Model 3 Tow Hitch Installation - EcoHitch and near Factory Wiring

I just recently finished installing an EcoHitch Trailer Hitch on my Tesla Model 3. I wanted to create a comprehensive write up about which hitch I chose, the installation of the hitch and wiring as well as the options I had for installing the trailer light wiring.

I have a November 2021 Tesla Model 3 with a birthdate of 10/31/2021. My M3 has a factory cutout in the bottom under shield plastic as well as the factory grey trailer plug.

I have a 750 pound 6x10 utility trailer that I want to be able to use sparingly. I wanted to install a trailer hitch as close to factory as possible without cutting anything or splicing into any wiring. I looked at both the EcoHitch and the StealthHitch because of the ability to remove the trailer receiver when not in use and allow the cutout cover to be reinstalled. I went with the EcoHitch because this uses a standard 2in square receiver that I can plug any hitch into whereas the StealthHitch requires you to use the hitch mount with the special interlock insert. Granted this does make for easier installation and removal which I will get more into at the end of the post.

EcoHitch
StealthHitch

For wiring I knew that my car likely had the grey trailer connector by looking at the wiring schematic for my car build date according to tesla service manual Trailer Connector X041. This connector has 12v power (red), ground (black), and CAN communication (violet). In Europe this connector is used to plug into the trailer ECU 1112581-00-A and then wiring harness 1446560-00-A is used to connect to the trailer. This wiring harness has a 13pin round European trailer plug on the end of it. Originally I was going to purchase the ECU and Trailer Jumper Wiring Harness from Tesla. I was then going to chop off the 13-pin European connector and wire in a US Flat 4 pin trailer connector while removing or capping off the extra wires. This proved to be too complicated due to the way the stop/brake lights use the same wiring as the turn signals on US trailers compared to trailers in Europe. I may follow up on this in more detail in a below comment.

I even made a service appointment with Tesla to get these two parts quoted and they were going to sell me these for about 70$. (Don't get me started on why I need to submit a service request to Tesla in order to purchase parts....) Please see the photo below for the quote.

From what I read if I installed the Tesla Trailer ECU, the ECU would work as expected to convert the CAN signals to the appropriate trailer light signals but the car would not have the option enabled in the software to activate trailer mode. Trailer mode disables a few features and limits certain functions as described by Tesla in the aforementioned link.

I was looking at what would be needed to convert a 13pin Euro connector to a US 4 Flat connector but discovered that this would need diodes and relays in order to have properly functioning trailer lights. I even purchased this adapter on amazon to try and reverse engineer how they are converting the signals from one connector to the other. This adapter looks like it would work but unfortunately everything inside is all potted and I cannot see the way the electronics are configured. I suppose I could have still used this adapter with the Tesla Trailer ECU and the Trailer Jumper Harness with 13pin EU connector. But I didn't want a bunch of connectors and adapters.

My dad actually found a Tekonsha T-connector harness that uses a 3 way pig tail connector on each tail light to grab the left turn/stop, right turn/stop and running light signals. This was perfect as I was able to just disconnect each of the taillight connecters, put this T connector harness inline and reconnect. No splicing or cutting wires necessary. Other modules that don't require cutting and splicing use no contact magnetic field sensors that clamp over each wire. These are nice but if the module looses power or power is connected with the vehicle lights already on then you need to perform a new learning procedure on the lights. Zero Contact Wiring Harness. The Tekonsha 118869 module that I used also needed power and ground. The instructions suggest that you use a ground bolt near the module for the white ground wire and run the black power wire under the length of the car and up under the hood directly to the positive of the LV 12v battery.

I then thought of the idea to use the factory grey trailer connector for power and ground. I was able to find the connector in the Tesla service manual X041. The connector reference guide gives you the part number for the connector. SUMITOMO 6189-0165 And from this I was able to find the opposite connector that I needed. I needed the male side part number 6188-0129. I was able to find this connector body with the pins and weather seals for only a couple of bucks on AliExpress. I was later looking at the StealthHitch installation instructions and saw that they mention doing this same thing when installing the towing option if your car is equipped with the grey connector from the factory.

