I am new to the forum. I do have some questions. I am able to get 65 MPG on occaisional trips of about 10 miles. I can get 55 mpg on a tank if I am never late to pick up my kids. I am looking at taking a trip from Portland, OR to IN an back this summer with 2 kids. We need to carry a lot of food because of allergies. I was looking at the Sportsrig trailer, but it seems pricey. A hitch mounted carrier is cheaper, but how would 300lbs behind the bumper affect handling? Great car, except for the aux battery if a kid leave the door open over night. Steve
Hi Steve, welcome to PriusChat! You're getting great milage! I wouldn't put that much weight back there, it will definitely affect handling. Are you sure you can't fit the food inside? You've got 14.4 cubic feet. I can't find it right now, but I recall the total load capacity is around 1000 pounds for you, the kids, and everything else. If you're in Portland area, check out PortlandHSD.info.
Bill, Thanks for the reply. So a cargo tray is a bad idea in your opinion. What do you think about a trailer of the same weight? I was considering one of those clamshell trailers for behind a motorcycle. Is that bad too? The car is great, but too small for that long of trip without expanding the cargo. I am not fond of rooftop boxes, they are hard to reach. Steve
A motorcycle type trailer would probably be OK, better than a hitch mount carrier where all the extra weight is on the car wheels. Do those have electric brake systems?
