I wouldn't splice if it were mine! I'm actually very good at it too. But it could come back to haunt you in a very expensive way, if you get found out, if you have a warranty claim regarding anything electrical. Use an adjustable aluminum walking stick. I've already solved that issue for less than $7. It works every time, with not a single splice into my stock wiring system. Walking stick uses a tire valve cap on the pointy end to protect the rear hatch button from getting scratches. Problem solved.
Can you leave room mode on and lock your doors while going inside the store? Mainly so the AC is on for dog and someone can't drive off with car and man's best friend. Thanks in advance
Hey there, you tapped into the “close” button for your trunk. The one on the tailgate on the outside is the open only switch. If you stop the hatch halfway from closing if you press the bottom trunk button it will close and if you press the tailgate button by the licence plate it will open only.
I'm on the waiting list for a Rav4 Prime. I am really excited about "My Room Mode". My 2019 Prius Prime doesn't have this, so if I am sitting at a charging station, I can't run the a/c or heat, which kinds sucks. Sitting at a public charger for 2 hours when it's above 85°F without being able to run the a/c, which I had to do at least 30 or 40 times last summer, REALLY sucks. The more I read about the Rav4 Prime, the more excited I am about maybe being able to get one before the hot weather gets here in June. UPDATE: May 2024. So I finally got a Rav4 Prime SE in July 2023, about 10 months ago. I've used My Room mode a couple of times; here's my experience with it. First off, the maximum charge power rate that the 2023 or 2024 Rav4 Prime can take is 7,300 watts - that's 32 amps from a power source that's supplying full 240 volts. After you factor out inefficiency and heat loss in the wiring, the charger, and the battery itself (no energy conversion process can ever be 100% efficient, as stated in the Second Law of Thermodynamics) , the maximum average power flow into the battery is 6,600 watts. Now, when you engage My Room mode, the car's computers will be powered on - that consumes about 400 watts, and you can check this with an OBD-II scan tool - when My Room Mode is not in use, 6,600 watts will be flowing to the battery, but as soon as you enable My Room, this drops to about 6,100 watts before you turn on anything else, like the air conditioning. Now turn on the a/c or heater, and watch the heat pump and radiator fans drain off up to half of that energy: amps in the charge circuit will drop from 16 to 8, and power will drop from 6.1 kW to about 3.2 kW. This will double the amount of time for the battery to reach full charge. Now, if you can stand to cycle the a/c to run maybe 5 minutes out of every 15, this parasitic power drain will be reduced, but it will still take substantially longer to charge. If you use My Room Mode just to run the car stereo or charge small devices like a phone or tablet, the loss will be only a couple hundred watts. But that heat pump takes a huge chunk out of your charge power, and unless you have an OBD-II Scan Tool that can display "HV Battery Power" or "HV Battery Current", you won't know how much.
@@IAmCjcj11 - Gas is averaging $4.50/gallon here. Electricity is 11.5¢/kW-hr, or Zero at a free public charger. It costs me 5 times more to run my Prius Prime on gasoline as it does electricity. And 2 hours of charging gets me 35~40 miles driving range, not just 19 (it's 35 in winter, 40 in summer). And there are at least a dozen free public chargers around town, and more planned. Because the Rav4 Prime only gets 40mpg on gas, compared to 60 in the Prius Prime, the difference in cost between gas and electric is even more extreme. That's why I am willing to wait for 2 hours at a public charger. If gas was cheap, like electricity, I wouldn't bother. There are a few small towns in eastern California - Bishop, Independence, Big Pine, etc. - where gas is $5.50/gallon. For the people that live in those towns in Inyo County, it's a nightmare to be driving something like a full size pickup truck that only gets 12 mpg. Cost you $200/week in gas or diesel fuel to drive a full-size truck in a town like Bishop nowadays. UPDATE: August 2024. I've had my Rav4 Prime for 13 months now, and have taken on 171 charges. About 60% of them have been at free public chargers, the other 40% at home. The free public chargers around my city are all being fed from 3-phase transformers, so I am only getting, at most, 208 volts. One charger that I use fairly frequently is only supplying 180 volts, and that one takes about 3-1/4 hours to charge my R4P if the battery is fully depleted when I arrive. So here's what I've actually received from these free public chargers in the 13 months I've had the car: 841 kW-hr, that would have cost me $116.44 if I had used my home charger. I'm averaging 3.6 miles/kW-hr, so those free charges got me 841*3.6 = 3,027 miles of driving. If I had run the car on gasoline for those miles, I would have used 69 gallons of gas that would have cost me around $300 at the average price that regular has been at the discount stations in my city. Now, you are probably asking yourself, "why would anyone be willing to just sit in a car for 2 or 3 hours to get a couple of bucks worth of free electricity?". That's a valid question, and the answer is that it's not just the free EV charge: I use the time to read! When I am home, I am always busy and never seem to find time to read. When I'm not cooking meals or doing housework, I'm spending my free time on the computer - watching TH-cam videos or commenting on them (ha ha). I have a Samsung 10.5" tablet that's a perfect e-book reader, and I have enough reading material on that device to last the rest of my life, no doubt, with an infinite amount more just a few clicks away on the Internet. Reading has always been an important part of my life, and getting these free public EV charges has become the way that I force myself away from this computer for a few hours a week to sit with a good novel and read.
