I was thinking about getting a hitch for my bike rack but this was in the manual: Toyota does not recommend towing a trailer with your vehicle. Toyota also does not recommend the installation of a tow hitch or the use of a tow hitch carrier for a wheelchair, scooter, bicycle, etc. Your vehicle is not designed for trailer towing or for the use of tow hitch mounted carriers. I understand the drivetrain might not have been designed for towing but why are they frawning on a hitch for a carrier, as long as the weight added does not exceed the total payload capacity? Is the frame super weak or something? Any warranty issue if one is installed against Toyota's recommendation? There are plenty of hitches made for the Prius on the market.
1) Lawyers (Lawyers worry you might forget and mount a trailer, after you had the hitch, especially if you are not the owner who installed the hitch) 2) no 3) no
I was thinking of using a rear luggage carrrier (basket type) for short trips of say 2-5hrs one way(family of 4 plus 4 peices of luggage...do you think the Prius can handle?
Just don't exceed the capicity of the hitch you've installed and you will be fine. I just used my 2" Torklift receiver that I installed to jack up the entire rear end of the car to install my new Eibach lowering springs. I installed the Eibachs (progressive rate springs) to stiffen up the rear when I'm overloading the Prius with bikes and camping gear.
On the driver side door jam is the most weight you can carry. (You, passengers and cargo, including both the hitch and carrier) Do not exceed it.
I installed a Curt Trailer hitch on my PIP when I first purchased the car. Last week I picked up a 4x8 tilt trailer. I havent towed anything with it yet but on the 1.5 hour trip home I got 50mpg. Mostly highway driving.
Thanks all... I saw that Harbour Freight has a lightweight aluminum carrier (30lbs) so I figured 2 peices of luggage, a duffle and a cooler would fit nicely and be under 300#s...leaving me space inside for food etc. I have never seen a Prius with a Hitch or a carrier so I wanted to be sure I was not overlooking something.. I love my Prius 3 ... Regards, Toby
You won't affect your general warranty on unrelated repairs. On the other hand, if you installed an aftermarket hitch contrary to the manual and this directly resulted in a problem, then Toyota would have grounds to refuse warranty coverage on that specific repair. For example, if you did end up towing a heavy trailer and ruined the transmission, it would be up to their goodwill as to whether they'd cover it or not. On the other hand, if your power window breaks, they'd still have to fix it, of course.
At a tongue weight rating of 200# do you think it would be able to support a 30# basket and 200#s of luggage?
I ended up with a trunk mounted rack. Did not care for carrying extra weight full time, and a possible drive train warranty denial. I am using a Thule 9001. Pricy ($185+25 S/H) but seems pretty solid.
I've heard generic rumors of car frames (not necessarily on Prius) being bent from excess tongue weight or torque. A hitch mounted carrier has the ability to apply a lot more torque to the receiver and frame than will a trailer of similar tongue weight. That said, I put a Torklift receiver on mine a few months ago, and have been using a hitch rack for my own rides, and for assisting stranded riders while supporting major regional biking events.
A Prius SAG wagon. Nice! I saw a Honda Fit SAG with a tiny bike trailer holding 3 bikes once. I am not sure why a trailer is needed for 3 bikes but it was cute.
It works quite well. I'd been thinking about getting it set up for bikes last year, then talked to another driver who switched to his 2008-9 Prius mid-event when his truck broke down. The car was doing the job just fine. MPG does fall substantially at highway speed when bikes are loaded, even on the hitch rack, but that has been noticed only on my own long trips. Sag hauling has always been at street speeds along the course, where the Prius excels compared to the old Subaru.
My wife and have been struggling getting kayaks on and off the roof rack and no matter how careful I am the rack does seem to cause some minor paint damage, even a minor dent, to my prius. I have been considering switching to a very light weight trailer designed to haul canoes and kayaks only, maybe bikes. Is there an easy to install hitch available for the gen 3 prius hatchback?
Yes. Do some searching. Many people have installed hitches. I have one on my PIP and it couldnt have been easier. I was done in about 20 mins.
Wow, I am glad I came to the forum. I have a hitch that I was going to put on and then suddenly got quite paranoid. It turns out it's fine and I'm grateful.
