Some people have been asking about different products I used in my Prius Camper build, so I decided to compile a master list here. These are all products that I’ve personally used and can whole-heartedly recommend (unless otherwise stated).

Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy through them. Thanks for your support!
 

Mods

Lift Kit: https://priusoffroad.com/products/ols/products/gen-2-prius-lift-kit

WeatherTech Rain Guards: https://amzn.to/3D1aqfz - Allow you to leave your windows cracked open while it’s raining.

Interior Curtain: https://amzn.to/4in2IeK - I replaced the string with a curtain rod and bent some small hangers out of sheet metal to hold up the ends.

Awning: https://amzn.to/3D64yBw

Inno Cargo Box: https://amzn.to/3D7Ineo - I carry my inflatable paddle board in here, as well as my bag of dirty clothes.

Roof Rack Bars: https://amzn.to/43ddShA (INB127BK 50”)
Roof Rack Fithook: https://amzn.to/41hkb1f (K705)
Roof Rack Stays: https://amzn.to/4bcPBu9 (INSUT)

Sink

Water Faucet: https://amzn.to/4bi1xdT

Water Pump: https://amzn.to/4kfwweJ 

Sink Basin: https://amzn.to/41tFM7E 

2.5 Gallon Water Storage Tanks (Fresh & Greywater): https://amzn.to/43eVMMb 

2.5 Gallon Water Storage Tanks (Fresh & Greywater): https://amzn.to/3ESVEI5 - These are the same as mine but are specifically marked BPA Free, so they may be a better option.

 

Food Storage

ICECO Fridge: https://amzn.to/41u1MPV 

Titanium double-walled camping mug: https://amzn.to/3Qufvjw - My absolute favorite travel mug

Spice shakers: https://amzn.to/41x8ODH - I tried them ALL and these were the best

The best bag clips: https://amzn.to/3QBeRRj 

Collapsible food storage boxes: https://amzn.to/4hR6QDO - These are my favorite ones. I use them to eat out of as well as for food prep and storage.

Collapsible food storage boxes: https://amzn.to/3Xidafb 

EVO Olive Oil Sprayer: https://amzn.to/4bBiXlX - The best (and simplest) oil sprayer I’ve used

Spray Bottles: https://amzn.to/3XCCD33 - I recommend having a spray bottle of vinegar for cleaning & cooking

Reusable mesh bags: https://amzn.to/4be1bF8  - These are good for keeping things under the bed platform and in the back wheel well cubbies organized.

 

Food Prep

Instant Pot (3 Quart): https://amzn.to/4hOl884 - You can cook anything in this thing

Ceramic non-stick pot for Instant Pot: https://amzn.to/3F3c8NO - A must-have if you’re going to try sautéing anything in your Instant Pot. I use this instead of the one that comes with the Instant Pot.

Glass lid for Instant Pot: https://amzn.to/41vjSBe - Great when for when you’re just heating things up and don’t need the pressure cooker function. I use this more often than the regular lid.

Clip-on silicone strainer: https://amzn.to/3D5b6jT - Clips right onto the rim of the Instant Pot for straining pasta, etc. Awesome space-saving solution.

Folding Tea Kettle: https://amzn.to/3Que4l8 - The one I purchased appears to have been discontinued, but this appears to be a rebranding of the exact same product with an adjustable heat level. I tried several kettles on Amazon and this was one of the few without a scary odor, and the design is just so clean and clever.

Collapsible Measuring Cups: https://amzn.to/3QEJjtz 

Titanium Sporks: https://amzn.to/418jI18 

Best compact can opener: https://amzn.to/4kifNYv

Collapsible V60 Coffee Dripper: https://amzn.to/4hQYqMz - My favorite collapsible pour over funnel. A work of art.

Collapsible Coffee Dripper: https://amzn.to/3EUeUVF - This is the one I had in the video, though I prefer the V60 above.

Coffee Grinder: https://amzn.to/4kj9cwS - My absolute favorite handheld burr grinder. Another work of art.

 

Electronics

Giandel 1200 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter: https://amzn.to/4hOPZ4v - This is an updated version of the model that I have. It has worked very well for me.

