Towing with a Prius: our experience

Thank you for confirmation that it isn't a great idea to tow with Prius and Toyota would be justified in voiding drive train warranty if a person used a Prius for towing.

Maybe a smaller or more aerodynamic trailer would be better, personally I'll use something else for towing trailers.

 

It's hard to understand why temps would *climb* after you got
off the highway, when overall torque requirements should have
been lower and operation intermittent. Did y'all run the whole
thing harder to make up for the trailer drag, or try locking
your foot at "usual" RPM ranges or a little more and let the
terrain play itself out? How heavy do you think the whole trailer
+ load wound up being?
.
There was someone a while back who described pulling a 500 pound
trailer with no issues at all, but that's on the light side.
A U-haul your size could probably cover a huge mass disparity,
depending on whether it was loaded with books or bedding. [I was
going to say "engine blocks or feminine hygiene products" here...]
.
_H*

 

I've noticed much higher termps also coming off the highway in 99F degree heat than into slower city traffic. I did alot of testing too with my inverter temp monitor and this car has a pretty good heat soak. Without highway speed air through and under the engine compartment things really get hot if your pushing it max temp than slow down. Maybe because all the mg's and the motor are right there tightly packed under the hood.

Galaxee: Surprised you didn't change the trans fluid first knowing you were going to super duty the car. Surprised also that its the original fluid. Basicly I'm just surprised.

BTW: Where did you get the tow hitch please? What model?
Thank you.

 

"instrumented" tows are always my favorite

What MG1 temps do you see on highway without the trailer?

The temp spikes off the highway make me suspect that the inverter radiator is not 'oversized'. Actually I never had such experience with a 2001 Prius (different radiator setup) and I usta work that thing pretty hard.

 

nice info
the moment you get of the highway you have less airflow to cool te car down naturelly.
so i guess that why you see the increase.

 

The conjecture so far makes some sense, but some things still don't add up. If the temperature rise was a heat soak issue, wouldn't stopping the car make it worse? Galaxee stated that they either had to get back on the highway or stop the car.

Perhaps the issue is related to the energy flow through the PSD. At lower speeds, more power goes through the ICE-MG1-MG2 path. At high speeds a bigger percentage goes directly to the wheels from the ICE. On the other hand, higher speeds require more overall power, so while the percentage might be better, the actual numbers might be worse. Just something to ponder.

Tom

 

So, we know the temp is higher, but what's the MPG with your trailer on?

 

I recall the Prius weighs around 3,000 lb, so does this mean you were carrying 2,200 lb of passengers and cargo? I'm thinking that your trailer probably contained lots of books and tools, both are quite heavy. Glad you made the trip without causing damage to your car.

Good luck with your new job!

 

I don't think I'd attempt to tow that much. I have been kicking around the idea of towing my motorcycle up to Virginia to ride with a friend. I found a trailer that is only 125lb. The bike is about 500 wet. I'd drain the tank and remove a few parts (bags, windscreen) to ease the load. I figure the Prius will handle it without breaking much of a sweat.

 

Very sorry to hear of your troubles. This economy is kicking everyone's nice person. Hang in there...I'm hoping for better days this fall.

 

Never mind all this towing stuff, when do I come down and bring the root beer.

Wayne

 

Towing large loads is a general problem for hybrids, including hybrid SUVs. The exception might be the Lexus A400? Crossover SUV hybrid, which has excellent ICE power and pickup.Gas mileage, however, is only in the mid 20s for premium gas. Not much advantage there.

 

I know they make a hitch for a Prius C but do they make the wiring harness? Thanks

 

Wiring harness.
Trailer Wiring for 2012 Toyota Prius | etrailer.com

 

How about a 2012 Prius C?

 

I'm still useing my Prius to pull 1900 lbs of RV load ; I just change the oil at 5,000 miles, because the ICE works very hard. I use scangauge 2; and drive slow.

I LOVE my Prius!!