The Prius isn’t exactly the first vehicle that comes to mind for overlanding. But one California-based entrepreneur has built an entire business proving it can hold its own on the dirt.
A Prius That Can Handle the Backcountry
When most people picture an overlanding rig, they’re thinking lifted trucks, locking differentials, and beefy all-terrain tires. A Toyota Prius isn’t something you’d expect to see in that crowd, but in overlanding and off-road communities online, a growing number of Prius owners are pushing back on that assumption. A number of people are installing lift kits, roof racks, skid plates, and light bars, and driving their hybrids into places you wouldn’t expect to find them.
At the center of that niche is Eric, founder of Prius Offroad, a one-man operation based near Chico, California, that designs and sells off-road parts specifically for second through fifth-generation Prius models, the Prius V, Prius C, and 2009–2026 Corollas.
How a Divorce and a Long Commute Built a Business
Eric didn’t start out as a Prius guy. Before his first hybrid, he was driving an Audi S6 and a Cummins-powered Dodge truck on 40-inch tires. But after a divorce left his then-six-month-old son living 400 miles north in Chico, Eric needed a vehicle that could handle 1,000-mile weekends without bleeding him dry at the pump and could double as a place to sleep.
“I started looking around and went, ‘Gosh, you know, I hate to admit it, but a Prius kind of makes sense,’” Eric said. “I get great fuel economy, and they drive well, and I can fold the seats down, and in the summers, I can have air conditioning running all night, and I can survive that.”
He also used the Prius to travel across the Western U.S. for base jumping — which meant occasionally needing to cover 15 miles of rough dirt road to reach a trailhead after 2,000 miles of highway. Rather than trade the Prius for something with more ground clearance, Eric drew on his background building pre-runners for the Baja 1000 and fabricated his own lift kit.
“I just applied that knowledge and built myself a little lift kit,” he said.
The modified Prius turned heads everywhere he drove it. Gas station stops turned into conversations. Notes appeared on his windshield. People flagged him down on the freeway.
“I kind of thought people were making fun of me at first,” Eric said. Within six months, he had collected 40 phone numbers from people asking him to build them one.
The 1.5-Inch Sweet Spot
Eric’s lift kits raise ride height by 1.5 inches using suspension spacers installed at the top of each coilover shock. He didn’t come by that number arbitrarily.
“I hit the drawing board with a few lift designs, and I started with a three-inch lift, and I was like, ‘That looks ridiculous.’ And it’s putting way too much strain on all the suspension components,” Eric said. He tested a two-inch lift next, but wasn’t comfortable with it either. “My theory is, if I wouldn’t put my son in the car with it, why would I sell it to customers to put their children in it?”
He regularly turns down requests for taller lifts. “I can, but I won’t,” he said. “I have to be able to look myself in the mirror each day and be happy with the person that I am, and I wouldn’t feel good just taking money to put other people’s lives at risk.”
Interestingly, some customers have reported a slight increase in fuel economy after installing the lift. Eric attributes it to smoother momentum in town rather than any aerodynamic change. The caveat: switch to all-terrain tires, and those gains disappear fast.
“For every pound you increase tire weight, you essentially lose a mile per gallon,” Eric explained. “Going from a low rolling resistance tire to an all-terrain tire, you’re going to gain almost 10 pounds. You’re going to lose 10 miles per gallon.”
Who’s Actually Buying Prius Off-Road Kits?
The customer base isn’t a bunch of hardcore rock crawlers. According to Eric, most buyers are outdoor enthusiasts who just need their Prius to clear a rutted forest road or a rocky campsite approach.
“The biggest thing for me is the people that are like, ‘I want to get outside and enjoy what’s in my backyard, but I need something that can get me to the trailhead, and my Prius isn’t cutting it, and I can’t really afford to buy an SUV,’” he said. “I’m all about making do with what you’ve got.”
Only about 5% of his customers are doing anything resembling serious off-roading. The rest are campers, hikers, and bikers who want more versatility from a vehicle they already own and have paid off.
Running the Business Solo
Prius Offroad is, by Eric’s own account, a full-time obsession. On days without his son, he works from 5 a.m. to midnight.
“I probably put in 80 hours a week, but I genuinely love it,” he said.
As for the future, Eric isn’t chasing rapid growth. He’s content serving a niche that barely existed before he showed up to fill it — and he’s open to selling when the right buyer comes along.
“I’d love to sell at that point in time, but until I find the right buyer at the right price, and it makes sense for me, I’m going to be running it until the day I die.”
Source: The Autopian
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