ALOHA!
I'm a newbie to this site. I have a question for you surfers. I'm getting a '14 Prius L/B 2 next week. Where do you put your smart key, when you go for a surf? I was told to use a realtor lock box locked to the rear tow hitch under the rear bumper. Then someone else said car will recognize your key and the doors won't lock, being that it's a smart key. Not sure what to do. Any solutions?
Thanks and ALOHA in advance.
I have been surfing and kitesurfing for >40y and >12y, respectively. When I recently got my Prius v I thought I was seriously screwed (since I would not be able to lock the doors if the FOB was anywhere near the car (we surfers often put the keys in the wheel well (duh, any crook who hangs out near the beach knows this spot anyway) and also FOB near/in car would allow car to be started and stolen.
Two steps will allow me to surf from my Prius: 1) I will remove the physical key and take it with me into the water to lock & get back into the car and 2) place the FOB into a 'half aluminum can' (cut aluminum soda can in half and then nest the 2 halves with the FOB inside). This second step allows 1) the FOB to stay safely in the car, 2) allows locking the car with physical "door only' key and 3) prevents someone who gets into the car from starting the car (assuming they don't take FOB out of the aluminum can. Aluminum foil may work but seems less reliable.
Alternatively, a friend who works as an engineer for a car maker said there are already dead or weak spots inside the car where the FOB may not work well and in these spots aluminum foil should be sufficient to allow creating a permanent FOB stash spot closing doors and to prevent starting the car.
Prius v is large enough for a 10' surfboard inside (easily a 9'0" or 9'6").
Cowabunga