ICECO Lithium Battery Pack: https://amzn.to/4beFchA - This is the battery I keep in my center console that powers my fridge, string lights, and charges my phone through the night. It plugs right into the cigarette lighter inside the console. This is an updated version of the one I have, but should work just the same.

weBoost Cell Signal Booster: https://amzn.to/4hOOWS7 - I keep the red booster box under my passenger seat.

Cigarette Lighter Multi-tap 1: https://amzn.to/41hKcNI - This is the multi-tap that I use in conjunction with the Lithium Battery Pack. I adhered it to the back of the center console and it powers the fridge, string lights, faucet pump, fan, my phone, watch, etc.

Cigarette Lighter Multi-tap 2: https://amzn.to/3EMsg6f - I use this one up front under the dashboard.

Cigarette Lighter Socket Splitter: https://amzn.to/3Xcu8vG - I use this in the center console where I plug in the lithium battery pack. It allows me to also power my phone adapter at the same time.

USB Switch: https://amzn.to/3XjycKC - I use this to control the overhead string lights.

String Lights / Fairy Lights: https://amzn.to/4gUkO6v 

USB Extension Cable: https://amzn.to/41brKWZ - I use this to plug the USB switch into the multi-tap behind the center console.

Carbon Monoxide detector: https://amzn.to/4ibafgh - I have this plugged into the multi-tap under the dashboard up front.

Personal fan: https://amzn.to/3QBfg6h - This fan is seriously awesome. I bought 2 for myself and 1 for a friend so far. It is infinitely adjustable and has a battery built-in.

Light bar mounting bracket: https://amzn.to/4if45fa

Light bar lights: https://amzn.to/4ie3hHv

“Pendant” Light / Night Light: https://amzn.to/4i9Eog7 - This is the light I have hanging by the hook over my sink / countertop

Flashlight: https://amzn.to/4gRvPFP - LOVE this little rechargeable flashlight. Super compact and super bright.

Sleep / Bedding

Light blanket: https://amzn.to/4kbBnxD - This is a great light blanket for the Summer but you’ll need something more if you’re also camping in the Fall and Spring or even up in the mountains during the Summer.

Heavier blanket: https://amzn.to/3DfP4eb 

Pillow: https://amzn.to/41gW8ze - Nice compact pillow.

Mattress: https://amzn.to/4gXN5Ji - It looks like the grey color one I have is currently unavailable. The dimensions of my mattress are 24” x 72” x 2-3/8”

 

Cabinetry

1” Butcher Block for countertop: https://amzn.to/4bcLApz 

 

Health & Hygiene

Toiletry Travel Bag: https://amzn.to/3QwFQ07 

Mirror: https://amzn.to/4hONn6P 

Wet wipes: https://amzn.to/3EPNhwS -These are excellent but a bit pricey. You can also try making your own

My favorite castile bar soap: https://amzn.to/43aQP77 - All natural but doesn’t dry your skin out like most other brands.

My favorite liquid castile soap: https://amzn.to/418hBdI - Pre-diluted and moisturizing, like the bar soap.

Bar soap holder: https://amzn.to/3QxICSZ - Drill a few holes in the top to allow it to vent and dry

Sun burn relief: https://amzn.to/4kcWEqM - Saved me from the worst sunburn I’ve ever had. Good ingredients.

My favorite mineral sunscreen: https://amzn.to/3XeMpbD - Safe ingredients and easy to apply. This is the most cost-effective way to buy it.

First Aid Kit: https://amzn.to/43eWGZ5 

Antibiotic Ointment: https://amzn.to/3XhYwES - Literally saved me on this trip. Don’t go anywhere without it.

Best compact tick remover: https://amzn.to/4bbSJ9H 

Recreation

Folding chair: https://amzn.to/437oyhT - Surprisingly comfortable and extremely compact. Easily stores under the bed platform.

Sun umbrella: https://amzn.to/41h9R98 - Folds up small and stores easily under the bed platform. A must if you go to the beach.

Tent pole: https://amzn.to/3XcvYN6 - I carry one of these to stake the umbrella at the beach. It works better if you remove the pointy end piece.

