Hybrids (Highlander) & batteries- running AC all night without a generator!

[Haraald]

There are quite a few accounts out there of car campers in Prius's running their ACs or heaters all night off the car battery. The car has a built-in system where it starts every 30 min or so to charge the battery back up off gas. After struggling with my deep cycle battery bank/Honda generator/charger/inverter combo for so long in my F-150, I thought, this is the perfect solution to this age-old problem! The battery and generator are essentially built into the engine.

I do a lot of stealth camping so the Highlander would be my best option. Anyone have any experience with this? Not having to wake up in the summer to find 10% of my bank depleted because of my AC unit, and then running the noisy smelly generator for an hour to recharge, would be great. Plus I save so much precious space by not having to have those items or be on my own with repairs. If I'm doing urban stealth, the occasional start-up of the engine could deter anyone from pestering me.

 

[UHAULER]

I would do more research to see how long the engine has to run after starting every 30 minutes. Does it run for 10- 20 minutes ?

 

[life_w_vagabonds]

I have considered the awesome possibilities of having a huge battery on board. We are probably a minority but the idea of a hybrid Tacoma or 4Runner sounds great to me.

A PHEV 4Runner Trail mmmm.

 

[Haraald]

Apparently it only runs for 1 or 2 minutes. A toyota mechanic confirmed this behavior, but I'm calling around to verify.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I would worry about carbon monoxide fumes as you are sleeping in the back. The vehicle wasn't designed for sleeping in so running the engine while the vehicle is stationary could cause CO to enter the cabin area. I would also check to make sure the engine will kick on to keep the batteries charged and for how long.
.
Going to a Highlander and sacrificing true off road capability seems like a huge sacrifice just to have AC.
.
You know what else has AC? Motel rooms.

 

[reidbailey]

I had a Prius and did this around a dozen times with heat or AC and zero issues. Biggest downside is, unless you're really small framed, you won't fit in the back so sleeping in the front seats is the only option.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Haraald]

I would worry about carbon monoxide fumes as you are sleeping in the back. The vehicle wasn't designed for sleeping in so running the engine while the vehicle is stationary could cause CO to enter the cabin area. I would also check to make sure the engine will kick on to keep the batteries charged and for how long.
.
Going to a Highlander and sacrificing true off road capability seems like a huge sacrifice just to have AC.
.
You know what else has AC? Motel rooms.

It's not just AC I can power, it's a whole reliable power source without the headache of battery banks, generators, chargers, etc.

I'm getting more and more confirmations that this works; carbon monoxide isn't an issue and I can put a few alarms inside if need be.

I'm not that big into serious off-roading and I do a lot of urban stealth camping, so it's perfect for me.

 

[javajoe79]

The ac compressor on those cars is electric?

 

[Haraald]

Is that enough to make it effective/cold enough?

 

[AdventureHare]

We have a Prius and once up to temp, the car only has to run a few minutes to recharge but for heat, it will run the engine more, unless you're using some other heat source and just using the car for electricity. We have been nap trapped a few times and it's a nice place to wait for him to wake.

You could also get a Tahoe or Yukon. Not the same mileage but still a 20% improvement over normal.

 

[NatersXJ6]

My wife drives a 2013 Highlander, it was one of the nicest and most well thought out interiors I've ever seen... Until... I drove it more than 30 minutes. Be warned, I paid $50k for the most uncomfortable seat known to man. Use your google **** and take a LONG test drive before purchasing. Many people over 5'9" or maybe 5'10" find it killer on the back. My limit behind the wheel is about 45 minutes and my lower back wishes I would just die already.

That being said, it is very nice in the back, you could easily sleep there in stock form. We have the AWD, it gets around decently on fire roads, small creek crossings, etc... I did tear some of the rear bumper plastic off turning around in a stupid spot on a fire road near Yosemite... Cest la vie. Our CFX 28 fridge fits nicely in the back, but tie downs were a challenge.

We made the mistake of getting the 19" wheels, which have limited and very expensive tire choices.

Overall, it has done almost 80k miles in 3 years without significant issues. I think if the AC could be made to run as discussed, it might be quite nice.

 

[javajoe79]

Yes, Its a 3 phase motor runs at 200-ish volts & think its run on variable frequency.

Ok cool. I hadn't realized that. Just assumed they were still engine driven. I wonder how hard it would be to repurpose a Prius battery bank for use in a camper?

 

[calicamper]

I'd look at the plugin Fusion battery pack. Nicer size to mount in a truck bed. 7.2 kwh.Also the standard Hybrid battery pack is small. Plugin on the other hand no need to run at all. But recharging any high capacity battery takes more than 2 minutes, or 10min or 20min. A little honda generator is a far better solution.

 

[Haraald]

I'd look at the plugin Fusion battery pack. Nicer size to mount in a truck bed. 7.2 kwh.Also the standard Hybrid battery pack is small. Plugin on the other hand no need to run at all. But recharging any high capacity battery takes more than 2 minutes, or 10min or 20min. A little honda generator is a far better solution.

I guess I'll have to somehow test it at a dealership, but 2 minutes charging sounds reasonable to me. If the users report the car turning on and charging for 2 minutes every 30 min, thats 32 minutes of charging for an 8 hour night of AC. That's about how long it takes my EU2000 to charge up what I used of my agm battery bank after a night of AC in my current camper.

 

[e60ral]

your car starting every 30 minutes wouldn't annoy the hell out of you? it would probably annoy the hell out of anyone around you at least, i hope you don't plan on camping in campgrounds or near people