I bought a 2009 Prius with 230,000 Miles.

Be careful. A Prius' "towing" (load) capacity is met with passengers alone. The roof top carrier could be the biggest problem combined with any luggage in the back. The Prius brakes are not designed for high loads, partially because of the regenerative braking. With extra weight the regen will fill the battery faster than normal, negating regen and working the brakes hard.
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Yeah just ticking off the list:

Four adults
Semi-skookum trailer
Dirt Bike!
Full size roof carrier, with undisclosed weight
Hatch area?

 

It wouldn't surprise me if the speed bump issue was load related. Or maybe suspension age related. Or maybe a combination. Sounds like you got yourself a great car, @Simbaboy!

 

I love that little trailer. I have the 8-foot model, but may be giving it up for the little one, but mounting the bike cross wise on the back with a hitch carrier.

I put Firestone air bags on the rear of my 2016. They are tough to put in (do it on a hot day, after the bags have soaked up some heat from the sun). They slip into the coils. Really helps keep the butt of the car up where it belongs.

 

"Large adults"?? Like robust in-laws?

 

"Robust." Great euphemism. LOL!

 

How do you manage that: filling up with the highest octane (that's often ethanol free), or some independent station?

 

I filled up with Chevron Supreme Plus once (sticker on it's pump says ethanol-free), didn't see much difference, say better mpg.



Maybe it was 3 steps forward and one back: the ethanol-delete being the plus, the higher octane (harder to ignite?) being the negative?

One time up the coast in a small town we filled up with Chevron Regular, and that tank got the BEST mpg I'd ever seen, and it seemed effortless/easy to achieve. I suspect it was ethanol-free Regular: I've read sometimes out-of-the-way stations will be ethanol free; there's a mandated requirement to supply a certain percent of ethanol-laced gas, and that mandate tends to get met in the metropolitan centres, whereas small towns may have technical difficulties getting ethanol, so they're skipped.

 

Whew!! Good place for a PiP or a Prime.

 

3000 grit 3M Trizact sandpaper
1200 grit 3M flexible sanding sponge
Meguiars Ultimate Compound
Polishing pad for drill
Or hand polishing pad

You will have enough to do all your vehicles. Same sandpaper as in 3M headlight polish kit. Meguiar Ultimate Compound. Use wax or a spray clear coat for added protection.

 

I'm not sure how I missed this thread but I have enjoyed reading it. One thing you need to be aware of is catalytic converter theft, especially since you're driving all over the world lol. You probably have an original on there and it's worth $800 to $1500 depending on what the current precious metals market is doing. If you have the original it should be marked EA6 on it. If you have that, I highly recommend you remove it and replace it with a brand new aftermarket one that can be had for about $60 on amazon. THen either save it until the market goes up or sell it now if you prefer. What you dont' want to happen is, you're on a road trip and you go to start the car and it's horribly loud because someone stole it.. and then you have to pay a high price and get your trip delayed to get it fixed. If you have the aftermarket one , it's less likely to be stolen. Paint it orange with engine paint.. so the theif will see that it's not the original and not want it.

I see you have the locking wheel chock for the bike. Pro tip: take the excess strap from the right front wheel tie down and wrap it around the front brake lever and tie it. It will serve as a parking brake. The locking wheel chock is great as it is tho, but that' a good habit for when you're towing without it. I see hitch prices have come down. Thats good.

The other suggestion I have is to buy a lithium jump starter pack. If ever the 12V should be dead, you're back on the road in an insttant. If you need to give someone a jump, you can do that too, without any risk to your own car. they usually have usb ports and can serve as phone chargers when the car is off or someone in the back needs to charge.. and often have a flashlight which sometimes comes in handy. Very good thing to have in general and especially on road trips.

You may also want to buy a coil pack to have a spare in your car. When a cp goes bad in these cars it sounds horrible.
Oh yea and if you decide to swap out your catalytic converter go ahead and buy a 90 degree elbow extension for the O2 sensor. those cheap cats sometimes need that so the sensor doesn't have a fit with the new cat. I sold my cat for $1500 back when the market was up. I just got an 08 with the EA6 cat adn i'm pretty happy, i'm about to pull it off and store it until it's worth $1500 again. I'm actually planning on changing it out today.

and of course you probably already have tools in the car but if you dn't i suggest something that is briefcase styled to take up less room, and has needle nose pliers (to pull fuses or deal with wires). Harbor freight seems to have the best price on such a kit. Oh and sicne you have a spare set of wheels, take a full size spare on your road trips. Mount it to the trailer somewhere maybe.

That roof top carrier shoudl be taking a hit on your MPG, you may want to switch to a 4x8 trailer instead.

oh and the air bags as suggested.. definitely get that. You can customize your ride height and firmness. highly recommended it.
I have't put them ina prius yet but loved the airlift models under $100 in my durangos.