 

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We’ve sort of fallen off the blogwagon over the last month or two. As of a week ago, the cedar siding is complete. This was by far the most tedious, but also most rewarding part of the project so far.  Over the July 4th weekend I completed the Ice & Water shield roofing underlayment and finishing touches on the facia and rake trim board. We can finally say so-long to the ugly gray tarp!

Head on over to Instagram to see the latest photos!

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Mikey and I have been making some pretty decent progress over the past 10 days.  It is SO NICE to have weather again that doesn’t freeze your fingers off if you try to do anything outside - or even indoors in our unheated garage and workshop or inside the Tiny House itself!

Doors and Trim

A lot of time and meticulous effort was needed to complete the two door installations.  We knew that one of the rough openings - the one for the back door directly into the living area - was a little out of square, so careful positioning would be needed to ensure the door frame itself remained square as it was fastened into place.  

Mikey spent considerable time trying to decipher the instructions that came with the doors; ultimately we followed them as best we could - but with some “seat of the pants” technique.  

I missed the heavy lifting part where he initially moved the rear door assembly into the opening. Following that, he worked on the inside and I on the outside.  The threshold of the door did not require shims - it simply rested flat on the subfloor plywood, with a “sill pan” made of flashing tape and a back dam created by a strip of weatherstripping to prevent any water intrusion.  On each side of the door frame, shims (two very acute-angled, long and narrow triangles of wood slid alongside of each other to provide infinitely adjustable thickness) were placed between the door jambs and the sides of the rough opening, near the levels of the two door hinges.  

My job was mainly to monitor the outside surface of the doorframe and ensure it was held flush with the exterior wall sheathing surface - particularly when Mikey drilled holes for attachment screws and drove the screws horizontally through the door jambs and shims and into the house 2x4 framing.  As screws were driven in, we would check that the door itself could open and close securely but without binding anywhere on the door frame.  Screws were driven into the door threshold also, but none were required along the top lintel.

Each door came with cutouts for two sets of locking hardware - a service passage handle set and a deadbolt locking set.  The hardware had been mounted in the door itself before it was fastened in the rough opening; however, the striker plates for the deadbolt had not yet been installed. On one of the doors, the cutout for the plate was the wrong size. On the other, the door manufacturer had forgotten about the cutout and deadbolt hole entirely!

This meant it was time to break out the hammer and chisel.  Each plate was positioned on the door jamb surface and traced carefully with a utility knife; then the painstaking work of cutting a recessed space exactly the right depth and shape for each plate was performed with a wood chisel.  Also, an actual hole in the wood of the jamb had to be made neatly to receive the latch and the deadbolt where they passed through their striker plates.

With both doors in place at last, the Tiny House could be locked up for the first time securely in our absence.

Before we could get to a greatly anticipated milestone - putting cedar siding up (‼️) - there were next several pieces of dark colored mahogany trim board which had to be fastened in place along the edges of the sides and trailer tongue end of the house.  This clearly required both of us, and in the case of trim along the roof line, the use of our dandy new and fairly light 10’ Werner aluminum stepladder ($127 at Home Depot) - for me to stand on while holding my end of each long board in place.

The boards were fastened in with dainty, stainless trim screws.  They had each been measured, cut and painted well beforehand; and the ones along the roof edges required router cuts on their bottom edges to provide a shallow recessed space behind them for the highest rows of cedar siding to fit underneath.

Cedar siding

With the windows, doors, and trim in place, we could next get started putting up the gorgeous pieces of cedar siding and beginning to see the Tiny House as Mikey had long envisioned it with his laptop’s imaging features.

The task of staining the (approximately) 930 linear feet of 8-inch wide siding pieces fell to me.  About 30% of this work I had done outdoors on sawhorses during nice weather last fall; and during the week of April 23 - 29, I completed the remaining pieces during the day while Michael was at work.  They ranged in length from 7 to 16 feet.  We had found that a 1/2” diameter paint roller - 4” wide - did the job beautifully and rapidly (having struggled slowly before that with a brush).  Each board came with one rough side and one finished side, and the thickly-napped roller was essential to get stain into the fine recesses of grain on the rough sides.  I stained the rough sides first, then flipped each board over to complete the smooth side; in that way the freshly stained smooth sides never rested directly on my sawhorses (which might have marred their appearance).  Care was also required to make sure each edge and each open-grained end was stained with the roller also.

