evergreenmachine
Active Member
- First Name
- Zak
- Joined
- May 17, 2021
- Threads
- 6
- Messages
- 30
- Reaction score
- 58
- Location
- Evergreen, Colorado
- Vehicles
- Focus RS, Dodge 3500
Hey all, so same issue here on steep descents in snow, running 20" ATs (which by the way have a 3-Peak snow rating, which is pretty good in general).
First snow dump of the year, on a steep descent from our house on a gravel road, in All-Purpose mode, high-regen, the truck rear end slips out like a serious "gonna hit that tree!" moment. Serious white knuckle driving to say the very least on a 100 yard steep descent on snow...
Second snow, I noted that in All Purpose, setting the regen to standard helps a bit, but you still have to be really careful with the accelerator feathering to not slide out.
Light snow this AM, I tested using Off-Road, Sand Mode, which defaults to Low regen (I think the only profile that allows that), and that seemed to help even more on the steep downward slope...granted, didn't have a ton of snow, but it was not sliding out nearly as much.
I also did some straightaway testing on snow packed asphalt (25 MPH): In All Purpose, High regen, the wheels would lock, and ABS would engage when I fully let off the accelerator...truck would slide a bit before stopping. Then in Sand Mode, Low regen, same scenario the truck would come more slowly to a stop, with minimal sliding.
SO, while it would seem more prudent for Rivian to have offered a SNOW mode vs. a SAND mode (I'm no expert, but me thinks that likely there is a statistically higher probability to be driving with snow on the road than vs. driving somewhere in the sand dunes), the Sand mode does seem to offer an improved experience when on a steep descent in snow.
That being said, uphill, the truck just RIPS on snowy roads, the weight, 20" ATs and torque make it really had to throw sideways in the snow!
First snow dump of the year, on a steep descent from our house on a gravel road, in All-Purpose mode, high-regen, the truck rear end slips out like a serious "gonna hit that tree!" moment. Serious white knuckle driving to say the very least on a 100 yard steep descent on snow...
Second snow, I noted that in All Purpose, setting the regen to standard helps a bit, but you still have to be really careful with the accelerator feathering to not slide out.
Light snow this AM, I tested using Off-Road, Sand Mode, which defaults to Low regen (I think the only profile that allows that), and that seemed to help even more on the steep downward slope...granted, didn't have a ton of snow, but it was not sliding out nearly as much.
I also did some straightaway testing on snow packed asphalt (25 MPH): In All Purpose, High regen, the wheels would lock, and ABS would engage when I fully let off the accelerator...truck would slide a bit before stopping. Then in Sand Mode, Low regen, same scenario the truck would come more slowly to a stop, with minimal sliding.
SO, while it would seem more prudent for Rivian to have offered a SNOW mode vs. a SAND mode (I'm no expert, but me thinks that likely there is a statistically higher probability to be driving with snow on the road than vs. driving somewhere in the sand dunes), the Sand mode does seem to offer an improved experience when on a steep descent in snow.
That being said, uphill, the truck just RIPS on snowy roads, the weight, 20" ATs and torque make it really had to throw sideways in the snow!
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