James, Weather Tech makes insulated inserts pre-cut for windows. They're black on one side, silver on the other. I have no experience with them, but can imagine that they'd be good for privacy and for keeping things dark while you're car camping. You could probably also make your own for cheaper. BTW, I've enjoyed your videos and am looking forward to being able to buy a Rav4 Prime when they're available down here in Florida. I'm hoping to be able to car camp in mine as well, but at 6'5" tall, I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep in the back.
If you are alone and sleep in the middle you could put your head between the seats. You might have to bend your legs a little. It would probably be doable. You would have climate controls. I think bending your legs a bit or sleeping diagonally would be more comfortable than a tent. Thanks for watching!!!!
For us tall people, have you found the RAV4 prime to have enough space in the driver’s seat to see out the front comfortably? I test drove one today and felt like I was a little bit crouched in the headspace department.
@@jacobjohnston8172 Oh yeah. I am very comfortable in the front seat. My wife sits behind me in the back seat so I dont go as far back as I would like to. I would probably go one more notch back otherwise. But its still excellent. Rear seat leg room on the other hand is not as good as our 2012 body style rav4. We were both disappointed in that. I plan a full review video soon. I just wanted to give it a little time so I could be 100% honest with it.
You want to look at the new Crown Signia. 6' 6" of room with the flaps extended against the driver's seat. Even has hole plates to reach into the footwells to grab clothes and food you put there.
Can you possibly answer a question that has got me really frustrated? What happens, in a Rav4 Prime, if you are in Room Mode and you drain the 12v battery? Will the engine run despite being in Room Mode? Will the 12V battery keep receiving a charge from the EV battery? Does Room mode have the intelligence to keep the 12V battery topped up?
@@JamesKlafehn Thanks very much for the reply. A second question if I may: What happens of you are not in Room mode, but are in Ready mode all night. Say you start the night with a fully charged EV battery. Then you use 12v devices (like a CPAP), and/or Climate Controls to the point where the 12v battery is drained. Will the car keep the 12v batter charged, even though it doesn't need to run the engine since the EV battery is full?
@@MarkDHastingsMusic if your vehicle is not running the battery will die if you are using power, just like any other vehicle, If it is running, it wont die.
@@JamesKlafehn Thanks James. It's hard to find a good explanation of the dual electrical systems (12V and EV Batteries) in these cars. I keep getting told that there is no alternator in the car, yet the engine has to run to keep the 12V battery charged. For me, this is very important to know as I use a CPAP and running down the 12V in the middle of the night is not as fun as it sounds. ;-}
@@MarkDHastingsMusic There is no alternator but there is an inverter that does the same thing. It takes the high voltage DC power and recharges the 12v battery. But its only on when the car is running or charging.
Can you run room mode while not charging? I was wondering how we could enable climate controls while car camping off in the woods. If not room mode, can you just leave the car on and run climate controls that way?
You just leave the car on. When you turn it off it gives you the option to leave it on indefinitely. Otherwise it will turn off automatically after an hour.
@@JamesKlafehn I have a suggestion for your next video. Do a roof rails swap tutorial. Take out your original roof rails and replace them with the raised Adventure rails.
@@JamesKlafehn Oh yeah, Prinsu rails and racks are always the go-to option for offroading/overlanding. You could just do a detailed tutorial video on how to drop the headliner and take them out though. :)
You can also tap into that button on the dash to open the rear door. That would be much easier, and you can mount the new button closer to your upper body instead of back by your feet. :)
Once again, the Rav4 prime is smarter than we are. Hey, I was flabbergasted when I couldnt remove the charger when the doors were locked. I nearly lost my 💩
just curious - if you're using room mode, how long does it take to charge using a fast charger from 0%? i'm just curious if i can actually sit in the car while it charges and use room mode or if its better to leave it and go for a walk
How smart are their software coders LOL. Have you contacted Toyota regarding a better Room mode? One would think they watch your videos for good ideas!!!
The upper button pops that solenoid as well as open the door. Tap into the top button. There might be two power wires coming off the top button, one for the solenoid tho pop the lock and one to engage the motor to open the door.
Interesting video. Seems to me that a lot of the problems you’re experiencing could be eliminated by simply setting a climate control schedule while plugged in and not using room mode at all. I don’t believe there’s a limit for schedules that you can set and you could literally set schedules to turn the climate control on in regular intervals to maintain temperature all night long. That should allow the car to charge to 100%, your back door remote would still work and you would keep your climate control. I believe the car is set to operate climate control utilizing the X ternal power source when plugged in. The only pain in the butt would be setting that many climate control schedules in the cars computer and Toyota may have programmed a maximum amount or put in a hard stop if the key is present in the car. Let me know if you test that and if you don’t maybe I will just for fun! Thanks for the video!
Don’t forget to make a child safety switch. When the kids get bigger, and if they riding in the trunk for fun or in a full car with friends or family in the back seat & you stick the little ones in the back, they could press the new button and fall out, while you’re driving.
