I have a 2008 Prius and want to convert it for long-distance road trips so my girlfriend and I (6'2" male) can sleep in it. I plan to put a 4 inch mattress topper in the back, and tow a cargo carrier with a trunk and two bikes. I'm not sure exactly what I need. I know I can do either 1 1/4 inch or 2 inch hitch, and most people say to do the 1 1/4 inch because a 2 is overkill. Is that still the case if I need to tow bikes as well as a cargo carrier and trunk like this? I'm trying to find a cargo carrier but from what I'm reading, some of them have an adapter so you can put a bike rack on the other side of the carrier as well, but I'm not sure which ones have that. Should I get a bike rack that mounts on the trunk of the car instead of trying to attach it to the cargo carrier? I just bought a Habitent to use in case there's not enough room for me to sleep in the backseat, and also to use while camping when I don't have to worry about being discreet when sleeping in it. Does anyone have suggestions for what I should get? So far the only thing I've ordered is the Habitent. I need to decide. 1. 1 1/4 or 2 inch hitch? 2. What cargo carrier can I attach two bikes to and also a trunk for luggage, or should I mount the bikes on the car's trunk directly? 3. Is there a better way to do this? I was thinking of doing a roof rack for luggage and putting the bikes behind the car or vice versa, but I've heard mpg gets a lot worse when mounting stuff on the roof.
Prius Gen2 custom rack link: Nice Rack!: Custom roof rack for a 2006 Toyota Prius Rooftop racks with cargo box installed at above link. Clearly rooftop racks with cargo box has its pros and cons.
I have a 1 1/4" hitch. I tow a harbor freight trailer with a motorcycle on it, I don't like to tow more than 400lbs or so though to be safe. You should not use a cargo carrier on a Prius. I really wanted to put one on mine. As a rule of thumb, tongue weight should be 10% of your total towing capacity. So if your Prius maxes it's tow rating at 2,000lbs, you can only have 200lbs on the tongue weight, which is 200lbs on the cargo carrier. Might as well get a small trailer and you don't have to worry about the weight at all. I get 35mpg when towing at 80mph on the highway, I usually get 40mpg with this weather.