Towing my prius behind my RV

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wille @ Oct 26 2007, 07:47 PM) [snapback]530986[/snapback]</div>

There is a note that the Prius is not designed to be towed as a Dinghy with all four wheels on the road.

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However, I have seen a Classic Prius (01-03) towed on a dolly with the front wheels on the dolly. I don't see why you couldn't tow it that way.

 

As long as the front wheels are off the ground and the "ignition" (& park brake) is off no problem. Biggest hastle might be the back bumper will be close to the ground.

 

You can buy a car trailer, or a car tow dolly (lifts only the front wheels) to safely tow a Prius. The transmisison is always "in gear" which is why you can't tow with front wheels down. As long as the bumper isn't dragging, you're fine. I think the warning about back clearance is more for tow-truck type towing where the front end is lifted significantly higher.

 

leave the prius home, come and get me and we'll tow my harleys and get lost in the smokies..lol..
enjoy ur trip

 

Well, front wheels on the floor and car pulled means energy generation, you will basically do regenerative braking while towing...
Not a good idea.

Well there is a simple workaround : pack a light dome tent in your prius, a nice inflatable matress (luxury) and you're all set ! :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wille @ Oct 26 2007, 08:47 PM) [snapback]530986[/snapback]</div>

One thing I have never understood (and I may never understand), is why someone will spend boatloads of money on and RV, and now in your case a brand new Prius, and NOT put the car on a full trailoe? Why not buy a cheap car trailer or rent one and get the car completely off of the ground? Then you don't have to worry about towing techniques, wear and tear on the car, ruining the drive train, battery, tires, etc... It seems to me that if you can afford an RV and a new Prius, you can probably afford a car trailer, not a simple tow dolly. Maybe I'm wrong...

Save yourself the trouble and get the car off of the ground.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(smithBYU @ Oct 27 2007, 10:23 AM) [snapback]531225[/snapback]</div>

Hmmmm-yeah, sorry but I tend to agree, less headache too.

 

Towing by dolly is a royal pain, I've done twice while moving and it is impossible to go in reverse.

 

Hi All,

My wife and I just completed a 2,400 mile trip from Denver to San Francisco back to Denver towing our
2006 Prius behind our motorhome. We bought the prius new and have put 26,340 miles on it. We use a 2007 Master Tow Tilt-Bed tow dolly model 80THD. Prior to using a tow dolly, a car trailer was used to tow the Prius all-wheels-up. The hassle of finding camp sites which will accomodate the rv, trailer, and Prius prompted us to sell the trailer and purchase the dolly.

A word of caution

When we purchased the Master Tow dolly, I guided my wife up the ramp and told her to put the prius in park.
After straping down the front two tires, getting on the highway, pulling off at the first rest area to recheck the tie-down straps, I smelled something burning. The burning smell became more noticeable as we approached the rear of the prius, at which point my wife asked if I had wanted her to set the emergency brake. Sure enough the emergency brake had been set. To make a long story short, after releasing the emergency brake and driving the remaining 30 miles to our house, I unstrapped the prius and while backing it off the ramp the ABS light came on. I then drove the prius about a block and the ABS light extinguished. We checked the prius in for service the next morning at Stevinson Toyota to have it inspected and the mechanic said everything checks fine and that the brake pads were half worn.

Our round trip to S.F. was flawless. The tow dolly handles much better than the trailer and it only takes me 20 minutes from start to finish to drive the prius onto the dolly and secure it. It takes me 5 minutes to reverse the process.
The Master Tow Tilt Bed Tow Dolly operations manual and dealer locations are available online at : www.mastertow.com
I'm a satisfied customer.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(morpheusx @ Oct 27 2007, 02:19 PM) [snapback]531245[/snapback]</div>

You cannot back up towing 4 wheels down either.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tom 6850 @ Nov 1 2007, 08:42 PM) [snapback]533298[/snapback]</div>

You should never tow a Prius with the front wheels on the ground. Tough call, full trailer is easier to reverse and dolly easier to store on camp site. A full trailer would reduce the chance of park brake and rear bumper damage.

Maybe talk with a reputable trailer seller who sells dollys and full trailers.
My 2c

 

Going on my yearly fishing trip in a few weeks and want to take my Prius. Have a tow dolly and will take it on a test run to the beach. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

we are new to towing a Prius on a dolly but have towed Camry before. We just towed the Prius 100 miles brake off but when we took it off the dolly the brake warning lite the VSC lite and the ABS and the yellow exclamation lite were on. We parked it over nite and drove it 100 yards and the lights all went out. Has been driving perfect sence then. Only thing we could think of was we had to make a very sharp turn around in soft dirt. Any input please.

 

Just to make sure we understand, you were towing your Prius on a two-wheel dolly with the front wheels off of the ground, Prius completely powered off? Is this correct?

Tom

 

Yes

 

Hmm, that's a weird one. With the Prius powered off, I wouldn't expect any sort of codes. The indicator lights that you describe suggests that the wheel speed sensors were confused. Obviously the rear wheels had been moving while the front wheels were stationary, but how would it know when it was powered off?

I'll have to think about this one a bit.

Tom

 

I had to get my 2005 to 'AUTOBEYOURS " AND TRIED TO GET IT HAULED THERE BY TRUCK WITH NO SUCESS. I tried two U HAUL dealers and was told that thier car dollies would not accomadate the prius because of width and would need a dolly with min. 80 inches between fenders. I was able to buy one for 300 $ and witha little paint it was in good condition. I only had a Linc. town car to tow with and I made the round trip (va to ind.) with no problem. Quite a savings. Now I rent the tow dolly to others. There could be no reason not to haul with front wheels off the ground. Be advised though that backing up is near impossible and rear of prius could drag on steep entrances and exits Don

 

Spoke to my service reps today who then went in and talked to the hybrid techs in the shop. NO ISSUES/NO PROBLEMS towing the (2008 in my case) Prius on a tow dolly.