Towing with Prius C

i would advise against it.

 

I think the smallest hybrid that Toyota believes can tow is the Hylander, but they just design them, what do they know?

 

i tow.. my 04 engine and setup is similar to yours... i've put thousands of miles on my car while towing.

there is a forum for towing with a prius on yahoo. many are boats and such.

 

I dont see how towing something with the C would be a problem as long as its low weight and short distances. Iv seen people with Gen 2 tow, and the C has a very similar engine system. Gen2 has 110 and 2900 curb weight. Prius C has 99 to 2500 curb weight. So if you do math the C has a 25.25lb per HP and gen 2 has 26.36 per HP. I don't see a problem there as long as loads are bellow 600lbs for short distances. Just plan on driving slower and increasing distances to stop. ( thats if you have weight inside the car as well) If you can keep the total weight of the Car and all that is inside + trailer weight below the gross you will have no trouble at all.


Every one always is agenst towing with cars because they were brought up by the i need a truck idea. If you look at other counrys like Europe you will see that most cars tow trailers. I have seen a Golf TDI pull a 20foot trailer, that was over 3,500 lbs. It all depends on the skill of the driver.
Most gas cars have a 1,000 limit or no tow, look at same or similar europe version. and its more than double.

 

Toyota recommends in the Prius C manual against any type of tow hitch or tow-hitch carrier, including those designed for bicycles.

The C technically has a 845 lb load limit including passengers.


However, just be aware that if they (toyota) advise against towing in the manual,
and if there is any damage done whatsoever to any part of the car
and you want warranty service to take care of it,
the warranty will be voided. So plan to pay out of pocket.

If I were in your shoes, I wouldnt care less.
If I wanted to tow, I would. But i dont.

Like most others, I would advise against it.

 

Very few people here will tell you that it is okay. The general attitude is that Toyota are all-knowing, rather than Toyota are at maximum CYA in America. I personally believe the primary risk is that there is insufficient braking capacity if towing a heavy trailer down a mountain pass and having the hybrid battery at full state of charge (no regen). As far as the powertrain goes, your towing application would cause no more wear and tear than if you always carried 4 adults around, or all of the gear that Jimbo carries in his Gen II.

Towing a trailer with a C or any other vehicle increases your risk of an accident. If you tow, you must allow for increased stopping distance, no matter what you are driving. Hybrids have a marginally higher risk compared to other cars because their hydraulic brakes tend to be smaller. There is a further wrinkle in that they are extremely difficult to stop if there is a malfunction in the brake actuator (very rare).

If you rear-end someone, it is your 100% fault anyway. An insurance expert would need to chime in here as to whether or not towing with a 0 rated car nullifies the liability and collision portions of a policy.

All that said, from what you describe, pulling a lightweight trailer with a wheelchair on it is about as low risk as it comes. It will not damage the car, as long as the hitch is properly installed. If you choose to do this, be a little more cautious, and be mindful of the potential stopping problems if you take the trailer on a long drive through the mountains of WV.

Can you do this? Absolutely, this is a free country. Should you do this? Only you can make that judgment, after considering all factors. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them.

 

It seems to me that if your total payload does not exceed the carrying capacity of the Prius you are considering, it will not over stress the drivetrain. How can the drivetrain tell the difference between a 200 lb person and 750 lb payload and say, just 950 pounds of people?

I think the payload max on my Gen II is around 950 lbs and for the C I am not sure.

 

Many of us tow small trailers with the Gen II and Gen III Prius. The C shouldn't be much different. You just need to keep in mind that the Prius wasn't designed for towing, so it does not have heavy duty parts specifically rated for such use.

Other than control issues, overheating is the biggest risk. Some of our more technical members have pulled fairly heavy trailers while monitoring internal temperatures. The inverter can overheat in this situation, so don't drive fast with a heavy or high-drag trailer.

Now for the disclaimers:

1) Since the Prius isn't rated for towing, if you break something related to trailer towing, don't expect any warranty support.

2) In some countries it is illegal to exceed the manufacturer's rated towing capacity. While this isn't a problem in the U.S., we have many international members. Make sure you know your own laws.

Tom

 

I am looking at a 250 pound trailer myself, for carrying the occasional pine straw bales, bark chips and stuff like that. If I load 300 pounds of stuff in it, with me at 180 pounds, I am only at 730 pounds total. Still 210 pounds shy of the max load of my Gen II.

 

I read the manual and it stated clearly.... that the Prius C is NOT designed for towing "any weight" whatsoever?.

 

This is patently untrue. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (P.L. 93-637) clearly defines the limits of consumer warranties.

Towing will void your Prius warranty only if the damage is directly caused by towing. For example, if you blow up the transaxle while towing, it is likely that Toyota can show that towing was at least partially responsible and void your warranty.

On the other hand, if your radio stops working, it will still be covered under the warranty since it is unrelated to towing.

Tom

 

I've towed very very often with my toyota Echo 2005, and after 200 000 km, I've only changed my brakes twice, and the manifold gasket once. That's the only repairs I've done on this car who is not designed for towing.




But I'm not sure about the C yet...

 

I'v towed 1030 lb trailer with 980 lb load in it and over 500lb of tools in side my 2009 Yarus. no problems. Just vary important not to use D, only shift your automatic 1-2-3 do not use your overdrive. This was in the hills of San Francisco, back and forth from San Bruno to Daly City, Down town San Francisco to the bay, all over. I just change my trans fluid every 10,000 miles.

 

^^^
Alas, no Prius has any automatic transmission, nor any fixed gear ratios nor overdrive.

See Picasa Web Albums - cwerdna - Prius Connect... and Toyota Prius - Power Split Device for what the power split device looks like.

 

I've done a little towing:

Empty, 1000 lb trailer tow, 600 miles, 62-63 mph, 39 MPG, mid-60s temperatures.


Return tow, +1700 lbs, 600 miles, mid-40s temperature, 52-53 mph, 28 MPG, windy, rain with random puddles. No problem in one short, emergency stop. The rear of the Prius carried the 272 lb engine, two props and paperwork.


A 30 mile test with the 1,000 lb, empty trailer, revealed insufficient power for hills and higher than desired transmission and engine temperatures. The NHW11 does not have cooled, exhaust recirculation but uses fuel enrichment at high power settings. Fuel economy was unacceptable.

I would recommend:

• Test - use a scanner that can read out the transmission and battery temperatures. I did this with the empty trailer and both cars before even leaving Huntsville.
• Stiffer rear springs - the tow raises the front and so low beams appear to be brights to traffic. I did not but if I were going to do this frequently, I would recommend it.

The transmission is exceptionally strong and well protected. However, it is internally, fluid cooled using radiant and convection around around the case so do not use radiator or engine compartment blocks. Under tow, the car is in effect driving up a constant grade so the engine and transmission see more power. The car will handle 'Pikes Peak' so you still want to monitor the temperatures.

Owners are the ultimate, integration and test and having instrumentation answers a lot of questions. Then test carefully and you should be OK.

Bob Wilson

 

I think I may put a hitch and bike rack on my C. I just want to carry 2 bikes, they are so much easier and better to use than throwing bikes on a roof rack. It also seems safer, and better for the car, but what do I know.They seem easy to take on and off , just in case a service call is needed, and you don't want them to see it. Still I get nervous because Toyota is protecting themselves from American lawsuits when they put "no hitches" even for bikes in the manual.
Have many of you gone this route for bikes on the C?

 

This is very impressive, LOL!

 

^^^
Bob had more details at Bob builds an aircraft carrier | PriusChat.