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Traveling in a Prius
Dick camping in the Yukon Territories on the way to Alaska.
I did have bear spray along with me but I didn’t do much hiking because I have a problem with my age and shortness of breath so I can’t walk very far especially at any altitude. Canada doesn’t allow you to bring a weapon along with you so I didn’t even think about that. I had also read that “bear spray” is a much better alternative than a gun. If I was younger I would like to do what Bob does and I have taken along a pet dog on some of my trips but not this time. Get bear spray from Amazon here: 13.4ozSuper Magnum Bear Spray with Chest holster
The Prius on the Beartooth Scenic Byway.
On the road with lunch cooking in his RoadPro Oven.
A glacier near Valdez Alaska.
To get all the space he could Dick took out the back seat and built a frame so he could make the rear floor flat. He removed the factory armrest and built one the right height to match the rear shelf, then put a bulkhead down the center to support the plywood.
You can see here it gave him a great deal of room for storage. The plywood that goes over this just lifts off for easy access.
With the plywood in place he has an incredible amount of room in back for sleeping and for carrying more storage. A good use of the space is duffel bags filled with clothes, extra bedding, rain and cold weather gear.
I removed the rear seat and built a platform from the edge of the rear ledge to just in back of the rear seats when they are moved forward. The front piece of plywood is removable so I can move the driver seat back to drive. I have plenty of storage underneath and had more clothes and food than I needed. I found that all along my route that there were enough gas stations, fast food places and rest stops that I didn’t need my coffee maker or portable pottie but used the things along the way.
To anchor the rear bulkhead, dick removed the factory armrest….
… and built a box the right height to match the bulkhead. That also gave him extra storage between the seats…
… and it was more comfortable to boot! As you saw in the above photo, without the foam cushion he has lots of storage underneath and his Roadpro Oven fits right inside it.
Would I do it again, well maybe not to Alaska but I love traveling and just looking at things so I had a whole lot of fun and I will head west again next year but probably just to Wyoming, maybe Montana and back. I will be 86 next June so I will have to wait and see if I’m still able to do it. I plan on keeping the Prius and will use it again but I will do more camping next time
I’m 85 years old and Alaska was my last of the 50 states to visit.
Visit my blog at https://priusalaska.blogspot.com
Dick Kelly, Fort Myers, FL
Thanks for supporting this site by using these links to Amazon. I’ll make a small percentage on your purchase and it won’t cost you anything, even if you buy something different.
Bear spray in a chest holster. This is the only one I will buy, get it from Amazon here: 13.4ozSuper Magnum Bear Spray with Chest holster
RoadPro 12 volt Oven. I love mine and wouldn’t be without it: RoadPro 12-Volt Portable Oven
No-See-Um Netting: No-see-um Netting 54″ Wide X 5 Yards – Black
So inspiring! 86 years young. Thank you for sharing this.
He is Amazing Debra!
Bob
Absolutely amazing 80+ years young ( I bet he’s healthy ) !! I believe health is the main factor to be able to perform such activity many of us couldn’t do it, need to be close to doctors, hospitals etc due to health difficulties.
No doubt you are right Lucy, good health is everything!
Bob
Outstanding!!! Thank you for the wonderful story and excellent photos that illustrated how you converted the Prius. Very impressive, the wheels are now turning in my head! 50MPG! WooHoo!
Thanks DASA, Dick did an amazing job!
Bob
I have 2 Prius they are the best car IMHO. 07 new now has 120K+ miles on it the other a used 05 bought for $6K with 175K miles on it. Currently the 05 has 212K miles. Don’t be scared of these cars with higher mileage the engine and hybrid system preserves the engine. These cars usually are driven responsibly to get the mileage they get. It accounts for the longevity that and the electric motor takes the hard torque work away and leaves the other work for the ICE (Engine). Some have installed kits to use their car as an emergency generator putting out a decent power output. I rarely have a power loss so it would not be a wise investment for me. I change tires every 25-30K miles for safety never let that tread to get dangerously probably have 10K safe miles left on them when I get rid of them but I buy tires from Walmart use to get the insurance etc for about $400 a set meaning I got rotation out of that usually 3 of them and I also got replacement and repairs of flats. Get it to Walmart they do the work who can’t find one of them in USA. When on the road I can stop at PLFT (planet fitness) I pay $25 a month and can even bring a guest. The showers have always been clean and comfortable. My cars have expense sure $1K for shocks and struts at 100K miles $2.6K for hybrid batter replacement at 7 years. O2 sensor. Only 2 times the car did not start both were battery failures both were over 6 years out. I had to replace windshield when a truck dropped a rock off of its tarp but that is not the cars fault. AC and heat works just fine in both in the 05 we had to replace the speakers they were roached but sounds great now.
