Although there are probably very few Hang Gliding Prius owners, the rack might be useful for other purposes so thought I would share. My goal was to build a rack that could be completely removed (I don't spend most of my driving miles going flying) but still hold 90 lb loads. I used the tow point on the front, welding a 8 in post onto the screw in fitting. It can still be unscrewed, with a 40 in. T post slipped over it and pinned. This still wanted to sway left/right so I bolted (with wingnuts) aluminum tubes in a triangular shape to the add-on purchased pole racks. About half the weight is supported on the front tow point which is plenty strong. The clip-on racks on the roof only support about 45 lbs spread over two racks. Seems to hold everything pretty well. My mileage went from 56 avg to 46 avg (not quite so streamlined with rack and 20 ft long glider on top).
Hi rayj, welcome to PriusChat and thanks for sharing! That looks like a pretty stable setup. It might be useful for a scull too. Happy driving and gliding!
Thanks for posting, I'm into hang gliding too and just purchased a 2010 Prius. It has two of those tow points, so I'm going to use them to connect my rack. Where did you find out the size of the threaded hole? It is recessed in enough that it will be challenging to measure. What is the size on your Prius? Maybe they are the same, even though I have a newer model. Thanks, David
Don't measure the threads in the hole. Measure them on the mating eyebolt (for towing) stored on top of the spare tire.
So what kind of kites do you guys fly? David I used to live in Hanover. Is Peter Christian's still there?
Thanks for this post on the Prius racks for hang gliding. I have a 2010 Prius, and I was un-aware fo the front tow points. I want to design a rack that will support 3 gliders. I plan to use a tow hitch in the back, one rack in the middle, and these tow points in the front, to get wide support. I'll post pictures after I build it ... may take a while!
OK, I finally put hang glider racks on my Prius. Photos are here: Racking for mileage - Hang Gliding Org - Worlds largest Hang Gliding community, discover Hang Gliding
emphasis added: I would note that this solution is specific to Gen3, which has two front tow points. This thread is homed under Gen2, but the Gen2 has only a single front point. Since some users don't search the whole PC site, would it be useful to post a link to this thread over in the GenIII forums?
