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Donald Stanfield

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OK, I'm not here to argue about what happened. I'm just telling my side of the story from a witness that was there. I don't want to hear a different story about what happened from someone who wasn't there, so I'm going to have to call your post bullshit. I'm sure you can replicate the issue if you want, or just wait for it to happen to someone else.
You're arguing against a video. The video is objective proof you're wrong.
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Mr. Stanfield is correct. Per SoCal Rob's suggestion, I just took a drive with the back doors closed. You can see my license plate and ball hitch. Then I opened the lift gate and drove. The lift gate was open when I left the airport. I swore I hit the button to close it. I do know the tail gate was closed, as I never opened the tail gate when I loaded the luggage. The tail gate should have stopped the luggage from flying out of the R1S, instead the impact of the suitcase opened the tail gate.
 

Dark-Fx

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Mr. Stanfield is correct. Per SoCal Rob's suggestion, I just took a drive with the back doors closed. You can see my license plate and ball hitch. Then I opened the lift gate and drove. The lift gate was open when I left the airport. I swore I hit the button to close it. I do know the tail gate was closed, as I never opened the tail gate when I loaded the luggage. The tail gate should have stopped the luggage from flying out of the R1S, instead the impact of the suitcase opened the tail gate.
I don't blame you for being so happy to see your wife that you failed to secure her luggage properly.

I just played around with our liftgate/tailgate.

If you hit the button on the tailgate, but don't pull it down, it stays unlatched.

Hitting the liftgate button at this point does nothing.

If I close the liftgate manually, it latches into the tailgate, which is not latched to the car. No amount of pushing or pulling is able to separate them and the tailgate stays unlatched from the car.

Leaving the tailgate in this unlatched position, manually pulling down the liftgate with a motion that doesn't get it latched into the tailgate leaves it looking like this on my drive cam. Sure this is cropped from the real aspect ratio, but I think it proves the point well enough.
Rivian R1T R1S R1S liftgate opened while driving and all luggage fell out! (Drive Cam video added) PXL_20230831_223405050

Neither thing is latched here but the tailgate looks like it could be. In this position, the tailgate can freely fall all the way open since it isn't latched.
Rivian R1T R1S R1S liftgate opened while driving and all luggage fell out! (Drive Cam video added) PXL_20230831_223513542


My R1S chimes if I then drive away with it in this position, but I haven't tested if it is repetitive after every low speed stop. Maybe you didn't have (m)any if it is. It also displays that the liftgate is up.
Rivian R1T R1S R1S liftgate opened while driving and all luggage fell out! (Drive Cam video added) PXL_20230831_223450965


I am highly doubtful that yours has an adjustment problem that won't work the same way, but that's for Rivian to decide I suppose.

Airports are loud, busy, and you had a big distraction are my guesses for what happened.
 
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Donald Stanfield

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Mr. Stanfield is correct. Per SoCal Rob's suggestion, I just took a drive with the back doors closed. You can see my license plate and ball hitch. Then I opened the lift gate and drove. The lift gate was open when I left the airport. I swore I hit the button to close it. I do know the tail gate was closed, as I never opened the tail gate when I loaded the luggage. The tail gate should have stopped the luggage from flying out of the R1S, instead the impact of the suitcase opened the tail gate.
It takes a big man to admit when they are wrong. Good on you sir.
 

dleepnw

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I don't blame you for being so happy to see your wife that you failed to secure her luggage properly.

I just played around with our liftgate/tailgate.

If you hit the button on the tailgate, but don't pull it down, it stays unlatched.

Hitting the liftgate button at this point does nothing.

If I close the liftgate manually, it latches into the tailgate, which is not latched to the car. No amount of pushing or pulling is able to separate them and the tailgate stays unlatched from the car.

Leaving the tailgate in this unlatched position, manually pulling down the liftgate with a motion that doesn't get it latched into the tailgate leaves it looking like this on my drive cam. Sure this is cropped from the real aspect ratio, but I think it proves the point well enough.
PXL_20230831_223405050.jpg

Neither thing is latched here but the tailgate looks like it could be.
PXL_20230831_223513542.jpg


My R1S chimes if I then drive away with it in this position, but I haven't tested if it is repetitive after every low speed stop. Maybe you didn't have (m)any if it is. It also displays that the liftgate is up.
PXL_20230831_223450965.jpg


I am highly doubtful that yours has an adjustment problem that won't work the same way, but that's for Rivian to decide I suppose.

