Panamerican Prius: 2015 Toyota Prius V

[BritKLR]

[QUOTE="Can't tell you how many small fwd cars my Samurai has pulled off Gulf Coast beaches and snowy roads in the Rockies due to simply going further then they should have. Be safe!

Great build and looking forward to follow!

Cheers.

I Love Samurais. It was my car, and the car I had throughout college. I put a 1.6 8 valve in it and had the transmission and transfer case rebuilt. I would’ve done the Panamerican in that, but I got married and well, I hardly fit in it myself. Lol
BONUS: I also had a KLR650 I just sold. The Suzuki samurais of the motorcycle world

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[/QUOTE]

Sounds like your on top of your prep! Well done.

Where are you starting the PA and which route through N/A are you taking? If time allows you could hit either the Overland Expo in Flagstaff or Loveland and attend as a guest speaker to show off your unique build. People would find if interesting!

As for recovery, may do some research on a tried and true Hilift Jack/winch system. It would allow for wheel lifting for placing traction boards or tire repair. Use it with synth rope and 11.5k steel carabiners and you have a semi light weight manual winch system. If the car has a rear tow receiver hitch you can lift and cast the Prius to the side if stuck. Just a suggestion. Oh and watch soft shackles on any sharp recovery points.

Yeah, our 94 Sammi is part of our family. It's been all over the US and now lives in the Rockies as my wifes grocery getter. It still does the local mountain trails thou and I can relate to your KLR Tractor since I still have my original 2003 KLR and do annual Moab trips!

 

[alanymarce]

Looks great! The range should be excellent (we were amazed by the range of a rental diesel hybrid we used in September).

A few thoughts:

Fit AT tyres to be more robust on gravel/dirt roads. Add a compressor and tyre repair kit to handle punctures. The compressor can be small and light weight - you're not airing down and up, it's only for puncture repair.
Get or make mosquito net covers for the windows so that you can open them for ventilation - the cheap Chinese ones are fine, although we have designed and made more robust canvas ones so that you can sleep better in regions where daylight last a long time (Northern Canada, Alaska, Patagonia) - they have adjustable vents fastened with velcro.

I see the attraction of a recovery kit capable of getting you out of being really stuck, however don't overdo it - I am not a fan of highlift jacks (hazardous unless you have not only theory but practice), and they take up GVM and space. We travel with a pair of bottle jacks and these have handle everything we've faced. Sand Ladders/Recovery boards also take up space and if carried outside add wind noise and are a protrusion hazard. The key to recovery is avoidance - be aware of the state of the track, be cautious in trying tough situations (mud, water crossings, rocks, etc.), etc. I sense that you're not going to be crossing the Lençois Maranhenses in the Prius, so you're not facing really challenging conditions. If you have a tow strap and shackles, along with recovery points which are properly designed and installed, all you need is another vehicle with a friendly driver (which are everywhere) and a spare beer to get you out of trouble.,

Stay off the PAH as much as you can - there are hundreds of villages, lakes, rivers, and mountains to enjoy - the main highway can be boring and heavily used by trucks and 'buses, and in some of Latin America is debris-strewn with attendant puncture risk.

 

[J.Toral]

Looks great! The range should be excellent (we were amazed by the range of a rental diesel hybrid we used in September).

A few thoughts:

Fit AT tyres to be more robust on gravel/dirt roads. Add a compressor and tyre repair kit to handle punctures. The compressor can be small and light weight - you're not airing down and up, it's only for puncture repair.
Get or make mosquito net covers for the windows so that you can open them for ventilation - the cheap Chinese ones are fine, although we have designed and made more robust canvas ones so that you can sleep better in regions where daylight last a long time (Northern Canada, Alaska, Patagonia) - they have adjustable vents fastened with velcro.

I see the attraction of a recovery kit capable of getting you out of being really stuck, however don't overdo it - I am not a fan of highlift jacks (hazardous unless you have not only theory but practice), and they take up GVM and space. We travel with a pair of bottle jacks and these have handle everything we've faced. Sand Ladders/Recovery boards also take up space and if carried outside add wind noise and are a protrusion hazard. The key to recovery is avoidance - be aware of the state of the track, be cautious in trying tough situations (mud, water crossings, rocks, etc.), etc. I sense that you're not going to be crossing the Lençois Maranhenses in the Prius, so you're not facing really challenging conditions. If you have a tow strap and shackles, along with recovery points which are properly designed and installed, all you need is another vehicle with a friendly driver (which are everywhere) and a spare beer to get you out of trouble.,

Stay off the PAH as much as you can - there are hundreds of villages, lakes, rivers, and mountains to enjoy - the main highway can be boring and heavily used by trucks and 'buses, and in some of Latin America is debris-strewn with attendant puncture risk.

