I have a new XC70 with the standard Volvo class 3 (2") receiver hitch. I have not been able to fit either the standard Volvo-supplied hitch or either of my 2" Thule bike racks. Is there something I am missing here? Anyone else have a problem fitting things into this receiver? I thought it may be something to do with the thickness of the paint but thought I would reach out to the forum before I start scraping away at the paint.

The accessories fit the standard Volvo receiver on my XC90 just fine.

ideas?

 

I just had a Volvo hitch put on my new XC70 and ran into the same problem as you with an existing Thule bike rack. The rack's stinger/insert is more square than the receiver on the car which is more rounded/tapered. The dealer filed away some of the paint around the inside of the receiver but the rack still does not fit. I see you posted this issue about a year ago -- what did you end up doing?

 

I ended up filing away as much paint as possible, which sort of worked. In the end I sold my Thule rack and bought a Kuat rack. Fits perfectly.

 

Wow. Nice to see you found something that works. I like my Thule though -- it's an old model with a hydraulic arm that allows you to fold down the vertical section away from the car while your bikes are on it. But we still can't get it to connect to the receiver after having filed off a bunch of paint/layers to increase the inside dimensions.

 

By the way, what kind of paint did you use and how did you apply it? Did you prep the surface first? If so, how? I'd like to see if I can avoid having rust set in too soon.

 

I use Rustoleum semi-gloss on all my hitches. They all still look like new after many years even hear in the Rust Belt.