PSA: Power Tonneau Care & Operating

[the long way downunder]

Seems to me a minor "revision" of the tonneau could include an inspection hatch for cleaning the stacker, and an air chuck connector for the onboard air to blow/blast debris out of the mechanism and clear any drainage paths.
A "major" revision would be to plumb the compressed air to the tonneau stacker and have it clean itself.

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[crashmtb]

A "major" revision would be to plumb the compressed air to the tonneau stacker and have it clean itself.

now we’re cooking with gas induction!

 

[HighVoltOverland]

Don't know if I'm interpreting the conversation wrong.
Can anyone confirm that the manual option is still retractable?
It was my understanding that the non powered tonneau was a 3 piece folding type
(that iirc publication said would fit in the gear tunnel when not in use)

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

Don't know if I'm interpreting the conversation wrong.
Can anyone confirm that the manual option is still retractable?
It was my understanding that the non powered tonneau was a 3 piece folding type
(that iirc publication said would fit in the gear tunnel when not in use)

It doesn't retract like the power cover. It's four pieces (afaik, not three) and the panels are individually removable. They must be manually stored somewhere (gear tunnel, for example) when not in use.

 

[Arky]

Seems to me a minor "revision" of the tonneau could include an inspection hatch for cleaning the stacker, and an air chuck connector for the onboard air to blow/blast debris out of the mechanism and clear any drainage paths.
A "major" revision would be to plumb the compressed air to the tonneau stacker and have it clean itself.

An air compressor doesn't by itself have enough flow to really clean anything without a storage tank, you're probably not going to get anything like this.

Turn on your (empty) air compressor with a blow gun on it and check how much air you're getting out of it, it's not going to be much, and that's a bigger compressor than is on the truck. For what they intended it for (inflating items and controlling air ride) it's all they need, but don't expect to clean anything with it.

 

[the long way downunder]

An air compressor doesn't by itself have enough flow to really clean anything without a storage tank, you're probably not going to get anything like this.

Turn on your (empty) air compressor with a blow gun on it and check how much air you're getting out of it, it's not going to be much, and that's a bigger compressor than is on the truck. For what they intended it for (inflating items and controlling air ride) it's all they need, but don't expect to clean anything with it.

The Rivian has a tank – is the air compressor in the bed separate from the air compressor for the suspension?
This video suggests it's not useful for "leaf blower" purposes.

I was think of literally a leaf-blower housed in the stacker of the tonneau to blast everything (water and debris) as the panels retract. It would require some sort of "curtain" across the width of the panels, aiming to both sides (so as not to just blow the dirt into the bed.)

 

[crashmtb]

The Rivian has a tank – is the air compressor in the bed separate from the air compressor for the suspension?

yes.

 

[godfodder0901]

yes.

Do we know this for sure? My Guide has no visibility on this but feels there is only one; this is my inkling as well.

 

[crashmtb]

Do we know this for sure? My Guide has no visibility on this but feels there is only one; this is my inkling as well.

I’ll dig around today but I’ve seen a picture. The air suspension tank is very clearly not at all associated with the compressor in the bed.

It doesn’t seem like the air compressor in the bed for tires etc has a tank at all.

also read…somewhere that the air compressor is sourced from ARB. May/may not be accurate.

 

[onthebrake]

My R1T ( 500 miles so far ) is going into it's first service already in less than 2 weeks of ownership due to the bed cover. The sections don't sit flat and ''stack up'' on each other, if you will. The way it is going down is that they will come to my house next Wednesday at 3 pm, drop off a loaner, and take my truck back to Rivian for service. Then vice versa when the bed cover is fixed.

That is WAY better service that I have ever gotten from Ford over the last >10 Ford's I've owned !!

 

[linkwpc]

I just came back from a test drive on the R1T and I'm definitely getting the manual tonneau cover. I just push the button and it broke! The last slate got stuck and broke off... I do not trust this auto tonneau cover working for that long. Too many things can happen to make it fail.

 

[Mcfly Rivian]

I'm going to order it powered. Like many said you have the warranty for issues. But I feel there is going to be a future recall for all early trucks with these.

 

[Nermal]

Do we know this for sure? My Guide has no visibility on this but feels there is only one; this is my inkling as well.

Without seeing a teardown I can only go by what I'm told but I asked this specific question of the Rivian person that delivered the vehicle and they said there are separate compressors for the bed utility and suspension.

Seemed like single for both would be... elegant. I guess there could be a ton of issues with having one air system perform those two functions, though.

 

[the long way downunder]

Without seeing a teardown I can only go by what I'm told but I asked this specific question of the Rivian person that delivered the vehicle and they said there are separate compressors for the bed utility and suspension.

Seemed like single for both would be... elegant. I guess there could be a ton of issues with having one air system perform those two functions, though.

We must be close to a teardown of the bed cover / stacker now that Munro has an R1T almost fully disassembled and they've pealed open the battery cover … surely the bed cover mechanism will be a whole episode to itself.

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