Whether you love it or hate it, Tesla’s wedge-shaped Cybertruck is anything but boring. In fact, it’s probably not a stretch to say that it’s one of the most polarizing vehicles of all time. However, despite the Cybertruck’s funky looks and long list of unique features, it’s still a pickup truck at its core that some owners, at least, buy to do normal pickup truck things.
One of these things is towing a trailer, and the Cybertruck should be extremely capable here, with an impressive maximum towing capacity of up to 11,000 pounds on paper. However, there’s more to towing than having the power and chassis to lug a ton of weight, as proven by one Cybertruck owner. According to a Facebook post, his Cybertruck ran into an unexpected towing issue that arose not from a lack of towing power, but from how the Cybertruck’s electronics malfunctioned when connected to his trailer.
He surmises that the trailer’s older-style incandescent bulbs caused the issue, with the combined amperage proving too strong for the Cybertruck’s electrical trailer connector. After reaching this conclusion, he swapped out the trailer’s old bulbs for more efficient LED units, which reportedly fixed the problem completely.
New truck meets old trailer
If you are interested in towing with the Tesla Cybertruck — or any electric pickup truck, for that matter — driving range while towing is probably one of the first things you look at. Many drivers have put the Cybertruck through intensive tests to see how towing a trailer impacts its range and performance, but this particular issue, experienced by Facebook user Michael Moyer, was not about pushing the truck’s physical towing performance to the limit.
Michael purchased an old AT&T fiber-optic trailer, which should have been an easy pull for a Cybertruck or any other modern full-size pickup. The problem, however, arose when he plugged the trailer into the Cybertruck’s seven-pin tow connector. When trying to turn on the trailer’s running lights, the truck’s Trailer Mode icon would turn red, indicating a faulty electrical connection, and the lights would turn off completely.
Michael inspected the wiring and found no problems. He also found that the lights worked fine when hooked up directly to a 12-volt battery. That meant the problem must be coming from the truck’s electronics. Eventually, he realized the problem might lie in the lights themselves, 36 in total, all of the older, incandescent variety.
Small bulbs make a big difference
Michael Moyer calculated that the old trailer’s 36 bulbs were pulling over 10 amps, and that the Cybertruck’s circuit shut down to protect itself. The solution was simple, though time-consuming: replacing all of the trailer’s old lights with newer LED bulbs. After the full LED conversion, the amperage draw was much lower, and the Cybertruck connected to the trailer with no issues.
Because this is an owner report and not a controlled test, it’s hard to say exactly how much of the issue lay in the Cybertruck’s electronics, or whether other modern pickup trucks with similar seven-pin connectors would exhibit similar issues. In the comments on the Facebook post, some suggested the main problem had less to do with the Cybertruck and more with the trailer’s old and corroded lighting system.
Fortunately, it seems that after the LED changeover, the problem is gone and Michael can go back to using his Cybertruck for typical trucking tasks. Regardless of what kind of truck or trailer you have, his experience is also a good reminder to check lights and electrical connections if you want to safely tow a trailer or camper.
