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Off-Road Upgrade or Not?

Lmirafuente

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Hey Forum.

I understand that the standard Rivian’s can go off road without the Off-Road Upgrade.

Anybody have further information on what exactly that off-road upgrade contains Besides the tow hooks and bumper to bumper protection?

Thanks in advance for the comments and apologies as this is repetitive on other posts.

Is the upgrade heavy enough to impact range? I did ask this of a CS about two months ago, and they said it would not impact range. But not so sure about that comment without understanding what is being added
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crashmtb

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Rivian R1T R1S Off-Road Upgrade or Not? 1630338928797

tow hooks(integrated into the bumper structure), and more extensive underbody protection.
 
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Lmirafuente

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tow hooks(integrated into the bumper structure), and more extensive underbody protection.
Thanks, I saw that, so my question is it will it impact range?

I currently have it configured on the R1S and concerned now about range impact.
 

Frankdatank24

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I'm in the same boat on this one. I doubt I will off-road much and I'm sure the extra weight will impact the range slightly. I'm thinking of getting it regardless just for the extra protection and the slight chance I do go down an unfavorable road (or get lost and find myself on one).
 

nfrank

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When I saw the change from including the off-road package with the adventure package to making it optional I suspected range was the issue. My guess was that the range with the off-road package dipped below the 300 mile promise.

The package should be less than $2k for them to install (presuming they intend to make a profit on options) so for Rivian to take a margin hit there must have been a reason. My guess is weight and range.
 

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skyote

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I don't believe range will be impacted much at all, and I'm 100% confident it will not affect range in a material way. In fact, I'm wondering if the full coverage might aid aero enough to offset any range impact at all due to weight.

For me, it's one of those things that's better to have & not need than to need & not have. It can only help protect our significant investments in these vehicles, and I would get it whether I planned on off roading or not.
 

sevengroove

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Honestly I don't know that it's a must-have. This is what the website says about the regular protection:
Rivian R1T R1S Off-Road Upgrade or Not? 1630340051154


So yes, the off-road package is going to be more protection, but it sounds like it isn't necessary unless you plan to rock-crawl every weekend.

Another way to ask the question is, what wheels are you going with? If you have your eyes on the 21s or 22s, then you are probably completely fine without the off-road package.
 

Frankdatank24

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Yeah, I think its just better to get it. I think @skyote is right about the added aerodynamics with the underbody being more flat with the extra shielding. The range loss will be negligible more than likely.
 

giraffesR1T

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Yeah, I think its just better to get it. I think @skyote is right about the added aerodynamics with the underbody being more flat with the extra shielding. The range loss will be negligible more than likely.
I like the look the of the R1T with the tow hooks. So I contacted CS to ask if tow hooks could be installed as a stand alone. They unfortunately shot it down. However, I cant justify the purchase of the full off-road package just for the tow hooks. I wont be rock crawling either. So I decided against the package and Ill just wait for aftermarket products to come out.
 

RivianBowerbird

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Yeah, I think its just better to get it. I think @skyote is right about the added aerodynamics with the underbody being more flat with the extra shielding. The range loss will be negligible more than likely.
All of the Rivians will have completely flat underbody material. This is just a stronger underbody material than the already very strong composite material.
 

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Frankdatank24

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I like the look the of the R1T with the tow hooks. So I contacted CS to ask if tow hooks could be installed as a stand alone. They unfortunately shot it down. However, I cant justify the purchase of the full off-road package just for the tow hooks. I wont be rock crawling either. So I decided against the package and Ill just wait for aftermarket products to come out.
That's fair. If you think you won't use it at all then its probably not worth it. I also really like the look with the tow hooks much better than with out.
 

Frankdatank24

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All of the Rivians will have completely flat underbody material. This is just a stronger underbody material than the already very strong composite material.
Gotcha. I figured it was additional shielding on the underbody rather than just a heavier/thicker shielding. Seeing that its made of carbon fiber and aluminum it should not add much weight at all.
 

Riventures

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If you are going to go off the paved roads, you do want to tow hooks for sure, even if you think additional underbody shielding is unnecessary.
 

MReda

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The term "rock crawling" is getting thrown around for when underbody protection might be needed. I come across situations where this extra protection is a good idea, and tow hooks are a necessity, when I'm on forestry roads a few miles into the mountains. In a literal sense, this isn't even "off road" driving, and definitely not "rock crawling", it is just off pavement.

I get that it's still not needed for everyone, but the factory skid plate from my Land Cruiser is mangled up in the corner of my garage from an impact during a water crossing while I was driving down a road. If you ever think you may load up for a camping trip in the rocky mountains, just spend the money now :)
 

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The term "rock crawling" is getting thrown around for when underbody protection might be needed. I come across situations where this extra protection is a good idea, and tow hooks are a necessity, when I'm on forestry roads a few miles into the mountains. In a literal sense, this isn't even "off road" driving, and definitely not "rock crawling", it is just off pavement.

I get that it's still not needed for everyone, but the factory skid plate from my Land Cruiser is mangled up in the corner of my garage from an impact during a water crossing while I was driving down a road. If you ever think you may load up for a camping trip in the rocky mountains, just spend the money now :)
That's a fair point, but the key difference is that we are not comparing the off-road package vs. no protection at all. We are comparing it to the standard underbody protection, which in Rivian's own words is designed for protection under extreme off-road conditions.
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