Best Tow Dolly for a 2018 Toyota Prius Prime and How Often Is Maintenance Required
Question:
Hi, I am interested in towing our 2018 Prius prime with a tow dolly using our 2018 Tundra 5.7L as the tow vehicle. We go back and forth between Florida and Connecticut a couple times each year and towing the car would be easier than driving two vehicles. How many miles can you put on tow dolly before it needs maintenance? Are there any issues with towing a Prius Prime on a dolly? Which is a good tow dolly to use? The Prius Prime is pretty low in the front. Will it go up the tow dolly without scraping the bottom? We believe that the steering wheel does not lock on the car. So, I assume that we will need to lock the steering using a club. Will that be good enough? Does the tow dolly need to be registered if we never tow it without a vehicle on the dolly? Any info that you can provide will be appreciated. Thanks Steve
asked by: Steve J
Expert Reply:
The maintenance schedule for a tow dolly will be listed in the manual for that specific tow dolly. For your 2018 Toyota Prius Prime, I recommend the Demco Kar Kaddy 3 Tow Dolly with Disc Brakes part # DM9713046 because it offers the most ground clearance (see photo). I also attached the maintenance schedule of this tow dolly for you below:
- Periodically check all bolts and nuts to insure proper tension or torque.
- Grease the king pin and tie rod end grease zerks every 2500 miles.
- An occasional drop of oil may be required on the moving parts of the tie down winches.
- A light film of oil should periodically be applied to steering stabilizer arm to prevent rust.
***Proper toe-in is 1/32”. This is preset at the factory.***
- The operator should periodically have the toe-in checked and adjusted if needed at a qualified alignment shop. Improper toein can result in irregular tire wear.
- This tow dolly comes equipped with chrome wheels. To maintain a high gloss to the chrome, clean and wax with a soft cloth regularly. Do not use an abrasive to clean chrome, this will cause scratches and this will lead to rust.
In regards to locking the steering wheel, this must be done so if your Prius Prime does not have this feature then you will indeed need to use some sort of bar for this which will be fine. The tow dolly will need to be registered even without a vehicle just like a trailer would but it comes with everything you need to do so.
