Solution for Towing 2017 Toyota Prius Behind Motorhome

Published 03/06/2020

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Question:

Jameson, When it comes to the dollys, I see you offer a couple of different units. The question is, with the unit without self steering wheels, would this unit track behind the motorhome well or do we need to account for it when making turns? The motorhome will already be over 37 feet long and I don’t want to get into a situation that now with a dolly, I will have to really track differently with it behind us. Thank you, Mick PS…I take it the dolly comes unassembled? Is it easy to assemble or do we need special tools, thinking of things like a torque wrench and so forth.

asked by: Mick C

Expert Reply:

You are correct, the 2017 Toyota Prius that you have can only be towed on a dolly behind a motorhome. Good news is it won't put miles on the vehicle since the drive wheels will be on the dolly. I like dolly setups over tow bar setups for a number of reasons. The install time is considerably less, you can easily transfer the towing setup to a different vehicle unlike base plate kits that are vehicle specific, and you don't put miles on the vehicle. The price isn't that different either when you consider install time as well.

The Demco Kar Kaddy part # DM9713046 is a really great choice for your Prius. It has a self contained disc brake system, comes with all the lighting and wiring you need as well so it's the only thing you need.

expert reply by: Jameson C

click to enlarge

Mick C.

12/2/2019

You are correct, the 2017 Toyota Prius that you have can only be towed on a dolly behind a motorhome. Good news is it won't put miles on the vehicle since the drive wheels will be on the dolly. I like dolly setups over tow bar setups for a number of reasons. The install time is considerably less, you can easily transfer the towing setup to a different vehicle unlike base plate kits that are vehicle specific, and you don't put miles on the vehicle. The price isn't that different either when you consider install time as well. The Demco Kar Kaddy part # DM9713046 is a really great choice for your Prius. It has a self contained disc brake system, comes with all the lighting and wiring you need as well so it's the only thing you need.

Jameson C.

12/2/2019

If you check out the review video link I attached to this page (most likely scroll down to FEATURED HELP LINKS heading) you'll see how the dolly installs and is loaded. It covers everything you'll need to know to confidently use this the first time as well as other times in the future. This has lighting and braking already taken care of so you do not need to wire up the Prius or add any braking. The lights are on the fenders of the dolly and the brake are hydraulic surge style which mean that when you apply the brakes of the tow vehicle the system is pressurized which then applies the dolly brakes and slows it down.

Mick C.

12/3/2019

As the lights are on the trailer, which is fine, shouldn’t the car brake lights also be used for optimum visibility and safety? I am concerned in foggy, low visibility settings, the trailer brake lights may not be enough.

Jameson C.

12/3/2019

That's a really valid concern, but the lights on the fenders of the dolly are LED which I don't know if you are familiar with LED lights but they are very bright and they cut through fog really well. I attached a picture that shows what the brake lights of the dolly look like when they are lit up. If you compare them to the motorhome taillights you can see that they are actually noticeable brighter.