Purchased the following:
1. EcoHitch from eTrailer eTrailer EcoHitch - 523$
2. Tekonsha T-Connector Harness 118869 Tekonsha 118869 - 120$ on eBay
3. Sumitomo XG7031B-4.8-11/21 Male Connector - AliExpress Sumitomo Connector $1.09 + 1.99 shipping from AliExpress

Did not purchase:
1. Assembly - Trailer Electronic Control Unit (1112581-00-A) - 36$
2. Assembly - Harness Trailer Jumper - NA (1446560-00-A) - 30$

Installation: Torklift EcoHitch Tesla M3 Installation Instructions PDF
1. Start by backing the car onto a set of ramps to give you access under the vehicle and to help raise the car to an ergonomic working height.
2. Open the trunk and remove the plastic trim piece at the bottom by pulling directly upwards.
3. Remove the plastic push locks by prying the center piece out. These release when the center piece is not fully pulled out but only partially.
4. Peel back the felt fabric on either side to expose the taillight connectors.
5. Pull the red locking tab out of each connector and then pull the connector to release this from the taillight housing
6. Use a 8mm socket to take off the two (2) nuts securing each taillight housing
7. Remove the trunk bump stops on each taillight housing by using a rag and an adjustable wrench
8. Carefully pull each taillight straight back to pull these out of their engagement (do not put sideways forced or angled pressure while removing these).
9. Remove each 10mm bolt that is exposed under each taillight housing.
10. Use a T-25 torx to remove each bolt in the rear wheel well that connects the corner of each bumper side to the fender
11. Remove 3 plastic push locks in each wheel well that secures the wheel well felt to the underbody shield
12. Underneath the car pop open the plastic covers on either side to expose a 10mm bolt.
13. Remove the six (6) 10mm bolts securing the plastic underbody shield to the frame.
14. With a helper start on the corners of each bumper side and lift up and away to disengage the bumper from the bumper clips. Start from the outsides and work inwards towards the center
15. Once the bumper is free; hold the bumper and reach in to release the ultrasonic sensors plug. You need to pull out the grey locking tab and depress the connector lock.
16. Put the bumper in a safe place without scratching the bumper. Be careful of the 2 nut clips on each corner of the bumper that secured the torx bolts
17. Remove the bumper clip bracket with five (5) 10mm bolts
18. Start removing the aluminum crash beam with a 15mm socket. This will be either five (5) or six (6) nuts.
19. Unbolt the two (2) aluminum plates with either six (6) or eight (8) 15mm nuts. Discard or save these plates.
20. Clean any NVH sealant that could be in the way of installing the hitch.
21. Mount the aluminum crash beam to the tow bar before installing onto the car. You may need to add a bolt or two to the tow bar depending on what your car came equipped with. Place the nylon washers over the studs between the crash beam and the tow bar. Use the original 15mm nuts to secure the crash beam to the trailer hitch. Tighten to 50 ftlbs.
22. Place nylon washers over the studs on the vehicle. Either six (6) or eight (8). Mount the tow bar and crash beam assembly to the car with 15mm nuts and tighten to 50 ftlbs. Be sure to center the crash beam and trailer hitch.

Continue with the wiring installation as described below before reassembly. Reassemble in reverse order. Be sure to catch the bumper underbody plastic underneath the front underbody plastic shield when reinstalling the bumper. Work from the center of the bumper outwards as you are reinstalling the bumper. Be careful of the nut clips on the corners of the bumper as you are pressing the bumper into the bumper clips. You may have to use your fist to "punch" the bumper into the clips with some force.

Installation Video
Torklift EcoHitch Tesla M3 Installation Instructions PDF

Wiring Installation - Tekonsha 118869 with power and ground from factory gray X041 Trailer Connector
23. Make up the male side of the gray connector for the power and ground wires. Be sure to slide the weather seal over the wire first. Then get a good crimp on the wire from the connecter pins. Make sure that you fully seat the connector pins until they click. Use the white connector insert to lock the pins in. The power and ground are on each side of the connector with the CAN signal in the center. Be careful that you don't short the power to ground on the vehicle.
I used a small amount of silicone and the third weather seal to seal off the center CAN bus connector hole as I did not use this wire and pin.
24. Crimp on the fuse holder to the power wire. Do not install the fuse yet to prevent any shorts.
25. I ran the power and ground wire in through the grommet on the passenger side of the vehicle. I cut an "x" into the grommet to get the wires through.
26. Once inside I ran these wires across the trunk and over to the drivers side and connected this to the Tekonsha Module.
27. I mounted the Tekonsha module to the inside metal of the car right below the drivers taillight.
28. The shorter yellow and brown T-connector wire was ran up to the drivers taillight and plugged in between the wire harness and the taillight
29. The longer green T-connector wire was ran across the trunk and up to the passenger taillight and plugged in between the wire harness and the taillight
30. I chose to install all the wiring inside 3/8" wire loom. I ran the 4 way flat connector wire form the module into the trunk. When using the trailer lights I will just run this wire out of the trunk and let the trunk lid close on the wire. (I chose to purchase an extension that I can run out of the trunk when in use and easily replace if this gets damaged).
31. Connect the harness to the taillights. Reinstall the fuse and test the lighting functions on the vehicle and the trailer plug.