I’ve been concerned about that. I have two boxers that love riding in the back of my FJ Cruiser. I car camped in it once and left the rear window popped but room mode would add a new dimension in comfort when I get a Prime.
oh wow... how much was final cost to own.. does it still have $7500 federal tax credit or it got lowered to $4500(thats what my dealership is telling but I was doubtful)
I have not ever used a public charger but have seen ones that charge per hour you are plugged in (vs amount of electricity used) how were you charged for using this charger? ie what did this cost you to charge all night and get those 21.85kw?
That charger is a complimentary charger from MoM's in Frederick. Ya just have to push start and its free while you are parked there. Its constantly occupied because of it haha. That is probably why they ripped out the 50kw one.
You said to put your foot on the brake but if I put my foot on the brake before I hit the power button it will not let me go into room mode. I have to keep my foot off the break and then hit the power button
It looks too me as a safety issue. What if a kid or someone pushes the button when the car is running? Thats the same thing why it doesnt open with the remote when the car is on... thats my guess. If you push it in an accident something can fall when you are in the road.
I don’t own an electric vehicle but what are the ethics/etiquette of occupying a charging station overnight, especially if there’s only 2 spots available?
Do you have to start the car to use Room Mode? Could you put it into Accessory mode instead (Press power without pressing the break I think). Then see if the key buttons would work.
@@JamesKlafehn In the case where you are not plugged in, do you know if the high voltage battery (starting fully charged) has enough power to run the accessories all night long? If the battery does run low, will the engine automatically turn on?
That's gotta be the best car to be car homeless in. 21.85 kwh at a charging station that sells electricity at its real market price is less than $2. So less than $60/mo in "utility bills", while the car payment is the "rent". The reason it's best is because it's a Toyota, not a fucking Tesla. They're not gonna take your car away from you for several days and charge you several thousand dollars to fix a problem that requires replacing a single fuse or replacing a single lightbulb - you can get quick and easy service at absolutely any repair shop that handles Toyota hybrids, and they'll have the parts right there on hand, in high quality and at low price. And also because the charger that comes with the car is sufficient to actually charge it. From any outlet. Just plug in and sleep. And you won't have any range anxiety or anything - drive in the combined eco mode and get the cheapest travel possible while not losing all battery charge.
Good question. IDK if they are disabled when in Room Mode. Ill have to check that. I am always in the rear when in Room Mode so I have never hit the brake.
I'd want them on. For the same reason I leave the porch lights on. No one's going to bug you if they assume someone's inside. They might if they think there's a car unattended.
I'm confused about what battery is being used for all of this? Does anything run off the 12V battery and is there risk of running that battery down? Specifically do any of the plug-in outlets run off the 12V battery? The XSE trim has the 120 outlet in the trunk area and I watched something that indicated that outlet would run off the 12V battery? Also, I just saw a video for an older RAV4 that showed how to open the rear door from inside by taking off the plastic cover in the center of the door at the base, is that still the case with the Prime model? (Just curious for emergency situations, or when your button doesn't work, lol)
the AC/heter use the main 400v battery. the rest uses the rest uses the 12v battery witch gets topt up from the main 400v battery. woed be interesting to see if the 12v battery is constantly being charged or that its being cycled.
Does anyone know if non-plugin hybrid Toyotas do this? I'm considering a highlander hybrid for car camping. I don't like idling my minivan continuously if I need power.
Why is the long usb cord needed to hear audio from ur mobile device to the car radio, I have xle rav4 and can play mine via Bluetooth. Does the Bluetooth shut off when in “my room” mode? Also about the door locking situation. Anyone have an answer if the phone app could be used to lock and unlock doors while you in it and car is in “my room mode”. Does the cars hotspot stay on when in “my room” is on?
You mention trying to hit the door open button at the front. could you hit the ignition button? would that turn "room-mode off" and then use the fob? its interesting Toyota thought that through and disabled the inner gate button when the door is shut. Wonder if they disabled the outer button if the door is up? :O next video? hahaha
If you hit the power button and turn off the car then room mode turns off. If you want to turn it back on you have to be in the driver seat, foot on the brake, tap the power, enter room mode again. Its a lot just to open the door. And if you are doing all of that from the drivers seat, just hit the rear door button. good thought, outer door button does work when door is up. very odd.
@@JamesKlafehn Oh its alot of work for sure - think this a design flaw and we need to get this submitted to Toytota as a Request for Enhancement. But if the power button does turn off room-mode, then a small W/A for now. ->press the power button - turns off room-mode + good ol' stick ->hit key fob button for door = freedom
I have watched most of your videos so I know you have been all over the wiring in your RAV4P. Have you tried to get the rear 12V socket to stay on all the time instead of just when the ignition is on? Do you think/know that the DCDC converter would keep the 12V battery charged so I can run a small inverter off the 12V socket while camping?
I have. I installed a fused distribution block in the rear of my car and I power that plug with constant power. The fuse block is in my amazon store, link is in the description.
I am sure, since the Rav4 Prime has a huge battery. The AC can just run on the battery. If the battery can drive the 4000 lb vehicle for 42 miles by itself, I am sure it has enough energy for the "room mode" for the entire night and more.
@@JamesKlafehn well yes, but I mean just to sleep in the back..you don't need to have power on to sleep in the back. Unless you have the heat going, of course.
So you can't lock the car when in Room Mode? That's kinda scary. What about when not charging, and just using climate control? Then can you have the light at the front off and door locked?
