I pulled a 9 x 10 U-Haul trailer from Dallas, TX to northern California late last June with only one little problem that fixed itself (more on that later).

U-Haul installed the hitch and the only part visible is the receiver. You don't need the spend platinum prices for the Volvo hitch.

I did have Volvo install the wiring adapter thinking this would prevent any electrical problems on the road. While it works great I don't think I'd recommend it due to expense if an aftermarket unit is available. You need an adapter that uses the brake and turn-signal light circuit to activate the adapter's relay which then draws trailer light current from the car's battery so as to not add electical load to the car light circuit. U-Haul claims theirs works that way. (No, this is not a U-Haul ad.)

Since the loaded trailer weighed nearly as much as the car I had to make sure it was packed and balanced properly. In my case I drove I-10 when it was in the 90's and 100's but the engine temp never increased even going uphill with the A/C on. I also used "Sport" mode on the tranny to load the engine through higher rpm then let up on the accelerator slightly so the tranny could shift with less direct load. Mine was a 3-day trip with 12 hours or nearly non-stop driving each day and the car performed great with no suspension changes from stock.

The only little problem I had was when the tranny refused to upshift from 3rd to 4th gear and did not shift into reverse (from Park or Neutral). I received many helpful responses from this board as to possible causes, however despite the learned feedback no one was able to identify it. I parked carefully and continued the last leg in 3rd at 3500 rpm with no other problems. When I diconnectd the trailer electical (ignition off) at my destination and drove off all was normal again. The only cause I can figure is I was working the Winter Mode tranny switch, the brakes, and shifter almost simultaneously to get some breaking for a surprise downhill grade and must have confused the ECU. It's never happend on subsequent trailer hitch-ups on across-town hauls. If it does I'll just shut off the engine, disconnect the trailer electical, reconnect it, start the engine and all should be well.

Hope this was helpful, if not entertaining.