Thanks for all that good info on the Prius Sean!
Bob
Oh I replaced the water pump in the 07 too but I tow with that car IDK if that plays a part in that repair. The mechanic saw it was leaking I did not bat an eye said replace it this is my best ride. I want to be totally up front with people so they know what they are facing. Too many people use their pride and hide their unexpected failures this allows manufacturers to get away with fraud. Bob I love your page here I can’t wait till I get to Az to meet the people in person. Enjoy.
Thanks Sean, see you soon!
Bob
Update traded the 220K mile car for $1.5 K a 2012 Prius V the space is very nice too. The V gets about the same mpg has a way better stereo. Main reason we got the 2012 is the seating in the rear slide like the front ones do you can recline them too. When it comes to a family car with 3 adult framed people it just works best to have seats that are way more comfortable.
Thanks Grunge Luggage Tour.
Bob
Update we still have 2 Prius traded a gen 2 Prius (sold the 05 in great shape running flawlessly high miles over 220K miles for $1.5K I was sick to give that car away for that but a wife never uses logic ) for a Prius V. Reason? It is our family car. The teen is driving and if I am going to ride in the back I am going to need a better seat. I can’t ride in the front being a former trucker I can’t keep my mouth shut when I see flaws in driving and I am the biggest PITA when I am riding in the passenger seat. I have to sit in the back or I will arrive everywhere exhausted it just destroys me to be a passenger in a seat when a teen is driving. TheV has rear seats that function nearly the same as the front seats I feel the target market of this car was the 4 carpoolers the car is for 4 adults. The music in this thing is incredible they really did a great job on that. The acceleration if needed is ideal you blow the doors off other cars when entering the ramp on the freeway. We are keeping the V stock it is a wagon so the view out the back is better making it a somewhat safer car but you have to drive it a little different it is heavier so you have to adjust your braking pattern it wants to roll easier and due to that weight. Dislike well the oil filter is just stupid you need a special wrench for it since it is much like a roll of paper towels. It does not have a metal housing like the gen 2. I HATE this. It does not have a belt the car is a little better due to that reducing a lot of friction saving fuel. I have since hacked my 07 I removed the 60 of the rear seat and the passenger seat. You want to take a pile of weight out your car remove the passenger seat it is so heavy. I am dragging ass on building my bed but I am not in a hurry I get the desire to go I will clean out the car and go but so far just don’t feel inspired. I still can tow a run away camper with my 07 I did yard trials in the camper and it has one severe flaw. You can’t watch tv or use your computer comfortably in the camper it needs a pop up or a foot well IDK which way I will go. Pop up will cause more weight on the top but a foot well can be the way to go I need to go look at the thing closely and see exactly where the axle is etc A foot well would probably be the easiest option since it would involve a removal of the floor panel and allow you to sit on the floor or on a cushion. I was thinking of maybe adding a bubble to the roof that would be interesting but do I want somebody to have a possible leak in the future. Towing the camper drops my speed to 60 mph and goes from 40 mpg down to 30 mpg. If I drove 60 mph without the trailer I would easily get 45 mpg. Yes I suck becasue I have not left home yet but man when you was a trucker and have been out there already you are not in a big hurry to leave the grid tied life. I am beginning to hand wash my clothes I am finding they are cleaner and just feel better if you hand wash them. I can use the same method on the road since my clothes spinner runs off my 175 watt inverter. I use very little water to wash this way too I guess about 2 gallons for the soap wash 1 for the rinse. You sling out the soap drop it into the water sling it again and boom you get plastic hangers and some clothes pins and find a place to hang by a fan or in the sun outside.