So what I did was use the charge point app on my phone to turn off power supply thus turning off the room mode /power then use the key fob to open the back door 😅❤
So someone can open that door while you're sleeping? yeesh. difficult problem... Hmm, maybe it detects that the keyfob is in your pocket so neither button will work once the door is closed?
No. This is a feature that is used when the car is plugged in and charging the battery. In a hybrid you would just leave it running if you were sleeping in it.
Instead of routing a wire from the front, why don't you splice the wires of the exterior button on the hatch?...please don't tell us that this one is wired to only open...
lol you do sound confused. To answer your question, you CANT! LOL I dont mean to sound mean but if you arent charging why would you need Room Mode? You just leave the car running.... Then you have your climate controls on.
@@JamesKlafehn Yes, I am one of the ones with the questions about how to stealth camp, or camp in the boonies. We have no charging stations here, so I know nothing about them. Thank you for being patient with those of us who do not understand how all of this works.
If the Rav4 be rocking, don't come knocking.
I wouldn't splice if it were mine! I'm actually very good at it too. But it could come back to haunt you in a very expensive way, if you get found out, if you have a warranty claim regarding anything electrical. Use an adjustable aluminum walking stick. I've already solved that issue for less than $7. It works every time, with not a single splice into my stock wiring system. Walking stick uses a tire valve cap on the pointy end to protect the rear hatch button from getting scratches. Problem solved.
So do you just hog the charger station all night?
Can you leave room mode on and lock your doors while going inside the store? Mainly so the AC is on for dog and someone can't drive off with car and man's best friend. Thanks in advance
Live testing is always valuable :) Thanx for this.
Hey there, you tapped into the “close” button for your trunk. The one on the tailgate on the outside is the open only switch. If you stop the hatch halfway from closing if you press the bottom trunk button it will close and if you press the tailgate button by the licence plate it will open only.
That is correct.
Can you car camp room mode without being plugged-in
I have an extending back scratcher, works perfectly to hit the button next to the steering wheel! 😆
I'm on the waiting list for a Rav4 Prime. I am really excited about "My Room Mode". My 2019 Prius Prime doesn't have this, so if I am sitting at a charging station, I can't run the a/c or heat, which kinds sucks. Sitting at a public charger for 2 hours when it's above 85°F without being able to run the a/c, which I had to do at least 30 or 40 times last summer, REALLY sucks. The more I read about the Rav4 Prime, the more excited I am about maybe being able to get one before the hot weather gets here in June.
UPDATE: May 2024. So I finally got a Rav4 Prime SE in July 2023, about 10 months ago. I've used My Room mode a couple of times; here's my experience with it. First off, the maximum charge power rate that the 2023 or 2024 Rav4 Prime can take is 7,300 watts - that's 32 amps from a power source that's supplying full 240 volts. After you factor out inefficiency and heat loss in the wiring, the charger, and the battery itself (no energy conversion process can ever be 100% efficient, as stated in the Second Law of Thermodynamics) , the maximum average power flow into the battery is 6,600 watts. Now, when you engage My Room mode, the car's computers will be powered on - that consumes about 400 watts, and you can check this with an OBD-II scan tool - when My Room Mode is not in use, 6,600 watts will be flowing to the battery, but as soon as you enable My Room, this drops to about 6,100 watts before you turn on anything else, like the air conditioning. Now turn on the a/c or heater, and watch the heat pump and radiator fans drain off up to half of that energy: amps in the charge circuit will drop from 16 to 8, and power will drop from 6.1 kW to about 3.2 kW. This will double the amount of time for the battery to reach full charge. Now, if you can stand to cycle the a/c to run maybe 5 minutes out of every 15, this parasitic power drain will be reduced, but it will still take substantially longer to charge. If you use My Room Mode just to run the car stereo or charge small devices like a phone or tablet, the loss will be only a couple hundred watts. But that heat pump takes a huge chunk out of your charge power, and unless you have an OBD-II Scan Tool that can display "HV Battery Power" or "HV Battery Current", you won't know how much.
Why would you wait 2 hours at a charger for 19 miles of range? Wouldn’t you just get gas and move on?
@@IAmCjcj11 - Gas is averaging $4.50/gallon here. Electricity is 11.5¢/kW-hr, or Zero at a free public charger. It costs me 5 times more to run my Prius Prime on gasoline as it does electricity. And 2 hours of charging gets me 35~40 miles driving range, not just 19 (it's 35 in winter, 40 in summer). And there are at least a dozen free public chargers around town, and more planned. Because the Rav4 Prime only gets 40mpg on gas, compared to 60 in the Prius Prime, the difference in cost between gas and electric is even more extreme. That's why I am willing to wait for 2 hours at a public charger. If gas was cheap, like electricity, I wouldn't bother. There are a few small towns in eastern California - Bishop, Independence, Big Pine, etc. - where gas is $5.50/gallon. For the people that live in those towns in Inyo County, it's a nightmare to be driving something like a full size pickup truck that only gets 12 mpg. Cost you $200/week in gas or diesel fuel to drive a full-size truck in a town like Bishop nowadays.
