[Wandering42D]

Hi all-

I'm coming over from a Toyota Land Cruiser which is used in the exact way Rivian is marketing their cars (car camping, dirtbagging/climbing, hauling kayaks and mtn bikes). It otherwise sit in the driveway 'cause cause mileage is so terrible. The rear 2 jump seats were removed day 1 and replaced w/ a shelf system.

The R1S has seems to be a perfect replacement (except for legendary reliability which only time will tell) as an EV; a big box, kinda simple, hopefully just "works as intended." My hangup is the 400+mi pack being delayed till "later" (won't be officially announced until 1/2022). I've been a preorder holder since early 2019.

I'm strongly considering switching to the R1T since the 400+ pack exists for it as of now. I have no intent of getting the 7 seating model of the R1S.

I have never owned a pickup. I have nothing against them...they seem useful, and super perfect for what I intend to do with it. I have no idea what the cons would be in this useage context for an SUV vs. a pickup. Eventually some aftermarket maker will make a cap for it if I want to full cover/insulate the bed anyway, right? (I mean, I see what people do with their Tacos...the aftermarket support for R1T shouldn't be that different right?) Convince me I should be patient and wait for my original R1S or will an R1T do everything I want and 1+ year sooner?

 

[Cr-R1T]

Hi all-

I'm coming over from a Toyota Land Cruiser which is used in the exact way Rivian is marketing their cars (car camping, dirtbagging/climbing, hauling kayaks and mtn bikes). It otherwise sit in the driveway 'cause cause mileage is so terrible. The rear 2 jump seats were removed day 1 and replaced w/ a shelf system.

The R1S has seems to be a perfect replacement (except for legendary reliability which only time will tell) as an EV; a big box, kinda simple, hopefully just "works as intended." My hangup is the 400+mi pack being delayed till "later" (won't be officially announced until 1/2022). I've been a preorder holder since early 2019.

I'm strongly considering switching to the R1T since the 400+ pack exists for it as of now. I have no intent of getting the 7 seating model of the R1S.

I have never owned a pickup. I have nothing against them...they seem useful, and super perfect for what I intend to do with it. I have no idea what the cons would be in this useage context for an SUV vs. a pickup. Eventually some aftermarket maker will make a cap for it if I want to full cover/insulate the bed anyway, right? (I mean, I see what people do with their Tacos...the aftermarket support for R1T shouldn't be that different right?) Convince me I should be patient and wait for my original R1S or will an R1T do everything I want and 1+ year sooner?

Go for the pickup. There's lots of storage out of sight (frunk and gear tunnel) and the bed will be more useful than you might think, but most important, the R1S does not come with a full size spare. The R1T does. Having to drive on an interstate with hazard blinkers on in the slow lane down hill with trucks passing you because you are speed limited on a 'donut' tire is not an experience that you want to have. I've had that experience. Blow-outs happen. If you can get a vehicle that meets your needs and gives a full size spare (or at least the option for one), choose that one over one that has only a 'donut'.

 

[Electrictrucking]

Go for the pickup. There's lots of storage out of sight (frunk and gear tunnel) and the bed will be more useful than you might think, but most important, the R1S does not come with a full size spare. The R1T does. Having to drive on an interstate with hazard blinkers on in the slow lane down hill with trucks passing you because you are speed limited on a 'donut' tire is not an experience that you want to have. I've had that experience. Blow-outs happen. If you can get a vehicle that meets your needs and gives a full size spare (or at least the option for one), choose that one over one that has only a 'donut'.

Yes I have been in that exact postion with the flashers blinking and Semi's passing me on a single lane highway in Northern Nevada while legging it to a tire shop with my donut but that is only a small reason that I'm going with the R1T.

 

[Wimberley51]

I agree with the R1T preference. I have owned 6 Land Cruisers (currently have a '78 FJ55), and 3 pick up trucks (currently have a '14 F150). Loved the Land Cruisers and put a lot of miles on all. To me, the R1T embodies the adventurous nature of my Cruisers, but with the flexibility of the pick ups. Win, win...

 

[Cr-R1T]

Yes I have been in that exact postion with the flashers blinking and Semi's passing me on a single lane highway in Northern Nevada while legging it to a tire shop with my donut but that is only a small reason that I'm going with the R1T.

