Insight Camping - Experiences & Toilet Mod Unlocked!

[Artric]

So I drove to GA to pick up some parts earlier in the week, planning to camp in the Insight.

Of course, we're a two seater, but I noticed when I first pulled out the passenger seats to clean my car after I bought it, sitting in the space left by the passenger seat removal was quite comfortable. In fact, I sat there and ordered my head unit and speakers from Crutchfield using my Discover Card Rewards that had been accumulating from that spot!

It seemed a natural and comfortable place to sleep... but there's one thing that I overlooked for this trip...

I totally stripped the rear of the car, including the back panel that would hold rear speakers (if I had them) and the support bar at the top.

What I found out was that minus that "backrest", you're setting yourself up for maybe one of the most uncomfortable night's sleep (if you can even get to sleep). Maybe if I wasn't only 10% awake when I got in the car and threw out all of my blankets and pillows, I could have done a lot better. But in short - it was cold, uncomfortable, and it sucked. I'll report back if I try with the original plan.

But anyway, I thought I'd mention what I thought was quite a funny discovery when disassembling the rear. Did you know you've got a perfectly good outhouse built into your Insight?

Look to the bottom right...



And a little bit closer...



Given the footwell provided by the spare tire well, you've got yourself a nice little setup!

I, personally, didn't use it. It only seems suitable for a #2. And I would recommend removing your exhaust, unless you want the smell of burning shit coming into your car!

Obviously, this is for the hardcore Insight campers out there, so I don't expect many (really any) one to use it . But in the last ten plus years that the car has been in production - you have to wonder - has anyone ever pooped through there?

Call me crazy (but come on, be polite, notice the mix of real life experience and humor here). But when opportunity knocks...

[MN Driver]

Is this a picture of your car stripped? I noticed the MIMA adapter in there.

Tons more space available in the back without the IPU there, I also have seen a picture underneath with the gas tank removed too. Lots of space under that hump below the IPU.

I never knew we had a giant thick tube for the gas filler right there, I figured it ran outside the ran instead of on the inside like that. Interesting picture.

Edit: I just noticed why you are pulling it apart in the wet seatbelt thread. I haven't had any water issues in mine, not sure what the proportions are of people who have had water issues.

[RobertSmalls]

I've never been able to get a good night's sleep sitting up. If I were to go camping in the Insight, I'd either remove the passenger seat and rig it up so I could lie flat across the cargo area, with my feet near the glove box, or I'd bring a tent.

It turns out that I use more energy at home than I do in the car. To reduce my heating bills, I let the temperature fall to 10°C at night, and I sleep very soundly under an electric blanket that uses 0.5kWh a night. I can sleep in a 4°C room, but I like 10°C better, since my head isn't under the blankets.

I think the best way to do cold-weather camping in an Insight is to sleep in a tent next to the car, running an electric blanket (indirectly) off the traction battery.

When I saw that picture, pooping on my muffler wasn't the first thing that came to mind. My first thought was that I'm looking at an Insight with as much cargo space as a CRX, and seats that could recline far enough for a nap. But that bar that runs across the middle of the car needs to be retained. Honda used it to stiffen the chassis so they could remove weight elsewhere in the car.

Actually, more than anything else, that picture makes me wish for a Prius-style hybrid setup. There's a water-cooled inverter under the hood, instead of having tens of liters of interior space gobbled up by air cooling. Imagine what an Insight would look like if it had nothing in the back but the fuel tank and a battery.

[joecvt]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

When I saw that picture, pooping on my muffler wasn't the first thing that came to mind.

Not my first thought either, nor second, third, etc (to infinity)

Forget about hard time sleeping in the Insight.....I just might have a hard time sleeping tonight in my own bed after reading this post of what this opening above the muffler can be used for and if anyone has tried it.



JoeCVT = Just your average CVT owner

[02insight]

what is that hole originally supposed to be for? IMA vent or something?

[Cobb]

Some truckers have a hole in their truck so they can shxxx n go. Bus drivers just use a cup to pee in and toss it out the window. Pulling over to stretch the legs and remove some unwanted waste isnt a bad thing.

[Artric]

Originally Posted by MN Driver

Is this a picture of your car stripped? I noticed the MIMA adapter in there.

Tons more space available in the back without the IPU there, I also have seen a picture underneath with the gas tank removed too. Lots of space under that hump below the IPU.

I never knew we had a giant thick tube for the gas filler right there, I figured it ran outside the ran instead of on the inside like that. Interesting picture.

Edit: I just noticed why you are pulling it apart in the wet seatbelt thread. I haven't had any water issues in mine, not sure what the proportions are of people who have had water issues.

