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I may wish to have a trailer hitch. Volvo can install in the factory for about 1000 USD. It's a bit steep and I believe I could do it cheaper here BUT, with my investment, it might make sense to do it in Sweden. Thoughts?
Trailer hitch
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Jimb27613 for his XC90 and I for
My XC40 bought Stealth hitches and are taking our Volvo’s on Thursday to a York PA Volvo dealership, who is an authorized installer for Stealth. We will report back on our experience! We wanted hitches for transporting our bikes.
https://stealthhitches.com/?utm_cam...MIza7swc_a4AIV3IWzCh2-EQ4xEAAYASAAEgKcfvD_BwE
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My XC40 bought Stealth hitches and are taking our Volvo’s on Thursday to a York PA Volvo dealership, who is an authorized installer for Stealth. We will report back on our experience! We wanted hitches for transporting our bikes.
https://stealthhitches.com/?utm_cam...MIza7swc_a4AIV3IWzCh2-EQ4xEAAYASAAEgKcfvD_BwE
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Not sure where you are located. For US (and possibly Canada) market(s), the OEM North American hitch is either installed at FDC or at the dealer. Other markets have the option for the 50 mm electric (hidden) hitch but it is about $1500 USD (as I recall).
Anyway, either the InvisiHitch or Stealth hitch are great options if you want to avoid cutting into the bumper fascia and have a clean look when the hitch is off. I have the InvisiHitch and I have no regrets. I had the dealer install the InvisiHitch. I also bought the Volvo OEM harness and the software (primarily for towing) through the dealer which they also installed.
If you DIY, you can probably stay between $750-$1000 depending on whether you only need a non-towing receiver for bike rack ($750) or will also need for towing ($1000).
I can also recommend Invisihitch. If you are a bit handy you can install it yourself. It took me about 3.5 hrs on my XC90 including wiring harness.
See below what I paid. If you select option 2 then please note you need a sensus software upgrade which only your dealership can install (you need to get a quote). Your harness will not work without that upgrade.
You can contact Invisihitch via their website for quotes (Invisihitch.com).
Look for much more details on this forum - several threads with
Pics for self installation.
Below extract from quote from Invisihitch early 2018:
We offer our invisible XC90 hitch in two different packages,
(all prices include shipping):
Rack-Only Package
$665 -
Invisible hitch with vertical latching mechanism
Removable 2” square receiver for racks (not tow rated)
Perfect for bike racks, ski racks, cargo platforms, etc
Complete Tow Package
$1069 -
Invisible hitch with vertical latching mechanism
Two separate removable pieces:
Removable ballmount for towing
Removable 2” square receiver for racks
Safety-chain attachment points
OEM trailer-lights wiring harness
OEM control module for the wiring harness
7-way and 4-way electrical receptacle
Rated for 6000 lbs towed weight / 500 lbs tongue weight
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See below what I paid. If you select option 2 then please note you need a sensus software upgrade which only your dealership can install (you need to get a quote). Your harness will not work without that upgrade.
You can contact Invisihitch via their website for quotes (Invisihitch.com).
Look for much more details on this forum - several threads with
Pics for self installation.
Below extract from quote from Invisihitch early 2018:
We offer our invisible XC90 hitch in two different packages,
(all prices include shipping):
Rack-Only Package
$665 -
Invisible hitch with vertical latching mechanism
Removable 2” square receiver for racks (not tow rated)
Perfect for bike racks, ski racks, cargo platforms, etc
Complete Tow Package
$1069 -
Invisible hitch with vertical latching mechanism
Two separate removable pieces:
Removable ballmount for towing
Removable 2” square receiver for racks
Safety-chain attachment points
OEM trailer-lights wiring harness
OEM control module for the wiring harness
7-way and 4-way electrical receptacle
Rated for 6000 lbs towed weight / 500 lbs tongue weight
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I can't decide if it is better to do the install at FDC, or a Stealth or Invisihitch. With installation, they seem the same cost. Self installing a Stealth Hitch without trailer lighting seems a possibility for savings, but I'm not sure if sometime I might want to hook up a trailer and need the electrical connection instead of just carrying bikes. Another possibility is to get a wider roof rack to carry two bikes and two boats.
We got ours installed at the FDC and love it. It looks really clean and you can barely see it. Of course we also got the rear metal spoiler so it might be a little different look.