UPDATE: August 2024. I've had my Rav4 Prime for 13 months now, and have taken on 171 charges. About 60% of them have been at free public chargers, the other 40% at home. The free public chargers around my city are all being fed from 3-phase transformers, so I am only getting, at most, 208 volts. One charger that I use fairly frequently is only supplying 180 volts, and that one takes about 3-1/4 hours to charge my R4P if the battery is fully depleted when I arrive. So here's what I've actually received from these free public chargers in the 13 months I've had the car: 841 kW-hr, that would have cost me $116.44 if I had used my home charger. I'm averaging 3.6 miles/kW-hr, so those free charges got me 841*3.6 = 3,027 miles of driving. If I had run the car on gasoline for those miles, I would have used 69 gallons of gas that would have cost me around $300 at the average price that regular has been at the discount stations in my city.
Now, you are probably asking yourself, "why would anyone be willing to just sit in a car for 2 or 3 hours to get a couple of bucks worth of free electricity?". That's a valid question, and the answer is that it's not just the free EV charge: I use the time to read! When I am home, I am always busy and never seem to find time to read. When I'm not cooking meals or doing housework, I'm spending my free time on the computer - watching TH-cam videos or commenting on them (ha ha). I have a Samsung 10.5" tablet that's a perfect e-book reader, and I have enough reading material on that device to last the rest of my life, no doubt, with an infinite amount more just a few clicks away on the Internet. Reading has always been an important part of my life, and getting these free public EV charges has become the way that I force myself away from this computer for a few hours a week to sit with a good novel and read.
James, Weather Tech makes insulated inserts pre-cut for windows. They're black on one side, silver on the other. I have no experience with them, but can imagine that they'd be good for privacy and for keeping things dark while you're car camping. You could probably also make your own for cheaper. BTW, I've enjoyed your videos and am looking forward to being able to buy a Rav4 Prime when they're available down here in Florida. I'm hoping to be able to car camp in mine as well, but at 6'5" tall, I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep in the back.
If you are alone and sleep in the middle you could put your head between the seats. You might have to bend your legs a little. It would probably be doable. You would have climate controls. I think bending your legs a bit or sleeping diagonally would be more comfortable than a tent. Thanks for watching!!!!
For us tall people, have you found the RAV4 prime to have enough space in the driver’s seat to see out the front comfortably? I test drove one today and felt like I was a little bit crouched in the headspace department.
@@jacobjohnston8172 Oh yeah. I am very comfortable in the front seat. My wife sits behind me in the back seat so I dont go as far back as I would like to. I would probably go one more notch back otherwise. But its still excellent. Rear seat leg room on the other hand is not as good as our 2012 body style rav4. We were both disappointed in that. I plan a full review video soon. I just wanted to give it a little time so I could be 100% honest with it.
You want to look at the new Crown Signia.
6' 6" of room with the flaps extended against the driver's seat.
Even has hole plates to reach into the footwells to grab clothes and food you put there.
Can you possibly answer a question that has got me really frustrated? What happens, in a Rav4 Prime, if you are in Room Mode and you drain the 12v battery?
Will the engine run despite being in Room Mode? Will the 12V battery keep receiving a charge from the EV battery? Does Room mode have the intelligence to keep the 12V battery topped up?
Room mode only works when its plugged in and charging. When its charging the car keeps the 12v battery charged.
@@JamesKlafehn Thanks very much for the reply. A second question if I may: What happens of you are not in Room mode, but are in Ready mode all night. Say you start the night with a fully charged EV battery. Then you use 12v devices (like a CPAP), and/or Climate Controls to the point where the 12v battery is drained. Will the car keep the 12v batter charged, even though it doesn't need to run the engine since the EV battery is full?
@@MarkDHastingsMusic if your vehicle is not running the battery will die if you are using power, just like any other vehicle, If it is running, it wont die.
@@JamesKlafehn Thanks James. It's hard to find a good explanation of the dual electrical systems (12V and EV Batteries) in these cars. I keep getting told that there is no alternator in the car, yet the engine has to run to keep the 12V battery charged. For me, this is very important to know as I use a CPAP and running down the 12V in the middle of the night is not as fun as it sounds. ;-}
@@MarkDHastingsMusic There is no alternator but there is an inverter that does the same thing. It takes the high voltage DC power and recharges the 12v battery. But its only on when the car is running or charging.
When did TH-cam videos turn into meetings that should have been an email?
When I posted this video? IDK
@@JamesKlafehn
Knowing is half the battle.
Can you run room mode while not charging? I was wondering how we could enable climate controls while car camping off in the woods. If not room mode, can you just leave the car on and run climate controls that way?
You just leave the car on. When you turn it off it gives you the option to leave it on indefinitely. Otherwise it will turn off automatically after an hour.
@@JamesKlafehn I have a suggestion for your next video. Do a roof rails swap tutorial. Take out your original roof rails and replace them with the raised Adventure rails.
@@CumBrianFries That is an interesting Idea. I dont really want them though. I would like to install a Prinsu rack but its so expensive!
@@JamesKlafehn Oh yeah, Prinsu rails and racks are always the go-to option for offroading/overlanding. You could just do a detailed tutorial video on how to drop the headliner and take them out though. :)
@@CumBrianFries yeah its on my mind. It will be a lot of work
You can also tap into that button on the dash to open the rear door. That would be much easier, and you can mount the new button closer to your upper body instead of back by your feet. :)
he talks about that at 10:39
I think it is made on purpose as a protection, so the rear door will not be opened by some accident cargo movement inside.