We approached the actual siding installation with both eagerness and some trepidation!  The different lengths of boards each had their own distinct lighter and darker color patterns and beautiful grains, and we didn’t want to make any serious mistakes in positioning them on the wall sheathing.

Mikey decided quite early to use his stainless finish screws rather than nails - a choice which we came to believe would provide several advantages - even though saving money was not one of them.  In particular, it would be possible to remove boards later when certain openings for vents would have to be made, and if a board was ever damaged it could be replaced most easily.

Whether the applicable “how to” literature says so or not, we could see that some comprehensive, overall planning of how the siding boards would be laid out ALL around the Tiny House would be required before getting started.  We didn’t want to find ourselves facing a situation where a row of siding just a flimsy 1/2” high or less might have to be placed directly above or below a window or door.  As things happened, this planning process turned out to be much simpler and faster than we might have anticipated!

First, we went all around the structure and measured the height of each window and door at its top and bottom.   Mikey had designed the heights of the tops of at least three major fixtures to be the same, so we decided to make that level correspond to the bottom edge of a row of boards that would be at the same level all around the house (except for the hitch end bathroom wall, where there would be metal siding and not wood).   The bottom-most course of siding would rest on a common baseline - the top of the dark mahogany trim boards all around.

Mikey knew that the recommended overlap of each course of siding was between 1” and 1.5”, which would leave about 6” of “exposure” - the height of each board exposed “to the weather.”  We then divided (by 6 inches) the measured distance from the top of the base trim to the level where we wanted the bottom of a specific row to cross directly above the three fixtures mentioned earlier - to give us a good idea of the number of courses of siding we would have to apply over that vertical distance.

Amazingly enough, the quotient of that division came out to be just slightly greater than thirteen (13).  So…  we reasoned that we could make that number of courses be exactly 13 if we simply allowed our estimated exposure height of each course to exceed 6” by a small fraction.  We divided the overall height again - this time by 13 - and got a calculated exposure height of about 6.16” per row.  Mikey found a very useful online conversion tool which can convert decimal inches into mixed numbers with fractions (rounding to the nearest 1/16”), so our chosen exposure height worked out to 6 1/8”.

So….  it then seemed that our siding exposure height was ideally determined for the entire house …   however, we then took a further step of checking exactly how all the courses of siding would lay out everywhere (including other openings that did not figure into our exposure determination), if we went ahead with an exposure of 6 1/8”.    Again - amazingly - it turned out that the tops and bottoms of all remaining windows and doors would fall somewhere close to the vertical middle of a course of siding and not just close by some  awkward fraction of an inch.  These instances could be fairly easily accommodated by “notching” a course of siding.

Thus a hefty burden was lifted from our minds, as we could now proceed enthusiastically to install siding, without fear of some unforeseen problem after a lot of siding had already been attached! And - as a small bonus - the overlap between courses that would result from our calculated exposure height turned out to be exactly half way between the min and max recommended for an overlap.

Details of the installation will appear in a following post.  For now, this is what our progress looks like so far, including the notching of one course around the bottom of the kitchen window…

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Today was a real milestone…  

The Tiny House picture window (200-220 lbs) was carried out from the garage by a rag-tag team of good friends, who had cheerfully agreed to show up at 5 pm and assist.  My back was ailing, so I just served as photographer.

They walked it around the east side of the garage and across the back yard to Tiny House Land, where they laid it flat on the ground near the taller end of the house.

After Mikey made some final preparations (drilling some holes in the behemoth’s retaining fins and applying gooey sealant), he and the other 3 guys lifted it up onto a staging/platform and then into place in its special-shaped rough opening.

No serious problems, and the window fit perfectly with expected and uniform clearance on all sides, top and bottom‼️   It also proved pretty conclusively that the opening was indeed true and square.

There was one rather dicey moment when one of the guys was stepping up onto the platform while trying also to raise the top edge of the window toward the opening.  I think there might have been some audible gasps to be heard just then, as it looked like he might keel over backwards with the window landing on him…  but he regained balance quickly.

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