Diesel hybrid wow! When I was deployed in Europe I got to drive a diesel around and loved how efficient it was, I learned they had diesel hybrids in Europe as well. If I had them available in the states, that’s likely the vehicle I would’ve chosen for the build. ford has a diesel hybrid awd van that looked epic but sadly just not available in the US.

Thanks for all of the great tips! My touring tires are slowly wearing out and I’ve been mulling over which tire to go with when the time comes. Mosquito nets are a great idea that I hadn’t thought of. And lastly thanks for reminding me to keep recovery simple! It’s a Prius not a keep haha


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[J.Toral]

I’ve been meaning to post more build details, but with the house sale, transitioning out of the Army, and the impending move it’s been hard to find the time.

Im currently installing a cargo rack temporarily, to help us with a bit more haul capacity. We will be moving from central Texas to Napa Valley CA On December 21st 2022. We are only taking what fits in and on the Prius. Stay tuned!

Our house is pending sale Dec 9th, then we are going to Disney world for a week to celebrate the sale, our 3 year anniversary, and the completion of my military service! As soon as we get back from Disney, we will be loading up and heading to Napa!

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[PatriotX]

Thanks for taking the time to document this. Your approach of Stock-plus and focus on reliability will likely pay dividends during challenging parts of the trip.

I look forward to following your updates. Thanks for your service.

 

[BritKLR]

Keep posting! Love the adventure, the build, the plan and time with wife! Smart move.

Tool kits are kinda my thing so, one thing I alway suggest to our customers is that it's the weight and bulk that kills a lot of our vehicles. Tools is one area and most people take more tools then actually fit their vehicle. Generally speaking, most vehicles that are mass produced have relatively few nuts, bolts and screws to help cut down on manufacturing time and cost. If your sit down with your toolroll of tools and touch every fastener on your vehicle from front to back you'll findout your probably on have maybe 50-60 unique fasterners. The tools that fit go in your toolroll, the tools that don't go back in your toolbox in the garage. Make sure to add some pliers, hammer, needle nose, wire cutters, duct tape, jb weld,bailing wire, electrical parts and tester, ground tarp, etc, etc..... for a good trail repair kit that will weigh half of what your carrying now. Cheers!

 

[J.Toral]

Keep posting! Love the adventure, the build, the plan and time with wife! Smart move.

Tool kits are kinda my thing so, one thing I alway suggest to our customers is that it's the weight and bulk that kills a lot of our vehicles. Tools is one area and most people take more tools then actually fit their vehicle. Generally speaking, most vehicles that are mass produced have relatively few nuts, bolts and screws to help cut down on manufacturing time and cost. If your sit down with your toolroll of tools and touch every fastener on your vehicle from front to back you'll findout your probably on have maybe 50-60 unique fasterners. The tools that fit go in your toolroll, the tools that don't go back in your toolbox in the garage. Make sure to add some pliers, hammer, needle nose, wire cutters, duct tape, jb weld,bailing wire, electrical parts and tester, ground tarp, etc, etc..... for a good trail repair kit that will weigh half of what your carrying now. Cheers!

View attachment 753064View attachment 753065View attachment 753066

Haha good eye! I’m glad you mentioned those things. The tool roll is something I’ve been experimenting with to fine tune what’s needed and what’s in excess.

So far what I have in the roll is
Metric flex ratchet wrenches from 6mm-19mm
Adjustable wrench
Shallow metric sockets
Small 3/8 flex head ratchet
3/8” ratcheting breaker bar
Extensions and adaptor for 1/2” drive
Spark plug socket
Lug nut impact socket
Needle nose pliers
General pliers
Electrical stripping pliers (not pictured)
Voltmeter with leads
Screw driver with adjustable tips (Philip, Allen, and torx bits)
Zip ties
JB weld
Electrical tape
Hearing protection
& 2 general purpose picks

Also not pictured is 2 multitools, an LED pen light, tire plug kit, and a bottle jack

Here are some closer photos into my current setup. Still need some duct tape, not sure about a how to keep a hammer or if it’s necessary.

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[J.Toral]

I was craving adventure this morning after church. So instead of going home I took the opportunity to explore some of the washed out tank trails on the base Im stationed at

Prius did pretty good for having fairly worn out touring tires, and not airing down! Took my time going forward and reverse in some spots, and even stopping dead in the middle before proceeding. Good confidence boost! I anticipate my biggest obstacles on the panamerican highway will be washed out roads from the rainy season, sand on the beaches, and occasional snow/ice in mountain communities.

