Episode 12: Living in a Prius with David Swanson
164 shares Could you imagine living in a Prius? It’s no easy feat! Tom and I lived in a Prius in 2015 in the San…
Could you imagine living in a Prius? It’s no easy feat! Tom and I lived in a Prius in 2015 in the San Francisco Bay area to pay off debt and save money. That’s why I wanted to interview David Swanson for Episode 12 of The Wayward Home podcast. He lived in his Prius for 7 years, traveling across the U.S., making friends and even appearing in the Oscar-award-winning movie Nomadland.
David tells us about why he started living in a car, and tips for making your care safe, cozy and comfortable.
Listen here:
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In this episode, we’ll cover:
- Why David started living in a Prius
- How he set up his Prius for full-time living, including cooking inside a Prius
- Fermentation and food storage techniques for car living
- What you need to know if you have to live in a car
- Why David no longer lives in a Prius anymore
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Who is David Swanson?
Many years ago, David was a successful potter and martial arts enthusiast in Wisconsin. As time went on, he had a harder and harder time using his thumbs. He’d developed severe arthritis from his work.
David had to stop working and start living on disability.
At first, he moved into a 34′ motorhome with a wood stove and solar, spending four winters trading working in sustainable gardens for parking spots.
But he got tired of getting only 6 miles per gallon. David had heard about other people living in a Prius and the minimalistic lifestyle appealed to him.
So, he moved into a Prius, determined to make the experience the best it could be.
How David Set up his Prius Interior
David took out all the seats in his Prius and added a wood slab where he could cook and set his food. He had an induction cooktop, a pressure cooker and a 12-volt Engle fridge.
He slept on a comfortable camping mattress in back with curtains covering the windows.
David thinks the most important parts of making a car comfortable for living are a cozy place to sleep, a way to cook food indoors and privacy, so having curtains over your windshield.
David also installed 200-watts of solar with a lithium battery on his Prius, which he used to power his induction stove for cooking, his fridge and a folding electric bike.
Are You Also Living in a Car?
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