2006 Being Prius towed as a TOAD ??

[wtfjr36]

Hi All
We are looking at buying a Class A RV & wonder if our 2006 Prius can be towed behind the RV on a car dolly, with both front wheels up off of the ground ?
Any info & first hand experiences being shared would be greatly appreciated.
And, yes we have reviewed our owners manual.
Thanks !!
Bill in FL

[macmaster05]

Interesting...so you use an RV that gets 10 mpg, then make up for it by using your Prius which gets 50 mpg. Isn't that called a paradox?

Haha, sorry. I can't answer your question. I have no experience, but it's an interesting idea.

[brick]

Front wheels up on a dolly should be fine. You just can't tow it all wheels down.

[paprius4030]

The money we save on gas goes toward a night at the Hilton instead of a Days Inn LOL

[macmaster05]

Originally Posted by paprius4030

The money we save on gas goes toward a night at the Hilton instead of a Days Inn LOL

Or for all you can eat sushi!!!!! Man i'm hungry.....

[David Beale]

Yes, you can tow with the front wheels on a dolly.

DO be careful that there is still sufficient ground clearance in the rear as the Prius doesn't have much to begin with.

Also note that the front wheels will be higher than the rears, so the rear alignment will be off (both camber and toe-in) so watch for tire wear. If you don't notice much then it's probably ok.

Note that it's difficult to leave the Prius in "N" so if the dolly manufacturer wants that, you'll have to work to get it. There is a fuse that can be pulled that prevents the car from engaging "P" when you power off. I don't remember which one. Your dealer may be able to tell you.

[patsparks]

Good point David, you need to have the trans in neutral to prevent park pawl damage.
Other than that, as above and then there is how to get the lights working down the back? Or do you use a light board?

If there is a fuse you can pull to stop the trans engaging park then it might be worth adding a switch to that circuit rather than pull a fuse each time.

[wtfjr36]

Please keep the great info coming & thanks !!
If the car is in N when I shut it off, how can it switch into any other gear with power off ?
For lights I figure to put the parking lights on when towing as the RV's rear lights shine above the Prius - I think.
And, we also have a 2 WD Highlander Hybrid & wonder if we can tow this the same way - front wheels up ? Any thoughts here ??
Thanks !!
Bill in FL

[BAllanJ]

When you hit the power button when in anything but park, it puts it in park before powering down... unless you can find a way around this.

[Patrick Wong]

Originally Posted by patsparks

Good point David, you need to have the trans in neutral to prevent park pawl damage...

If there is a fuse you can pull to stop the trans engaging park then it might be worth adding a switch to that circuit rather than pull a fuse each time.

The P CON MTR fuse and P CON relay control the flow of 12V power to the shift control actuator assembly. However if you remove either this will cause a DTC. If any DTC remains after the P CON MTR fuse is reinserted, you'll have to disconnect the 12V battery negative terminal for a few minutes.

Originally Posted by wtfjr36

...And, we also have a Highlander Hybrid & wonder if we can tow this the same way - front wheels up ?

If your HiHy has 4WD-i then I would not suggest trying to tow it with any wheels on the ground. If front wheel drive, then a similar concept in principle would apply.

I've noticed many RVers towing Saturn vehicles with all wheels on the ground. Looks like this is one feature that differentiates Saturns from most automatic transmission vehicles.