Once again, the Rav4 prime is smarter than we are. Hey, I was flabbergasted when I couldnt remove the charger when the doors were locked. I nearly lost my 💩
Did you see my video about how to solve this issue?
What mattress did you use?
When in Room Mode and not connected to a charger, does the engine start and stop automatically to keep the battery charged?
Room mode is only available when charging.
You know theres a "t" sound in button right? I'm just messing with you :)
Is this the earliest model with this feature???
Dude get the Amazon LED interior kit for the Rav4. It’s sooooo much better.
I need it!
just curious - if you're using room mode, how long does it take to charge using a fast charger from 0%? i'm just curious if i can actually sit in the car while it charges and use room mode or if its better to leave it and go for a walk
Doesnt the remote have an open and close for the back door?
It doesnt work when the car is on.
How smart are their software coders LOL. Have you contacted Toyota regarding a better Room mode? One would think they watch your videos for good ideas!!!
Very kind. No I havent talked to anyone at toyota. I doubt they would need anything from me.
Toyota is pissed at me now. I just found out they watch my videos. They are mad at my last video about the broken lug nut.
@@JamesKlafehn Again, if that is their response I am less likely to buy. That is a super childish response and makes no sense.
How do you have your cell phone mounted to or near the left side of the instrument panel?
The upper button pops that solenoid as well as open the door. Tap into the top button. There might be two power wires coming off the top button, one for the solenoid tho pop the lock and one to engage the motor to open the door.
Interesting video. Seems to me that a lot of the problems you’re experiencing could be eliminated by simply setting a climate control schedule while plugged in and not using room mode at all.
I don’t believe there’s a limit for schedules that you can set and you could literally set schedules to turn the climate control on in regular intervals to maintain temperature all night long.
That should allow the car to charge to 100%, your back door remote would still work and you would keep your climate control. I believe the car is set to operate climate control utilizing the X ternal power source when plugged in.
The only pain in the butt would be setting that many climate control schedules in the cars computer and Toyota may have programmed a maximum amount or put in a hard stop if the key is present in the car.
Let me know if you test that and if you don’t maybe I will just for fun!
Thanks for the video!
Don’t forget to make a child safety switch. When the kids get bigger, and if they riding in the trunk for fun or in a full car with friends or family in the back seat & you stick the little ones in the back, they could press the new button and fall out, while you’re driving.
It won’t open while in motion. Just like the oem button
I’ve been concerned about that. I have two boxers that love riding in the back of my FJ Cruiser. I car camped in it once and left the rear window popped but room mode would add a new dimension in comfort when I get a Prime.
I lived in the hotel behind there for a month when I first got to Maryland.
Not clear to me - do you need to be connected to a charging station to get heat all night?
Room Mode is only applicable when you are charging. Why would you need it otherwise? You would just leave the car on....
Nice real life video. Good job
Glad you enjoyed it
Just wondering Does the parking lights stay on all the time
you can turn them off
What size air mattress works in there? I just bought the Prime XSE Premium in blueprint blue.
oh wow... how much was final cost to own.. does it still have $7500 federal tax credit or it got lowered to $4500(thats what my dealership is telling but I was doubtful)
Its in my Amazon store. Here is a link to the mattress. amzn.to/2IRWLuM
@@nitinataustin I leased so I didnt get the tax credit. It goes to the leasing company. Instead I received 0% interest for my lease.
@@nitinataustin $7500 federal rebate along with $2500 county Air resources Board and $1500 state.
Wondering how much power it needs to pull at -15 to -20c temperature. If that works out it'd be perfect for ski trips
Just got my prime today. Can I use room mode when it plugged in, for example: camping at a campsite in the car?
That is exactly what Room Mode is for, for when the car is plugged in. If it wasnt plugged in you just leave the car running and sleep in the back.
@@JamesKlafehn I have the SE trim with weather package. The button that says DOOR up by the SOS... what does that do?
@@TeddyD802 Door turns the dome lights on and off when the door is open. You can have that feature on or off.
I have not ever used a public charger but have seen ones that charge per hour you are plugged in (vs amount of electricity used) how were you charged for using this charger? ie what did this cost you to charge all night and get those 21.85kw?
That charger is a complimentary charger from MoM's in Frederick. Ya just have to push start and its free while you are parked there. Its constantly occupied because of it haha. That is probably why they ripped out the 50kw one.
As Zeegen said. It was free. Many public charging stations are free. Its an incentive from the owner to get people to the business.
Toyota should employ you as a tester !
That would be nice!
You said to put your foot on the brake but if I put my foot on the brake before I hit the power button it will not let me go into room mode. I have to keep my foot off the break and then hit the power button
Im sorry but I dont remember. Its been years since I made this video.
Can you use room mode all night without it being plugged in like a Prius?
You wouldnt need room mode for that. Just leave the car turned on. Room mode is for when you are inside the car AND charging.
It looks too me as a safety issue. What if a kid or someone pushes the button when the car is running? Thats the same thing why it doesnt open with the remote when the car is on... thats my guess. If you push it in an accident something can fall when you are in the road.
