I went back and forth on whether or not to put a hitch on our Prius. I have read what has been posted here on the topic and I have read the instruction in the owners manual. Alas, for this vehicle to be truly functional in this household it must be able to transport a tandem trike on occasion. So here is what I did.......
Details please, what brand hitch, where did you get it from? Also, pics of the hitch with the tandem trike mounted would be nice.
And costs and expected loss of MPG? My situation is that I'd like to attached a very, very small trailer onto my Prius. I'm not exactly sure where I will buy the trailer but the hitch itself looks pretty unassuming. And something I never thought about is that thingamajig between the hitch and the trailer attachment. Mike
Trailer Hitch for 2012 Toyota Prius - Curt C11276 Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring for 2012 Toyota Prius - Tow Ready 118505 $207.90 shipped
I have one on my Prius, just like I had one on my Mini Cooper S Convertible. MPG is about the same, though I will usually see more of a negative hit in one direction (going against the wind or uphill?), and more of a positive hit in the other direction. Still, I can get 50+ MPG. This was carrying 32 cu ft of wet mulch on a 4'x8' foldable utility trailer from Harbor Frieght. We haul our bicycles on it all the time, which I greatly prefer over a bicycle carrier on the car itself. Drive conservatively, keep the weight balanced on the trailer, and keep the gross weight (including the trailer) under 1,000 pounds and you will never have to worry about mechanical issues with the car. - TP
The trailer under it is all kinds of nice too. Two Yakima bike mount trays just for the rear wheels...
We took the setup shown plus one upright two wheeler and a third passenger on a 100 mile round trip to an organized ride today. Several fair sized hills on the route. I set the cruise at 55 mph both ways. I would estimate we took a 10 mpg hit on our usual 52 - 54 mpg. The set up pulled well behind the Prius. We pulled the same outfit for 5 or so years with our former 2007 Honda Fit so its not new to me.
I've been thinking about doing something like that for two sea Kayaks. It would have to be much longer though. What kind of $ does a trailer like that cost? I've grown weary in my old age of throwing heavy kayaks up on the room not to mention the roof damage that inevitably occurs from the rack attachment no matter how careful I am.
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