Towing With A Gen III Prius. Have You Done It?
 

Any problems with the Prius?

https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...tml#post548976

https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...tml#post556816

Thanks, Redpoint. We've made a 4000 mile round trip with the Prius loaded to the gills with loaded U Haul boxes, and this trip is planned using about 2/3rds of those boxes (and less than 200 pounds of trailer and carrier box). I know the car's suspension will be less taxed by moving the load to a trailer. I just wanted to know if anyone has experienced any mechanical problems with the drive train doing what Toyota says is verboten.

I would probably try to fit everything interior if you can, and it doesn't exceed say 1,200 lbs. It's extra strain on the suspension, but less strain on the motor since a trailer ads aero drag.

If you go with a trailer, Filling the box to the top or covering it will make it much more aerodynamic and put less strain on the motor.

I've pulled jetskis maybe an hour away on winding roads with no issue, and compost dirt only 10 minutes away with no issues.

What are you pulling?

It won't be an open box. I have an X Cargo 20 cu. ft. cartop carrier I plan to mount backwards on a 40 x 48 Harbor Freight trailer (stretched to 40 x 67 to undrlay the whole carrier) Much like this drawing. I'll mount the tongue as short as possible to allow full lock turns without hitting. (I will park where I don't have to back up.)

That will be cake to pull. How much total weight are we talkin?

Don't know, yet. Haven't packed. Might be a good idea to do that and weigh the cargo.
The trailer is about 150 Lbs. The carrier is 34 Lbs.
Might do PVC hoops and some kind of smooth fabric to make a conical air divertor forward of the carrier coming to a point just behind the coupler.

Air over a tarpaulin or whatever has problems (buffeting). A vertical wall between the tow vehicle and the trailer will block crosswinds. Vortex traps in the lower right:

https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-f...dynamics-c.jpg

The load in the trailer always trumps putting the same load in the car.

And they DONT say it’s forbidden. Only that they cannot recommend it. Big difference.

The easier the road (Interstate) the less it would concern me. Tires on the car will heat higher than those on the trailer. That’s normal.

As the trailer presents no forward wind load of consequence, it’s only the crosswinds. Natural & man-made.

Choose your routing. Post it. There’s always meat on that bone.

.

Yes, I should find a flexible material, such as that used for kitchen cutting pads. Something light that would bend around a vertical post near the and triangularly fill the gap between the carrier and the car. OR, I
could do it with two pieces of 1/4" plywood.

Coroplast? Brake it at an angle to the corrugations to stiffen it.

I'm thinking of adding a "Belly Pan" to the trailer (Something light, like Formica) to keep the airflow from hitting the frame cross members. Also, surrounding the axle with an air foil (Red Oval)

Give the air foil a negative camber to keep the wheels on the ground at speed.

1/8" sheet ABS could be heat-formed, Formica not so much.

Yes. I just did a quick dirty job with Paint XP. I know the rear of the air foil needs to be tapered to a point, and the profile needs to be more like an airplane wing.

I like the idea of wheel pods.

Yeah, the Formica, or whatever, belly pan only needs to be flat. I thought of dropping it down in the middle to under the axle, but I think that extra frontal area would cause a higher CDA than just sealing the frame, and using an airfoil on the axle.

Do you think these additions are aerodynamically advantageous, or to much trouble for the return?

I'd not cover the axle, but radius the edges and cover the bottom half of the carrier up to the clamshell lip.

The wheel pants need to open up for access. Either Dzus fasteners, and a hinge at the top or pivot at the front to butterfly open.

Like this?

Actually, I was thinking of filling the gap with a triangular box, with the apex just behind the coupler.

I think I could make this pretty easy:

Edges of the frame not the axle.

Is this getting closer? Do you not think the 1.25" axle needs rounding pieces?

:thumbup:

Do at least the bottom and trailing edge of the axle, the bluff leading edge is 'small potatoes'.

Else you could use two flat pieces and wedge downward on the front edge and upward on the trailing edge for downforce. If you need a picture ask, the upload is more trouble than the drawing.

Thanks

There's a button for that. :)

Still waiting for my local Harbor Freight store to get a 41x48 (that's how THEY list it)trailer kit in. It's $289 plus sales tax if I buy it in the store. Anywhere else, it's $279 plus $102 shipping. We DO have a Northern Tool store "Coming Soon". I know where, but they can't tell me when.

I can't change out the stock tires for the 81 MPH tires, or buy my ball mount until I get the trailer assembled. I can't tell how much forward I can mount the cargo carrier until I can pull a full lock turn with the trailer.

Chompin' at the bit.