Plug in, Hit the Road: Toyota Prius Camper

There are little Prii, big Prii, plug-in Prii, racing Prii, and now – just revealed at this weekend’s Tokyo Auto Salon – there are full-fledged, fully-equipped, and very Real Toyota Prius camper vans.

Starting with a new, 3rd-gen Prius, the conversion company adds a streamlined, fiber-reinforced plastic shell that expands the Prius’ interior into something that’s, well, livable! The “living area” has room for a small coffee table with booth-type seating and underseat storage which can be converted to a queen-size bed (as shown, below), with an additional “permanent” bed in the forward section (above the cockpit). At the rear of the shell, the Prius RV features a shower/bathroom stall, which seems big enough for (quick) standing showers.

No word, yet, on storage capacities, kitchen amenities, or price – but even if those are minimal (they’d have to be!), this little camper would certainly go a long way towards making cross-country camping trips greener, cleaner, and more affordable if it ever came stateside.

Enjoy a full photo gallery, from Carscoop, below.

Source | Photos: Carscoop.

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About Jo Borras

I'm an obsessive car-geek and two-wheel enthusiast who's worked in motorsports and tuning since 1997, with some the biggest names in the business. In 2008, the work we were doing on a hybrid/EV raly car attracted the attention of Gas 2 editors, and when they invited me to join the team, I couldn't resist.

Comments

  1. Jo Borras says:

    UPDATE: the company selling these conversions has been ID’ed as “Campinn”. Still waiting on prices and option sheets to get posted.

  2. MrEnergyCzar says:

    I’m not sure what to say…. I’m speechless..

    MrEnergyCzar

  3. Now Sad Toyota Owner says:

    NO, just NO! This makes me sad to be a longtime Toyota owner! MPG will be killed along with any pride you have in the Prius! I would not even CONSIDER this as an option!

    • Jo Borras says:

      Granted, mpg will go down compared to stock, but probably not as much as you think and it’s STILL likely to be better than a converted B van. That said, you have pride in the Prius? LOL!

  4. Amin says:

    Hats off to the person who concieved it. It is a fore runner of the Compact Camper/RV’s, yet to be introduced as energy costs increase. We have automotive import controls in Canada. I wonder if one can import it into Canada and what it costs would be.

    • Jo Borras says:

      My sentiments exactly. As for importing it to Canada, you’d by a Canadian Prius and have it converted by a commercial upfitter – similar to a conversion van or a work truck. If you have a dealer with a fleet department, they’ll be able to help you.

  5. Jo: Pretty ingenious idea this Prius RV concept. You’d think that Toyota would take some notice and do some R&D plus marketing research. This (smaller sized RV) fits my needs/desire for a product that offers some real opportunity to see our world on the cheap (maybe). I’d imagine that there would be a lot of ‘pushback’ by the RV industry here in the US to prevent such a competitor – entry. After a bit of truck/camper RVing in the SWest a few years back – I’ve come to realize that I don’t need a whole lot space or ‘things’ to drag along to make for happy and comfortable camping. The smaller size footprint of this PriusRv is something I’d like to try. Can you imagine a program in which you can RENT and not have to own/maintain something like this? (just saying……)
    Borat

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