Recommendation of Bike Rack for 2009 Toyota Prius

Question

Question:

This site is incredibly helpful but because there is so much information I am now getting confused. I saw one post about a Thule back mount rack for a 3-bike rack on the prius. I was planning on installing a 1 1/4 inch hitch this weekend. Is this the best approach? And exactly what bike rack should I use, and the maximum # of bikes.

asked by: Marguerite

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Expert Reply:

The first thing you are going to want to look at is the owners manual for your 2009 Toyota Prius. It has been our understanding that Toyota prohibits the installation of a trailer hitch for towing, or the use of hitch mounted accessories. But, hitches are still made for them because there is a market for them.

There are only Class I 1-1/4inch trailer hitches available for the Prius and you would be limited to just 2 bikes on a Class I hitch. A third bike may not weigh much, but since that additional weight will be at such a far distance from the hitch pin hole that weight will apply a lot of leveraged torque on the Class I hitch that can not handle the force and could potentially damage the hitch or frame of your vehicle.

The Thule Apex 2 Bike Rack, part # TH9024XT, you have referenced, will fit your Prius with the Class I 1-1/4 inch hitch. This is a hanging style hitch bike rack. I am including a link to a video review on this bike rack.

Another hitch bike rack I would recommend is the Swagman XTC-2 Bike Rack, part # S64670. This bike rack is a platform rack which makes loading the bikes onto the rack easier than having to lift the bikes up to a frame cradle on a hanging bike rack. I am including a link to a video review on this bike rack being installed on a Prius.

To carry 3 bikes, I would recommend a trunk mount bike rack like the Thule OutWay, part # TH56BV. This bike rack will fit the 2009 Toyota Prius but will require that the rear wiper not be used when installed and that the straps are not in contact with the muffler or exhaust pipe when installed.

If you choose the # TH9024XT hanging bike rack or the # TH9002PRO trunk bike rack, and you will be hauling women's or children's bikes that do not have the horizontal bar at the top of the frame, you will want to use the Thule Bike Adapter Bar, part # TH982XT. It attaches to the center seat post and to the handlebar post and provides a horizontal bar, so the bike can ride level on the bike rack.

expert reply by: Jeff D

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Answer 1

The Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch #24808 and the Curt Trailer Hitch #C11468 are the two hitch options currently available for your 2009 Toyota Prius. I recommend the Draw-Tite #24808. It is our most popular hitch for the 2009 and the main difference from…

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Answer 2

The difference between the Class II and Class III hitches has to do with their Gross Trailer Weight (GTW), their Tongue Weight (TW), and their Hitch Receiver Size. Class II trailer hitch receivers have a 1-1/4 inch receiver and can be rated up to…

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Answer 3

A 4-Way trailer connector has the basic lighting functions only; running lights, left turn signal and brake lights, right turn signal and brake lights, and ground. A 7-Way has these functions and a 12 volt circuit, a circuit for electric trailer…

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Answer 4

Class I and Class II hitches both have a 1-1/4 inch receiver opening. The difference is that a Class I hitch has a lower tongue weight rating, usually 200 pounds and a lower towing rating, usually 2,000 pounds. A Class II hitch usually has a tongue…

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Answer 5

In order to determine the torque rating for the lug nuts on your trailer you will need to know check out the chart I attached that shows all of the torque specs for all the trailer lugs available based on stud size, wheel material and wheel size.

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Answer 6

Lance does have a proprietary plug, but many customers see a standard 6-way or 7-way round and notice it doesn't fit their factory 7-way as well. I've attached an article to help if you have one of the 7-way or 6-way round connectors which we…

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Answer 7

There is only one difference between the Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver #C13176 and etrailer Trailer Hitch Receiver #e98909 that fit your 2020 Chevrolet Colorado, which is the finish. The Curt trailer hitch has a glossy black finish while the etrailer…

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Answer 8

I did some checking and the hub/drum we offer that will work for you is the part #8-430-5UC3. This uses the same bearings as the 8-415 and will be an exact fit aside from the fact this is a non-ABS setup and the 8-415 came in an ABS setup and non-ABS…

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Answer 9

There is a trailer hitch receiver as well as a 4-way wiring harness that fit your 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee WL; that said, we don't have any way to reference a VIN so you'll need to confirm if you do have the WL, which is the new model of…

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Answer 10

The main difference between the Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver part #C13416 and the EcoHitch Hidden Trailer Hitch Receiver part #EH97FR is that the EcoHitch has a completely hidden cross tube whereas the Curt cross tube will be visible from the rear of…

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Answer 11

To me it makes the most sense to put a Bike Rack #HLY64FR on the flat towed vehicle rather than above the tow bars. Especially on heavy e-bikes as they are difficult to lift that high onto the rack, but also as it only makes sense to have the rack on…

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Answer 12

To replace your NOK AD2527E seal you can use #168233. It has an inner diameter of 1.688 inches and an outer diameter of 2.332 inches. Based on what I could find on the NOK AD2527E the inner diameter is the same and the outer diameter is 2.328 inches.…

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