Trailer Detected But No Trailer Mode

[flybone89]

Apologies if there is a thread on this - I couldn’t find one.

I am on a trip with my trailer and when I hitched up today, the R1T recognized the trailer - showed the trailer brake indicator, trailer messages about sensors, and image of trailer - but it did not bring up the trailer mode screen and there was was no trailer mode icon in drive modes! As a result it appears to default the brake gain to the lowest setting and I can’t adjust it.

Connection seems ok - it does detect a trailer and is powering my trailers backup camera. I did two infotainment resets but that didn’t work. Anyone see this before and if so know how to fix it? Any alternatives on how I can adjust brake gain? I need more gain for my 6,000 pound trailer!

Thanks for any help,

Kevin

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[SadHill]

This sounds like a software bug and not a hardware issue. I would contact a SC and see what they have to say.
only time mine hasn’t detected a trailer is if the electric is messed up or not grounded properly on the trailer. But if you have lights then it knows it is there.
good luck!

 

[VandalSibs]

Apologies if there is a thread on this - I couldn’t find one.

I am on a trip with my trailer and when I hitched up today, the R1T recognized the trailer - showed the trailer brake indicator, trailer messages about sensors, and image of trailer - but it did not bring up the trailer mode screen and there was was no trailer mode icon in drive modes! As a result it appears to default the brake gain to the lowest setting and I can’t adjust it.

Connection seems ok - it does detect a trailer and is powering my trailers backup camera. I did two infotainment resets but that didn’t work. Anyone see this before and if so know how to fix it? Any alternatives on how I can adjust brake gain? I need more gain for my 6,000 pound trailer!

Thanks for any help,

Kevin

If you are on a newer version of the software, trailer mode is now on it's own tab on the gauges screen - it's not a button with the rest of the driver modes. You can check to make sure the trailer shows as connected there.

(Stealing this screencap from Jose/RivianTrackr):

 

[Weck]

That's what mine does when I hook up a trailer without electric brakes, the gain is grayed out and set at whatever I used it for last.

It might just not be seeing the brakes for some reason. I've also had mine glitch while towing and lose visibility to the trailer (braked trailer) while I was towing it, but the lights still worked but we're flickering, i.e. bad connection.

As far as 12v power at the connector, I'm pretty sure that's there as long as the truck is awake. I just set up a set of wireless magnetic lights yesterday and the pairing procedure requires powering the "dongle" but not having any lights on, so I woke the truck up, then locked it to turn the lights off, then paired the lights and it worked, so must have been power available at the connector even when locked and dark.

 

[flybone89]

Thank you so much @VandalSibs - I owe you an adult beverage! It must have been in the recent release as I was camping recently and I didn’t notice the change until now - and must have missed it in the release notes! And I chatted with Rivian support and they didn’t have a clue what was going on. But boy trailer mode seems buried now in the UI - I hope this is not a harbinger of the future where Rivian has given up on their vehicles as tow vehicles and relegating it to some hidden feature …

Kevin

 

[VandalSibs]

Thank you so much @VandalSibs - I owe you an adult beverage! It must have been in the recent release as I was camping recently and I didn’t notice the change until now - and must have missed it in the release notes! And I chatted with Rivian support and they didn’t have a clue what was going on. But boy trailer mode seems buried now in the UI - I hope this is not a harbinger of the future where Rivian has given up on their vehicles as tow vehicles and relegating it to some hidden feature …

Kevin

Happy to help! I think it was two or three releases back - whenever the RAD tuner finally got added to the Gen 2 quads. In fact, that's the reason why that area is above the 'gauges' view now, as they needed a place to access the RAD tuner. When they did that, they decided to move the Trailers info there too.

I don't think it's any de-valuing of the towing experience as much as them wanting to avoid putting too many buttons under the different drive modes that are available. Towing modes/profiles can end up a bit buried under menus on other trucks too from what I've seen, EV or ICEV.

 

[zefram47]

I'll just add to this discussion a related thing. Definitely make sure you test your trailer brakes with the steering wheel button before taking off. This was back in 2024, but I had one instance where I didn't and the graphics all showed trailer brake application, but they weren't actually working until I did a hard-reset. At least with my trailer I can hear the high-pitch sound of the actuation and then you ought to feel the drag.

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