If I have a home to live in I don’t want to tow the Micro trailer but if I go camping with the wife and nearly adult daughter I need the space I can sleep in the car they can sleep in the camper and we can set up camp etc. But by myself I just rather tool around with the car. We have hurricanes here we have to keep a option B to life if we wish to live any longer. If I were single and lived on the road I would tow the trailer rent storage lots to hold the camper when I wanted to stay in an are tool around in the car then return for the tow unit. We need the extra space and this is the best way I figured I could do it for cheap A parking site should run around $50 a month to store a tiny camper. That is down here in Louisiana which would not be the best place to store since we have so much water it is a constant battle when you have water table so high. My best bet would be to drag it out to the other side of Dallas Tx. Oh well just an update if anybody was wondering about the progression of a Prius owner the whys and all that.
I have Prius too but I did my sleep area a little different I took out half the seat back in the rear only the D side is still in. I got 3/4 ply wood and I formed it to fit. Then I observed where I could cut that in half to allow a passenger should I ever get one. Why do it this way? Well I can slide driver seat all the way back and step up into the bed. Then should I need to leave fast I can be in the driver seat ready to HAUL ASS in literally seconds. That and I like to have the AC vents closer to my face and I want to be able to adjust the AC I can do that with my eyes closed. I too can adjust the radio and If I really want I can slide under the front windshield and star gaze. ONE FEAR is the airbag. If I have a car hit my car and the air bag goes off I can have my head torn off? Good thing about that it will be better than hanging? I never will know what hit me.
Great ideas for the Prius Sean. Thanks!
Bob
for 85 he throws out all the excuses we have for not going after our dreams. its never too late. he made it simple made a plan and go for it. great idea about a prius that will work for any small car. good luck on all your travels
I agree chris, I tremendously admire Dick for what he did there. It’s also a good point about the basic ideas of how he converted the car can be applied to most cars.
No excuses!
Bob
Very inspiring!
Indeed he is Joy!
Bob
I guess most of us can’t blame much of anything on age any more. I respect and admire Mr. Kelley.
Thanks also for the good pictures of the conversion. This is so simple that I could probably do something similar without any further guidance. My approach is similar enough to his that the differences would be minor.
I agree Calvin, very simple but effective!
Bob
Seeing all 50 states is a great goal and to go from Florida to Alaska living out of a Prius is pretty cool. Love the easy modifications–can’t see how at 85 Dick is still nimble enough to climb around in there and get settled, but that’s a testament to his determination. Love it.
Indeed it is Lightfoot! I hope to be half the main he is when I’m 85! Heck, I just hope to be a man instead of bones when I’m 85!
Bob
I love travelling and you can’t beat the USA for some great scenery. I am happy that I was able to ad the last state to my collection and the Alaska trip was beautiful and I did see things that I had never seen before. It’s nice to be retired and be able to take off and go somewhere and not have to worry about being back to a job. So as long as the SSI checks keep coming I can do it. Don’t know how long it will last but for the remainder of my life hopefully and well, even after I’m gone I hope.
I have one like his my car has one more mod. Trailer hitch I have 2 uses one the ball tows my 12×8 cargo trailer. The car does squat some when I carried home 50 1x1ft pavers it is heavier and you plan your stops. I bought the trailer in Ga and drove it home to Louisiana. I was down a quart of oil by the time I returned home and got just 20 mpg doing 70 MPH future use I would not exceed 55 trailering. I too have a cargo platform I have that I put some trailer lights to improve visibility of other cars. I have returned home with 35 gallons of fuel when I knew fuel prices were going to rise. I use to have few options on reasonable priced fuel locally so I would bring the fuel home and not have to go to the store for about 3 months. That fuel supply powered 2 Prius my scooter and the lawn mower for the summer. When my car got to half tank I would add a 5 gallon gas can. This way I knew I would never overfill. When I got near the gas station with good pricing I would top off. When a car gets 40-55 mpg you already rarely have to go to the fuel stop and if there is bonehead activity there you can opt out.
