magnusfide
On the Road Again and Again and Again...
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Have a quandary of contradictory advice. Here's the question. My wife's 2008 Prius Hybrid: can it be towed on a dolly instead of a trailer?
I've been told that a dolly would muck up the system because of the way the rear wheels feed into the battery bank. Does anyone have the expert answer or a source for an expert answer on this?
First law of science: don't spit into the wind.
Keep on rollin'!
Magnus
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mowermech
Billings, MT
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Well, here's what Remco says:
"2002 - 2011 Toyota Prius
Application Notes
Nothing available. Tow dolly only.
Engine:
ALL
Drivetrain:
FWD
Transmission:
ECVT"
IMO, the only place you can get a REAL expert answer is the Owner's Manual.
CM1, USN (RET)
2002 Fleetwood Southwind 32V, Ford V10
Toad: 2006 Jeep Rubicon LJ
Other toad: '06 PT Cruiser, Kar Kaddy dolly
Toy: 1977 Dodge W100 CC SWB, 3/4 ton axles & springs
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edatlanta
Panama City Beach, FL
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Hmmmm! Food for thought - Wouldn't it be interesting to tow a Prius and have it charge your battery bank? I have a 5'er so it wouldn't help me, but I'm surprised someone somewhere hasn't worked on this idea.
Ed
2006 GMC 2500HD CCSB 4x4 Duramax/Allison, Titan 52 gallon fuel tank, TTT/Schefenacker Towing Mirrors, Prodigy Controller, B&W Companion Hitch, Progressive Industries EMS-PT50C, TST Systems 507 TPMS
2010 Jayco Designer 35RLTS,Cummins/Onan RV QG 5500 EVAP
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wilanddij
CA Desert
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No problems with a Pruis front wheels on a dolly. Make sure the parking brake is off.
Will & Di
2004 Southwind 32VS
Workhorse/8.1
Jeep Wrangler/Blue Ox
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magnusfide
On the Road Again and Again and Again...
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wilanddij wrote:No problems with a Pruis front wheels on a dolly. Make sure the parking brake is off.
It's the rear wheels feeding into the battery bank that is the concern here. Have tried calling Toyota and end up sitting on "hold". Local dealerships don't have a clue, they just try to sell you a new car. Don't get me wrong. We've always bought Toyota or Chevy and they're great products. But sometimes getting answers to a more esoteric question like tow dollies is nigh impossible.
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lryrob9301
Maryland
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Alright it's time for factual information, I was a senior powertrain engineer for Toyota before retiring, and here are the facts. The Prius CAN BE towed on a dolly just fine. The rear wheels HAVE NOTHING to do with recharging the battery.
The problems people encounter when towing a Prius on a dolly is because when they park it on the dolly they do not shut it completely OFF. They are leaving it in "READY" mode instead of making sure it is completely shut off. Even then all that has to be done is cycle the vehicle to off, then to ready, then drive it for a couple of miles to allow the computers to reset. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS A PRIUS TO BE TOWED WITH THE FRONT WHEELS ON THE GROUND.
I hope this clears up a lot of misconceptions about towing a Prius.
2013 Tiffin Phaeton 40QBH
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magnusfide
On the Road Again and Again and Again...
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lryrob9301 wrote:Alright it's time for factual information, I was a senior powertrain engineer for Toyota before retiring, and here are the facts. The Prius CAN BE towed on a dolly just fine. The rear wheels HAVE NOTHING to do with recharging the battery.
The problems people encounter when towing a Prius on a dolly is because when they park it on the dolly they do not shut it completely OFF. They are leaving it in "READY" mode instead of making sure it is completely shut off. Even then all that has to be done is cycle the vehicle to off, then to ready, then drive it for a couple of miles to allow the computers to reset. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS A PRIUS TO BE TOWED WITH THE FRONT WHEELS ON THE GROUND.
I hope this clears up a lot of misconceptions about towing a Prius.
Outstanding info, thanks a mil lryrob. Now. Are you talking about the round "off" button to turn it off or is there something else we have to do to completely shut it down? We have a round On/Off button (that we always push to turn off) and then there's the rectangular Park button like in this picture 
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lryrob9301
Maryland
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Yes, transmission in park mode and the "Power" button in OFF mode.
If you want to fully power down all 12V systems, you can disconnect the 12V accessory battery in the "trunk". It is located under a plastic cover in the corner of the rear cargo/trunk area.
* This post was
edited 07/07/12 02:54pm by lryrob9301 *
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magnusfide
On the Road Again and Again and Again...
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lryrob9301 wrote:Yes, transmission in park mode and the "Power" button in OFF mode.
If you want to fully power down all 12V systems, you can disconnect the 12V accessory battery in the "trunk". It is located under a plastic cover in the corner of the rear cargo/trunk area.
Thanks again. Which corner has the plastic cover to the 12V systems? There's all kind of access panels in ours.
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