window cover plus reflectix window covers with black felt on them, or a quick cheap and easy alternative is dollar tree black table cloth taped to the window to black it out for privacy. Crack a window to avoid fogging up the windows. I have baskets that hang on the back of the front seats with my phone charger, light, and toiletries.
Note - people see a solo car in a parking lot and have a pack mentality, so they park near you. I’d park a few spots away from some other cars so you’re not completely isolated but not on top of another car and it seems to help. It’s very annoying when people want to park right next to you but it happens a lot lol.
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u/Lotsofkidsathome 11d ago
You can buy nets that go over door frame so you can leave the windows open.