By: Otaiba Ahsan
The Cybertruck can provide current or prospective Tesla owners something they’ve never had before, the benefits of driving a truck made by the world’s leading electric vehicle (EV) company. One of these perks includes towing a trailer, which can be extremely useful to some. Attaching one to the back of the car can seem quite complicated if you’ve never done it before. However, it’s not as troublesome as it seems! Continue reading for steps on how to connect a trailer to the Tesla Cybertruck.
Trailer Hitch Assembly and Ball Mount Specifications
This is where the trailer will attach to the Cybertruck. It’s located at the rear of the car, under the tailgate. Tesla emphasizes that the vehicle doesn’t come with a ball mount, so that must be purchased separately based on your towing needs. See the diagram for reference.
Additionally, the trailer hitch cover is attached to the body of the Cybertruck with three turn clips. A flat tool or object can be used to partially turn and unlock the clips, and then the cover can be removed and stored somewhere. Once that’s done, you can see where the ball mount can be installed. See the visual from Tesla to get an idea of what it looks like.
NOTE: If you’d like to purchase a ball mount, you’ll need to know the specifications that can work with the Cybertruck. The car’s hitch receiver supports a 2 in, or 5 cm, ball mount. Tesla says to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installation and maintenance information.
Electrical Connections
Like any trailer setup, there’s an electrical component to it. The Cybertruck has a combination electrical outlet located close to the hitch assembly, and it supports two types of commonly used trailer plugs, with no adapter needed:
- 7-PIN – SAE J2863: These are used for heavier trailer loads which require their own braking system.
- 4-PIN – SAE J1239: This one is for lighter loads, which only require lights.
Both in the U.S. and Canada, it’s required that all trailers are equipped with taillights and turn signals. These features will be provided with both trailer plugs listed above. Once you’ve plugged in, the wiring into either electrical outlet, trailer mode should automatically engage in your Cybertruck.
NOTE: If there’s ever a loss of the trailer lights, the vehicle touchscreen will display a red icon notifying you. This may be caused due to faulty wiring, or excessive power consumption to the trailer output(s). In this situation, pull over and investigate. See the diagram for each pin configuration from Tesla, which will make it easier to know what you’re looking at.
The Bottom Line
The steps on how to connect a trailer to the Tesla Cybertruck are simple. The first step is to access the trailer hitch assembly at the rear of the vehicle, and then install a 2 in, or 5 cm ball mount. Next, you’ll need to plug into either of the two trailer plugs listed above, which should kick the car into trailer mode.