PSA: Power Tonneau Care & Operating

[crashmtb]

Those of us in winter climates should probably keep snow/ice in mind if we want to operate the tonneau also.

I do wonder if the different noise levels from the tonneau motors are due to different suppliers, but I would think the Rivian tech would know that and just say it if that is what it was.

Winter is only 6-8 months here and this year had the largest accumulation of snow in 100 years. The pile in my back yard will stick around until June.


so I’m not worried

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[Mjhirsch78]

I have been a pick-up truck guy all of my life. I cannot recall any pick-up by any manufacturer that came from the factory with a tonneau cover. There is a reason for this. Not everyone wants a tonneau cover. Tonneau covers and bed toppers have always been the purview specialty automotive aftermarketeers. Pick-up truck manufacturers have always stayed away from options like these because truck people want to pick out the own bed covers if they even want one.

I think that Rivian made a mistake in offering these tonneau covers on their trucks. It is already becoming problematic for Rivian to the point that their powered tonneau has become their Achilles' heel. I am happy to see that Rivian has now dropped their tonneau covers from the included list. I am very happy to take the $800 price reduction and get my truck sans the manual tonneau cover. If I decide I want one, I will get one that really works from the aftermarket.

Brian

yup. My wife and I are leaning heavily toward skipping it. it feels like a cool idea, but already so much noise in reviews around it makes us very nervous. We skipped the electric doors on our minivan and we’re happier for it. Looks like skipping the tonneau will leave us happier. Besides, as my wife said, “It’s a truck. The bed is supposed to be dirty.”

 

[LaunchGreen]

I have been a pick-up truck guy all of my life. I cannot recall any pick-up by any manufacturer that came from the factory with a tonneau cover. There is a reason for this. Not everyone wants a tonneau cover. Tonneau covers and bed toppers have always been the purview specialty automotive aftermarketeers. Pick-up truck manufacturers have always stayed away from options like these because truck people want to pick out the own bed covers if they even want one.

I think that Rivian made a mistake in offering these tonneau covers on their trucks. It is already becoming problematic for Rivian to the point that their powered tonneau has become their Achilles' heel. I am happy to see that Rivian has now dropped their tonneau covers from the included list. I am very happy to take the $800 price reduction and get my truck sans the manual tonneau cover. If I decide I want one, I will get one that really works from the aftermarket.

Brian

I think the reason behind this is that Rivians are largely not being purchased by truck people. I believe they stated more than 90+% of orders it’s their first truck.

 

[r1vlife]

I think the reason behind this is that Rivians are largely not being purchased by truck people. I believe they stated more than 90+% of orders it’s their first truck.

And the R1T is my first truck .

 

[VHRivian]

100% guessing, but I think the reason Rivian has gone this route is for increased EPA range. A tonneau cover generally decreases drag by about 5% vs. an open bed. That's not too big of a deal but I'm sure they were trying to get every mile possible on the rating.

As a side note, there have been many tests that compared a truck with an open tailgate vs. tailgate close (no tonneau on both) and the bed closed is better for aerodynamics because the air swirls in the open bed creating a pocket of air that the air traveling over the cab is re-directed by.

I have no business contributing to this thread with my R1S pre-order, but I hope it helps someone.

 

[NorthernOak]

A tonneau cover generally decreases drag by about 5% vs. an open bed. That's not too big of a deal but I'm sure they were trying to get every mile possible on the rating.

Right, when you're building/designing an electric vehicle, every small percentage you can gain in efficiency matters. Better efficiency translates to better mileage and that mileage number is what the general public scrutinizes the vehicle over.

 

[LaunchGreen]

100% guessing, but I think the reason Rivian has gone this route is for increased EPA range. A tonneau cover generally decreases drag by about 5% vs. an open bed. That's not too big of a deal but I'm sure they were trying to get every mile possible on the rating.

As a side note, there have been many tests that compared a truck with an open tailgate vs. tailgate close (no tonneau on both) and the bed closed is better for aerodynamics because the air swirls in the open bed creating a pocket of air that the air traveling over the cab is re-directed by.

I have no business contributing to this thread with my R1S pre-order, but I hope it helps someone.

This makes tons of sense and since it would only be included on the epa rating when it was standard, removing it after the epa rating also fits.

 

[moosetags]

I think the reason behind this is that Rivians are largely not being purchased by truck people. I believe they stated more than 90+% of orders it’s their first truck.

I guess this is why many here think that this tonneau cover is something that they must have and if they don't get it from Rivian, they can't have it.

Brian

 

[shamoo]

I don't know the answer to that question. I am keeping mine closed for better mi/kwh and then using the air compressor to spray it clean when I do spot larger debris.

If you do a bit of Googling/research, there is really no difference between having the tonneau cover closed vs. open in terms of gas mileage/efficiency (provided you keep the tailgate closed). Air will flow over the vortex (is that the term?) that's "stuck" in the bed. With the tailgate open, there is turbulence.

It is more of a security feature than anything else.

 

[mikehmb]

The R1T will be my 5th truck, and I’m incredibly excited for an integrated tonneau. Historically, I’ve gone with tops and skipped tonneaus because of the inherent ability to Store More Crap (and sleep) in the back out of the weather. The only downside is getting more than 2 mtn bikes on the tailgate pad. Oh, and visibility is terrible.

The tonneau integration, as far as I can tell, is brilliant because it’s using dead space above the gear tunnel instead of having a weird cutout shape in the bed, like a wheel well but along the front. Maximum use of space and limited further intrusion into the bed.

 

[RivianCheeseWhiz]

Glad I'm going with the manual cover.

 

[Wefty]

Are the tonneaus just loud or is there something mechanically wrong with them? I'm not worried about waking someone up when I need to open it.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

I guess this is why many here think that this tonneau cover is something that they must have and if they don't get it from Rivian, they can't have it.

They're not wrong. AFAIK, there are no aftermarket tonneaus for the Rivian R1T, currently. Maybe one will come out, eventually. But that's not guaranteed -- and who knows when. The newness of the product, smaller production numbers (at least initially) and availability of two cool factory tonneau options would discourage most aftermarket companies from releasing one, imo.

 

[moosetags]

They're not wrong. AFAIK, there are no aftermarket tonneaus for the Rivian R1T, currently. Maybe one will come out, eventually. But that's not guaranteed -- and who knows when. The newness of the product, smaller production numbers (at least initially) and availability of two cool factory tonneau options would discourage most aftermarket companies from releasing one, imo.

You are correct at the moment. When one of the Big three slightly change their bed size, the aftermarket ears have something out within the month. It will not be any different with Rivians.

Brian

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

You are correct at the moment. When one of the Big three slightly change their bed size, the aftermarket ears have something out within the month. It will not be any different with Rivians.

I’m guessing we’re in the same position in May 2022.

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