Yep, I'm pretty much stripped! Had to get up early to put a seat in so I could drive it the other day .

Yep, that's the MIMA adapter. I'm pulling it temporarily while I get some things done on the car. Nothing wrong with the MIMA - just the driver! I'm still getting 75MPG without obsessing over things, so that's nice - and therapeutic. Can't believe I was running a little late this morning and was able to actually keep up with traffic - no 45MPH on the highway!

I definitely miss it though and can't wait to put it back in! Hopefully I'll actually properly mount the joysticks this time (time to get creative).

Regarding space in the rear, I can't stress enough how wasteful Honda was with space. I pulled apart multiple Insights and one G1 Civic Hybrid in the last week or so. The Civic's IMA system takes up about the same space as the wasted space between our rear firewalls and where the battery box starts.

One of the guys that I met up with was planning to put a K24 in his stripped Insight... but now that the trunk is completely stripped, he's thinking about a V6 in the trunk! He'll be pulling it either from an Odyssey or an Accord, not sure yet. I'll encourage him to post here or post what I hear from him. That will be worth the trip back to GA just to see it.

He pointed out that he drives hard and only gets usually under 50MPG (he left his working Insight on the entire time we stripped the other Insight for heat), so it won't be much of a hit for him when he goes to a larger motor.

I've seen stuff just as crazy, if not crazier, so hopefully it happens. I prefer that he finds an NSX motor, but to each his own.

[Artric]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

I've never been able to get a good night's sleep sitting up. If I were to go camping in the Insight, I'd either remove the passenger seat and rig it up so I could lie flat across the cargo area, with my feet near the glove box, or I'd bring a tent.

It turns out that I use more energy at home than I do in the car. To reduce my heating bills, I let the temperature fall to 10°C at night, and I sleep very soundly under an electric blanket that uses 0.5kWh a night. I can sleep in a 4°C room, but I like 10°C better, since my head isn't under the blankets.

I think the best way to do cold-weather camping in an Insight is to sleep in a tent next to the car, running an electric blanket (indirectly) off the traction battery.

When I saw that picture, pooping on my muffler wasn't the first thing that came to mind. My first thought was that I'm looking at an Insight with as much cargo space as a CRX, and seats that could recline far enough for a nap. But that bar that runs across the middle of the car needs to be retained. Honda used it to stiffen the chassis so they could remove weight elsewhere in the car.

Actually, more than anything else, that picture makes me wish for a Prius-style hybrid setup. There's a water-cooled inverter under the hood, instead of having tens of liters of interior space gobbled up by air cooling. Imagine what an Insight would look like if it had nothing in the back but the fuel tank and a battery.

I actually did bring a tent with me, but by I reached my destination that night, I was still wet and freezing, half asleep and I didn't have an electric blanket. On that note - any suggestions? I haven't used my heat at all this winter. I'm in FL, but we've been down to the 30's and had lots of pretty cold days. Blankets and body heat go a long way!

And of course to everyone, I haven't and never plan on pooping from that hole - it just happened to be quite funny when I was sitting in that position while I was disassembling the trunk.

[Artric]

Originally Posted by 02insight

what is that hole originally supposed to be for? IMA vent or something?

Yeah, actually there's a vent that brings air through a rubber tube situated behind the rear firewall/speakers. That air goes through the Magnesium piece that is situated between the DC-DC converter and Motor Drive Module. Inside, heatsinks are plentiful - They're attached directly to the "back" of the DC-DC converter (and there may be some attached to the MDM, I'm not sure). The air is drawn in through the blower that sits behind this these three pieces, and pushed out of the duct that runs directly toward the passenger side of the car, under the duct for the IMA battery fan cooling system.

Hope that makes sense. I feel so much more enlightened now that I've had it all apart - more in touch with my car. I should have taken Mike D's advice and taken it all apart to tinker with way back when I was attaching my first charger!

[RobertSmalls]

Originally Posted by Artric

I was still wet and freezing, half asleep and I didn't have an electric blanket. On that note - any suggestions? I haven't used my heat at all this winter. I'm in FL, but we've been down to the 30's and had lots of pretty cold days. Blankets and body heat go a long way!

If you're at least a little interested in saving energy and keeping your feet warm and happy while you sleep, go order an electric blanket or mattress pad, and turn your thermostat down when it arrives. I ended up with a Sealy-branded electric blanket from Amazon, and I love it. However, a mattress pad would have been less hassle, and perhaps also less warm.

Art, how cold is it inside your house when it's 40°F outside?