Quote:
Originally Posted by Angel And The Wolf
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Not once have I had an overheating issue, and have pulled a variety of things up to 1000 pounds. Up hills, down hills, cruise set at 70. Fairly aerodynamic though, still maintaining 40+ mpg on all segments. Larger but lighter objects yielded lower 40 mpg numbers at lower 55 mph settings. Your mpg seems to be a good indicator of overheating/stress.
The picture is a 1000 pound loaded down trailer. The Prius was loaded pretty full with lighter stuff. 800 miles in one day, cruise set at 65 and 70 mph. The biggest issue was that the green plastic wrap didn't hold up (for waterproofing), so I had to pull off and remove it. 40+ mpg every segment, including the Tennessee mountains coming up to Nashville.
With a tonneau cover on that truck bed I wouldn't think there would be too big an issue as long as the weight doesn't get out of hand, especially if you have a well aerodynamicized transition from car to trailer (cutting down on trailer drag). Just make sure your MPG can hold around 40 and see how fast you can go.