Using the Hitch:
Each time you want to use the hitch you have to remove the plastic cutout cover and slide the 2in receiver up onto the tow bar. Then push the threaded bolt with lock washer and fender washer through the hole and tighten this into the captured nut using a 15/16 socket. This must be torqued to 112ftlbs before each use. The only issue I have is that it is very difficult to get a long torque wrench up into cavity onto the bolt head without hitting the ground. When the car is raised up with ramps this is not an issue as there is plenty of space to swing the wrench. I am still deciding on what is best to have on hand to do this easily without raising the car on ramps. This is where the StealthHitch is better as you can just put the hitch up into the space and the interlock catches the hitch.

I chose to add an extension to the 4 wire flat cable that I ran into the trunk cavity. The extension is there to let me put the wire out through the trunk lid and if this is ever damaged I can just replace the extension cable for cheap.

Overall this is an easy DIY project that can be done in a few hours once you have all the parts on hand.

The car tows like a dream. The instant torque of the EV makes it feel like there isn't a trailer behind you and the regen braking is really nice when towing compared to a truck. You naturally just let off the accelerator more to increase the regen power with the additional weight pushing on the car slowing down. I did create an additional profile with the parking sensors turned off, the car in chill mode and the steering set to standard.

The tow hitch only has a Trailer GVW of 2000lbs and a maximum tongue weight of 300lbs.

 

[rotarypower101]

Shame there isn't a US spec 4 pin OEM Tesla trailer module.

Did you ever consider something like this pricy solution ?

Would really like to know more about this topic, or other clean alternatives that are out there.

Especially a DIY fix to adapt the Euro Tesla trailer module to a US spec 4 pin in a clean way.


Does the Tekonsha have any detractors to consider, I think I read about some "unreliability" in the way it works, possibly something to do with setup losing its memory under certain conditions? Is that accurate? And maybe you or anyone could shed some light on that detail if at all possible?

 

[Rheckbert3]

I agree it’s a shame that there isn’t a US spec trailer module for the M3. There is of course a US trailer module for the MY but the connector to the car side vehicle wiring harness is different.

The Tesla M3 is not rated to tow within the US but is of course often used to tow in Europe.

I did actually look at the TM3-TDW05-US but thought that price was way to high for what it is and opted to go the route that I did. I see that it’s now being sold for 399$. When I was looking last month it was 450$. Either way it’s more than I think it should be but would be a clean wiring installation. Also it should be noted that one could still never activate tow mode in the software with toolbox with this adapter.

I have not had any problems so far with the Tekonsha module I used but mine uses two t-connectors to directly wire to the brake, taillights and turn signal wirings. The module I used was the Tekonsha 118869 module.

I have read that people using the ZCI (zero contact interface) trailer wiring harness modules have had issues with “losing memory” and having the lights “programmed” wrong if the module looses power or if there are lights on while the module powers up. The ZCI kits have magnetic sensors that clamp around the wires in the factory taillight harnesses to sense when power is sent to the different lights in the tail lights.

 

[Rheckbert3]

DIY Trailer 13 pin to 4 pin information:

Originally I had the idea to get the 13 pin connector from the trailer ECU, chop off the 9 unused wires and solder in the 4 wires from a US flat 4 trailer wiring pigtail…..but it’s not so simple.

Let’s look at the wiring for a 4 pin connector and a euro 13 pin connector.

We can see that the 4 pin connector has exposed ground (white), taillights (brown), left turn AND stop (yellow) and right turn AND stop (green).

The 13 pin connector has pin 1 left turn (yellow), pin 3 ground (white), pin 4 right turn (green), pins 5 and 7 for taillights (brown and black) and finally pin 6 for stop lamps (red). You can read the description for each of the other pins if you wish.

Not so simple….The euro 13 pin connector uses independent wires for turn signals and stop lights while the US trailer wiring uses combined stop and turn lights.

