Have any of you moved with your Prius. Like many of the forum members, I have just purchased my first home and will be closing in September. When I used to move in the past with other cars, I would just pile all my stuff in just so I was able to use my mirrors, and then head out. I am not really sure if I should put that much weight in the rear area. I am not worried about my mpgs during the move. Any ideas? Thanks!
" adults sitting on the rear seat will weight at least 400 pounds so if you can lift it the Prius will shift it. Just drop the rear seats and fill it up. If you have long items to move, lower the passenger seat backrest to gain extra space, protecting the dash area. I would put something over the rear bumper while loading to prevent marks/scratches. Best of luck withh the move. Stuart S
The manual indicates the following: Vehicle capacity weight (occupants + luggage) kg (lb.) 385 (845) Clearly the cargo capacity varies considerably with the weight of the passengers. For me it would be worth my peace of mind to rent a larger vehicle for the occasion rather than risk damaging the Prius. On the hand you should be able to cram as much clothes and such in as you can fit. I'd be cautious however with heavy furniture and boxes of books. You could also make a quick estimate of the total weight as you pack up by placing 2 or 3 boxes at a time on the bathroom scale and jotting down the weight.
i moved in my Prius and i experienced no ill effects. but i dont think i ever came close to the maximum weight limit though. in fact, there is only one load that might have been ALMOST half of the weight limit. i took all my personal and household goods and a lot of furniture too including my couch. i will say that i didnt have to move far, but i have hauled up to 6 complete computer systems at one time with no probs. you know when you are carrying a lot of weight and the car drives funny ya know what i mean?? well i didnt notice anything like that at all and i figured especially with the couch sticking out the back that the suspension would be weird but it was smooth. i guess it depends on how far you are going and what not and what kind of roads you be driving. if there are old roads with potholes and stuff, i might be concerned.
I'm thinking that unless you're moving a very very dense metal, and a lot of it, that you're not going to be able to fit 600ish pounds of stuff into a Prius. Just stay away from carrying sheets of cast iron. :mrgreen:
Shocker, I know this isn't the "correct" response to your query, but take it from an older guy who has moved a few times. Bag the "60 trips in my car to save money" move. The car can handle it, but it is way too stressful on you. I know you just bought a car and a house, and feel REALLY broke, but do this anyway: Round up a few friends who are willing to carry boxes and furniture out to a truck and into a house. Pack all the boxes ahead of time and you will be able to find your stuff later AND your friends will still be your friends. There is nothing worse than cramming someone else's stuff into boxes all day long. Start now with 2 or 3 boxes a day of things you don't use daily. Mark them with location they go in the house and general contents. Rent an appropriate sized UHaul or whatever and you'll be done with your move in a couple of hours for maybe $50. And if you are worriede about being 'green', you'll use less gas doing it this way. Here is an example from UHaul for an "in town" move in my area: 17' truck $29.95 2-3 bedrooms Capacity: 849 cu. ft. Inside dimensions: 14'1" x 7'7" x 7'2" (LxWxH) plus $0.89/mile You can drive this thing yourself, if you don't feel comfortable, I bet one of those friends will be. Obviously there are larger and smaller vehicles. You can get a LOT of stuff in one of these things if you pack carefully. Last Sept I moved furniture from CA to VT in a 15' Penske. Including 6 antique chairs & a settee, crated in specially made boxes, 4 dressers, a wing chair, dining room table and 6 chairs, full size bed with head and foot boards, 2 night tables, 2 book cases, a cedar chest, some boxes of crystal. and more.
I'm gonna have to agree with the uhaul idea...it's just soooo much easier to get it all done in a trip, especially so if you do get everything organized beforehand.
u haul is the only way to go... IF you are organized and prepared. if you are like me, then you move in stages over several days like i did.
I moved house with my previous car in about 10 trips. It was the ideal way to do it - I had a month's overlap on the rent for the two places, and doing a trip every couple of days gave me enough time to pack/unpack as I went, instead of being unable to stand up for boxes! I moved myself (and my immediate essentials such as alarm clock and towel - don't let it be said that I don't know where my towel is) about halfway through the process.
that is the way i did it... a car load at a time. i unpacked the car load completely before getting another car load. i have moved several times, and this was by far the most organized move i have ever made. its also one of the few times i could do something like this. only moving 5 miles does have its advantages!!