Thanks much for that great information Sean!
Bob
Wow, great post! I’m so inspired by this man. I love the photos of the build. I was very surprised at Dick’s food stash though–I was thinking he was eating super healthy to be in such great health at 85, no offense Dick!
Tara, it’s odd how sometimes people who eat healthy die young and some who don’t live really long and well. Genetics and social factors play a much bigger role than we generally give them credit for.
Also, he isn’t a full-timer so many people eat badly on trips when they would never eat that way at home. Dick’s married, so I assume his wife probably feeds him a lot better than what we saw! Generally that generation did.
Bob
I have a theory. My sweetheart is a brilliant APRN. My main focus is managing stress and living a happy, positive and productive life. I do a lot of cooking and use plenty of rice and pasta. She has a high stress admin. position and also teaches, but she takes supplements, eats lots of fruits/veggies and is in to the “organic” everything. Even she concedes that her general lifestyle is not conducive to longevity, no matter what she ingests. By managing all my stresses I have far fewer aches and pains and an enormous amount of life energy for someone 67. So, my vote goes to Dick’s ability to have a good marriage, an independent life, a positive disposition and a reason for getting up each morning. Eating better would be great, but I don’t think it’s the key to longevity.
Gary, I agree, what we eat is critical to our well-being but there is no doubt there are several other factors that are so powerful they can overcome our eating habits, good or bad. Stress is at the top of the list in it’s destructive power so you are wise to emphasize reducing it.
Bob
Yes my wife does do a really good job of trying to prepare healthy meals but when I’m out like that it’s usually soup, fast food and not so healthy stuff! I don’t have a huge appetite though so it doesn’t take much to keep me going.
The RoadPro cooker looks pretty awesome! I might have to put that on my wish list, thank you for making us aware of it.
I have been living in my Prius C which is a mini-Prius. The full sized Prius is so roomy! I am averaging 58 Miles Per Gallon on this trip, so I will accept my smaller sleeping space.
Jim, that’s amazing 58 mpg, wow!I’d be willing to give up a lot for that!
Bob
58 mpg is really great and beats a lot of the motorcycles on mileage. I have been able to get up around 54 mpg while traveling on the Freeways and hold my speed to around 64 or so but when you get into the mountains the mpg’s drop some. I am planning a trip next June and will make a couple of modifications for the trip. A little thicker mattress, solar shower setup and probably a privacy shelter that I think I can rig to set up where my trailer hitch is. Toyota says not to tow anything with the Prius but I have pulled a trailer and I think if not loaded to heavily it’s Ok. It sure destroys the gas mileage though!
Just goes to show you your never to old to chase your dreams I take my hat off to that gentleman sometimes I wish I had been born in the 1800 to me those people are truly nomad leaving the east for out west in a cover wagon I had a great uncle born in a cover wagon in 1898 going across the desert of arizona when I think about it as I do a lot it’s unbelievable the hardship they went throw food for thought 2 people leave home they have always know for the west and when they get their they are a family of 2 or 3 children
Jim, I agree, they were amazing people!
Bob
That is so great he did that!! I hope I am in as good shape as he is when I am 85. Kudos to his wife too for letting him have his great adventure.
Pretty amazing isn’t he Lynn!? But you are right, his wife is the unsung hero of the story!
Bob
My wife doesn’t like camping or travelling too much so she tells me to go ahead and do my thing, she’s probably glad to get rid of me for a little bit anyway! We have done some trips together though but not in the Prius! Our children still live in Indiana where I’m from so we usually make the drive up there every year or so but it’s a motel and not a campsite where we spend a night on the way, HA…
nice conversion! I considered doing something similar with the Fit before I changed to the truck, but that would only have worked if I traveled solo.
Those Priuses (Prii?) look so roomy on the inside! And the batteries make them such great boondocking vehicles!
The Fit would be a great vandwelling rig Ming, but only for one person! The Prius works out really well to live in.
Bob
Thanks for the inspiration!
