Towing my prius behind my RV

[Clarence]

Hi All,

My wife and I just completed a 2,400 mile trip from Denver to San Francisco back to Denver towing our
2006 Prius behind our motorhome. We bought the prius new and have put 26,340 miles on it. We use a 2007 Master Tow Tilt-Bed tow dolly model 80THD. Prior to using a tow dolly, a car trailer was used to tow the Prius all-wheels-up. The hassle of finding camp sites which will accomodate the rv, trailer, and Prius prompted us to sell the trailer and purchase the dolly.

A word of caution

When we purchased the Master Tow dolly, I guided my wife up the ramp and told her to put the prius in park.
After straping down the front two tires, getting on the highway, pulling off at the first rest area to recheck the tie-down straps, I smelled something burning. The burning smell became more noticeable as we approached the rear of the prius, at which point my wife asked if I had wanted her to set the emergency brake. Sure enough the emergency brake had been set. To make a long story short, after releasing the emergency brake and driving the remaining 30 miles to our house, I unstrapped the prius and while backing it off the ramp the ABS light came on. I then drove the prius about a block and the ABS light extinguished. We checked the prius in for service the next morning at Stevinson Toyota to have it inspected and the mechanic said everything checks fine and that the brake pads were half worn.

Our round trip to S.F. was flawless. The tow dolly handles much better than the trailer and it only takes me 20 minutes from start to finish to drive the prius onto the dolly and secure it. It takes me 5 minutes to reverse the process.
The Master Tow Tilt Bed Tow Dolly operations manual and dealer locations are available online at : www.mastertow.com
I'm a satisfied customer.

[Tom6850]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(morpheusx @ Oct 27 2007, 02:19 PM) [snapback]531245[/snapback]</div>

Towing by dolly is a royal pain, I've done twice while moving and it is impossible to go in reverse.
[/b]

You cannot back up towing 4 wheels down either.

[patsparks]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tom 6850 @ Nov 1 2007, 08:42 PM) [snapback]533298[/snapback]</div>

You cannot back up towing 4 wheels down either.
[/b]

You should never tow a Prius with the front wheels on the ground. Tough call, full trailer is easier to reverse and dolly easier to store on camp site. A full trailer would reduce the chance of park brake and rear bumper damage.

Maybe talk with a reputable trailer seller who sells dollys and full trailers.
My 2c

[biglou10]

Going on my yearly fishing trip in a few weeks and want to take my Prius. Have a tow dolly and will take it on a test run to the beach. I'll let you know how it goes.