Can the Prius wagon hold 4 foot x 8 foot pieces of plywood, or if not, tow a trailer that can?

no, and yes. but toyota says no towing, so you have to do it on your own.

many here use the harbor freight trailer.

can't you get the materials delivered?

 

idk. you'd have to read through the towing threads, or look for euro specs because they might allow towing.
perhaps an owner who tows will chime in.

 

I'd bet that I can get at least 5 sheets of 4'x8' plywood in our Prius v with its hatch door closed as long as I saw the plywood sheets into smaller pieces.

We use the Curt receiver hitch on our Prius v only for carrying a 2-bike rack but I'd be comfortable towing our 1,500 pound gross weight utility trailer with it ... except I don't tow the utility trailer with the Prius v since we also have a Toyota Sienna that's all set up for towing and is rated to tow 3,500 pounds. The Sienna can also carry a stack of 4'x8' sheets of plywood inside with hatch door closed as long as the 3rd row seats are stowed and the 2nd row seats are removed.

IMO, utility trailers are the unsung heroes of the automotive world. I think I paid about $300 for mine in 1982 and have towed it hundreds of times behind a number of vehicles. It's required a few sets of cheap new tires and one new set of taillights from Walmart but the trailer itself will never wear out. New utility trailers like I have don't cost much more nearly 40 years later and sometimes can be picked up used for cheap.

If you go the utility trailer route, I would suggest getting one that is 5'x9'. I've hauled 4'x8' sheets in our 4'x8' trailer but I have to stand them up diagonally unless I removed the trailer sides which is a hassle.

 

Yes, the European Toyota websites used to laud the capabilities of the Prius+ (the Euro version of the Prius v) for towing small watercraft like sailboats and jet skis. Toyota stopped promoting the towing capabilities of the Prius+ as it introduced more SUV's into the European market. Toyota Europe still sells a tow hitch and trailer wiring harness for the Prius+ but they been relabeled as only for carrying a bike rack. (Note: hitch mounted bike racks in Europe require lights similar to those on trailers.)

 

A good independent lumberyard will deliver big loads for less than you can buy and transport from a HD or similiar. Buy a 2019 or 20 Rav4 hybrid and you will get Toyota approved towing, faster acceleration, awd and still have 40 mpg. With that said, I have the Torklift 2" Hidden Hitch. The concern is the v’s max load is about 900 pounds which includes the people in the car. While the brakes are good, most braking comes from regeneration down to a low speed unless a panic stop is occurring. With a heavy load, especially coming down hills, the regen can quickly max out the battery and resort to engine and friction braking. Which might overload the brakes. The other concern is the cvt tranny which delivers power through a belt.

 

I've towed about 800lbs with our Prius c. It worked properly. I would do it again. I would not plan to plan to pull any greater load, though.

The harbor freight folding trailer weighs about 300lbs once you have it outfitted properly. If you load that trailer with 4 sheets of 5/8" underlayment, the trailer is 456lbs. Any Prius can safely tow that so long as it isn't overloaded internally.

 

How long will the tow be in miles? What sort of terrain? How long will the project take?

Buy the truck used and sell it when the project is all done? Maybe a really old truck that has depreciated to the point where losing much value when selling isn't a big risk? Of an old mini-van? Or just rent a truck for the big loads? Or pay to have delivered? Buy enough and delivery can be very economical if not free.

Stick built? Pre-built walls and trusses are usually delivered and the trusses hoisted into place.

Somehow buying a do everything car means a lot of compromises.

 

Roof rack?

 

amazon?

 

Pretty much need a minivan to pass the 4x8 plywood test and even then I think it might stick out.
We have minivan and a Prius for that reason...not that I do 4x8's that much

 

you will pick up a lot of things, but pallets of lumber and plywood should be delivered for free.

then, small amounts should be easily haulable in a trailer, roof rack or your friends truck

 

How many contractors do you see using a Prius for their job? Anything is possible, but a vehicle really should match the task. Your call.