towing a prius

Front wheels -must- be off the ground. This will lower the rear skirt a bit, and it -could- touch the ground if you don't watch out. Otherwise, no problems. You do want to make sure the wheels can't "rock" on the dolly as that could wear the "park" mechanism in the HSD (you can't just put the car in "neutral" - it's an involved process to do that, requiring a fuse be pulled at the right time). The best of course is a trailer you can drive the Prius onto, taking all four wheels off the ground, and giving lots of clearance from the car to the ground. That's more expensive and more trouble.

 

What about the parking brake? Does it lock just the front wheels, back, or all four?

 

The foot-operated parking brake operates upon the rear drum brakes. The P position on the shift lever activates a parking pawl within the transaxle that locks the front wheels.

 

Hmmm, does not sound good to tow with just the transaxel locked in, with the towing force, rocking etc.

 

Yes, and there is one more factor: The Prius + car trailer may be over the towing capacity of the motorhome. That is the case for my GF's motorhome; the tow capacity is 5000 lbs and the Prius weighs almost 3000 lbs. It is possible to buy light weight aluminium car trailers, but they are very expensive.

 

There is a 'do it yourself' approach:


Bob Wilson

 

Your kidding?

I thought pulling a prius like such would cause big electrical problems internally,and isn't done.

 

I think that Bob W likes to flout conventional wisdom... Seriously, his post that provides further details indicates that he uses relatively low speed when towing his Prius.

Since his Classic Prius has a mechanical gear shift (not electrical like 2G) it is easier to set the transaxle to N and leave it there for an extended period. If you tow any Prius at high speeds with the drive wheels on the ground, you risk transaxle damage. I do not recommend towing for an extended period or at high speeds.

 

You won't find the instructions for flat towing in the owners manual. :madgrin:

 

I have a 2001 Prius and have been dolly towed it behind my RV about 6K miles. I'd prefer to flat tow it. Thinking about it on the way home last night from my last trip and seeing Bob W's picture and post I really don't see why it can't be done.

I figure leave the key on with the Prius in neutral. The Prius will think it's coasting down a long hill. Yes, the odometer will count the miles, but for other reasons I don't expect to sell it so I don't really care. Also thought using a towed vehicle braking system. I'd have built in ABS in the towed vehicle. Can't post links since this is my first post, but they're common in the RV world.

I gotta believe the car is smart enough to keep the batteries at the right charge level. But then I read in other threads and forums that the MG is disconnected from the batteries in N so it can't start the ICE. Even if it could it wouldn't charge the batteries. Other stuff about how you can't go faster than 42 mph in N.

So if I leave the key off the MG turns with the tires but is disconnected from the batteries so no overcharging. Not going to pull it faster than I've driven down the interstate with the ICE off. So that leaves how are the bearings in the MG lubricated? Gotta be done some way that doesn't rely on the ICE.

If somebody like Warn would make manually locking hubs for the Prius all this would go away. Again, can't post links yet.

Seems most of the posts don't specify which year they're talking about. I know there's considerable differences in the generations. This forum doesn't even have a Gen I section that I can find.

So Bob W, what's been your experience?

Thanks,
Charley

 

DOH!

Found the Gen I section.

Charley

 

Towing a Prius in Neutral at highway speed will result in over-speeding MG1, unless you make sure to shift into N with the ICE running.

Towing with the Prius off will cause potentially destructive voltage levels in the MGs. Also, lubrication is supplied by the ICE, so without it running you will need to add an oil pump.

Tom

 

We own a 2013 Toyota Prius. We wanted to tow the Prius behind our motorhome. Our local Toyota dealer service writers told us to only tow the Prius with all four wheels off the ground. But that would require a tow trailer about 20 feet long. What a hassle that would be in a camp ground.
Our local RV shop had a towing guide that indicated a Prius could be towed with the front wheels up. The guide also included a phone number for the national Toyota people. So, we called that phone. Two different people at that Toyota phone told us that the Prius could be towed with the front wheels up.
So, we went in search of a tow dolly that would accept our Prius. Each dolly we looked at (including Master Tow) would cause damage to the front cowling of the Prius unless we purchased some ramp extensions.
Then I came across the American Car Dolly on the internet. Their web site indicated that their tow dolly would accept a Prius with no problems. We called the American Car Dolly. Gary, the owner, indicated that he periodically checks Toyota specifications to insure that his tow dolly will fit the Prius. So, we drove to Log Lane Village, Colorado (where the American Car Dolly is made) to check out the tow dolly. We did not have to drive to Colorado because Gary will deliver the dolly right to your home. (Gary does not use dealers.)
Gary was helpful and knowledgeable. We were able to drive the Prius right onto the American Car Dolly without any modifications or hassles. Also, the ramps are removable. That is a plus for me. In a camp site we store the tow dolly under the rear of our motorhome with tow dolly tongue under the motorhome. This way only the wheels of the tow dolly is visible. With most other tow dollies the ramps are attached and stick out beyond the wheels. This makes the ramps easy to trip over when walking behind the motorhome. But with the American Car Dolly the ramps remove, so I can't trip over them.
We then towed the Prius back to Bountiful, Utah (about 550 miles). The Prius towed without difficulty. We have driven the Prius about 500 miles since getting back and I have not seen any problems.

 

great write up! thank you.