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Should I give up on a hitch-mounted bike rack for my Prius v (lowercase v)?

Discussion in 'Prius v Accessories and Modifications' started by loginhater, May 26, 2015.

  1. loginhater

    loginhater New Member

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    Location:
    chicago
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Spoke to a dealer/installer this morning about installing a hitch to use with a bike rack on my Prius v (lowercase v for the Prius v wagon). He said:
    • Only 1.125 inch hitches are available
    • Don't use any racks that use a 2 inch to 1.125 inch adapter (in other words, use only racks that are designed to be used with a 1.125 inch receiver)
    • Use only a two-bike rack
    He said that if I tried to exceed these guidelines the extra weight could cause the rack/hitch to break off and damage the unibody of the car.

    I was planning on carrying 3 bikes. We have lightweight road bikes and I am thinking if I got a lightweight rack the total weight would be similar to a normal 2 bike setup using an average weight rack.

    Is using a 3-bike set up like this a bad idea? I wasn't terribly excited about permanently adding 35 pounds to my Prius -- which is what would happen if I installed a hitch.
     
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    #2 rjparker, May 26, 2015
    Last edited: May 26, 2015
  3. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Location:
    Western Washington
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    Other Hybrid
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    Torklift has a 2" hitch for this vehicle:
    2012-2015 Toyota Prius v (lowercase v) EcoHitch
     
  4. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Prime Advanced
    I've got a 4-bike setup on my Prius PHV using just a 1.25" hitch. It's no big deal if you aren't loading it down with heavy bikes & gear.
     
  5. Cozynest

    Cozynest Junior Member

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    St. Louis
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I've been using a 1.25" receiver and a 3 bike rack on my 2010 liftback for a couple of summers. I often have 2 bikes on it, rarely 3, but these are hardtail mountain bikes. I understand your concern over the mfg recommended limits but after installing the hitch myself, I am not at all concerned that the unibody is in any danger. The hitch and mounting points are very stout and overbuilt. The only part that worries me is the bike rack that I bought. It seems sort of skimpy compared to a rack I had previously on a 2" hitch receiver. I'm quite certain the bike rack will fail long before the hitch falls off!
     
  6. vuduvgn

    vuduvgn Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Chico, CA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Two
    I have a Quality S 2" receive hitch that I used on my 2010 Prius liftback for three years. It has been sitting in the garage for two years and then I installed it on our new 2015 Prius v last Wednesday. Installed with no problems at all. I put my Saris CycleOn (no longer made) two bike hitch rack on at 4:00 am Saturday morning and then drove two hours for a 6 hour mtb race.
    Hitch worked great! Rack worked great!
    I have a 2 bike addition to the CycleOn and used that on the 2010 Prius liftback with no problems. Don't be afraid of a hitch rack. It's much more convenient than a roof rack and you don't get a hit in mileage.
    Below is a pic of the Saris rack on my 2010 Prius liftback and a link to discussion about it: 2" hitch on a 2010 Prius- Mtbr.com

    [​IMG]
     
  7. ERS

    ERS New Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    The ONLY 2-inch hitch I have found is from Torklift Central. Expensive, but they have the only 2-inch hitch available... so dealer/installer wrong on that one. But correct about adapters... they are a bit sloppy. e.g. if you need a 1.25 In. receiver, buy a 1.25 In. receiver. If you need a 2-inch receiver, but a 2-inch receiver! And tons of posts on this site (even this post!) and other sites (hitch manufactures) about people that have installed a hitch to haul bikes on a Prius w/o any problems. Even search for pulling a trailer with a Prius and you will find people doing that... although I wouldn't suggest that!!!! I would say not an issue, unless you are maxed out with people & gear! Please let us know if you find another 2-inch hitch manufacture.
     
    #7 ERS, Jul 5, 2015
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2015
    Hybrid Kayaker likes this.
  8. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    I have put receiver hitches on a 2003, 2010, and BMW i3 and never had a problem as they use the tie-down anchor points that keep them from bouncing around the inside of a ship in a storm. There is serious body strength there.

    When Toyota offers a tow package in the USA, I would pay attention. Until then, money talks and the rest can walk.

    Bob Wilson
     
  9. lrisius

    lrisius Member

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    Vehicle:
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    Three
    I've got a 2015 Prius v with the 2" Torklift installed. I use it with a Thule T2 rack. This is a nice 2" rack that holds the bikes upright and is quite heavy (close to 50 pounds). It works fine. My challenge is that we sometimes need to haul 4 bikes. Thule makes an extender for that rack that lets it handle 4 bikes but then it becomes quite long and there would be a lot of leverage on the hitch. I've been afraid to try one of those because of the potential for damaging the vehicle. If you are talking about using one of the racks with the bars that the bikes hang from in an upright position I think you would be fine with three bikes. Those racks are quite light compared to ours and they aren't that long so the leverage should be minimal. Many of the upright racks are made for 1.25" receivers, too.
     
  10. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Saris 'Bones' rack. No need for hitch.
     
  11. mitchmarket

    mitchmarket Junior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Technology
    I'm running a Seasucker with the suction cope on the roof of my V with the Pano roof. Sticks like glue and you can run 3 bikes on the roof. Looks totally cool and saves on the hassle of the hitch.
     
  12. Fleabiscuit

    Fleabiscuit Junior Member

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  13. mitchmarket

    mitchmarket Junior Member

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    Technology
    Here is my Seasucker with 2 bikes on it. It also works with 3.
     

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    Jamendan and Fleabiscuit like this.