Lets say I need to carry 4-500lbs of stuff outside the car. 2in hitch+cargo carrier is about the same price as a 1.25in hitch and small(4x6) trailer Driving 1000 miles at a time. Pros/cons of each setup?
The weight of an average small trailer + 4-500lbs of contents is close to what your brakes are built to stop. So once you count your own weight and any other things that might be in the car, that's officially an overload. A hitch-mount carrier on the back of a Prius tends to max out around 150lbs. Doesn't matter if you get the bigger 2" model, the attachment points on the car are the limiting factor. If I were in your shoes I would just rent a van.
If you do use a light weight trailer, make a point of periodically refreshing your ATF as you are making the power split system work very hard. Toyota ATF is NOT a lifetime fluid (there are no lifetime fluids). JeffD
Floe trailers I've the 5x8 It's been a workhorse to 8 years I've had it started using it with my sienna van and a Corolla a few years in got Prius put receivers on Prius never a problem even pulling a zero turn through the mountains of West Virginia or Virginia not really an issue of course we weren't trying to run break neck speeds either
I've had a roof rack many different types can't really throw a stove or refrigerator on the roof rack I've done it but not recommended The little trailer unless you are pushing it doesn't really seem to do anything really to the system I don't really bog it down not on the highway all that nonsense just to move stuff around town etc and people don't push me when I got the trailer connected to the Prius If need be they'll just come flying around me and that's just fine
As Toyota should say You probably shouldn't be towing anything with the Prius and call it towing I don't really tow anything I pull things around town at under 50 miles an hour generally speaking that's about it The Prius is not made to tow but when I have to move something it will move it If I want to try and kill it it's not hard to do. Therefore I would imagine Toyota would have this warning in full effect just like when you take off the airbag of your steering wheel you should lay it face down on the floor under the seat because it might be excitable and explode might being the active word rather than them being on the hook for you doing something silly with the car like towing 3,000 lbs 4,000 mi it's much easier to apply this line of text to the owner's manual saves lots of money and some stupidity I imagine but not all of it.
