Does anyone know *why* Toyota says no to hitch mounted bikes?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Curtis SAC @ Sep 17 2006, 03:19 PM) [snapback]320902[/snapback]</div>

might say no hitch mounted bike racks on the 2k6 but not the 2k4 or 2k1-3's as well. This subject was pretty well beaten to death here on PC 2 years ago. Concensus was as long as you don't excede the maximum load capacity of the car nothing would happen. And that's been my experience even with the scanner I've never seen anything go out of normal on the drive train, temperature amperage nothing. Car handles just like it does without the trailer. If you don't want to tow or use an external carrier, don't. Some do and do.

 

http://priuschat.com/trailer-t24495.html

This might be why Toyota says do not tow anything. You say bike this guy says bike. Bike 800 pounds and trailer probably around 400- 600 pounds. That is over a half ton.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kn6vv @ Sep 17 2006, 11:37 AM) [snapback]320826[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Frank Hudon @ Sep 17 2006, 05:45 PM) [snapback]320906[/snapback]</div>

The guy that asked showed an '06 in his lefthand profile. And that's what says in the '06 manual. Perhaps Toyota gives no specific specific recommendation against it in prior model years.

What are the towing capacities of the prior year Priuses?

They recommend against it. That is what it is. If someone wants the engineering reason why, they shoud call Japan.

Nobody has said it will ruin the car. Toyota doesn't even say that. They just didn't design the car for it so don't blame them for any trouble that may be caused by doing it. That's all.

I'll add that the drive train is probably not something that one should be concerned about if you are just using a hitch type bike carrier. But who knows what the moment will do to whatever car component the hitch is attatched to? Trailers are another issue - even light trailers can be hard on a drive train. If you have pulled anything weighing more than a bread box behind a small car, you have probably felt the trailer tug when driving over bumps, etc. You feel it, so does the drive train.

 

On some bike hitches, there is a square cross-section steel support piece that is in contact with the underside of the black vinyl trim along the underside of the bumper. The steel piece sticks down into the exhaust flow as well, and it gets hot. The heat is conducted to the vinyl piece and will melt / deform it. There was a post about this a month or so ago, with pictures.

Bob

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kn6vv @ Sep 17 2006, 11:37 AM) [snapback]320826[/snapback]</div>

I think I saw that somewhere here, too. Part of the frame for the hitch blocked exhaust gas and it melted part the lower rear bumper spoiler/trim. They added an extended tail pipe to fix the problem.

 

It's what I call a "Idiot Warning", they know that once the hitch is put on someone will get ansy and hitch up their 50' travel trailer to pull across country. Then complain to Toyota the transmission gave out. :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bob Allen @ Sep 18 2006, 01:37 PM) [snapback]321300[/snapback]</div>

It is just the Curt/Uhaul hitch you are talking about. And the pictures are on my site... which unfortunately is down right now, or I'd link it.

 

For now you can look at it on my "old" site:
http://darelldd.com/ev/prius_hitch.htm