I was trying to see how much I could tow with my Spyder and then was thinking if there was anything else I could use to tow a motorcycle. I found this article: 2016 Toyota Prius can tow a 1,600-pound trailer, for some reason - Autoblog According to this article, we can tow 1600 pounds. I want to tow a 400 lb sportbike on a trailer. Any idea if this could work without damaging the car?
Well, what is sure is that Toyota doesn't want.. in my country the towing capability is stated in the technical specifications sheet which is an official document to be kept by law in the car for possible police inspection. Now, this specifications sheet says that the Prius Prime towing capability is... none.
Every Prius and our BMW i3-REx has a 2” receiver. Make sure you get a trailer light kit and life is good. Bob Wilson
In Europe, Toyota sells towing accessories for the fourth-generation Prius, but as @E-GINO kindly mentions, it’s different for the Prius PHV or Prius Prime. The European edition of the Owner’s Manual for the 2017 Prius Plug-in (OM47A89E) says: Toyota does not recommend towing a trailer with your vehicle. Toyota also does not recommend the installation of a tow hitch or the use of a tow hitch carrier for a wheelchair, scooter, bicycle, etc. Your vehicle is not designed for trailer towing or for the use of tow hitch mounted carriers. The same statement appears on page 322 of the U.S. edition of the Owner’s Manual (PDF).
Regulations for trailers are different between Europe and the US. The tongue weight of the trailer in Europe is around half that in the US. This means more weight carried by the trailer, and less strain on the car's frame. So nearly everything can tow in Europe. The trailer will be less stable at higher speeds though. Go over 60mph, and you will lose control of the trailer. Car manuals also call for trailer brakes at lower weights than seen in US regulations. The gen4 has a 725kg trailer weight in Europe with a 5% to 7% tongue weight. US trailers and regulations use a 10% to 15% tongue weight. That allows stable towing at our highway speeds, but will reduce the Prius' trailer weight to 362kg. The new Prius can now tow because it got a transmission fluid cooler that previous generations didn't have. The Prime may not have that, or Toyota feels its heavier weight excludes towing.
Well,if you really need to tow with your Prime, at least monitor MG1/MG2 temperatures, now that this is possibile with the right OBD tool & Android app.
So here's the deal with towing in general. @Trollbait's comment about tongue weights and speed limits is mostly correct, although I'll note that the European-market Gen 4 Liftback hitch is rated for 75 kg tongue weight, so I'd be comfortable with as much as 500 kg, or about 1100 lbs. (Also, in most European countries, the speed limit for towing is 50 mph, and anything over 750 kg needs additional driver licensing as well as brakes. The Prius tops out at 725 kg in Europe, however.) European manufacturer tow ratings, as @E-GINO has pointed out, have the force of law. Exceed them, and you can be in big trouble even if nothing goes wrong. American tow ratings, however, are recommendations, not legal limits. I can tow 22,085 lbs with my Prius (on top of the 3915 lbs vehicle GVWR), and not get into any trouble just for towing that, despite the Prius not having a tow rating in the US. (I'm not a lawyer, and I really don't recommend testing that.) Those recommendations, however, do hold some legal force. If I exceed the 0 pound tow rating of a US Prius, I am assuming all liability for anything that goes wrong, if it does go wrong - exceeding the 0 pound tow rating and something going wrong can be considered by a jury as evidence of negligence by me, and it may even not be covered by my insurance, leaving me personally liable. Of course, I'm also causing severe risk to my warranty, if something breaks and I need warranty service.
JMalmsteen Yes, you can Draw-Tite Sportframe Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class I - 1-1/4" Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch 24966 shows disassembling and modifying your Prime to attach a small hitch receiver. Toyota warns you not to. I caution you not to carry much weight, or for very long or very fast. The very best way to pull a trailer with a Prime is to drive the Prime to a Home Depot or Lowes and rent their truck Truck Rentals - Tool Rental - The Home Depot Pickup Truck Rentals at Lowe's
J, the only thing we know for sure is that Toyota says, "don't." We do not know the weight of your trailer. We do not know the GVWR of the car, the max Toyota says the car plus people plus other stuff can weigh. We do not know the strength of the rear structure of the car for both pulling and carrying the weight of the tongue, and any side stress the trailer puts on the structure when turning. We do not know the pulling capacity of the transmission, differential, and motors. We would know the max braking capacity if we know the GVWR--maybe more, at least that much. So...figure the weight of the bike, trailer, and hitch receiver. How much would that weight relate to heavy passengers? Do you want to risk towing with a car's frame structure that is not recommended for towing?
Worth noting that some of this data is known, though. In Europe, Toyota allows the Liftback (with mostly the same transmission, different (taller, though) differential, same motors, and same structure) to tow 725 kg, with 75 kg maximum tongue weight. That is under different conditions - usually (but not always!) slower speed, and with trailers with very low tongue weight (which reduces vertical load on the rear of the car, but not the drivetrain, and not horizontal load). Toyota is also really good about putting the payload on a sticker - add 3365 lbs for all trims other than Advanced, 3375 lbs for Advanced, and you'll have the GVWR. Tongue weight comes out of payload, FWIW.
Which 2 inch trailer hitch do you have for your Prius? I have been looking for a 2 inch hitch forever. Thanks!
Torklift Central | Toyota - Find Your EcoHitch - RVing and Towing has 1 1/4 and 2 hitches for many Prius.
