the long way downunder
Well-Known Member
I'd say you've made valid points on all counts.I don't mean to sound like a spoiled brat but this baby sized R1T is making me miss my '14 F-150 and it's archaic yet totally functional features and size. Anybody else having a hard time getting over their full size truck?
The 4.5 foot bed was killing me the other day moving things from garage to garage. I ended up bungying my pressure washer in the back seat. Tried to load a SUP on the crossbars over the bed, not going to happen without the majority of it hanging precariously past the bed. Raining out and need to move stuff in the bed with the tonneu closed. Boxes too tall gotta put them in the back seat. Working at night and need a good bed light? Those lights on the rear of the cab are just brake lights, your only option is the mood lighting in the actual bed. Wanna throw a weedeater back there diagonal? Nope.
The inside is killin' me too Smalls. Can't load up the family and the dog unless the dog's head is resting on the center armrest. With a kid in a rear facing car seat behind me I can't put my seat where I want it (I'm only 5' 10"). My daughter on the other side is 4 and the passenger seat back is basically a perfect foot rest for her grimy little feet. The bright side is it's not a long reach if I want to hand her a snack, hell she's like RIGHT THERE!
Don't get me wrong, the drive, fit and finish and performance are all top notch. Half of me loves it and half of me just wants a real truck again. I'm seriously considering a trade or cashing out to get a Lightning just due to the size. Apologies for the bitch fest but I had nowhere else to turn.
I assume you have an F-150 Lightning order in place. They called me to build mine. The R1T arrived first and I'll wait for the next gen F-150 or (more likely) the RAM REX.
No question the F-150 has more where it counts for hauling. But the dimensions are closer than they appear; aside from length (tailgate closed) the difference is the R1T bed walls are shorter. The cabin length is also similar to the F-150. Of course an inch makes a difference in cabin dimensions, but side-by-side, moving things like the dog hammock from the F-150 to the R1T and back, the F-150 doesn't have that much more total space. Ford has been making the F-150 for a while and mine is the latest 14th generation … they've gotten a few things right over the decades. : )
The only way Rivian could have made the R1T sell if it had the dimensions of an F-150 would be if it was an F-150 and I think they tried that partnership with Ford, but Ford quit. I'm guessing Ford regrets that hubris on many levels (not just the billions it cost them in selling out of that investment.) I think the next gen F-150 Lightning will be a great vehicle (this first gen is already great.) But I really like the dimensions of the R1T … it's big … no debate about it, it's a big vehicle. But I can drive it where I would not prefer to drive the F-150. And I drive the F-150 when I would not drive the R1T (road trips, hauling, towing) … I've had some impressive vehicles, but nothing compares to the F-150 for long road trips. BlueCruise is a game-changer. The cabin comfort and luxury, the quiet, the comfortable seats, the space to bring everything and then decide to bring other stuff just in case. I don't think the R1T was ever intended to match the F-150.
I'm fine with the length x width of the R1T bed* but it's the shallow bed depth that creates practical problems, especially under the infamous power tonneau … it's too low for many very ordinary things I carry in the back of my '21 F-150 6 ½' bed (with power tonneau closed) and have room on top for flat items like folding carts, plywood, etc.)
* The small bed problem could have been solved, and it almost was solved. I think Rivian stopped R&D – they didn't finish, they just made the (correct) decision to make a stop. This was probably the decision that saved Rivian from being another "not quite really selling EV pickups just yet" startup in the automotive clustertruck that 2022 became.
Rivian originally offered a "180º folding tailgate" … this would have solved the problem created by the gooseneck hinges that allow the tailgate to create a long bed when open. But they quit that feature (like many other features along the fast track to bringing their product to market.)
The second thing "Rivian really needs to …" do is partner with the aftermarket manufacturers. A simple bed extender would make a huge difference. A really well-designed bed extender could be a game changer. The racks are fun and a bit silly (to deal with the different width of bed and roof mount) but a better solution would have been to go aftermarket. Have one, strong single-spar rack for the bed and another for the roof, then have a height truss for mounting the racks over the bed at the same height as the racks mounted on the cabin roof. The trusses would clip into the bed using the same latch mechanism with more than one location (because the rearward truss would need a triangulated foot position for strength to stop load moving during acceleration and braking.) Then have a carrier system to load all those pieces out of the way in all three alternatives (frunk, tunnel and the front wall or side walls of the bed.) Of course, once you have a few aftermarket "up-fitters" interested in your platform, you get the bed cap, the winch, the off-road lighting, the extra range battery that adds 50kWh in the front of the bed or as a sled that goes into the tunnel with a simple "trickle down" connector to augment the main traction battery, etc. I think all these things could have come out of the partnership with Ford. Look at how much Ford had ready for the Bronco from day one. The success of these vehicles comes from enthusiast owners who can add accessories and equipment to make their vehicle perform the desired task. If the R1T doesn't perform as a versatile utility vehicle, it becomes a niche, luxury EV … that's a much more competitive and short-lived segment. If I was at Rivian, I'd want the R1 to have the long life of the Jeep, Land Rover, Land Cruiser, Bronco.
I wonder how form won out over function in these ways on the R1T. Would it have looked just unsaleable if the bed walls were 3 inches deeper, or sink the spare and have it exposed from underneath instead of in a smuggler's locker?
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