Has anyone ever towed a small U Haul trailer with their Gen III Prius? We're going to NC in October, and I was thinking of towing my bike behind us. Has anyone ever done anything like this? I'm not even sure the Prius has the capacity to do this. Would appreciate any feedback -- thanks.
Toyota's official stance is that the Prius is not recommended for towing. The power train and GVWR aren't calculated w/ towing in mind. That said, some have used VERY small trailers and a Class 1/2 hitch. You can get Curt hitches (1.25" receiver) for about $120 at some websites. I bought mine at Discounthitches.com and installed it myself. Problem is, the lighting adapters compatible w/ our LED tail lights are another $75ish - I didn't buy this because my hitch is used to carry a wheel-chair carrier and, eventually, a bike carrier. So long as you don't exceed the gross vehicle weight rating for car and trailer combined, you shouldn't be putting anything except your MPGs at risk. It's been done before and others will claim you're just fine.
Good call. Plus, I wonder how insurance would treat an accident if they knew Prius is not approved for towing.
Tongue weight might be a little too much for 1 1/4" hitch, you will definitely need to install a brake controller as well for going downhill.
I see you made the right decision ... not towing the bike. It is right on two counts. 1. The Prius was not designed to tow anything. 2. Motorcycles were not designed to be trailered. The only better decision you could make would be to ride the bike to North Carolina. This pic shows the view we had as we rode through the Valley of the Ten Peaks in Alberta, Canada. Even a Prius view can't match this one.
There are several doable alternatives; BikeTow - Take it with you RHMC1 - Motorcycle Towing Cradle - Tow Motorcycle Behind Vehicle A search will show that several people had no problem towing a light trailer with the GenII. http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/81002-towing-my-prius.html http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-modifications/77059-towed-trailer-1200-mi-52mpg.html
Looks like a nice device for towing your bike across town, or to the dealer for service. I certainly would not use one of these to go on a long trip or across country. Too much wear on the transmission and rear bike tire. Keith
That cradle is cool but requires a class three hitch. I don't think there is one for the Prius. As mentioned it has no tow rating. I think it's fine for a class 1 or 2 and a bike rack weighing 150 loaded with bikes or something but not much more.
I have not yet experienced to tow a trailer to my motorcycle though I already travel with my trailer. Know why? Because Uhual trailer was so heavy. And I think my motorcycle cannot carry it.
