FYI: The tailgate can be opened by a stranger even if the vehicle is "locked"

[CommodoreAmiga]

Some people may think "duh" but I found it at least a little surprising. Someone can open your tailgate even when your R1T is locked. The "normal" tailgate release button on the top of the driver bed rail is disabled when the vehicle is locked; however, there is a second button on underside of the passenger bed rail that is NOT disabled when the vehicle is locked.

If your tonneau cover is open then anyone can SEE the button and easily push it to open the tailgate. Now before someone says "well duh if the tonneau is open then people can steal your stuff, anyway..." Maybe. But I've transported large/heavy things and having the tailgate lock in the closed position does help provide a little resistance to theft. There's also the issue of a possible obstacle in the rear (wall, parking bollard, or even your own trailer/hitch) and if a nefarious (or stupidly over-curious) person drops your tailgate your truck may suffer damage.

Even with the tonneau cover CLOSED I was able to use a piece of wire to push the button and open the tailgate. This required my prior knowledge of the button and it's location -- but security through obscurity should not be relied upon, and I doubt it will remain rare knowledge, for long.

I don't think this is a "major flaw" or anything too serious... But it did surprise me, initially, and I thought it was worth mentioning. Please plan accordingly and understand that the front trunk and tonneau cover provide some resistance, but are not totally secure.

If your item fits in the gear tunnel, I think that is likely the most secure area to store items in the R1T.

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[astonius]

It’s likely regulatory. I believe the inner button is intended as the emergency release if someone was locked in.

 

[godfodder0901]

Some people may think "duh" but I found it at least a little surprising. Someone can open your tailgate even when your R1T is locked. The "normal" tailgate release button on the top of the driver bed rail is disabled when the vehicle is locked; however, there is a second button on underside of the passenger bed rail that is NOT disabled when the vehicle is locked.

If your tonneau cover is open then anyone can SEE the button and easily push it to open the tailgate. Now before someone says "well duh if the tonneau is open then people can steal your stuff, anyway..." Maybe. But I've transported large/heavy things and having the tailgate lock in the closed position does help provide a little resistance to theft. There's also the issue of a possible obstacle in the rear (wall, parking bollard, or even your own trailer/hitch) and if a nefarious (or stupidly over-curious) person drops your tailgate your truck may suffer damage.

Even with the tonneau cover CLOSED I was able to use a piece of wire to push the button and open the tailgate. This required my prior knowledge of the button and it's location -- but security through obscurity should not be relied upon, and I doubt it will remain rare knowledge, for long.

I don't think this is a "major flaw" or anything too serious... But it did surprise me, initially, and I thought it was worth mentioning. Please plan accordingly and understand that the front trunk and tonneau cover provide some resistance, but are not totally secure.

If your item fits in the gear tunnel, I think that is likely the most secure area to store items in the R1T.

This button is federally mandated to be in place. There is one in the frunk and two in the Gear Tunnel as well. It would be illegal for Rivian to disable this button.

 

[Dark-Fx]

You could disable the entrapment buttons by unplugging them and replacing with the right resistor to not get a message about them being disabled.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

I was hoping that it would be harder to press with a piece of wire with the tonneau closed, and why can't the button be disabled if the tonneau is open?

 

[goldburger]

Post a video of you using a wire to open it

 

[SoCal Rob]

I was hoping that it would be harder to press with a piece of wire with the tonneau closed, and why can't the button be disabled if the tonneau is open?

I think it’s a combo of product liability and safety regulations. Adding extra logic plus a sensor to determine the position of the tonneau (how far open is enough?) means more points of failure. It’s safest for manufacturers to make these release mechanisms as reliable as possible and they will fail safe rather than fail secure. I’m pretty sure that as long as the vehicle’s 12V systems are powered those emergency release buttons will work. In other vehicles I’ve seen purely mechanical releases with a cable link.

If we as owners do something to disable them, then I think we take on the liability if someone is kidnapped, injured, or killed as a result.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

Post a video of you using a wire to open it

Full disclosure, I was looking at the screen while filming so I could "see" the button. I would have been fumbling around a lot more if I was "blind".

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

I think it’s a combo of product liability and safety regulations. Adding extra logic plus a sensor to determine the position of the tonneau (how far open is enough?) means more points of failure. It’s safest for manufacturers to make these release mechanisms as reliable as possible and they will fail safe rather than fail secure. I’m pretty sure that as long as the vehicle’s 12V systems are powered those emergency release buttons will work. In other vehicles I’ve seen purely mechanical releases with a cable link.

If we as owners do something to disable them, then I think we take on the liability if someone is kidnapped, injured, or killed as a result.

Yea, I'm not going to disable it.

I would think they already know when it's fully open... Only disable when fully open. Anywhere not fully open would leave it enabled.

 

[SoCal Rob]

Yea, I'm not going to disable it.

I would think they already know when it's fully open... Only disable when fully open. Anywhere not fully open would leave it enabled.

That sounds reasonable to me, but I’m not a lawyer.

 

[crashmtb]

The solution to this weird edge case is to order an R1T with no tonneau, which then might not have the button because the bed isn’t an enclosed space.

 

[Jakeblanton]

Dang, I didn't even know that was there. I knew the other buttons were in the gear tunnel and Frunk, but I never thought about the Bed area.

 

[manitou202]

I work in the lock industry. We always say locks are simply a deterrent. With knowledge of the device and a bit of skill, almost anything can be broken into. Locks just keep honest people honest.

The best option is to rely on the Gear Guard video system. Anyone who knows enough about the truck to identify where the override button is located will also know about the video system. They risk being caught on video which is a reasonable deterrent.

 

[opnwide]

A little Velcro and my son’s athletic Shock Doctor should do the trick.

 

[Boomkanani]

Even with the tonneau cover CLOSED I was able to use a piece of wire to push the button and open the tailgate. This required my prior knowledge of the button and it's location -- but security through obscurity should not be relied upon, and I doubt it will remain rare knowledge, for long.

At least there aren't any detailed public posts about it....

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