Anyone prefer a third party bed cover tonneau / canopy?

[brianmartin]

I haven't seen much discussion on this. If I'm buying an adventure truck with a short bed, i want a fiberglass canopy by someone like Leer or ARE. Why not make the power retracting cover optional instead of standard on the adventure trim? And for that matter, how long do you think it will take for those companies to come out with a canopy for the R1T? Im just a canopy guy all the way. Roof racks are great but they should be on top of a solid fiberglass canopy. That dry space is so valuable, perfect for dogs and gear. I literally can't imagine owning this truck without one. Who's with me?

Sponsored

 

[PastyPilgrim]

I haven't seen much discussion on this. If I'm buying an adventure truck with a short bed, i want a fiberglass canopy by someone like Leer or ARE. Why not make the power retracting cover optional instead of standard on the adventure trim? And for that matter, how long do you think it will take for those companies to come out with a canopy for the R1T? Im just a canopy guy all the way. Roof racks are great but they should be on top of a solid fiberglass canopy. That dry space is so valuable, perfect for dogs and gear. I literally can't imagine owning this truck without one. Who's with me?

Not me! My dog rides shotgun and I don't have any gear that couldn't go in the gear tunnel, under the tonneau, or in the attachable bed/roof racks. Plus I usually prefer the look of trucks without a canopy. If I wanted that look I'd just get an R1S.

 

[crashmtb]

If I was putting any kind of canopy on it would be one of these.

https://www.hiatuscampers.com/

 

[sub]

Im just a canopy guy all the way. Roof racks are great but they should be on top of a solid fiberglass canopy. That dry space is so valuable, perfect for dogs and gear.

I agree with PastyPilgrim, it sounds like what you really want is the R1S.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

Just buy the R1S then, imo.

 

[jessefive]

I can relate to the OP, I'd love a cap option for the R1T at some point. I want the gear tunnel, the full size spare, AND a big covered utility area for dogs, gear, etc. I also love the look of a pickup with a cap

 

[brianmartin]

R1S does have a lot of covered cargo room, but its more delicate than a truck bed. I wouldn't want to scuff up the inside of my R1S with dirty tools, gear, dogs, etc. A canopy covered truck bed is a luxury and something i'd never go without. Growing up, my dad always had a canopy covered truck starting with a hardbody nissan pickup. we went camping, and stored our firewood in the bed. I wouldn't toss firewood into the back of an R1S.

if you look at other mid-size lifestyle trucks on the road like Tacoma, you see that many of them have a fiberglass canopy.

modern fiberglass canopies are really good. i have one on my silverado, a LEER. It has an integrated locking mechanism which is integrated so that my OEM keyfob locks and unlocks it. it requires no separate switch gear. It has LED lighting, windows with screens, option for metal grill covering the screen so it cant be damaged, etc. they are amazing these days, very durable, and can outlast the trucks they are put on.

i'm actually astonished Rivian has not produced a canopy that is integrated with the trucks systems. a major oversight IMO. maybe they are leaving it to the after-market?

 

[crashmtb]

R1S does have a lot of covered cargo room, but its more delicate than a truck bed. I wouldn't want to scuff up the inside of my R1S with dirty tools, gear, dogs, etc. A canopy covered truck bed is a luxury and something i'd never go without. Growing up, my dad always had a canopy covered truck starting with a hardbody nissan pickup. we went camping, and stored our firewood in the bed. I wouldn't toss firewood into the back of an R1S.

if you look at other mid-size lifestyle trucks on the road like Tacoma, you see that many of them have a fiberglass canopy.

modern fiberglass canopies are really good. i have one on my silverado, a LEER. It has an integrated locking mechanism which is integrated so that my OEM keyfob locks and unlocks it. it requires no separate switch gear. It has LED lighting, windows with screens, option for metal grill covering the screen so it cant be damaged, etc. they are amazing these days, very durable, and can outlast the trucks they are put on.

i'm actually astonished Rivian has not produced a canopy that is integrated with the trucks systems. a major oversight IMO. maybe they are leaving it to the after-market?

I have one of these in my focus RS, which I’ve used to haul engine parts, firewood, you name it.…
https://www.canvasback.com/

why would Rivian make a cap, when they can sell you an SUV?
no oem makes a bed cap for their pickups. That’s what the aftermarket is for. It’s not an oversight at all.

it will be interesting to see what the cap manufacturers do to get around the controls for the gear tunnel doors, tailgate, and tonneau cover being built in to the bed rails, and the lack of bed rail to clamp the cap to.