Your decision may come down to how you would use your hitch. On our 2010 we never imagined we'd tow and were only thinking about possibly needing it for bike carrier, and decided to get the install done at FDC anyway. It has since turned out to be a no brainer for us and we had FDC install the kit on our 2017 as well. We tow regularly with both our 2010 and 2017 these days, easily racking up 8000-9000 miles per year towing between the the two. I would do the Volvo kit on our 2017 again even ignoring the cut out which is really a non-issue. We keep the cover on when not towing. The advantage for us is nothing sticks out below the bumper which could potentially drag and get damaged either going up steep driveways, breaks in the road, offroad, and then having to compensate for by having to use raised hitch bars to offset the drop. Note, the kit includes wiring harness for use with trailers and adds TSA, auto disables rear park sensors and BLIS.
It's a good deal getting it at FDC if you're going to go the Volvo route!
Our Stealth hitch install went amazingly well. One note for
My Xc 40 was that the installer had to
Move my foot sensor 6 inches to the right. But otherwise it was perfect; great dealership in York PA.
They gave us a loaner car so we toured the Harley Davidson Plant, which wasn’t anywhere near as exciting as the Volvo tour.
Install cost $270 per vehicle.
They also touched up my lift gate corner scratch and buffed out (not completely fine but looks much better). my auto lift tailgate parking garage debacle. (That was another post)
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I’m curious how you got the pricing from FDC. When I wrote asking about accessories available for purchase they responded:
Unfortunately we don't have a updated version of the XC40 accessory folder online.
You will have the option to purchase different accessories here at the delivery center during your delivery.
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Would you be able to upload a photo of how it looks?
I sent an email to [email protected] a few months back and asked the same thing. They sent me back a brochure with the options and prices.
Last week, after I got my delivery date I emailed them again and got a similar response. I wanted the trailer hitch put on. I figured they needed some advanced notice. They just said it would be added to your car and I would pay at the factory.
Judging by how things have gone for me so far I'd say it's 50/50 that it gets installed.
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Last week, after I got my delivery date I emailed them again and got a similar response. I wanted the trailer hitch put on. I figured they needed some advanced notice. They just said it would be added to your car and I would pay at the factory.
Judging by how things have gone for me so far I'd say it's 50/50 that it gets installed.
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Remind them a couple of days before your pickup date, just in case. It probably won't hurt.
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I ordered my XC-40 with the trailer hitch and when I picked it up at the factory it was already installed! From what I understand, it's basically a roll of the dice whether they do that before or after you drop it off.
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Hello
Am I using the right terminology? Mathilde mentioned they'd put it in the car? I am confused..
Am I using the right terminology? Mathilde mentioned they'd put it in the car? I am confused..
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The attachments (tow bar) were likely placed under in the back/cargo floor. In the XC90, there is a preformed area for the tow bar. The cover may or may not be on the car. Probably in the car for transport.
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I would recommend having a hitch installed after you get the vehicle back to US....for a #of reasons
1- you are probably not going to use it while in Europe
2- there is always the potential for damage during loading/unloading during trucking
3- the Euro hitch is different than the US hitch
I would let the dealer install it....just my 2cents
1- you are probably not going to use it while in Europe
2- there is always the potential for damage during loading/unloading during trucking
3- the Euro hitch is different than the US hitch
I would let the dealer install it....just my 2cents
This is not an issue because the FDC installs the US hitch, not the Euro hitch.
At least, when I had it installed in my XC90 in 2016, there was one huge advantage to do it with the FDC: they included the 2" ball and bar. If you have it installed at a dealer, the ball is extra.
I know because I ordered my 2018 (not OSD) with the hitch and sure enough, it came without the ball as the hitch was installed at the port. Major bummer.
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To throw my hat in here, I finally received my XC40 on delivery stateside last Sunday and I chose to go the OSD route as none of the dealerships had any 40's with any hitches when I was looking last year. There was no damages noted on receipt and the hitch comes with a rubber cap to protect it until needed. I'd recommend to go ahead and select it unless the stealth hitch is your preference, looks pretty good too.
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Could you share a photo?
Also, did you request it at the FDC or order before arriving?
Was it already installed when you arrived or did they install it after drop off?
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