Prius ECOHITCH, who has one?

My buddy has the older version that you had to cut the panels. He hasn't had any complaints on MPG or scraping. I don't think it would be any different than other hitches and perhaps better because it is more tucked into the car. If I were buying the hitch this is the one I would get.

 

Although I don't have this hitch, I do have a regular Curt hitch and I still get a calculated 48mpg I get 50 when I really drive like a granny. So I doubt theres a noticeable hit in MPG. Keep in mind you don't have to cut anything on the Curt.

 

The EcoHitch for the 2010+ Prius does require minimal cutting into the car's plastic cover, this allows the hitch to be completely hidden behind the bumper - maximizing ground clearance. This picture shows the small cut points that are made during installation.

 

Sorry, I was traveling and didn't see this thread until now.

Yes, I have this hitch. It was installed too soon to get any precise before/after MPG comparison, so I don't know if the raw hitch produces any loss. If it does, it is small.

But the rack and bikes, not surprisingly, do produce a substantial MPG hit. Percentage-wise, I think the loss is about the same as the roof racks on my two previous cars, about 15%. But because the baseline fuel consumption of this car is much less, so is the absolute fuel cost of this hitch-mount bike carrying arrangement.

With the car unloaded, my hitch has 10 inches of ground clearance. I'll be shocked if it ever drags on anything.

I intend put the equivalent Torklift hitch on the household's new '14 Forester too, but haven't yet reached that stage.

 

Does the hitch come with a template to make the cuts or do you have to eyeball it? What do you use to make the cuts?

 

The hitch comes with detailed installation instructions on where to make the cuts and a picture of the completed cuts. We suggest making the cuts with an air saw:

 

As most people don't have an air saw and you are just cutting through plastic, I assume you could use a small saw such as one used for drywall?

 

Yes, you should be able to use any small saw that works for you so long as it has a fine-tooth blade - fine tooth blades make the cleanest cuts. You can also use a larger tooth-blade but the plastic might fray in which case you would want to clean up the cut with a razor blade. It's really your own preference but the air saw tends to work the best.

 

I have installed the 2" on my 2012 Prius 3 and my friends 2010 Prius as well. This thing is great. I do not notice a hit on MPG, but it does make the car heavier. Feel free to ask me any questions as I have installed several.

 

Living in Torklift's home region, I just went to their shop to have them install it.

 

Is the torklift really the only 2 inch hitch available for a 2011 prius? Everything about it sounds great, but the price! is this just an overall fear of liability or is there a real issue? I have a 29er mtn bike full carbon, maybe max 27 lbs that i want to stop cramming inside the car (fits, but is a pain). My bike is worth nearly as much as my car and I have the kuat NV bike rack for a 2 inch receiver left over from my days of driving a 4 runner. The rack cost me several hundred dollars and therefore, I would like to find a 2 inch receiver and reuse vs buying a new one....and absolutely no way am i playing around with some crappy adapter from 1.25 to 2. Also do you just buy them online? anyone know of a place in Southern Cal that would sell and install?

 

I have installed the ecohitch in my prius, it's well worth the money they are asking for, ordered it on Monday, recieved it by Thursday,. I bought it for the reason that I'm getting ready for later purchases of a truck or SUV when my family gets bigger and don't want to buy a 1-1/4 to 2" adapter

 

The 2" hitch gives a much more solid feel with accessories. Especially the double bike rack that I carry with it. I would recommend these to friends and family.

 

Sorry for bringing up an old thread. I just installed an ecohitch on my car and while the finished product looks great, I was very disappointed in the installation process and instructions. Maybe it's just because my car is the Plug-In version. Since this is one of the threads that convinced me to get an ecohitch I'll post my experience here.

1. The installation instructions read like the person writing them hasn't actually done the installation. There were typos, unclear descriptions, and the fastener size call-outs were wrong. The instructions specified to cut way more of the plastic than is necessary.
2. I DID have to trim some sheetmetal to get mine (new version, ordered 9/4/2014) to fit.

I've marked up the instructions with some comments here: ECOHITCH INSTAL - Imgur

 

I just installed one on my 2010 last night and didn't cut those tabs off that you did. I agree that the instructions aren't very clear on where to cut the plastic except for the 6 x 3-3/4" rectangle around the receiver but I was able to eyeball it and mark where to cut with a sharpie. I used a sharp box knife and electrician scissors to cut the plastic. I couldn't get a lot of the plastic fasteners to go back in the holes in the bumper cover because they are too long and hit the hitch. I also broke almost all of the fasteners that connect the rear plastic cover to the one further forward.

Glad I was wearing eye protection because when that underbody cover came off I got a face full of dirt and gravel!

 

From your feedback here we have forwarded a request to our tech support team that works with our engineering department and is involved in creating the installation instructions to review and make any necessary clarifications to our installation instructions. One of our EcoHitch specialists would like to contact you directly to discuss our installation process of EcoHitch for Toyota Prius and address any other questions, or suggestions you may have. We greatly appreciate your feedback as it is critical for us to meet our goals of continuous product improvement. Please send your contact information to [email protected] and we will respond to you promptly.

 

Emailed, thank you.