I don’t own an electric vehicle but what are the ethics/etiquette of occupying a charging station overnight, especially if there’s only 2 spots available?
It takes most of the night to charge an ev from empty to full.
What, so most electric car owners drop their car off at the charger and then catch an Uber home? This is so disingenuous.
@@stephenfrancais AC chargers at hotels?
@@PersonaN007Grata But if you are at a hotel, why do you need Room Mode?
Do you have to start the car to use Room Mode? Could you put it into Accessory mode instead (Press power without pressing the break I think). Then see if the key buttons would work.
The car wont stay in accessory mode while charging. This is only for use when charging. If you arent charging you can simply leave the car on.
@@JamesKlafehn will the ac or heat run all night like a Prius does, without being plugged in?
@@JamesKlafehn In the case where you are not plugged in, do you know if the high voltage battery (starting fully charged) has enough power to run the accessories all night long? If the battery does run low, will the engine automatically turn on?
That's gotta be the best car to be car homeless in. 21.85 kwh at a charging station that sells electricity at its real market price is less than $2. So less than $60/mo in "utility bills", while the car payment is the "rent".
The reason it's best is because it's a Toyota, not a fucking Tesla. They're not gonna take your car away from you for several days and charge you several thousand dollars to fix a problem that requires replacing a single fuse or replacing a single lightbulb - you can get quick and easy service at absolutely any repair shop that handles Toyota hybrids, and they'll have the parts right there on hand, in high quality and at low price.
And also because the charger that comes with the car is sufficient to actually charge it. From any outlet. Just plug in and sleep. And you won't have any range anxiety or anything - drive in the combined eco mode and get the cheapest travel possible while not losing all battery charge.
Only the highest end Rav4 hybrid model has the plug in option and even then those are rare this year
I'm sorry but I have no audio do you have air conditioning in this mode
Yes
How much was it to charge in that particular charge station overnight while in room mode?
I dont remember. I believe it was a free charging station. I usually use free ones.
Learned about Chargepoint and more in this video. Glad I found it early on.
Do the outside lichts(presumably brake) turn of after a while? when i'm sleping in a car i don't want to attract any attention :D
Good question. IDK if they are disabled when in Room Mode. Ill have to check that. I am always in the rear when in Room Mode so I have never hit the brake.
I'd want them on. For the same reason I leave the porch lights on. No one's going to bug you if they assume someone's inside. They might if they think there's a car unattended.
@@icanmanifest But I want to be in the boonies not attracting attention with lights.
I'm confused about what battery is being used for all of this? Does anything run off the 12V battery and is there risk of running that battery down? Specifically do any of the plug-in outlets run off the 12V battery? The XSE trim has the 120 outlet in the trunk area and I watched something that indicated that outlet would run off the 12V battery?
Also, I just saw a video for an older RAV4 that showed how to open the rear door from inside by taking off the plastic cover in the center of the door at the base, is that still the case with the Prime model? (Just curious for emergency situations, or when your button doesn't work, lol)
the AC/heter use the main 400v battery. the rest uses the rest uses the 12v battery witch gets topt up from the main 400v battery. woed be interesting to see if the 12v battery is constantly being charged or that its being cycled.
Does anyone know if non-plugin hybrid Toyotas do this? I'm considering a highlander hybrid for car camping. I don't like idling my minivan continuously if I need power.
No. Its a Prime feature.
Why is the long usb cord needed to hear audio from ur mobile device to the car radio, I have xle rav4 and can play mine via Bluetooth. Does the Bluetooth shut off when in “my room” mode?
Also about the door locking situation. Anyone have an answer if the phone app could be used to lock and unlock doors while you in it and car is in “my room mode”.
Does the cars hotspot stay on when in “my room” is on?
You mention trying to hit the door open button at the front.
could you hit the ignition button? would that turn "room-mode off" and then use the fob?
its interesting Toyota thought that through and disabled the inner gate button when the door is shut. Wonder if they disabled the outer button if the door is up? :O next video? hahaha
If you hit the power button and turn off the car then room mode turns off. If you want to turn it back on you have to be in the driver seat, foot on the brake, tap the power, enter room mode again. Its a lot just to open the door. And if you are doing all of that from the drivers seat, just hit the rear door button.
good thought, outer door button does work when door is up. very odd.
@@JamesKlafehn Oh its alot of work for sure - think this a design flaw and we need to get this submitted to Toytota as a Request for Enhancement.
But if the power button does turn off room-mode, then a small W/A for now.
->press the power button - turns off room-mode + good ol' stick
->hit key fob button for door
= freedom
Those looking of tyre bolts and breaking of on bolt..any specific reason please mention !
So, while you're sleeping, anyone can open the hatch door just by pressing the button on the outside?
Good question. IDK. I dont think so as long as your car is locked.
the inside button did not work because the tail gate system detected the key fob from inside , that's why , leave the key fob outside and try .
Thank you! This was very helpful for me
Is it hybrid or full electric?
its a plug in hybrid.
I have watched most of your videos so I know you have been all over the wiring in your RAV4P. Have you tried to get the rear 12V socket to stay on all the time instead of just when the ignition is on? Do you think/know that the DCDC converter would keep the 12V battery charged so I can run a small inverter off the 12V socket while camping?
