Customizing a Lock N Roll Hitch to fit receiver

[kchan628]

Hi,

I wanted to see if anybody on here might have experience or advice about my scenario.

I have a factory retractable hitch installed for my 2018 Volvo XC60. It’s a class 2 hitch with a 1 1/4 inch square receiver.

I need to tow a trailer that has a Lock N Roll
hitch and need 3 inches of rise from the receiver.

My problem is 2 fold.

1) the Lock N Roll hitch adjustment channel tongue is too long and hits the rear of the receiver not allowing the locking pin to lock.

2) the manual for the factory hitch warns to only tow with a tow ball and also provides geometric limits for where the ball can be located with respect to the hitch pin. The factory provided tow ball is already at the limit in distance and rise from the hitch pin, and you can see from the pictures below that the adjustment channel is too far out if compared to the hitch ball.

I am thinking about taking the adjustment channel to a shop and shortening the square tongue by 2 1/2 inches and drilling a new 1/2 inch hole for the hitch pin to fit snuggly in to the receiver and more closely comply with the limits stated for a tow ball, albeit I won’t be using a towball.

Overall I am concerned if this factory retractable hitch will fail on me in this scenario.

I have tried contacting Volvo directly and they are telling me to talk to the dealership and the dealership is not responding to my inquiries. So not too happy about their customer support at this moment.

Anybody here have some good advice? I’d hate to put another hitch on as I just got this installed and the dealership charged an arm and a leg for it.

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[CampStewart]

IMO the easy way out is to cut 3/4 of an inch off the insert so the pin will fit. Unless you are at the ragged edge of tongue weight I doubt that it would make a difference. If you want to sleep better and spend more money than shorten the insert up as close to the bumper as you can and have a new hole drilled. I never heard of a retractable hitch before and would be very skeptical about having something like that on one of my vehicles. Was that your only option and if not why did you choose it?

 

[kchan628]

It was the only one the dealership offered and I didn’t want to go aftermarket at the time.

Being my first hitch, I assumed the dealership one would work out and be of higher quality.

I think I made a huge mistake going this route and paid extra for something that is not ideal for my usage. This kind of hitch I think is popular over in Europe on luxury cars from what I have read.

If I were to go back in time I’d not have gone this route....


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[NatersXJ6]

I doubt any business’s lawyers will let them answer your question even if there are some directionally correct answers (I.E. your drawing says “Max”, so less is possibly “OK”...

What are you towing and where?

Why do you NEED a lock n roll?

You can search for some of the bent frame threads if you want examples of what off-road, speed, towing, and terrain can do, even if you believe you are within the manufacturer limits.

 

[kchan628]

Thanks for the reply.

I actually don’t think I need a lock n roll, at least not until I get a true off road tow vehicle. But the trailer I purchased comes with one.

My current tow vehicle probably is only good for forest roads and light off road.

Putting a ball mount on the trailer could be an option.


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[kchan628]

I am towing a Taxa Woolly Bear.

Gear/kitchen trailer with a RTT


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[dreadlocks]

Its a bosal style euro hitch with retracting, they can be quite durable, but they got low tongue weights.. I think the Tesla Model 3 has a bosal to receiver adapter they use thats like this also.

Take the lock and roll off the trailer and tow it with the OEM hitch.. later you can always put it back on when your done using this to tow it with.

 

[NatersXJ6]

While what you are asking is 100% possible, finding a shop to work with you might not be easy. I think you will have a much easier time changing the trailer to a ball.

My suspicion is that you hit the off-road limits of a Volvo (with respect to articulation) long before you find the limits of the ball style hitch, if you are sticking to Sierra Nevada and desert fire roads.

 

[Flhtruss]

Hello
With a 350 # toung weight and 3500 # towing if your not exceeding those numbers and the loc n roll connection is no higher than the OEM ball mount. I see no mechanical advantage the trailer could have to damage the fancy disappearing receiver hitch. Campstewarts idea to lob a small amount off the new mount so the pin will go in sounds like a winner worth a shot anyway.
Might even be able to take a small amount off the bottom to clear the radius it hitting.

 

[quickfarms]

Volvo designed it to use the industry standard ball hitch.

Your best option is to convert the trailer to a ball hitch.

Volvo is not going to support an aftermarket hitch and if anything bad happens such as a hitch failure or accident you will be left holding the bag.

 

[kchan628]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I’ll play it safe and go with swapping the trailer mount out with a ball mount.


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[mzeee]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I’ll play it safe and go with swapping the trailer mount out with a ball mount.


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Have you done this yet? I'm dealing with similar issues. I learned the following:

1. Some of the other Lock N Roll vehicle-side adapters should fit our tube length of 2.5". The adjustable one in your photos should fit now too, as the new ones have a 2nd hole closer to the end of the tube. This is all according to Lock N Roll. I haven't verified personally.

2. The geometric limits are still a concern, but if you keep the multiple beyond 5" to a certain amount, I suspect you'd be safe by reducing the tongue weight limit by the same amount. For example if the load is at 10" beyond your pin with Lock N Roll, you should be OK if you keep the tongue weight below 250 lb.

 

[mzeee]

the manual for the factory hitch warns to only tow with a tow ball

The manual says "Only use ball mount for towing. Do not mount accessories directly on the ball mount."

This is where I hope that Volvo employees did well in school....

There is a difference between "only use ball mount for towing" and "use only ball mount for towing". The former implies you can use Lock N Roll. The latter implies you cannot. I don't have tremendous confidence in humanity. I could easily see them writing the former when they in fact meant the latter. However, the second sentence I quoted above ("Do not mount accessories...") implies that they did in fact want you to just use the ball for towing, but don't attach accessories to it.

 

[kchan628]

I decided to not do the lock n roll for my Volvo. I was planning on using a ball mount to tow and be safe. But I have since gotten a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk so will be using a lock n roll after all.

Best of luck


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[old_CWO]

Well that's the simple (but expensive) way around it...