Trailer Hitch Recommendations for 2022 Toyota Prius Prime

Published 11/17/2021

Products Featured in This Question

EcoHitch Stealth Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - 2"

(27)

$481.99

Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class I - 1-1/4"

(189)

$164.38

Hitch Adapter 1-1/4" to 2" Trailer Hitch Receiver

(550)

$100.36

Thule T2 Pro XTR Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" Hitches - Wheel Mount

(164)

$899.95

Question:

I have reviewed your website. The main intention for the hitch is to attach my Thule Pro2 Bike rack.My questions: 1. Can I get it done at any usual auto mechanic near me southern California, or should I go to say PepBoys or U-haul, which may have more experience installing hitches on many types of cars including Prius Prime.. 2. My other car already has a 2 hitch, therefore, if I installed a 1-1/4 hitch on my Prius Prime, can I safely use/add a 1-1/4 to 2 adapter to hang my Thule Pro2 Bike rack and carry 2 normal bikes.? 3. I also have a heavier Hollywood Platform bike carrier 2 opening only. Can I safely attach that carrier to the 2 adapter, and carry one e-bike on it? Any other advice or recommendations are welcome.

asked by: Victor S

Expert Reply:

Any trusted mechanic should be able to install most hitches, but because the hitches available for the 2022 Prius Prime would require removing the rear bumper cover and fascia, I'd want to choose someone who's experienced in removing body panels without damaging them. For an install of this sort, I typically recommend a body shop, as they remove bumper covers all the time without incident.

If you installed a Class I hitch like the Curt # C11473, you could use an adapter like # HTAD for a 2 inch bike rack, but using an adapter will reduce the tongue weight capacity of the hitch by 50%, down to 100 lbs. This means that the weight of the bike rack and the bikes cannot exceed 100 lbs. If you went this route, you might be best off going with a rack designed for a 1-1/4 inch hitch like the Thule T2 Pro, part # TH23JV.

The weight of a heavy e bike and the heavy Hollywood racks bike rack would exceed that 100 lb figure, so I wouldn't recommend using that rack/bike combination of that vehicle.

The EcoHitch # 306-X7369 would seem to be the perfect solution, but EcoHitch hasn't confirmed the fit on a 2022 Prius Prime, as they haven't gotten their hands on the vehicle yet for a test fit. From our research, we can't see any substantial differences between the 2021 Prius Prime and the 2022 model, but because EcoHitch hasn't test fit it yet we couldn't guarantee the fit.