Airports are loud, busy, and you had a big distraction are my guesses for what happened.
this sounds like probably the most reasonable explanation. if thats the case then either the sensors were not going off warning you or you didn't notice them.
 

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I've been following this thread with interest, although it is a bit difficult for me to understand, as I don't own my R1S yet (I hope to be a proud owner in 10 days or so). When I do own it, I'm going to make darned sure I fully understand how to secure the tailgate and lift gate.
 

Tony R1S

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I can totally relate to the OP's experience... still getting used to the new car and user interface, super excited to showcase the features, etc. And like the OP, I have also made mistake once of driving (going in reverse) with the liftgate in up position. Luckily my passengers pointed it out before I got a chance to mash my liftgate into the garage header... I also don't remember seeing any warning signs on the displays. Maybe it was masked by the backup camera?
 

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I can totally relate to the OP's experience... still getting used to the new car and user interface, super excited to showcase the features, etc. And like the OP, I have also made mistake once of driving (going in reverse) with the liftgate in up position. Luckily my passengers pointed it out before I got a chance to mash my liftgate into the garage header... I also don't remember seeing any warning signs on the displays. Maybe it was masked by the backup camera?
Backup camera is not on the driver's display. Also you'd be looking at the ceiling of your garage in the camera.
 

Tony R1S

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Backup camera is not on the driver's display. Also you'd be looking at the ceiling of your garage in the camera.
Hm, I don't remember seeing the garage when this happened, but rather it was the same view of the neighborhood as if the liftgate wasn't opened. I'll have to try it again next time I'm in the garage. Also, I checked the warning on the driver display only lasts 2-3 seconds and turns off, but the small red icon at the bottom of the driver display remains and is easily missed.
 

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this sounds like probably the most reasonable explanation. if thats the case then either the sensors were not going off warning you or you didn't notice them.
It's no different than my R1T. It immediately chimes with a similar graphic in the left pane of the cluster to notify me the tailgate is down, then as I put it into drive, the graphic goes away, but is represented by the 3d central graphic, as well as a warning light in the bottom left indicating the gate is down. I suppose if one isn't paying attention to that immediate initial warning, aka smooching their wife, then it would be easier to have gone unnoticed.
 

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What this tells us is the trunk, tonau, doors and frunk are not worked out items in the rivians. They wanted something premium and automatic to wow people but don't have the engineering experience of other manufacturers to execute it so it works for the public. Toyota Landcruiser and 4runner kept split tailgates manual. You closed it like a door though there were window motors. At least the rivian doesn't brick with a tailgate open like the frunk. If the hood didn't shut all the way, the truck would still drive perfectly fine for another 500k over 13mph because it had a second safety. Bed covers were also engineered simple with little to go wrong for decades. Car doors didn't require a car battery to function.

The r2 will be better off with less Gizmo's with hopefully a simple separate central locking module that doesn't require the hv battery multiple times per day. Maybe it will have a simple gas door that doesn't chop fingers. I think the taycan has that. Put it on the other front corner while their at it to use Tesla stations.

So although the op lost their luggage and maybe didn't close something properly and notice, it's not entirely their fault either. Best thing is that other owners know now as well. Everyone will just make due with what is a super cool vehicle when everything works as intended.
 

carancpa

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Rivian adjusted the gap in the Liftgate last month for the same reason. I lost all that was in the back of my vehicle taking off onto a highway turnoff. I only had the rig for a couple of weeks and had turned off all camera modes and everything that was unnecessary due to phantom drain. I live in a remote area and there are no charging stations for 210 miles with peaks and valleys at high elevation; I need all the energy I can cram into the battery before I leave home. There was no warning and I allowed the liftgate to close itself, checking by a little push to liftgate and tailgate that it was safe to drive because of the 1/2 " gap.
 

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Excellent mystery-solving by the community.

Thankfully, (by far most importantly) no one was injured and it didn't cause an accident. Hopefully the goods sustained little or no appreciable damage.
 

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I live in a remote area and there are no charging stations for 210 miles with peaks and valleys at high elevation
Are you comfortable telling me where this “remote area” is so that I can avoid it?
 

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Are you comfortable telling me where this “remote area” is so that I can avoid it?
I live in Tonopah, NV; it is on Hwy 95. I am halfway between Reno (240 miles from me) and Las Vegas (210 miles from me) on the only north/south highway in the State of Nevada. If you are traveling North/South in Nevada it is hard to avoid Hwy 95 and the long stretch of no chargers available at this time. I guess my Location 89049 is not viewable?
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