If I was to write this appraisal of the Thule XT-2 last week, it would have been a screaming negative rant . . . but now I'm more favorably inclined. But more on that in a moment.
I bought an XT-2 in early 2017 a week after I got my Delite after learning immediately that my old Yakima was not going to work for a heavy e-bike (thankfully the Yakima withstood my first attempts, but not without complaining and giving me a near heart attack when hitting that first bump). The design of this rack really stood out from others: adequate weight capacity, ease of use, off-vehicle portability, good clearance, convenient tilt back capability, and the detachable ramp. So I took my trembling hand off my wallet and shelled out the big bucks.
Three seasons of rough use, including a 4,000 mile road trip last year, and it held up just fine. No issues except for cosmetic damage when I backed into a bollard (ahem . . .). I did find immediately upon my first attempt that the ramp was totally useless. Thule has changed that design now with the next generation offering. It is also kind of heavy to tote around off the vehicle - folds up nicely, but still a chore to pick up and carry. Thule has also remediated that now with the addition of a small wheel placed underneath. The clamping arm is very clever in that it is designed so it can't be overtightened, which works every time. It is almost infinitely adjustable to be able to find a position to grab the bike frame - you can slide the arm mount along any point on the rack to have it reach just about any point on the bike frame where it is practical to clamp. This is how I clamp mine:
I found that clamping to the downtube was best, but you can also slide the arm along the rack to have it clamp on the seat downtube - probably what you'd want to do for the newer Delites due to the in-frame battery placement. This clamp has never failed, despite hard bumpy rides off pavement.
The rack got moderately frequent use the first 2.5 seasons, mostly on weekends since I was commuting to work on the Delite. I had some knee issues last year and decided to drive to work, then do lunchtime rides instead. So, the rack was suddenly being used 5-6 times a week. I wasn't leaving it on my truck at home, which meant a lot of workout for the hitch tightening/anti-rattle knob taking it on and off the 2" receiver every day. All fine until this June: I was tightening the knob and stripped the bolt. Admittedly, I am pretty aggressive tightening it to minimize the sway, but suddenly the rack was out of service - the design is such that the anti-rattling knob also effectively keeps the rack in the hitch receiver. There is not the usual bolt going through a hole in the rack and receiver end under the vehicle. As the saying goes: worked great until it didn't.
Well, even though the rack was on it's 4th year with a lot of use, I figured it was worth contacting Thule. They advertise a lifetime warrantee; even if they felt it was an abuse issue, at least I wanted to see if they would sell me the parts. So I went to their website, hoping they would have the part readily available (hey, I can't be the only one that this has happened to). No such luck, so I put in a service ticket. In all fairness, the site tells you that it could be week before someone gets back to you. O.K. - what can you do, right? After three weeks(!), I get an automated message stating that "sorry, we're backlogged due to COVID-19, if you no one has contacted you, please tell us and someone will do so soon . . . if you don't respond to this email, your ticket will be cancelled . . .". I respond with a not too sarcastic comment. Three weeks later, same automated message. Same (but more sarcastic) comment from myself. Two weeks later - which was last weekend - same message. Aaargh!. I respond again . . . and lo and behold, on Monday I get an email from a live person. Wonders never cease. She asked for photos and a description of the issue - like I hadn't told them in three different ways in the previous emails. I had done a work-around in the meantime awaiting response (and growing considerably older during that time) and explained that to her. "Just want the parts". Lo and behold, the next day she writes back and informs me that Thule is going to replace the entire rack. They also apologized profusely for the delay. Certainly mellowed my attitude. With hindsight, due to liability issues, I do see that they wouldn't want me replacing load bearing parts on my own, but I'll take the offer! The model is backordered for another month or so, but I can handle that, especially since they will be sending on the newer generation unit.
Lesson learned: Great rack as long as you don't get over-zealous with the hitch tightening knob. I'm cutting Thule support some slack since the whole COVID thing has turned everything and everyone upside down. I get that, although - as mentioned at the outset - I wasn't so forgiving just a week ago. Ultimately, Thule came through without accusing me of abusing the rack, etc. Sometimes it does pay to spend a bit more for a product you know is backed up by a long-standing vendor. Luckily, I had figured out a work-around and was able to continue using the unit:
