Towing my boat through the CA desert -- the Good and the Bad

[-0-coach-0-]

I needed to bring my boat home from the Colorado River area near Topock / Needles to get some work done. It is a 250-mile trip, and this was the first time I had towed a long distance where I would need to charge multiple times. I left Pirate Cove Marina at 92%. Here is what my experience was like.

The Good-

• The R1T is the best towing vehicle I have owned! I have had a Ford 250s with V10s, a Ram 1500, a Toyota Tundras, and a GMC 1500 with a 6.2 L engine. I couldn't even feel the boat behind me and had to watch my speed as I could have easily been going 80 mph.
• RAN with a trailer spot in Barstow and next to the world's best Del Taco (IYKYK)
• EA charger in Needles. There are 4 new chargers where you can pull in and charge up with a trailer still hooked up. The lot to charge is dirt but has a lot of room, so you can pull straight in to charge and then back out with ease.
• The R1T self-levels and adjusts based on the trailer's weight, which in this case was 6,500 lbs.

The Bad-

• Needing to unhook the trailer in Essex to charge as the charging station does not have any spots for a trailer
• Unhooking the trailer erases the data needed when towing, so my mileage was off when I charged up, and I didn't get a great idea of how much charge I should have to get to my next destination; I got to the RAN in Barstow with 7 miles left.
• 
• Navigation pushed me to Baker, taking Kelbaker Road, part of the Mohave Desert Reserve. That would be great in the fall, winter, or spring, but not in the middle of a heat wave at the start of the summer. Plus, it would add many miles to my trip. So I rolled the dice, ignored the navigation, and did a straight shot to Barstow. The yellow dot is where it wanted to take me to charge.
• 
• Hooking and unhooking the trailer. As I unweight the hitch, the back end continues to rise, which I am guessing is due to the suspension being filled up to level the truck (which is awesome, BTW). I needed to go to the truck and put it in Sport Mode to lower the suspension and release the hitch.
• Long charge times—40 minutes at each stop. I know the heat did not help, as it was in the mid-90s.

Suggestions for Rivian-

• Ask when towing and needing to unhook a trailer if this is the end of the trip or if the trailer will still be in use, which will give an accurate charging amount to get to the next destination.
• Have a way to let the suspension know that you will unhook the trailer. This will reduce the air and allow you to unhook the trailer without the back end rising as you crank up the trailer.

Overall, it is a great truck, and I think my suggestions could all be implemented through OTA updates to the software. As for charging times, that goes with the territory with an EV. Oh, and I hope that Ludlow gets some charging stations in the future, as that would be a great place for them, and they have the room to make a number of pull-through stations.

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[Tlohrenz]

Did you use any of the Tesla chargers with the adapter? I've had a model Y for 3 years and a R1T for 3 weeks and find the SuperCharger Network is so much easier.​

 

[VandalSibs]

When hooking and unhooking the trailer, turn off the automatic suspension height adjustment. It's what I do with my camping trailer, which rides much lower than your boat trailer.

 

[SolartoEV]

Did you use any of the Tesla chargers with the adapter? I've had a model Y for 3 years and a R1T for 3 weeks and find the SuperCharger Network is so much easier.​

We are still in that period where most super chargers have no trailer access paired with higher costs just not a great recipe for towing. Then there is the charge port issue with V3s.

 

[HaveBlue]

Great write up! Wow that's a hole about disconnecting and the nav but I you can select a trailer in the app and see how long you need to charge. That's at least a fix for now. Take a look and see if the nav allows selecting a trailer for planning on the same way.

 

[-0-coach-0-]

Did you use any of the Tesla chargers with the adapter? I've had a model Y for 3 years and a R1T for 3 weeks and find the SuperCharger Network is so much easier.​

I didn't, as the Tesla charging station I would need to stop at was in Barstow, where there is a RAN with a pull-through station. I do have an adaptor to use Tesla chargers, but the lack of pull-through charging areas along the I-40 is something that I hope will change in the future especially if the EV market wants to grow the truck market as there are a ton of people towing during the summer months along the I-40.

 

[Cascadian]

OP
How does the “fuel” cost for this trip compare to your previous trucks?

 

[-0-coach-0-]

OP
How does the “fuel” cost for this trip compare to your previous trucks?

It cost me $77 to charge to get home. To tow with my GMC 6.2L using 91 (I have to use 91) would cost me around $120 in gas.

I also could charge up for free at the campsite, which would have been another $85 in fuel to fill up the ICE truck driving to AZ for lower prices vs. Needles, which is some of the most expensive gas in the nation.

With CA gas prices, EVs are cheaper than gas, but they do take longer to get home, taking 2 - 40 minute stops to charge. Pick your poison time or money My daily commute is 100 miles, and I have solar at home, so my truck is used as my daily driver and for towing my boat and camper and why I went with the Rivian. It can do it all!

 

[LNL_HUTZ]

When hooking and unhooking the trailer, turn off the automatic suspension height adjustment. It's what I do with my camping trailer, which rides much lower than your boat trailer.

This is what I was wondering about. My Ram has air suspension and the correct procedure is to use Jack Mode before hooking or unhooking a trailer because that prevents the truck from trying to auto-level. I know from experience that, if you forget to put it in Jack Mode and try to unhook, the truck's rear keeps going up with the trailer and doesn't uncouple as easily. As only a prospective Rivian owner, I'm curious whether it has a similar setting. How easy is it to access the setting to turn off auto-leveling?

 

[Dark-Fx]

Have a way to let the suspension know that you will unhook the trailer. This will reduce the air and allow you to unhook the trailer without the back end rising as you crank up the trailer.

Bigger problem for me is that the ball doesn't go straight up and down when the suspension height changes. Much quicker to drop the trailer with a properly spaced set of blocks under the jack, and dumping the truck's air suspension. But doing the reverse maneuver means I always end up too far back because of how the truck shifts backwards when going up.

 

[VandalSibs]

This is what I was wondering about. My Ram has air suspension and the correct procedure is to use Jack Mode before hooking or unhooking a trailer because that prevents the truck from trying to auto-level. I know from experience that, if you forget to put it in Jack Mode and try to unhook, the truck's rear keeps going up with the trailer and doesn't uncouple as easily. As only a prospective Rivian owner, I'm curious whether it has a similar setting. How easy is it to access the setting to turn off auto-leveling?

It's very easy. In the drive modes screen (which is one of the main screens), tap on "Auto" under the ride heights section to turn it off (if it isn't already), then set the vehicle's ride height for where you want it for towing - so, no more than three taps on the screen, potentially two taps. It won't move after that, and when you are hitched up and have a trailer plugged in, it won't move. That's been my experience, anyway.

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