What have you happily pulled with a prius?

[macnmore]

I wouldn't even consider it . Some cars aren't built for towing and the Prius is one of them . Could you do it ? - probably , but get in an accident and the insurance company will bail on you in a heartbeat when they discover you've violated Toyota's policy on towing

[Rzrbrn]

Buy a larger vehicle. If you are determined to tow with your Prius, buy a motorcycle camper. Get the lightest one you can afford, perhaps a Kompact Kamp Mini Mate, or the Leesure-Lite.

Maybe just buy a small backpacking tent.

[Roger H]

We have a 2010 Prius level V with just shy of 210k miles on it. I've towed a veritable parade of trailers with a parade of vehicles ranging from a 7500 lb Excursion with a 10k lb tow rating to a Honda Element with a 1.5k lb tow rating.

I've had seven Airstreams ranging from a Minuet 5.7 meter to a 34' tri-axle and fiberglass trailers to include five Scamps (2-13', 2-16', and 1-19',) a Trillium 4500, a Love Bug II, a Burro 17' wide body, and a U-Haul CT-13. I've towed a couple of different kinds of tent-trailers with Jeeps, the most light-weight being a Danish CombiCamp at roughly 300 lbs.

The least competent combination was the AWD Honda Element/no-option Scamp 16. The Scamp came in slightly above the tow rating of 1500 lbs, but I successfully towed it probably 15,000 miles while I had that combo, including being in a deer collision while towing. The trailer had electric brakes and I had a brake controller installed in the Element.

I also encountered a true sway incident when the Trillium 4500 jumped the ball of the hitch on the 7500lb Excursion and did it's level best to roll me.

My advice? If you're going to keep the Prius, buy a tent. If you want to tow a trailer of ANY kind... buy a vehicle that will be competent to tow the RV that you expect to tow.

Towing isn't merely about dragging a trailer around. What's really important is that you can maneuver the vehicle and trailer in an emergency situation without rolling or crashing, and that you can get it stopped in a reasonable distance from speed. A Prius wouldn't be competent to do either of those, even with a 300 lb CombiCamp.

[Geronimo John]

Casita Greg:

I am driving a 2018 Prius rental, normally I drive a 2012 Prius V. My wife drives a 2008 Prius as does my son. I also have a 2005 Sequoia that I use as a TV. So I am in a position to address your above comments.

But first, I totally agree with your recommendation to not use a Prius as a Tow Vehicle.
However, your comments about the performance of the Prius appear a bit harsh.

Just as they were not designed to be a TV, they also were not designed to be a muscle car. That said, I can assure you that when both battery and motor power are on tap, they certainly can get out of their (and everybody else) way WHEN the driver chooses to "Step on it".

I suspect that your angst really is not toward the Prius mechanical ability, but to many of their drivers that practice "Hyper-mileage" techniques. It's not that they don't have
reasonably rapid acceleration... it's that some drivers don't give a damn about other
folks crawling up their a__. This is a real problem.

There is a place for hyper mileage techniques, but acceleration lanes are not one of them.

Thank you,

[Alben]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

I am impressed. 5000 BTU with 420 watts, (35A x 12 VDC). I wonder, at 14.4 VDC, does the BTU rating, (and probably the current) go up or does the current load go down?


I see no prices on the site, so likely very costly.

They list a few prices.
HD-12s 12 Volt DC Mini Split System Air Conditioner
$3,695.00
Yes, very costly...

[Uplander]

The last vehicle I would ever pick to tow would be a Toyota Prius or any other low horsepower light weight econo car.
Towing is a serious business....pick a serious vehicle for the job.
Picking a Prius is like bringing a knife to a gun fight !

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Uplander

The last vehicle I would ever pick to tow would be a Toyota Prius or any other low horsepower light weight econo car.
Towing is a serious business....pick a serious vehicle for the job.
Picking a Prius is like bringing a knife to a gun fight !

a rubber knife at that.

