Powered tonneau replacement prediction (it’s not positive)

[CGM55082]

As someone who is also strongly considering pausing my April/May window and waiting until it’s reintroduced, has this insight changed your thinking / plan?

It doesn't change my plan, because I already have my truck with a power tonneau but it was removed before delivery pending the updated version.

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[SASSquatch]

I've paused my purchase until there is more info on this - I can apparently sit like this as long as I want. At the front of the queue just waiting for the right answers.

Hold our horses there partner. You're still behind me in the queue. I've been paused since November '22.

 

[zymolysis]

Rivian will offer a redesigned power tonneau cover to compete with everyone in the field, of that I have no doubt. They have to. When it's ready, they will offer it as an upgrade to existing owners. If you want it, you'll need to pay extra (for the supposed upgrade). Will be different depending on what you currently have. How much remains to be seen. Everyone will be happy. Rivian will recoup some money at least.

No. Rivian is selling me a truck with a powered tonneau cover option (for which I have paid) that has been disabled. I expect them to install the fix, whatever it is, when it is available. Whatever they decide to charge for the PTC, for new builds, will be up to them (unless they decide not to install it on new builds).

 

[zymolysis]

Doubtful on it being mobile serviceable. Mobile service couldn’t even force open my jammed powered tonneau at home. He said it’s pretty involved and needs to be done at an SC.

A mobile service tech, who has been extensively trained on installing the new upgrade, should be able to install it in the field. Just because the mobile tech who lacked the specific expertise (or time or authorization) said he couldn't, doesn't mean it couldn't be done. It'll be up to Rivian to decide the best way to handle it, though.
Note: I am speaking as someone with 30 plus years as a field service tech in the medical and laboratory field. Sure, it might take three or four hours of labor, plus the travel time. Rivian will have to decide what is most cost-effective and will best utilize their resources, while having the most positive impact on their image.

 

[astonius]

A mobile service tech, who has been extensively trained on installing the new upgrade, should be able to install it in the field. Just because the mobile tech who lacked the specific expertise (or time or authorization) said he couldn't, doesn't mean it couldn't be done. It'll be up to Rivian to decide the best way to handle it, though.
Note: I am speaking as someone with 30 plus years as a field service tech in the medical and laboratory field. Sure, it might take three or four hours of labor, plus the travel time. Rivian will have to decide what is most cost-effective and will best utilize their resources, while having the most positive impact on their image.

I didn't just ask the specific tech. I asked the lead advisor at my SC as well as the person scheduling my appointment. All of them said the same thing: mobile service cannot force open your powered tonneau. If they can't even do that I have a hard time believing they'll change this position when it comes to a full-blown replacement. Possible, but doubtful.

 

[zymolysis]

I didn't just ask the specific tech. I asked the lead advisor at my SC as well as the person scheduling my appointment. All of them said the same thing: mobile service cannot force open your powered tonneau. If they can't even do that I have a hard time believing they'll change this position when it comes to a full-blown replacement. Possible, but doubtful.

Once the upgrade is available, and techs are trained to install it, Rivian will choose what they feel is the most effective way to roll out the thousands of upgrades. The fact that a local tech (or lead advisor) wouldn't authorize the resources to "force open" a broken tonneau in the field does not convince me that Rivian has a chosen position for how it will implement this when the upgrade is released.

 

[Adventusaurus]

I wonder if any class action attorney types are going to jump on this one. Seems like low hanging fruit. The class has already suffered damages in paying for a non-functional item, in many cases for over a year. Lost resale value. Etc...

I am not saying that is a good thing....just curious.

And I do love my Rivian. The brand is awesome. Even with a janky tonneau cover. Still best truck I have ever owned. Not shitting on Rivian in anyway. All brands have issues. And I would buy another R1 in a heartbeat.

Anyone who didn’t read and act on their purchase agreement has already opted out of class actions. I suspect this is 90%+ of owners.

I have a temperamental powered cover, and do expect that it might not be “upgraded”. I’ve kinda learned to live with mine since the first repair, and that means mostly keeping it closed lol.

 

[miasm]

I didn't just ask the specific tech. I asked the lead advisor at my SC as well as the person scheduling my appointment. All of them said the same thing: mobile service cannot force open your powered tonneau. If they can't even do that I have a hard time believing they'll change this position when it comes to a full-blown replacement. Possible, but doubtful.

Weird. My mobile tech force opened my powered tonneau right in my work's parking lot in about 1.5 hours, and then locked it out to wait for the update.

 

[Joelindstrom]

I can't help but jump in. My truck was delivered last July and the tonneau was busted when delivered. I just want something that works. It never has! Every person who comes up to look at the truck (quite a few folks) notices this cover sitting at an odd angle in the back of the truck and comments. Not a good look for Rivian. Love the truck but...

 

[miasm]

I can't help but jump in. My truck was delivered last July and the tonneau was busted when delivered. I just want something that works. It never has! Every person who comes up to look at the truck (quite a few folks) notices this cover sitting at an odd angle in the back of the truck and comments. Not a good look for Rivian. Love the truck but...

When that happened to mine, I filed a ticket and my mobile tech fixed it, stored the panels in the storage area and locked it out so that the buttons didn't work.

You should do the same.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

I personally find these kinds of posts to be pretty surprising from early adopters. You've invested all this money in a product that more or less requires Rivian to stay in business in order for it to continue working properly, but are shocked and unsatisfied when they are forced to make concessions in attempt to stay in business. I get it, you're promised to get one thing for your money, but then, do you really want it if it means the company is more likely to go under?

IMO, Rivian's unwillingness to be as cut-throat with their customers as Tesla has me pretty skeptical about their long viability, no doubt trying to protect their cartoonish faux-friendly brand identity. Things that would have been feeling better about the company long term:

-The price cuts should not have been rolled back, they should have been announced sooner, and on a sliding scale based on order date. Or possibly offer folks dual motor standard pack at the OG price when it's released.

-The power tonneau should have been permanently discontinued as soon as it was found to be defective, releasing the bed slot geometry for third parties to offer their own solutions. Rivian does not have the luxury of dicking around with anything that isn't cost reduction/cheaper models, quality improvement, HVAC/thermal management, and software development. Anything else actively brings them further away from long-term viability.

-Their attempt at building out and maintaining their own charging network, much less a brand-exclusive one was a fool's errand and a huge waste of resources. Tesla baked in the cost of their supercharger network by using software and their brand cache to get away with pulling every single ounce/cent of "unnecessary" metal/componentry in their vehicles. Rivian is selling trucks with 5 radar modules and McLaren suspension hardware below cost.

-The vehicle release should have been regional from the start. No deliveries if your truck is further than 100 miles from a service center. This expands only as service centers expand or vehicle quality improves.

-The lack of concrete information regarding their subscription model is concerning and suggests to me they are relying on it as a hand-waving crutch to prop up their financials. "Sure we're losing acres of money now, but everyone will want our hands-free driving for $200 per month!". Nope.

Again, just my two cents, but I really feel like Tesla's success and Amazon's backing has given everyone a false sense of security about the prospects of starting a new vehicle manufacturing company. Things are only going to get more tense as the their ramping manufacturing capability continues to increase their already prodigious cash burn rate.

So do you have a list of which features I'm allowed to insist Rivian honor the warranty on and which ones I can just write off? Maybe they decide that the half shafts are going too quickly and they lock out all suspension raising above All Purpose. You good with that? After all fixing half shafts might be expensive. What about the motors, we don't need all 4 right?

The point is Rivian sold me a vehicle with a working powered tonneau. It's a listed feature, and I expect it to work just as I expect all features I bought to work. Businesses fail all the time, and while I want Rivian to succeed and I think they have a good company it only remains a good company if they honor their obligations. That's how companies work.

 

[CheezyNachos]

Businesses fail all the time, and while I want Rivian to succeed and I think they have a good company it only remains a good company if they honor their obligations.

What has been stated by Rivian to indicate they won't?

 

[Donald Stanfield]

What has been stated by Rivian to indicate they won't?

There was a quote I was responding to. Read that post, and then read mine in the context of what was said.

 

[Engi_Nerd]

So do you have a list of which features I'm allowed to insist Rivian honor the warranty on and which ones I can just write off? Maybe they decide that the half shafts are going too quickly and they lock out all suspension raising above All Purpose. You good with that? After all fixing half shafts might be expensive. What about the motors, we don't need all 4 right?

The point is Rivian sold me a vehicle with a working powered tonneau. It's a listed feature, and I expect it to work just as I expect all features I bought to work. Businesses fail all the time, and while I want Rivian to succeed and I think they have a good company it only remains a good company if they honor their obligations. That's how companies work.

Appreciate the not-at-all dramatic response. I expect you and I will agree to disagree, but the powered tonneau is not a core vehicle system and it's not integral to Rivian's long term success. It's a nice to have, creature comfort that is made less important by the locking storage in the frunk and gear tunnel. There is a reason that no OEM offers a power-retractable, sliding and stacking bed tonneau with their truck. Because it's really hard to design one that can survive the rigors of the real world, while also being remotely cost effective and space efficient. Properly solving the issue for both existing and future trucks will likely represent a non-trivial outlay of resources during their already very challenging manufacturing ramp. Which, maybe you haven't noticed, happens to be occurring during increasingly challenging economic conditions. I'm not saying they shouldn't fix your tonneau. They delivered you one, they should fix it. But I also don't think it's unreasonable for them to give you a manual tonneau if the repair is unable to resolve the issue.

 

[zymolysis]

... I'm not saying they shouldn't fix your tonneau. They delivered you one, they should fix it. But I also don't think it's unreasonable for them to give you a manual tonneau if the repair is unable to resolve the issue.

Rivian should fix/replace it with a robust solution (they've had years to figure this out). The manual slats that have to be removed and stored is not an acceptable solution. A functional and secure large storage space is a critical component of any vehicle I purchase, and was part of the calculus on this vehicle. I may have found and purchased an aftermarket solution by the time that Rivian gets around to implementing the upgrade (just another Rivian tax).

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