My pleasure Nancy, he was a true inspiration for me!
Bob
What a great adventure
Indeed it is tommy!
Bob
When I was in the U.P. of Michigan this summer I stopped in a small town diner for breakfast.Was talking to the owners of the diner about my vandwelling adventures and they told me of a man from Alaska who was 80 years old who had a backpack and had stopped inside the diner for a bite. He was walking (not hitchhiking) from Alaska to Florida. His goal was just to spread good cheer amongst people. Sure enough several months went by and the gentleman gave the owners a call and told them he reached his destination of Florida. Quite a feat!
There are some pretty amazing people out there Jeff! You just happened to run across one of them.
Bob
That’s pretty awesome! I just read about another 80 year old that rode a bicycle from San Diego to Florida just to see if he could do it, and he did!
How would Dick’s Prius work for the RTR? Would there be anything special that would have to be done to it or anything extra to be brought along especially to make it work efficiently for that type of venue? As opposed to how he had it set up for his Alaska road trip?
And since a Fit would work out just as well as a van dwelling rig as a Prius for one person, what is your opinion on using my 2014 Ford Escape for the RTR…..if I decided to attend? I am just on a information gathering quest if I decide to go for it.
Steve, I know people with both the Prius and Fit who have stayed at the RTR for the whole time and were very happy with them. The Prius has the advantage that it can run both the air condition and heat without really hurting your MPG. But the Fit is remarkably roomy for such a small car. I have a friend who is 6’4″ and happily traveled full time in one.
I’m sorry, but I don’t know the Escape well enough to comment. The important thing is that the back seat folds down flat and the passenger seat goes far enough forward that you can stretch out and sleep. If there are gaps and humps, can you fill them in to level it out?
If you can make a bed in the back then it will work great for longer trips like the RTR. If not then you will have to stay in a tent and sometimes we get wind storms that make that very, very difficult.
Bob
I plan on going out west again next June and I will probably make a couple of modifications to my Prius. Maybe take a bicycle along and get one of those little pop-up shelters where I can take a shower and dress etc. I have been looking at different ones and deciding which I would like to go to. It would also be nice to have a place to sit outside the Prius just to gaze at things but be protected from the insects. It’s true that the Prius will come on and run the heater or air conditioner when needed but it does tend to wake you up when the engine comes on. Sleeping inside the Prius is pretty safe I would say though since it’s a “hard sided” hut so to speak.
Hey Bob, I just saw your youtube vid on how to help your friend out of a rut. Very nice to see what I’ve only read about put in action! I learned a lot, and appreciated the extra bit about how to use a come-along.
Glad to help Ming, a strap and a come-along will get you out of a lot of bad situations. They are extra weight and space but like a spare tie I’m not leaving without them.
Bob
The Prius is a great machine. The Lady who you presented a few months ago owns a Class C but travels in her Prius had it goin’ on also. The gas engine automatically turns on when the battery gets low so your statement about it being a huge generator is correct. With the proper inverter you could easily have some AC power and of course lots of 12 volt power for your needs. By the way, the batteries do eventually need to be replaced and cost around $4,000.00. But then you are good for a whole new go around!
jonthebru, I don’t know a lot about it, but the high voltage battery pack that drives the motor is separate from the starting battery and you are limited in your access to and use of it. My friend Suanne who spends lot’s of time living in her Prius is in camp and I’ll ask her about it.
Bob
Well, what usually happens to the big Prius battery is that one of the cells in a module goes bad but if you are a little mechanically inclined you can replace the bad module in a couple of hours. I just did that to mine, got the signal on my dash display that something was wrong so I checked each of the 29 modules and found one with a bad cell, replaced it with one I had purchased on Ebay for $30 and it was ready to go again. If you head for a Toyota dealer then you can expect that they will want to sell you a brand new battery and you are going to end up paying several thousand dollars. There are plenty of high voltage batteries available on Ebay and Craigs List for very reasonable prices and many of the Prius will go 200,000 miles or more on a battery without any problems. I have a daughter with 2 Prius’s and the 2008 has in excess of 200,000 miles without any problems. Mine is a 2006 and currently has about 114,000 mile on the ODO. So I will say that my Prius is one of the better automobiles that I have owned in my lifetime and I love the gas mileage that I get with it.