Ok, I thought. I will just combine pin 6 red wire with pins 1 yellow and 4 green using diodes to keep each turn signal separate. You can see my drawing below. Later I discovered that this wouldn’t work because the turn signals would stop working while you are pressing on the brake slowing down or stopped while waiting to turn.

I found this schematic online which shows using diodes to separate the brake lights from the turn signals and using relays to allow the turn signal to blink while the brake lights are illuminated.

Ok so I decided to buy some 13 pin adapters on Amazon to either use them as is or try to reverse engineer how they functioned.

The first adapter I bought arrived but did not have any wiring that would illuminate the brake lights. I am returning this one to Amazon and reviewed the product with 1-star. The adapter just adapts 13 pin to 4 pin while only passing the ground, taillights, left turn and right turn through.

The second adapter I bought took much longer to get as it came directly from China. It appears that this adapter would work but I am not able to see inside the electronics housing as it is filled with potting. As I discussed in my first post I did not end up using the adapters because I ended up canceling the Tesla parts order for the factory ECU and wiring harness and just used the Tekonsha 118869 module instead.

Let me know if there’s something I should try with this adapter or if I should buy the OEM parts from Tesla and try to use this adapter to get a 4 way trailer plug.

 

[rotarypower101]

Let me know if there’s something I should try with this adapter or if I should buy the OEM parts from Tesla and try to use this adapter to get a 4 way trailer plug.

That's where I would put my humble and Very curious vote in for!
If you are interested and willing to experiment?

Have Not found a public example of someone making the OEM Tesla module US Spec compatible yet.
Lot of speculative threads, but never seen someone physically do it.

AFAIK, though toolbox you can leverage all the functionality of "Trailer Mode" and expose the GUI , which is the direction I have been planning/hoping to go, there are a few hurtles to enable that functionality.

But, I believe it should all work as if it were a fully factory supported feature based on feedback.

 

[rotarypower101]

Also, correct me if I am wrong, but the pictured adaptor just above , Female Socket euro 13 pin to Male Plug US 7 blade appears to be "backwards" if I am following along correctly?

I believe they may have 2 distinctly different modules, one from US spec to Euro spec, and one from Euro spec to US spec.

Possible this is the correct adaptor if the goal is to have a fully functional 7Pin US spec Socket directly from the 13 pin Euro Tesla Module?
(I would be interested in hardwiring it as well, and doing away with the Euro housings)

Also curious if the above adaptor would provide passthrough +12Vdc functionality from the Euro spec Tesla trailer module?
Have not seen pinouts on those parts in series, or read feedback on those details, but I assume it could be injected as needed.

 

[Rheckbert3]

Also, correct me if I am wrong, but the pictured adaptor just above , Female Socket euro 13 pin to Male Plug US 7 blade appears to be "backwards" if I am following along correctly?

I believe they may have 2 distinctly different modules, one from US spec to Euro spec, and one from Euro spec to US spec.

Possible this is the correct adaptor if the goal is to have a fully functional 7Pin US spec Socket directly from the 13 pin Euro Tesla Module?
(I would be interested in hardwiring it as well, and doing away with the Euro housings)

Also curious if the above adaptor would provide passthrough +12Vdc functionality from the Euro spec Tesla trailer module?
Have not seen pinouts on those parts in series, or read feedback on those details, but I assume it could be injected as needed.

Sorry, yes you are correct in thinking that the adapter I pictured is backwards from what I was trying to achieve. I just included that picture because the seller showcased the internals of the adapter in this configuration.

I was trying to convert Euro 13 pin to US 4 pin. I attached a picture of an adapter for US 7 pin to Euro 13 pin. You attached a picture with the adapter in the correct direction Euro 13 pin to US 7 pin.

 

[rotarypower101]

Sorry, yes you are correct in thinking that the adapter I pictured is backwards from what I was trying to achieve. I just included that picture because the seller showcased the internals of the adapter in this configuration.

I was trying to convert Euro 13 pin to US 4 pin. I attached a picture of an adapter for US 7 pin to Euro 13 pin. You attached a picture with the adapter in the correct direction Euro 13 pin to US 7 pin.

How many wires and color code are going into the conversion module, and coming out to US Spec?

Guessing it is the bare minimum, 4 wire out for the US Spec? And whatever the minimum for Euro spec is also going into the module?

Stock photos don't make it 100% clear, but I assume they use the Exact same module for both 4 wire out and 7 blade US spec trailer plugs?


Thank you for making this thread, Will be referencing it in the near future, once I sort a few more detail ! Very helpful!

