Hello lovely Prius owners, I own a 2013 Prius 2. Its been a wonderful car. I have already read up on all the various threads concerning the possibility of towing with a generation 3 Prius. It appears it has been successfully done without any problems. Let me just say up front: Yes, I understand there are risks. Toyota doesn't recommend it, and yet, I have read there are drills holes preinstalled in the actual rear so that one can update to a tow package. That seems rather odd if they discourage it. What I've gathered so far: Warranty is voided if you do this - Toyota says no, yet drill holes are put there by Toyota for towing - Try not to exceed 950-1200lbs in dry weight. Do I have that right? Also, I have read that the newest Prius (gen 4) has updated drive train and other components to better assist those wanting to tow small campers or tiny loads. If that's the case I may just sell my 2013 and get a 2016 or better so that this is less risky. What I'm still wondering: Dry weight versus GVW (gross vehicle weight) of a tiny camper or rv. What is the MAX GVW I should stop at when choosing a tiny/micro teardrop or micro camper? Any recommendations? What we want is to get a ultra tiny tear drop or tiny camper to tow. One that basically fits/sleeps two, with a few tiny things. We were just up in the mountains recently and saw a Generation 3 Prius carrying a Tiny teardrop. They were speeding up the mountain faster than us, I was blown away. Any and all advice that could be shared would be appreciated.
You can probably tow a tiny tear drop camper, without a problem. You can install the tow gear on the vehicle, but it's more involved that you think. I just did mine. If you have the money, best just to pay someone to set that up for you. You can find all of the tow gear needed on Amazon. You will need to plan ahead when braking, as the extra weight will increase your stopping distance, so make sure your brakes are in proper working order. Put the car in B-Mode while mountain driving if that is a concern. You still have a valid warranty?