Purposely getting a Rivian stuck at vehicle recovery training class

[sacramentoelectric]

I want the sliders!

Me too! Have a close look at the photo of the event. The sliders are visible. They look very well integrated. Exciting these are already getting tested in the field.

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[JeremyP]

I looked at them briefly; it looked like the plastic panels underneath had been removed so these could bolt on, and are fairly low profile to not lose too much ground clearance. Like always, I'm sure we'll get more info soooon!

 

[R1Sky Business]

I think @JeremyP knows more than he’s letting on…

NDA

 

[R1Sky Business]

Me too! Have a close look at the photo of the event. The sliders are visible. They look very well integrated. Exciting these are already getting tested in the field.

Low profile

 

[Riviot]

NDA

That's just a formality, really.

 

[Singletracker]

Considering the outrageous cost of some of the R1 body repairs being reported, sliders would be must have insurance for any serious off road adventures.

 

[zefram47]

Considering the outrageous cost of some of the R1 body repairs being reported, sliders would be must have insurance for any serious off road adventures.

Honestly, even the sliders shown would still lead to expensive repairs. Ideally we'd want some nice bump-out sliders that came away from the body like 6-8", depending on how flat the doors actually are. Since OP is in a Toyota club, I'm sure they're familiar with the offerings for many Toyota rigs from RCI, RSG, Hefty Fabworks, Bud Built, etc...something actually designed for real protection. It's not just protection from a rock you go over that you'll want...it's protection from sliding off something and bumping into a rock/tree/etc on the side of the vehicle too. Proper sliders can also be used to lift the vehicle with a high-lift for a tire change on trail where getting a jack under a control arm or the usual jack point could be difficult to impossible depending on trail conditions.

 

[Singletracker]

Honestly, even the sliders shown would still lead to expensive repairs. Ideally we'd want some nice bump-out sliders that came away from the body like 6-8", depending on how flat the doors actually are. Since OP is in a Toyota club, I'm sure they're familiar with the offerings for many Toyota rigs from RCI, RSG, Hefty Fabworks, Bud Built, etc...something actually designed for real protection. It's not just protection from a rock you go over that you'll want...it's protection from sliding off something and bumping into a rock/tree/etc on the side of the vehicle too. Proper sliders can also be used to lift the vehicle with a high-lift for a tire change on trail where getting a jack under a control arm or the usual jack point could be difficult to impossible depending on trail conditions.

I agree 100%. These are what I have on my FJ and they have definitely provided an extra level of protection. They may not look as pretty as sliders that are snugged up to the vehicle, but I feel more comfortable with these keeping nasty boulders away from my rig. They also coming in handy to stand on to access the roof.

 

[JeremyP]

I'm sure the aftermarket will also start coming out with options. I didn't look closely but these seemed to come away from the body a couple inches, and should be effective for most trail situations that the typical user will encounter. Rivian is probably also concerned about the extra aerodynamic drag, as they were pretty sleek. I feel like a lot of the sliders on the market stick out too far, sometimes hanging up on rocks because of it so when I made some for my 4runner I kept them to around 4" out from the bottom of the door which is about 2" out from the bulge of the door.

 

[jjswan33]

I'm sure the aftermarket will also start coming out with options. I didn't look closely but these seemed to come away from the body a couple inches, and should be effective for most trail situations that the typical user will encounter. Rivian is probably also concerned about the extra aerodynamic drag, as they were pretty sleek. I feel like a lot of the sliders on the market stick out too far, sometimes hanging up on rocks because of it so when I made some for my 4runner I kept them to around 4" out from the bottom of the door which is about 2" out from the bulge of the door.

Also the plastic cladding on the bottom part of the doors is easy to replace, SC is replacing below the gear tunnel and back door for me on the passenger side after I clipped a fallen tree on a narrow trail. The cost to replace is less than $300, the service call center told me to take it to a collision shop but I talked with the service center and they said no problem.

 

[Ralph]

Honestly, even the sliders shown would still lead to expensive repairs. Ideally we'd want some nice bump-out sliders that came away from the body like 6-8", depending on how flat the doors actually are. Since OP is in a Toyota club, I'm sure they're familiar with the offerings for many Toyota rigs from RCI, RSG, Hefty Fabworks, Bud Built, etc...something actually designed for real protection. It's not just protection from a rock you go over that you'll want...it's protection from sliding off something and bumping into a rock/tree/etc on the side of the vehicle too. Proper sliders can also be used to lift the vehicle with a high-lift for a tire change on trail where getting a jack under a control arm or the usual jack point could be difficult to impossible depending on trail conditions.

This.

 

[JeremyP]

Bill also demonstrated using the lift-mate with a hi-lift to lift the rivian by the spokes of a wheel, which is a much safer way to lift it to get unstuck. An under vehicle jack should be used to change a tire instead of a hi-lift if possible for safety.

 

[JeremyP]

Also take a look at some of the newest videos on the 4-wheeling America Facebook page to see a bit more of how the sliders look.

 

[zefram47]

Also take a look at some of the newest videos on the 4-wheeling America Facebook page to see a bit more of how the sliders look.

Didn't realize he's working with Rivian. Some of the other pics show the Manufacturer plates on the truck.

 

[SASSquatch]

I have this deeply conflicted feeling about whether to keep my future R1T as clean as I can on a daily basis, or get it covered as mud as much as I can on a daily basis.

Seems to look great either way!

This looks like a fun class as long as you are testing out prototypes on someone ELSE'S R1T.

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