So my goal was to retire early. I decided to buy a base Prius using cash for clunkers. By driving my Prius throughout my 20s I was able to retire extremely early. Low initial cost. Low cost to operate. Durable. Total cost of repairs = $300 for a wheel bearing Lifetime MPG = 46 or 47 My Prius was used frequently to tow a utility trailer for the work I was doing. I often pulled 3-4000 pounds. Sometimes I loaded up the car itself with 2000lbs+ worth of stuff. It accidentally went off road a few times...but never ever stopped it. The hatch area has room to make a bed and pull up to a drive in movie. It has room to make babies and eventually haul them around. I remodeled a few homes using the Prius and utility trailer. I’m sure some thought it was funny seeing a Prius carry such things. One time I used it to carry home a 50 gallon water heater....in the box. Sometimes it functioned as a makeshift hotel room for the night. Thousands of pounds of flooring at one time. I often put lawn care equipment inside my Prius and maintained 3-4 yards. 40-50 boxes of printer paper a few times? Did that too. 5-6 small “wrecks” - yeah, but she still goes. My Prius was the best car in the world for someone that aspired to retire early. It performed flawlessly for me as a light duty truck/SUV. True story.
The one caution that has to be added to a thread like this, for other wannabe early retirees, is that yes, it's often impressive how far you can exceed a vehicle's GVWR and still have it successfully get all that mass moving. ... ... but the stories that sound successful tend to be the ones lucky enough that nobody's life ever depended on bringing that moving mass to a quick controlled stop. Were there at least trailer brakes on the trailer for loads like that?
Hey, I've bought 7 new Toyotas - 5 Prii and 2 Rav4s. Our son bought a Tundra. I think Toyota should thank me with a gift of a new Prime! (I probably have already paid for it and then some!)
Yeah the trailer hitch for the Prius is a Class 1 with 1k lb max. Eddie, you gotta stop bein such a rebel. Your old bud Wally. lol