I have. I installed a fused distribution block in the rear of my car and I power that plug with constant power. The fuse block is in my amazon store, link is in the description.
As for testing the dc to dc, I did that here. th-cam.com/video/EuZpGNBIFQI/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching!
@@JamesKlafehn Oh thanks. I actually thought I had heard you talking about it but I couldn't find which video....
Also did the engine ever turn on while in room mode?
No it doesnt come on just to heat the car. The ICE isnt needed for any heating or cooling.
How is sleeping in the X compared to the Rav?
The X is longer which is nice but the headroom was bad. It could make someone cluster-phobic. The Prime is much better to sleep in.
@@JamesKlafehn other than sleeping. How is the ride quality when driving? Noise, comfort etc
@@JamesKlafehn is the sleeping area the same as the RAV4 hybrid, and as flat? How is it compared to a Tesla Y?
@@MechayaAlta It is probably almost identical to a hybrid Rav4. It has more headroom than any Tesla for sure.
New drinking game. Take a shot each time he says butt-un.
Yeah there was about 1,000+ butt-uns. lol
Will room mode work if not plugged in?
I am sure, since the Rav4 Prime has a huge battery. The AC can just run on the battery. If the battery can drive the 4000 lb vehicle for 42 miles by itself, I am sure it has enough energy for the "room mode" for the entire night and more.
how many hours are the heater/air condition last in the room mode without the charging over night?
It continues to run until you turn off the car or unplug the car.
Is this is any different than sleeping in the hybrid rav4?
You are using electricity and not gas.
@@JamesKlafehn well yes, but I mean just to sleep in the back..you don't need to have power on to sleep in the back. Unless you have the heat going, of course.
@@JamesKlafehn what about summer. Can set a low temperature?
@@NorthlandDWJ If you leave the car running you can do it anytime. If you are plugged in yes you can use room mode.
So you can't lock the car when in Room Mode? That's kinda scary. What about when not charging, and just using climate control? Then can you have the light at the front off and door locked?
I use a 28 inch tension curtain rod to poke the buttons on the driver door to lock and unlock the vehicle when it is running.
Button probably wouldn’t work when the door is locked maybe?
So what I did was use the charge point app on my phone to turn off power supply thus turning off the room mode /power then use the key fob to open the back door 😅❤
Does anyone know why it says “ignition on” while in room mode? What does that mean, the engine is running?
It isnt in in Ready mode because its plugged in. So it says ignition on.
@@JamesKlafehn interesting. Appreciate the response!
@@andreleiva5165 no problem!
You need to tap into the button that opens the trunk from your dashboard in the front of the car
You cant easily reach it from the rear of the vehicle. Hence my switch installation.
Can't you use the key fob to open the trunk?
6:39 No
No, that's the point of all of this. I have mentioned a few times that the keyfob doesnt work when the car is on. When you are charing, the car is on.
@@JamesKlafehn just wondering if you could stick your hand out through rear door window with the key and then open it that way
Thanks man! Probably going car camping this weekend upstate if I can find a good spot
Happy to help! Don't forget to hit that thumbs up button for me! Thank you!
So someone can open that door while you're sleeping? yeesh. difficult problem... Hmm, maybe it detects that the keyfob is in your pocket so neither button will work once the door is closed?
If you are inside the car you can lock it with the door if I remember correctly. But you can use the remote and lock it if it is in room mode.
That's what his Glock is for
Can you do this on a rav4 hybrid that is not prime?
No. This is a feature that is used when the car is plugged in and charging the battery. In a hybrid you would just leave it running if you were sleeping in it.
Instead of routing a wire from the front, why don't you splice the wires of the exterior button on the hatch?...please don't tell us that this one is wired to only open...
2:04 STARTS HERE
Thank you
You're welcome
I'll bet that you could order a service manual from the Toyota parts department that shows the wiring diagram.
Is it available for the Prime?
So hard to believe this won't damage engine.
I'm in to get hybrid if this works
Lol why would it damage an engine? It’s not being used. This only works on the Prime plug in.
70F is 21C
Yeah, my room mode works better when I book a hotel room.
Haha true
Y u watch then?
Go Buffaloooooo!!!!
Say button one more time mate
button
Very confusing video. Main question is how do you use room mode when you’re actually camping and not plugged in.?
lol you do sound confused. To answer your question, you CANT! LOL I dont mean to sound mean but if you arent charging why would you need Room Mode? You just leave the car running.... Then you have your climate controls on.
@@JamesKlafehn thanks for the prompt reply. probably was a dumb question.
@@hummer219 No problem at all. Other people might have had the same question. I am glad you asked! Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@JamesKlafehn Yes, I am one of the ones with the questions about how to stealth camp, or camp in the boonies. We have no charging stations here, so I know nothing about them. Thank you for being patient with those of us who do not understand how all of this works.
Maybe the button is mad that you're calling it a butt-en
maybe point to what you are talking about?
D'OH
The button? Yeah, that sucked. But its good now.
Chi-pole-tay
You don’t want it working with it closed because people with kids could open it when the car is moving.
The OEM button doesnt work when the car is moving and neither does mine. I only trigger the same wires. So mine doesnt work while moving either...