Likewise, but if the choice is between a vehicle (R1S) with a donut and one (R1T) with a full size tire, I'd say it's an important consideration. I do own an EV currently, a Kia Niro EV. It only has a donut, but the competition (Leaf) wanted to sell me a vehicle without any spare, just a can of gunk...I'm not that nuts!

 

[Wildabeest]

Go with the truck. You’re kidding yourself, however, if you think there will be anywhere near the selection of bed toppers for the Rivian vs. the Tacoma. Toyota sells 250,000 Tacoma’s a year, and a larger % of those are going to have toppers than I think Rivian will (at least initially). There will certainly be companies making them for Rivian - just not as many as for established brands with established aftermarket demand. I’d love to see Rivian come out with something.

 

[Yossarian]

Hi all-

I'm coming over from a Toyota Land Cruiser which is used in the exact way Rivian is marketing their cars (car camping, dirtbagging/climbing, hauling kayaks and mtn bikes). It otherwise sit in the driveway 'cause cause mileage is so terrible. The rear 2 jump seats were removed day 1 and replaced w/ a shelf system.

The R1S has seems to be a perfect replacement (except for legendary reliability which only time will tell) as an EV; a big box, kinda simple, hopefully just "works as intended." My hangup is the 400+mi pack being delayed till "later" (won't be officially announced until 1/2022). I've been a preorder holder since early 2019.

I'm strongly considering switching to the R1T since the 400+ pack exists for it as of now. I have no intent of getting the 7 seating model of the R1S.

I have never owned a pickup. I have nothing against them...they seem useful, and super perfect for what I intend to do with it. I have no idea what the cons would be in this useage context for an SUV vs. a pickup. Eventually some aftermarket maker will make a cap for it if I want to full cover/insulate the bed anyway, right? (I mean, I see what people do with their Tacos...the aftermarket support for R1T shouldn't be that different right?) Convince me I should be patient and wait for my original R1S or will an R1T do everything I want and 1+ year sooner?

This is similar to my situation. In my case, I want to replace an older XC-90 that's used to get me to snow country which really demands a capable 4/AWD vehicle. I suspect that most folks would be surprised at how often sections of the interstate highway are closed due to snow, and don't know that the detours are almost always routes in far worse snow conditions. We got detoured off I-70 during a blizzard, and had to drive up and over Loveland Pass in close to 2 feet of snow one year. I also need to get around once in snow country - some of the places we frequent get more than 500" each season, making the odds you're going to have to drive in heavy snow pretty good.

BTW, in my experience, the Haldex AWD system used by Volvo and a few other marques, is excellent in deep snow, as long as you have the clearance. The Rivian 4-motor system and the adjustable suspension promises to be much better and were big selling points for me. During the rest of the year, I need a vehicle capable of handling fire roads and once in a while, something a bit more challenging. The XC-90 is very good at this, and in doing so with my kayak on the roof or while towing a small camper (sometimes both).

The R1S looked ideal as a replacement but with with retirement on the horizon, the planned trips will be to more remote areas where fewer charging opportunities demand the 180kwh battery pack. Waiting until 2023 - the likely delivery date for a R1S Max Pack - will be a challenge given that my Volvo will be 16 years old at that point.

I've never had a pickup but am not really averse to the idea of owning one. The same however cannot be said for my lovely bride. Nevertheless, the arguments for the R1T here are persuasive - I can see that the pickup is more versatile than the SUV and frankly did not realize the R1S did not have a full-size spare. I think I am going to change my pre-order to the R1T and feign ignorance with my spouse when the truck arrives, hopefully NLT mid-2022 ("I can't believe it, the factory must have gotten our order mixed up! Oh well, nothing we can do about it now . . . ".)

 

[Wandering42D]

Go with the truck. You’re kidding yourself, however, if you think there will be anywhere near the selection of bed toppers for the Rivian vs. the Tacoma. Toyota sells 250,000 Tacoma’s a year, and a larger % of those are going to have toppers than I think Rivian will (at least initially). There will certainly be companies making them for Rivian - just not as many as for established brands with established aftermarket demand. I’d love to see Rivian come out with something.

You're absolutely right and I'm aware; I just meant it more of an existential answer to the question of "is there a solution to covering the bed of a pickup truck" and yes there is (or will be) an answer.

Yossarian we've come across each others' threads; I think we're in the same boat. I'm not under any real pressure to rush; my Cruiser has less than 100k miles on it and so if it were to stay in a capable mechanic's hands (not me) could last longer than my new truck (which hasn't been built yet). I just cringe at the 8-12mpg and it's starting to hurt my soul to drive it around.

