08 Yaris For a Camper and College Student?

[bronsin]

In 2011 I drove my 09 hatch from NJ to Ak 10,400 miles there and back in 16 days. I was comfortable the whole time! I put down the rear seat back to hold all the stuff I took including a full size spare and hydraulic jack. I went 85 mph on US freeways and 60 mph in Canada (speed limit 100 kph and everyone seemed to be obeying)

So there is no doubt in my mind this car will work out for you unless you are a wimp or something!

[ern-diz]

Originally Posted by bronsin

In 2011 I drove my 09 hatch from NJ to Ak 10,400 miles there and back in 16 days. I was comfortable the whole time! I put down the rear seat back to hold all the stuff I took including a full size spare and hydraulic jack. I went 85 mph on US freeways and 60 mph in Canada (speed limit 100 kph and everyone seemed to be obeying)

So there is no doubt in my mind this car will work out for you unless you are a wimp or something!

Consider the OP wants to haul half a weeks worth of camping gear for 2-3 people, in addition to those 2-3 people. Unlike your experience, he wouldn't be traveling alone.

If just a driver and passenger, you can utilize the back seat and beyond for storage. My hesitation comes from thinking of a third person who'd sit in the backseat. At that point I'd have to wonder...

[CLuchs]

Hi! Just wanted to say you guys are awesome as a car community. I'm also a fan of LSX chevy engines and follow all their forums and those guys aren't nearly as helpful. Haha. So do all yaris' Have 60/40 split folding rear seats? cause 3 people, If I folded down the 40 section seat, i could stack 2 tents, and 3 camping chairs there, and that would help solve that problem. I'm a pretty efficient packer. And I'm glad you mentioned feeling a difference. I had a 98 civic Lx and you could definitely tell when the car was loaded, but with a few hundred pounds of stuff in it does it feel at all unsafe on the highway? That's my major concern. The car is either a loaded base 3 door HB or an S trim (It has the rear wiper, 10 profile width fatter tires, and abs, am I right in believing they were a bundled option?) so I'm okay with that. I mean that honda didn't feel unsafe with a ton of stuff and people in it, and it only had 4 more horsepower and weighed a few hundred pounds more by itself, but it also wasn't as high riding as the yaris (5.5 inches clearance in a car with such a tiny wheelbase!) I was worried it would be a bit skittish (In a scary unpleasant way, not the amusing frisky way.) Thank you guys so much!

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by ern-diz

Consider the OP wants to haul half a weeks worth of camping gear for 2-3 people, in addition to those 2-3 people. Unlike your experience, he wouldn't be traveling alone.

If just a driver and passenger, you can utilize the back seat and beyond for storage. My hesitation comes from thinking of a third person who'd sit in the backseat. At that point I'd have to wonder...

Sounds like a roof mounted cargo hauler would be a good idea.

I rode around Europe in the back seat of a 69 VW Beetle for 7 weeks when I was 13.

Ah Youth!

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

I rode around Europe in the back seat of a 69 VW Beetle for 7 weeks when I was 13.

Ah Youth!

When I was 12, I rode around (for 3 weeks, IIRC, coming from the SF Bay Area) Yosemite..The Valley and Tuolumne Meadows...up over Tioga Pass to Mono Lake, up Hwy 395 and then over to South Lake Tahoe, CA (where we stayed in a motel to end the trip), and then back to the Bay Area.....

..... with my neighbor/classmate, his parents, and all of our camping gear () in a 1973 Vega Hatchback ()....not the wagon hatchback, the smaller regular one.

You're right....Ah Youth! .