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[J.Toral]

Thanks for taking the time to document this. Your approach of Stock-plus and focus on reliability will likely pay dividends during challenging parts of the trip.

I look forward to following your updates. Thanks for your service.

Thanks for your support and tagging along for the ride! Are you prior service?


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[J.Toral]

Swung by harbor freight to get some fittings to piece together the Viair 444c I’ve had on the shelf. Once I’m moved to California the goal is to have it hard mounted somewhere. For now I just want to have a working compressor in case of emergency during the trip.

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[J.Toral]

After taking the Prius through the soppy clay tank trails and being rather impressed, I began thinking about the traction control button

I have heard other Prius off-roaders reference this button, and disable it anytime they go off pavement, often talking about it like traction control is a plague. Admittedly, I did not know what it was, what it did, or what the benefits of having it on/off were. Instead of mindlessly following what the other folks were doing, I sought to understand the system.

I watched several videos but this one was an excellent demonstration of how several types of drivetrains react in limited traction settings.


In the video you can see the traction control almost work like a computer controlled locking differential!! Coming from the off-road Suzuki samurai world, I was so excited to see the Prius had anything resembling a locking diff haha. Though I am sure it doesn’t compare to a TRUE locked diff, its enough to help improve traction, by applying brakes to the wheel slipping and transferring power to the wheel that is stuck providing effective 2WD instead of 1WD. While watching this video was probably one of my highlights for the week, I also wanted to understand why anyone would want to disengage the system since I’m sure it also had its purpose.

From what I have gathered, when you are truly stuck, disengaging traction control is beneficial because it allows for wheel spin allowing you to break free from being stuck. With traction control enabled, this would not be possible because the ECU would interfere due to excessive wheel spin/slippage. Until that point though, traction control seems to be a pretty great asset as far as I can see.


Here is another video that explains traction control, and shows a slow motion comparison between having it on/off while climbing a rutted hill. Pretty cool stuff


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[pigsammy]

I look forward to your updates. I have always used trucks or suvs to travel and camp. This is a very different concept for me, but interesting.

Some things cross over well, however. The advice on streamlining tool kits is great. Our Samurais only need a 10,12, and 14 mm wrench. Wish other manufacturers would follow this. My k5 needs metric and sae tools.

On the recovery, soft shackles and straps are awesome. They are compact and light, and they don't rattle! It appears you have a receiver hitch. I'd suggest that an inexpensive 2500 pound atv winch with synthetic rope and a couple aluminum snatch blocks (spools) would take up no more room than your bush winch, and likely less or no more weight. Can be double rigged to increase capacity. It will slide in a hitch when needed, or even tied off to front tow points or another vehicle. It can be run off of jumper cables. I guess you have 12v access not familiar with hybrids. A duffel bag filled with rocks or sand and buried makes an effective deadman if there aren't any anchor points nearby, such as a beach or sandy road. Discretion regarding where you go will be the biggest key. Plan for recovery, but try even more to avoid needing it.

I would think that this will be a big change for your wife. Allow for some creature comforts, and listen carefully when she speaks on what she needs or would like. And tell her to pack her new diploma,LOL, she may need it!
I have never had a better adventure partner than my wife. Take care to help yours enjoy this. The marriage is the mission. Changing travel plans during the trip to accommodate circumstances is not mission failure. Enjoy your adventure together.

Best wishes to you.

 

[FAW3]

A reliable vehicle, good tires and some common sense will take you far.

When I was 9 years old back in 1963 my father and I took our Chevrolet Monza from Costa Rica to Texas. What an adventure!

Enjoy your trip.

 

[billiebob]

I actually hadn’t known the Prius was that popular in other countries. I can see why, my expirence is spot on with yours and the taxi driver you rode with. The more I’ve owned it, the more I’m convinced now awesome it is. Prior to this car I had an 87 AWD syncro westy that my wife and I planned to travel the world in. We actually just sold it this weekend after deciding we’d go with the Prius.

To us, the Prius was newer, way more fuel efficient, and reliable. The Westfalia definitely had a cool factor, as well as AWD but at the end of the day what the Prius had to offer was more important to us.

Fuel consumption comparison between both vehicles over the course of 100,000 miles.


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I love thge Westfaillias but driving a tow truck in the Kootenays I deck more Westies than anything else during the summer. I have never towed a Prius.

And they all want it towed home even if that is a 1000km trip. They know the towing bill will be the cheapest part of the bill.