 

[brianmartin]

I have one of these in my focus RS, which I’ve used to haul engine parts, firewood, you name it.…
https://www.canvasback.com/

why would Rivian make a cap, when they can sell you an SUV?
no oem makes a bed cap for their pickups. That’s what the aftermarket is for. It’s not an oversight at all.

it will be interesting to see what the cap manufacturers do to get around the controls for the gear tunnel doors, tailgate, and tonneau cover being built in to the bed rails, and the lack of bed rail to clamp the cap to.

the fact that they put controls where a canopy might attach to the bed, is a big oversight in and of itself. its a solvable problem for the 3rd part canopy companies though. I just hope there is enough interest that they actually make them. with traditional truck OEMs, you know there is going to be a canopy for it no question. they start working on the canopies even before the next generation launches. I just feel like, if I was head of product design and OEM integration at a canopy company, i would be looking at the bed rail design of the Rivian and just shaking my head. We're talking about a very large EV startup looking to be the Tesla of adventure vehicles, that already has a lot of 3rd party tie-ins with Yakima, etc. And yet not a single mention of them on any of the major truck canopy and accessory manufacturers? Not even a whisper. I honestly thought at some point there would be a blurb on the Leer website saying "we are aware of Rivian and are working on a product..." but nothing yet.

 

[crashmtb]

the fact that they put controls where a canopy might attach to the bed, is a big oversight in and of itself. its a solvable problem for the 3rd part canopy companies though. I just hope there is enough interest that they actually make them. with traditional truck OEMs, you know there is going to be a canopy for it no question. they start working on the canopies even before the next generation launches. I just feel like, if I was head of product design and OEM integration at a canopy company, i would be looking at the bed rail design of the Rivian and just shaking my head. We're talking about a very large EV startup looking to be the Tesla of adventure vehicles, that already has a lot of 3rd party tie-ins with Yakima, etc. And yet not a single mention of them on any of the major truck canopy and accessory manufacturers? Not even a whisper. I honestly thought at some point there would be a blurb on the Leer website saying "we are aware of Rivian and are working on a product..." but nothing yet.

I don’t think bed caps are as popular as you think, generally. They’re certainly very popular in the PNW though, where it’s nice to have dry storage.
there are 10 pickups on my block alone, here in a place with six months of brutal winter. not one of them has a cap on the bed. Two have tonneau covers.
do you really think manufacturers design their truck beds to support an aftermarket cap first and foremost?

the AREs of the world will get their mitts on a Rivian for development if demand exists. And I imagine they participate in the SEMA measuring days.

 

[brianmartin]

I don’t think bed caps are as popular as you think, generally. They’re certainly very popular in the PNW though, where it’s nice to have dry storage.
there are 10 pickups on my block alone, here in a place with six months of brutal winter. not one of them has a cap on the bed. Two have tonneau covers.
do you really think manufacturers design their truck beds to support an aftermarket cap first and foremost?

the AREs of the world will get their mitts on a Rivian for development if demand exists. And I imagine they participate in the SEMA measuring days.

Very true, I am in the PNW and I didn't initially realize that i might just be biased. With rain from fall through spring, and a lot of that in temperatures that allow for outdoor recreation, we are out doing adventures in wet conditions very frequently, so a canopy is almost a must. If you go to a popular beach, campground, or trailhead here, consistently more than half of the pickups will have canopies. There are multiple dedicated canopy dealerships around where I live, and they do good business. I'm sure Rivian will catch wind of the situation eventually and start designing with canopies in mind.

 

[dingo]

I'm hoping that one of the canvas canopy manufacturers creates Rivian-specific products. SoftTopper.com, or BestTop.com both make great solutions. One of these would be idea for my needs.

I'm going to contact both manufacturers to make the recommendation. If you're potentially interested, please also contact them to voice support.

 

[claw]

If I'm buying an adventure truck with a short bed, i want a fiberglass canopy by someone like Leer or ARE.

I'm 100% with you. I don't think anything exists yet, but eventually I think a third-party will come out with some thing.

If I wanted that look I'd just get an R1S.

I agree with PastyPilgrim, it sounds like what you really want is the R1S.

Just buy the R1S then, imo.

Not at all. Having a more modular vehicle that allows you the freedom to take off the canopy and have an open-air back bed is incredibly cool. It just adds flexibility.

there are 10 pickups on my block alone, here in a place with six months of brutal winter. not one of them has a cap on the bed.

All lame-Os.

 

[Joints4Sale]

I would like a cap as well. Especially since the rear seat doesn't offer a flat floor option when folding the seats.

I asked one of the Rivian folks at the first reveal party in NY about caps. She mentioned that it might not work because the rear spoiler had sensors in it.

That was early in 2019. I wonder if that is still the case. Plenty of things have changed since then. Including the tailgate.

 

[Sgt Beavis]

If Rivian sells enough R1Ts, an aftermarket vendor will make a bed cap. It’s way to early for that when you consider this is a brand new OEM.

That said, I think it would be super interesting if a vendor like Leer made a cap that just snapped into place using the crossbar mounts. No need to clamp it down.

Sponsored