[peterh]

Older Prius models -- Gen 3 and older -- are not rated to tow in either the US or Europe. Toyota offered a towing package on the first model year of their Prius Gen 4 (2016) with a 1600 pound towing capacity but did not keep that rating for subsequent model years. I'm not sure what to make of that.

That issue aside, a vehicle's tow rating, in pounds or kilos, is only part of the equation. Many FG trailer owners look to beef up their rear suspension with air bags or helper springs to reduce sag and provide a better towing experience. I haven't seen those kits for a Prius and you'd probably need to beef your Prius to handle the extra weight on the hitch

Another, often overlooked issue is wind face. This is the amount of aerodynamic drag a trailer adds (mostly at speeds over 40mph) to the aerodynamics of the tow vehicle. Few people think about this because the "hole" in the wind face an SUV or pickup truck carves for any trailer it pulls is very substantial. No so for a lo-profile, aerodynamically slick Prius. The consensus for the 2016 is the manufacturer tow rating for the 2016 needs to be halved at freeway speeds, bringing the usable capacity down to 800 or so pounds, which is quite a bit lighter than any fiberglass trailer or pop up that can sleep three adults.

Sorry about that. If you love hybrids, the current Rav4 hybrid has a usable capacity of 1750lb. Next year's (2019) Rav4 may be higher or lower . . . Toyota says they plan tol release pricing and full vehicle specs just before Thanksgiving (late November 2018). The (frequently unreliable) buzz in the car blogs I sometimes read suggest the new Rav4 will get better MPG, have a stronger engine, and a slightly higher tow rating.

For the record, my trailers/tow vehicles are a 19' Scamp 5er pulled by a 3.0L V6 2000 Ford Ranger and an (almost finished teardown & refit) 14.5' Surfside pulled by a 2.7L 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe. My wife and I plan to sell one or the other trailer and replace the tow vehicle for the other once we figure out which trailer we prefer camping in sometime in 2019. I'm hoping the 2019 Rav4 will fit the bill if we keep the Surfside, but the Subaru Forester (34 MPG Freeway) is a good second choice if fuel efficiency is your prime concern.

Our daily driver is . . . a 2014 Gen 3 Prius. I don't think it's at all suitable for towing; anyone who says otherwise is, I think, just expressing their own optimistic and wishful thinking.

[ShelbyM]

I don't think anyone has yet posted in favor of towing with the Prius. Unusual unanimous opinion!

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by peterh

Older Prius models -- Gen 3 and older -- are not rated to tow in ether the US or Europe. Toyota offered a towing package on the first model year of their Prius Gen 4 (2016) with a 1600 pound towing capacity but did not keep that rating for subsequent model years. I'm not sure what to make of that..

Did Toyota adopt SAE J2807 towing standards in model year 2017? quite likely the Prius failed them, they are pretty rigorous, see SAE J2807 Tow Tests - The Standard

[dfandrews]

Towing capacity summary for my Prius C:

[Joe Romas]

Originally Posted by Kenny Strong

I put 1 1/2inch receiver hitch on a VW Passat; to carry a bike rack. It would drag in the gutter at our drive or parking lots when empty. I have owned a Prius. I suggest to not do this.

I attended a rally in Tennessee and a person from Michigan was towing his 17' Casita SD with a Passat TDI (diesel). His parents were also there and used their Camery to tow their 17' Casita SD.

They both had hitches installed by a firm in Canada. I owned at one time a 1996 Passat TDI wagon and they are capable but I'm perfectly contented towing our casita with a 2017 Sierra double cab.

[swhird]

To answer your question, you could likely pull one of those teardrop trailers. I saw someone pulling one with a similar vehicle but I don't have personal experience. If I were doing this, I'd avoid the interstate and just take it easy 50MPH or less which I tend to do anyway.

That being said your current setup is rather minimal; maybe you could just move to tenting.

[Thomcat316]

I don't know that I'd advocate towing it with a Prius, a car which is optimized for aero and regenerative braking.

