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With delivery of my Rivian anything but imminent, I've been thinking about how to get the most range when towing a camper.
I had a chance to view some airflow simulations of generic pickup truck and a generic SUV towing a [email protected] 400 teardrop camper. The airflow was much cleaner with the SUV and the camper than with the pickup. I would guess then, that the range of the R1S would be somewhat greater than the R1T towing that kind of load, assuming both had the same size battery. We don't know what the capacity of the "larger capacity" battery pack for the R1S will be, but we do know that it will be less than the R1T Max Pack's 180 kWh. If the capacity is about 15% less, let's say 150 kWh, it may well be the case that towing range for both R1S Longer Range and the R1T Max, is roughly the same. Be interested to hear thoughts on this speculation from those with more of a technical background than I have.
With drag being the primary determinant of range, it seems to me that it may be worth considering doing something to make the tow load more slippery. While the front face of my [email protected] 320 is rounded, and the rear tapered, the camper is 93.6" high and 81" wide. That means it sticks up about 16" above the 77.3" roof line of the R1S, though it is a bit narrower (the R1S is 81.8 wide). Would adding a wing to the back of the roof to direct the airflow up a bit be worth considering? How about the poor man's solution of putting my Thule cargo box on the R1S, mounted as far rearward as it can go and still not impede the cargo hatch?
Another, much more expensive way to get more aero may be to change campers. Alto in Canada makes a 20', 2,600 lb aluminum camper with a tapered front and rear that the company claims is the most aerodynamic of any camper on the market. You can see the shape in the snip below. The height of this trailer (the A-2124) is 93", so it sticks above the roof like by the same amount as the [email protected]; it has a pointed front and sloped roof however. Alto also makes a teardrop-style camper that collapses for towing, their "R" (for retractable roof) series. This trailer is only 83" high so well below the R1S roof line. And it has the familiar teardrop rear end as well. Thoughts on this one? There are thumbnails of both below.
No rush on answers, my Rivian ain't gonna be in my driveway anytime soon.
This is the Alto A-2124:
And this is the R-1713:
I had a chance to view some airflow simulations of generic pickup truck and a generic SUV towing a [email protected] 400 teardrop camper. The airflow was much cleaner with the SUV and the camper than with the pickup. I would guess then, that the range of the R1S would be somewhat greater than the R1T towing that kind of load, assuming both had the same size battery. We don't know what the capacity of the "larger capacity" battery pack for the R1S will be, but we do know that it will be less than the R1T Max Pack's 180 kWh. If the capacity is about 15% less, let's say 150 kWh, it may well be the case that towing range for both R1S Longer Range and the R1T Max, is roughly the same. Be interested to hear thoughts on this speculation from those with more of a technical background than I have.
With drag being the primary determinant of range, it seems to me that it may be worth considering doing something to make the tow load more slippery. While the front face of my [email protected] 320 is rounded, and the rear tapered, the camper is 93.6" high and 81" wide. That means it sticks up about 16" above the 77.3" roof line of the R1S, though it is a bit narrower (the R1S is 81.8 wide). Would adding a wing to the back of the roof to direct the airflow up a bit be worth considering? How about the poor man's solution of putting my Thule cargo box on the R1S, mounted as far rearward as it can go and still not impede the cargo hatch?
Another, much more expensive way to get more aero may be to change campers. Alto in Canada makes a 20', 2,600 lb aluminum camper with a tapered front and rear that the company claims is the most aerodynamic of any camper on the market. You can see the shape in the snip below. The height of this trailer (the A-2124) is 93", so it sticks above the roof like by the same amount as the [email protected]; it has a pointed front and sloped roof however. Alto also makes a teardrop-style camper that collapses for towing, their "R" (for retractable roof) series. This trailer is only 83" high so well below the R1S roof line. And it has the familiar teardrop rear end as well. Thoughts on this one? There are thumbnails of both below.
No rush on answers, my Rivian ain't gonna be in my driveway anytime soon.
This is the Alto A-2124:
And this is the R-1713: