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Off Roading Question:

Gshenderson

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Rivian forum users have also wanted:
  • 8' bed
  • Rear seats in the R1T that fold to allow dog crates
  • 400+ mile R1S
  • Solid steel roof
  • Sun shade for the glass roof
  • electrochromic roof
  • flat towing behind an RV
  • bed step
  • Homelink
  • Lidar
  • Rear trailer cameras
  • Camper shell for the R1T
  • Removable center seat on the R1S 2nd row
  • Standard sized tires for the 21s
  • The black rims to cost less
  • The camp kitchen to cost less
  • Delivery 6 months ago
+ more "wants" from various users

We are in a good place in that there are starting to be choices to fill those wants. Any vehicle is going to come with compromises. The consumer has to pick what fits their needs best.

The Rivian is not and was never touted to be a vehicle that can be heavily modded to excel at off road.
If the Hummer was $75k, I would buy it instead of the Rivian. But it’s not. And to me the 50% premium (before tax credit which GM no longer has) and going to the back of the line just isn’t worth it. Rivian is the best current value for what I desire. Tesla was that 6 years ago, but not any more. Someone else might be 6 years (or even 1) from now. But now is now. Rivian is the best value.
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SeaGeo

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If the Hummer was $75k, I would buy it instead of the Rivian. But it’s not. And to me the 50% premium (before tax credit which GM no longer has) and going to the back of the line just isn’t worth it. Rivian is the best current value for what I desire. Tesla was that 6 years ago, but not any more. Someone else might be 6 years (or even 1) from now. But now is now. Rivian is the best value.
And you can at least park a Rivian. The Hummer seems to be a true hummer in size, and I'm honestly not sure I could even find a place to park it if I drove it to work. ?
 

BillArnett

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And you can at least park a Rivian. The Hummer seems to be a true hummer in size, and I'm honestly not sure I could even find a place to park it if I drove it to work. ?
I’m afraid that the CyberTruck will have that problem, too. It’s huge.
 

Gshenderson

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At the of the day, we all need to realize and admit that Rivian is marketing to the yuppie crowd, not the serious off-roading crowd. Yeah they may convert some Jeep guys who buy Jeeps for image vs. serious off-roading, but I think the Range Rover crowd with a younger vibe is really who they are after. People with high disposable income and an “adventure” image they want to portray. But they wouldn’t risk their lives on Hell’s Revenge.

I don’t mean that in an offensive or disparaging way - it’s a market and a hugely profitable one. Kudos to them for realizing that. I simply want an offroad capable EV, and they are the best thing that I’ve found at the current moment.
 

SeaGeo

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At the of the day, we all need to realize and admit that Rivian is marketing to the yuppie crowd, not the serious off-roading crowd. Yeah they may convert some Jeep guys who buy Jeeps for image vs. serious off-roading, but I think the Range Rover crowd with a younger vibe is really who they are after. People with high disposable income and an “adventure” image they want to portray. But they wouldn’t risk their lives on Hell’s Revenge.

I don’t mean that in an offensive or disparaging way - it’s a market and a hugely profitable one. Kudos to them for realizing that. I simply want an offroad capable EV, and they are the best thing that I’ve found at the current moment.
I just want something equivalent to an EV tacoma. Here's the only option and it looks like a pretty good mix of all around features and details.
 

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BillArnett

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At the of the day, we all need to realize and admit that Rivian is marketing to the yuppie crowd, not the serious off-roading crowd. Yeah they may convert some Jeep guys who buy Jeeps for image vs. serious off-roading, but I think the Range Rover crowd with a younger vibe is really who they are after. People with high disposable income and an “adventure” image they want to portray. But they wouldn’t risk their lives on Hell’s Revenge.

I don’t mean that in an offensive or disparaging way - it’s a market and a hugely profitable one. Kudos to them for realizing that. I simply want an offroad capable EV, and they are the best thing that I’ve found at the current moment.
I’ve seen Range Rovers on Hell’s Revenge. It’s really not that difficult, just intimidating. I expect the R1T will eat it up. Though I expect some of the plastic bumpers and rockers might be messed up.
 

Gshenderson

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I’ve seen Range Rovers on Hell’s Revenge. It’s really not that difficult, just intimidating. I expect the R1T will eat it up. Though I expect some of the plastic bumpers and rockers might be messed up.
Agreed. I’m just saying that 90+% of the people who buy a Rivian will be more content in knowing that they could than to actually do it. Image... just like Range Rover.
..
 

electruck

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Agreed. I’m just saying that 90+% of the people who buy a Rivian will be more content in knowing that they could than to actually do it. Image... just like Range Rover.
..
And some (perhaps many) of us don't care about off-roading at all. My use case is having a dedicated dog compartment in the rear, a large compartment for groceries, luggage, etc in the frunk and still seat 5 humans comfortably. I don't think there is any other vehicle on the market that supports this as well as the R1S and most certainly not with the power and handling of the Rivian. We all have our "adventures" and they're not all off-road. One of our most common is dinner out with friends which involves 4 adults, 1 teen and 2 Seeing Eye Dogs. That's really tight in the current Volvo.
 

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I went mountain biking yesterday and at the trailhead, I was parked next to a new model 4Runner with TRD wheels and A/T tires. It looked like it had a lift, and it had a roof rack, bumper guards, aux lights. It was also in pristine condition - spotless with sharp, square tire wear on the tire knobs and no scuffing on the sides. Who knows, maybe the owner just bought it and built it up, and has big summer plans... Either way, this conversation reminded me of that.
 

DuckTruck

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Agreed. I’m just saying that 90+% of the people who buy a Rivian will be more content in knowing that they could than to actually do it. Image... just like Range Rover.
..
For me, Rivian is a bit like Goldilocks (maybe a good name for the R1T?). I love that it's capable of getting me anywhere I might want to go, even if I never make that trek or turn down that path. There's something nice about knowing I could cross that stream to explore what I saw on Google Earth the other day. I know I can shoot across the salt flats of the Alvord Desert or fly through the Oregon Dunes at the coast. I can pack up my gear and head to Key West and then up to Prince Edward Island before coming back across Canada. Nothing that I dream of seems outside of my grasp, once my Rivian arrives.

It appears to have kick-ass performance and wonderful road & around-town manners without looking like a menace to society or a former cast member from a Buck Roger's movie. All for a (comparatively) reasonable price for so much goodness, comfort, and technology.

If I wanted the biggest, baddest rock-hopper, or Urban Assault Vehicle, or Blade Runner extra, I know just where to find them. I've been waiting a long time (well beyond these two and a half years) for an EV that will give me what I'm looking for. In the R1T, I've found it.
 

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SoCal Rob

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For me, Rivian is a bit like Goldilocks…

If I wanted the biggest, baddest rock-hopper, or Urban Assault Vehicle, or Blade Runner extra, I know just where to find them.
I’m right there with you. If people want to think I’m not a serious off-roader because of how my vehicle looks rather than what I do with it that’s fine. I know our stock LR3 is looked at as a mall crawler by most off-road people… until they encounter us on a trail and they simply cannot fathom how we got there in a vehicle with up to 6 adults riding in comfort while getting to see the same cool stuff they do.
 

BillArnett

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it's capable of getting me anywhere I might want to go
That's good for you. For me there are a lot of places I want to go that a Rivian is incapable of reaching. And for the most part I want to go to those places not because they're technically difficult per se but rather because the difficulty keeps out the crowds.
 

DuckTruck

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That's good for you. For me there are a lot of places I want to go that a Rivian is incapable of reaching. And for the most part I want to go to those places not because they're technically difficult per se but rather because the difficulty keeps out the crowds.
Bill,

I understand what you're saying and while I'm happy that Rivian is so many things to so many people, I appreciate that they won't be "it" for everyone. They've struck a chord with folks of all stripes and present a better option than anything else, at least for me.

If you're looking for something to get you where you'll be the only one there, I hope you find it. Honestly, I hope that's something Rivian does build in the future, once they've established themselves. Watching many of the Jeep videos as they climb up and over stuff continually amazes me. It's not what I'm looking for, but I get how cool that must be to look at something, and know that "I can get through that!"

I hope to hear what you end up getting.
 

SoCal Rob

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That's good for you. For me there are a lot of places I want to go that a Rivian is incapable of reaching. And for the most part I want to go to those places not because they're technically difficult per se but rather because the difficulty keeps out the crowds.
I completely understand the appeal of getting to a location that is beautiful while also being unspoiled and peaceful because so few people can access it.

More than anything else, I'm looking forward to Rivian releasing the owner's manual in electronic form so that all of us who placed deposits and are interested in capabilities can start learning about what they are delivering in reality. I'm one of those nerdy types who will read a manual from start to finish before a major purchase.

Until I see the manual, I can't make any absolute statements about the capability of the Rivian, positive or negative. I am going into this knowing that the production vehicle may fail to meet my expectations, meet my expectations, or exceed my expectations. I'm hoping it's one of the latter two, otherwise I'm not going to purchase.
 

cwoodcox

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More than anything else, I'm looking forward to Rivian releasing the owner's manual in electronic form so that all of us who placed deposits and are interested in capabilities can start learning about what they are delivering in reality.
It will definitely be available almost exclusively electronically, and I’m sure someone will upload it here.
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