If you want a very efficient tow-capable rig, I'd look to a Saturn SW-1 wagon and a teardrop similar to ours. Plan on driving a stickshift, as the automatic isn't what you'll need. The Saturn has room for kit and sleeping, and will exceed 40mpg without the trailer. As old as the cars are, it might be economical to buy a low mileage desert car and have it reworked into "like new". A similar vehicle to consider would be the 2003 Mazda Protege5. Upgrade the alternator on either and it will charge the trailer batteries while underway.

By way of comparison, the 1996 Sonoma I tow with is consistently 32-34mpg naked highway, and has towed the trailer on a big loop from Fort Lauderdale to Seattle and back at 25.9mpg total trip.

The fiberglass teardrop we built can be seen at Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers • View topic - "Lite House" Ultralight Monocoque build - 6/25/11

It's a 5x12, sleeps three on a queen, has a full galley, weighs about 550-600 lbs. loaded for touring, 350 empty.

I'd make some design changes if I were rebuilding the trailer. Some are detailed in the build journal, some will be added when I have some time free to do so.

Another option if you're not up to a full design/build - https://www.clcboats.com/teardrop

The CLC "hull" is amazing, but I'd make a few design changes if I were to own one, mostly to marry the shell to the suspension better and to get better aerodynamics.

[tdhess]

It has been done. Yes, if your car was still under warranty, it would void it. This trailer weighs about 400lb. The owner is a minimalist and weighs everything when packing. Choices have to be made and stuff gets left at home. She installed the hitch and also added rear airbags. No problems towing on the flats, but big hills are not fun. Battery gets charged up on the down hills! She has since moved on to a bigger tow vehicle and bigger trailer. The weight of the trailer is not good on the unibody type Prius frame, although I think the newer Prius can tow about 1.5K? Anyway, here it is, right or wrong. She was only one person traveling. The trailer is pretty cool inside. It was plumbed for hot and cold water, electricity, all LED, and a heater.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by peterh

Toyota offered a towing package on the first model year of their Prius Gen 4 (2016) with a 1600 pound towing capacity but did not keep that rating for subsequent model years. I'm not sure what to make of that.

Originally Posted by peterh

The consensus for the 2016 is the manufacturer tow rating for the 2016 needs to be halved at freeway speeds, bringing the usable capacity down to 800 or so pounds, which is quite a bit lighter than any fiberglass trailer or pop up that can sleep three adults.

I'd like to solve the puzzle!

When you put out a product where the owners' consensus is to halve the published tow rating, as a manufacturer I would be inclined to give up on rating my product for towing.

As to what I have personally pulled with a Prius, I have pulled potluck dishes and presents out of the cargo compartment when our inlaws come to visit during the holidays. Judging from what I have read here, I think this is an appropriate use.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by dfandrews

Towing capacity summary for my Prius C:

Don, the tongue weight looks dangerously light, be careful out there!

[Andy T]

Here is a link to a blog of a family that has been towing a 17' Alto trailer for 3 years now.

I drove this combination and I was very pleased with how nicely it performed, handling was rock solid. The Alto isn't Fibreglass but it does tow easily, weight is around 1,800 pounds.

I hope this helps you out.

https://ecotrailertraveling.com/2015...ius-challenge/

Andy

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Andy T

Here is a link to a blog of a family that has been towing a 17' Alto trailer for 3 years now.

I drove this combination and I was very pleased with how nicely it performed, handling was rock solid. The Alto isn't Fibreglass but it does tow easily, weight is around 1,800 pounds.

I hope this helps you out.

https://ecotrailertraveling.com/2015...ius-challenge/

Andy

How did I know, without looking, that this is yet another plug for Can-Am RV, encouraging people to tow over their limit?


Let's see. OP is in Ontario and tows an Airstream and has one post...

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

How did I know, without looking, that this is yet another plug for Can-Am RV, encouraging people to tow over their limit?


Let's see. OP is in Ontario and tows an Airstream and has one post...

I guess litigation in Canada is not nearly as profitable as litigation in the US. I can't imagine their business model would survive in the USA.