Trailer lights not working

[EVman]

Met my Silverado to swap trailers on the road today. When I connect the trailer Rivian the trailer lights it did not work. Switched it back to the Silverado and it works. Even checked the 7way to 4 connector on the Silverado. The lights always work but on the Rivian it doesn't. So I call support and I get the book readers. Sir you need a 7 pin to 4 pin adapter to connect your trailer lights to your Rivian. I have that it is already connected but it does not work. 2 Hrs. and three support staff I could still not get through to them. Those very simple words, "Sir, I don't know" could not be spoken neither could they find the inclination to listen to me. One went as far to tell me that gas vehicles is very different that the Ev's you cannot compare them. Idiot's.
So the answer is that Rivian will not work with a trailer with LED lights we found that out the hard way. Tail lights work because there are two side markets and two tail lights. They are nice and bright because there is enough resistance for the Rivian to sense the circuit. I think. However the brake lights two lights are not enough resistance to sense the circuit, same for the blinker only one light. Two check this I added a resistor to my test lamp and yes I get a nice bright test light. Remove the resistor and the test light hardly lights up. My test light is also LED.
The moral of the story is Rivian has a build problem with trailer lights and since it is illegal to sell incandescent lights it has a problem with all new trailers. I thought I could just add a resistor inline on my trailer but then it would not work on my other trucks. What a pain in the butt Rivian is.

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[Thedude]

No issues on my trailer with all LED lighting but that was in a 7-pin connection. Do you have another 7-4 adapter you could try?

 

[VSG]

Lots of people are using trailers with LED lights without a problem. Seems like a leap to conclude that "Rivian has a build problem with trailer lights and since it is illegal to sell incandescent lights it has a problem with all new trailers".

So what could be wrong? One issue that people have had is that the 7 pin outlet on the Rivian is pretty tight, and unless you push the plug in really hard the pins might not all make a connection.

Also if you've built your own 7-to-4 adapter, I would check the pinouts carefully.

 

[Marchin_MTB]

No issue with my led trailer lights but I’m also not using an adapter.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Mine works fine with LED lights. It's difficult to check that they are working by yourself though, because it turns them off quickly when you exit. Recommend hitting the hazards instead of the turn signal.

I second the suggestion to double check that you have the adapter inserted completely, if the latch doesn't come down then it for sure needs to get pushed in further. It can definitely feel like it's all the way in earlier than that.

 

[csharp]

I'm another person that has ZERO problems with LED lights on trailers. I have 6-7 trailers i have pulled with the Rivian utilizing both 7 pin and 4 pin connections, and have had no issues with any of them.
Hate to break it to you, it looks like your adapter might be busted or your trailer has an issue.

 

[monzarottie]

I have LED trailer lights and it works just fine. I’ve found my 7 pin adapter is a PIA to seat properly in my R1S. I assume you’ve inserted it VERY firmly into your Rivian’s connector? My Jeep GC wasn’t this this difficult.

 

[SeaGeo]

Given the successful experience of several others, and that this didn't come up over the last 2+ years of production vehicles being used in the real world, gonna go ahead and say the hypothesis that was stated as fact by OP is wrong...

 

[LivingInKaos]

The biggest issue with the trailer plug socket is it is super tight on some plugs. Put some WD-40 on a rag and wipe the outside down and try shoving it in. If it isn't all the way in, it's easy to tell, it will pull out without lifting the cover latch.

 

[Wrinks]

Have used many trailers varying from new to old using 7 pin to 4 pin adapters. Have never had an issue. Have used both LED and non-LED lights.

Are you sure you're plugging it in all the way? Does the Rivian recognize that a trailer is connected? (Should pop in to trailer mode).

 

[NY_Rob]

I used my R1T to tow our boat all last summer... it uses a 7pin to 4pin adapter and the trailer has full LED lights. Absolutely no issues whatsoever lighting the trailer LEDs.

 

[CharonPDX]

No problem with LED 4-pin-connected trailer lights here. Don't just assume that because you are having a problem that it is a design problem with all vehicles. It isn't that you have LED trailer lights, it's something else. Sure, there might be an individual problem with your vehicle, but it isn't a design defect.

And incandescent lights aren't illegal to sell, it's "high power household incandescent bulbs" that are currently banned. Smaller/special-purpose lights, such as vehicle bulbs, are still 100% legal and readily available at stores both brick-and-mortar and online.

Edit to note: I actually have the opposite problem. When I plug in my small cargo trailer with LED lights, the slight 12V leakage current means they're on dimly even when my truck lights are off and the vehicle is locked. It's not visible during the day, but at night if the truck+trailer are parked where it's dark, you can see a small amount of red light coming from the trailer lights. When the vehicle is on, the trailer lights are at full proper brightness.

 

[Mathme]

I agree with others in that LED bulbs have been on trailers for about a decade and I find it hard to believe Rivians don't work with them.

Additionally, why always use an adapter when connecting your trailer to your truck as that only introduces another point of failure into the lighting system?

This is Pre-Rivian but when I had my boat trailer which was a 5-pin connection (this is pretty standard on boat trailers with surge brakes), I cut off the 5-pin and attached to the trailer and wired a 7-pin it's place. These adapters run from about $10 up and all they need is about 30 minutes, a screwdriver, pair of wire strippers, and some electrical tape to connect.

When you sell the trailer to the next person, they will likely be happy they don't have to fuss with an adapter all the time.

 

[Foobar]

No issues here pulling a NuCamp TAB 400 with LED lights. In a few weeks I’m picking up a new Airstream Trade Wind. I expect no problems with that as well but I’ll report back to confirm.

 

[EVman]

No issues on my trailer with all LED lighting but that was in a 7-pin connection. Do you have another 7-4 adapter you could try?

So it depends on the lights and their resistance. Some Led lights have more resistance added. I tried three different adapters. Sorry I did not mention it in the post. As I said as soon as I added more resistance the lights worked fine.

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