 

[eHauler]

Like what @Wildabeest said, the R1T pickup is the best option for overlanding. With the full size spare, gear tunnel, availability of toppers, and Rivian potentially offering some camping options (ex. pull out kitchen for the tunnel, digital jerry can patent), the choice is clear. That said, I'm curious to know what other overlanding/camping options you guys want Rivian to offer because it seems like they might listen!

 

[JimmyEV]

Hi all-

I'm coming over from a Toyota Land Cruiser which is used in the exact way Rivian is marketing their cars (car camping, dirtbagging/climbing, hauling kayaks and mtn bikes). It otherwise sit in the driveway 'cause cause mileage is so terrible. The rear 2 jump seats were removed day 1 and replaced w/ a shelf system.

The R1S has seems to be a perfect replacement (except for legendary reliability which only time will tell) as an EV; a big box, kinda simple, hopefully just "works as intended." My hangup is the 400+mi pack being delayed till "later" (won't be officially announced until 1/2022). I've been a preorder holder since early 2019.

I'm strongly considering switching to the R1T since the 400+ pack exists for it as of now. I have no intent of getting the 7 seating model of the R1S.

I have never owned a pickup. I have nothing against them...they seem useful, and super perfect for what I intend to do with it. I have no idea what the cons would be in this useage context for an SUV vs. a pickup. Eventually some aftermarket maker will make a cap for it if I want to full cover/insulate the bed anyway, right? (I mean, I see what people do with their Tacos...the aftermarket support for R1T shouldn't be that different right?) Convince me I should be patient and wait for my original R1S or will an R1T do everything I want and 1+ year sooner?

Go for the pickup. There's lots of storage out of sight (frunk and gear tunnel) and the bed will be more useful than you might think, but most important, the R1S does not come with a full size spare. The R1T does. Having to drive on an interstate with hazard blinkers on in the slow lane down hill with trucks passing you because you are speed limited on a 'donut' tire is not an experience that you want to have. I've had that experience. Blow-outs happen. If you can get a vehicle that meets your needs and gives a full size spare (or at least the option for one), choose that one over one that has only a 'donut'.

The bed, frunk, and gear tunnel should be more than plenty for all your Overlanding needs.

 

[Yossarian]

. . .
Yossarian we've come across each others' threads; I think we're in the same boat. I'm not under any real pressure to rush; my Cruiser has less than 100k miles on it and so if it were to stay in a capable mechanic's hands (not me) could last longer than my new truck (which hasn't been built yet). I just cringe at the 8-12mpg and it's starting to hurt my soul to drive it around.

You are correct Wandering42S, we are largely in the same boat and have traded comments in other threads.

Though my Volvo (2008) is likely older than your Cruiser, I'm also under 100k (just turned 90k.) The XC-90 requires a lot of work from capable hands to stay roadworthy however, and I'm fortunate to have access to both a very knowledgeable local independent Volvo shop and a responsive dealer closeby. The car has required a liberal application of dollars to remain in good mechanical shape, but it really should not be difficult to keep it on the road for a few more years.

Our vehicles differ a bit in fuel mileage and perhaps soulfulness though. My mileage is mid-teens around town and consistently in 23-25 mpg range on long highway trips, even with the Thule on top. It drops down to low teens with the trailer though. Overall, I don't think this is too bad for a V-8 (4.4 liter DOHC Yamaha, the same as used on the Ford SHO) that can cruise effortlessly with a trailer and safely and comfortably at extra-legal speeds without. All Volvos get high marks for cockpit comfort but the XC-90 is the best of the several I've had. It's a nearly perfect vehcile for both long trips and for getting around in rough weather or on bad roads. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that it also has an outstanding audio system. The bar for the Rivian has been set pretty high . . .

Full disclosure: The comments in this thread convinced me to re-configure my pre-order to the R1T. My first pickup, and I'm looking forward to more versatility, a full-size spare and [hopefully] delivery before the end of 2022 with the Max Battery Package.

 

[Farhadfzr]

All great points to read and chew on. If a full size spare availability is a limiting factor, one can easily be purchased (aftermarket or even OEM I’m sure) and taken in the R1S for the adventurous trips especially if you’re not getting a 3rd row of seats. But for overlanding, having the options offered for the truck like the kitchen and the tent are just awesome. I would get the T also.