 

[dhrivnak]

I added a hitch and inductive, wiring harness. I think this is what I used and no wires were cut. This was important to me as I had an early 2018. And it has worked well for 6 years now. https://www.amazon.com/Tekonsha-119...l8Kj0zIoCT5CgBoTOWuVYCKAFV-GlpqRoCkOIQAvD_BwE

 

[rotarypower101]

I added a hitch and inductive, wiring harness. I think this is what I used and no wires were cut. This was important to me as I had an early 2018. And it has worked well for 6 years now. https://www.amazon.com/Tekonsha-119...l8Kj0zIoCT5CgBoTOWuVYCKAFV-GlpqRoCkOIQAvD_BwE

If you know, did this Tekonsha unit have issues with losing "settings" under any scenarios?
Requiring to be reset up? Possibly under any low 12V LV conditions for some ?

Really want to learn how to avoid any of those problems by careful hardware selection if I can!
Bit ambiguous which units suffer from that phenomena.

 

[dhrivnak]

If you know, did this Tekonsha unit have issues with losing "settings" under any scenarios?
Requiring to be reset up? Possibly under any low 12V LV conditions for some ?

Really want to learn how to avoid any of those problems by careful hardware selection if I can!
Bit ambiguous which units suffer from that phenomena.

Not that I am aware of and I did replace the 12V 2 years back.

 

[Rheckbert3]

If you know, did this Tekonsha unit have issues with losing "settings" under any scenarios?
Requiring to be reset up? Possibly under any low 12V LV conditions for some ?

Really want to learn how to avoid any of those problems by careful hardware selection if I can!
Bit ambiguous which units suffer from that phenomena.

I would just use the Tekonsha 118869 unit as it directly plugs in line with the factory tail light harnesses. It cant "lose its memory" of the programmed sensor positions as everything directly hardwired with connectors

https://www.amazon.com/Tekonsha-118869-Connector-Protected-Compatible/dp/B0B29M8V83

 

[Rheckbert3]

How many wires and color code are going into the conversion module, and coming out to US Spec?

Guessing it is the bare minimum, 4 wire out for the US Spec? And whatever the minimum for Euro spec is also going into the module?

Stock photos don't make it 100% clear, but I assume they use the Exact same module for both 4 wire out and 7 blade US spec trailer plugs?


Thank you for making this thread, Will be referencing it in the near future, once I sort a few more detail ! Very helpful!

There were 5 wires from the EU 13 pin connector to the conversion module with an additional jumper wire connected on the connector. from the conversion module to the 4 way flat connector there is 4 wires.

From the EU 13 Pins connecter to the conversion module there is:
Pin 1 - Yellow - Left Turn
Pin 3 - White - Ground
Pin 4 - Green - Right Turn
Pin 5 - Brown - Right Tail Light (Black Jumper Wire to Pin 7 - Black - Left Tail Light)
Pin 6 - Red (Blue Wire) - Stop Lamps

Out of the conversion module is the standard US 4 way wiring:
Green - Right Turn and Stop
Yellow - Left Turn and Stop
Brown - Taillights
White - Ground

---

It looks like the EU 13 Pin to US 7 Way Plug only adds the additional reversing lamps circuit (5 circuits in total) and neglects to include the trailer brakes and the aux 12x+ charging. I would say that most often in the US the 7 way plug is used in place of the 4 way for the additional trailer brake circuit. There is provisions in the EU 13 pin plug for 12v+ power but there is no dedicated trailer brake signal with variable voltage provisions that I can see.

But I will never be pulling a trailer that requires trailer brakes so I only looked into the 4 way options anyways. Besides trailer brakes would take away from my regen power! /s

 

[rotarypower101]

I would just use the Tekonsha 118869 unit as it directly plugs in line with the factory tail light harnesses. It cant "lose its memory" of the programmed sensor positions as everything directly hardwired with connectors

https://www.amazon.com/Tekonsha-118869-Connector-Protected-Compatible/dp/B0B29M8V83

I agree, just poking and prodding for further information, understanding and feedback on the topic to make informed hardware decisions by understanding the alternatives better.


On that topic of digging deeper, would you have any further feelings/feedback on Pros/Cons of following through with utilizing the Euro Model 3 trailer module (modified with that Euro2US adaptor) for use in the US VS the Tekonsha?


I think with "Trailer Mode" activated, that would solve the Reversing With a Trailer alarm issues that are typical in vehicles?

Do a lot of boating, and backing down the ramp with a alarm in your ear isn't particularly beneficial...Would like to resolve that issue if reasonable to do so.

Is that typically a problem with a Tesla, backing up with a trailer and sensors alarming assuming you will run into the attached trailer when backing up, or possibly even a alarm when something appears too close that is being towed? Might the OEM module resolve any issues related to that problem VS aftermarket, which only provide logic for lighting?

 

[rotarypower101]

But I will never be pulling a trailer that requires trailer brakes so I only looked into the 4 way options anyways. Besides trailer brakes would take away from my regen power! /s

Thank you for such thoughtful feedback and information, it's a fairly Niche topic, so not much Model 3 specific feedback available out there, since I think the Model Y is configured very differently. And that post was Very Helpful, Thank You!

On the topic of trailer brakes towing and Regen, they have the ability to have the trailer brake only active when "critically necessary" to maximize regen.

Have a personal issue when towing and people trying not to get behind the guy towing a trailer Rudely and erratically pulling out Right in front of me with not enough space if I were not towing!
As well as we are in a very mountainous area, with long sustained downhills at times.

A trailer brake while not strictly required, is a nice backup and a comfort, as I tow right up to the limit of Class 1 at times.

Use the Curt Echo, which is a wireless brake controller, with a wireless remote button that can be attached to the steering wheel and activated in the event of an emergency. So no braking can be set until manually requested, or triggered on severe rates of deceleration.

So invested in the concept of how to tow well with a Model 3 before trying it.

 

[zoros]

You obviously know your stuff respect.
However, you say that the M3 isn't rated to tow in the US, so why do it and at the same time - remain within warranty/insurance?
In the UK, fitting a hitch, post manufacture, is not recommended. When I spoke to Tesla to ask for clarification, they said my warranty could be affected. If I want a tow bar on an M3 in the Uk = order it at the pre-manufacture stage???
Z

 

[rotarypower101]

You obviously know your stuff respect.
However, you say that the M3 isn't rated to tow in the US, so why do it and at the same time - remain within warranty/insurance?
In the UK, fitting a hitch, post manufacture, is not recommended. When I spoke to Tesla to ask for clarification, they said my warranty could be affected. If I want a tow bar on an M3 in the Uk = order it at the pre-manufacture stage???
Z

I believe the rules are different in the UK. No such limitation here.

If I understand correctly, if the vehicle does not come with the tow bar included in the UK, the placard is rated differently to reflect that, despite there being No known difference in the unibody construction of a model 3 that comes with the tow bar and one that does not.

Here in the US we are significantly more relaxed, for good or bad...

If you "look the part" here, rarely will you be questioned or hassled in my experience.
From my POV you see sketchy loads and clearly improperly setup loads on a frequent basis, and the cop just drives by blase.
And there are no checkpoints or validation for towing for certification or to verify any rating.


Would love clarification by anyone that can site a reference, but I think the manufactures tow rating for the US Model 3 is Not Supported officially, effectively rated at 0Lbs if I understand correctly?

But I don't believe there is anything prohibiting towing in the US dependent on manufactures rated specification?

 

[airysnowstorm]

Probably about time I tried documenting and improving the method I used.. really wasn’t too bad using an arduino to read the Lin bus and switch the available +12vdc with a relay board.

 

[rotarypower101]

Possible anyone could speculate how much current can safely be drawn from the Model 3 gray 3 pin trailer plug?
Is there possibly a reference avalible anywhere for guidance?

Does this circuit sit behind the type of circuit breakers I think most of these vehicles utilizes, and enjoy the same type of protection?

Any speculation if up to ~6.4A @12Vdc could be safely drawn off this circuit?

 

[davidalindsey]

So previous owner had a tow hitch installed.
I'm not sure which brand this is what it's rated for or if there's any wiring hooked up anywhere.
If I were to say put like a little bike rack or little storage container up to this thing.

Could I reconfigure the car to have trailer mode without any ill effects?
I randomly have seen the trailer mood icon pop up in yellow occasionally.
But as far as I know 2018 does not have any wiring or trailer ECU at all.
I'm assuming it's something to do with my Tesla logic device possibly interfering

Main question is could I just reconfigure the software to have trailer mode or would it always pop up with a red icon due to not having wiring?
Would like to have a toggle to turn off and on trailer mode if by the rare chance I put a little storage container back there so the camera sensors don't get confused thinking there's a car behind me all the time.