It has 28 modules, not 29 as I mistakenly said in my other post. Inside each sealed module are Nickle Metal Hydride cell of about 1.2 volts so 6 of the cells make up the modules 7.2 volts and then the 28 modules wired up in series put out about 200 volts. The battery sits behind the rear seat under a cover but can be accessed fairly easily. There is a 12 volt battery too that is also in the rear of the car. I think some of the newer hybride cars are using Lithium type batteries now.
Great article Bob! I really enjoyed reading about this amazing adventure. Mr. Kelly, thanks for sharing your journey.
I agree totally, mrbr549, he is an inspiration.
Bob
Crushingly inspirational. There shouldn’t be a human alive who’s not inspired by this. I dream of being that age and doing such a thing.
Thanks Inside the box
Bob
Please Moderator Gods, accept me. I’m not a bad person. I am good.
All I can say is I am good, I mean no harm to anyone. Really hard to post here. All I’m saying. Peace, love, understanding. Not sure what else I can do to be able to post a comment to someone who I admire.
insidethebox, I take it you are having a hard time posting to the blog? We like you, we really do! The problem is every busy website is swamped with spam (literally thousands a day) so we all use software that automatically weeds it out, for whatever reason it is catching you as spam, I’ve never turned you down before–in fact this is the first time I’ve ever seen you.
This should solve the problem, if not email me at akrvbob@gmail.com
Bob
Is there room for 2 people to camp in a Prius?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/319496351477274/permalink/1103993629694205/?sale_post_id=1103993629694205 THIS is a Prius for sale by owner here in Ascension Parish Louisiana it is priced right $2.2K I have one just like it took out the passenger seat the console and the 60 of the rear seat to give me mondo space for a bed. I even tow a runaway camper with it time to time.
In Louisiana I’d be very concerned with flood damage.
Bob
Has anyone notice the extreme increase in floods and draughts at the same time?
That was predicted to come with climate change. Warm air holds more moisture, so dry places will get drier and wet places will get wetter. But, the air will hold it for longer and then when it drops is, it will be in “500 year” or “1000 year” floods. These are becoming a dime a dozen.
It’s going to get much, much worse!!
Bob
Good for you!! Its been its been 35+ years since I been to Alaska!. You are a true testament that age is only a way of telling time. I wish you great health and safety in your next adventure. I hope to join all of you at some point!
My husband and I plan on becoming Priusdwellers in a little over a month from now and we are so excited! We purchased a 2011 Prius (which we named Gypsy Blue) and we plan on going very minimal and live out of our Prius. We are also planning on tent camping when the weather is good enough to do so.
I know that this is going to be challenging but we plan on making many memories in the process. We also plan on vlogging and blogging our adventures every step of the way. We are both so excited to meetup with other like-minded individuals such as Bob and many others. We are also binge watching many YouTube channels to get a better idea on how to do things and I must say that this site is the best one out there! Bob, I am sure that we will run into you somewhere along the way, we really look forward to that. For more info about us and our adventures, you can click over to http://gypsyblue2017.blogspot.com/. We are so looking forward to leaving life in the city behind!
Great story, inspiring man! Bob,I’ve watched a lot of your videos but this is my first visit to your site. I came because I have a Prius and wonder if anyone has towed a trailer with one and how the car handled the load. How much did it weigh and what was the make/model? I am trying to find a way to take a road trip withOUT sleeping inside the car! I can get a tent but would rather not. Anybody??
I loved seeing this! I saw on google through the description you mentioned you went from an Astro to the Prius. I currently have a 2000, 14mpg, Chevy Astro conversion and am going to sell it soon for a Prius. I love camping and would enjoy expanding my travel range greatly. The gas efficiency is great for my budget. It will help me travel more and farther, so excited! Thanks again for the awesome post.
very fascinating story, I am planning to visit Alaska in my 2010 Prius next month. I am encouraged after reading this article. Thanks