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R1S flat towing behind an RV?

ERguy

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And yet you said this, which is EXACTLY what I've been saying:




I'm probably just going to add you to my ignore list, because I don't like being called a liar. My good friend tows a 1998 Jeep Wrangler TJ with a manual transmission behind his RV. He doesn't have any special brakes on the Jeep, and just has a set of magnetic brake lights with a long cord that he sticks on the back of the Jeep.
Wait... I'm confused. I responded to someone else's post, and you then responded to me saying
First you say I don’t understand towing, and then you completely agree with what I already said? Which is it boy-o?
How did you get all bent out of shape saying something like that to me even though I had not even responded to you at that point?

Also, your friend would not be able to legally tow with this setup in the vast majority of states.

These laws change over time is a map showing where that would and would not be legal.

https://www.readybrake.com/state-towing-laws.html
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ERguy

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A 36,000 pound motorhome towing an 8,000 pound truck experiences a smaller impact than a 5,000 pound vehicle pulling a 2,000 pound trailer which doesn't require a brake in many places.

Since a tow bar is rigid, it can transit loads equally well in either direction.
The vast majority of motorhome manufacturers specify in the manual and warranty that you must use an auxillary brake if towing more than a specified weight, often 1500 lbs to avoid overloading the motorhome chassis or voiding the warranty. Why do you think they put this requirement in their literature?

Also, the number one cause of tow bar failure when RVs flat tow is panic breaking. The load on a tow bar is far higher when braking quickly than any other time when driving. A 6000 lb toad places triple it's weight or more in force on the tow bar when stopping rapidly. This is why the tow bar manufactures also recommend using auxillary brakes. Tow bars being "rigid" or transmitting loads equally in both directions doesn't negate the increased load while braking which can easily exceed the load capacity of a tow bar.

Additionally, tow bars are not merely a "rigid" bar. They have 2 telescoping arms when when pulling the toad bare weight daily equally. When stopping quickly without auxillary brakes, the toad has a tendency to apply force unequally on one arm resulting in tow bar failure or a jacknife. There is no way to jacknife while pulling... Only stopping. This is a common reason a tow bar can fail from trying to stop a certain force it would be able to pull without failing.
 
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CommodoreAmiga

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Wait... I'm confused. I responded to someone else's post, and you then responded to me saying

How did you get all bent out of shape saying something like that to me even though I had not even responded to you at that point?
I apologize if I mistook your reply for being directed towards me. You have quoted me and doubled-down, which reinforced my belief you were disagreeing with my position (screenshot below).

Rivian R1T R1S R1S flat towing behind an RV? yfko9t0


If that was a misunderstanding, then I apologize.
 

CappyJax

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The vast majority of motorhome manufacturers specify in the manual and warranty that you must use an auxillary brake if towing more than a specified weight, often 1500 lbs to avoid overloading the motorhome chassis or voiding the warranty. Why do you think they put this requirement in their literature?
To avoid liability and comply with the law. I towed a 1,500 pound trailer with by 2,900 pound Geo Tracker. The law didn't require me to have trailer brakes, and yet the trailer was over 50% of the weight of the vehicle. A motorhome towing a Rivian would have a much smaller mass pushing it around than my Geo Tracker.

Also, the number one cause of tow bar failure when RVs flat tow is panic breaking. The load on a tow bar is far higher when braking quickly than any other time when driving. A 6000 lb toad places triple it's weight or more in force on the tow bar when stopping rapidly. This is why the tow bar manufactures also recommend using auxillary brakes. Tow bars being "rigid" or transmitting loads equally in both directions doesn't negate the increased load while braking which can easily exceed the load capacity of a tow bar.
I'd like to see your reference to the claim that most tow bar failures happen during sudden stops.

Additionally, tow bars are not merely a "rigid" bar. They have 2 telescoping arms when when pulling the toad bare weight daily equally. When stopping quickly without auxillary brakes, the toad has a tendency to apply force unequally on one arm resulting in tow bar failure or a jacknife. There is no way to jacknife while pulling... Only stopping. This is a common reason a tow bar can fail from trying to stop a certain force it would be able to pull without failing.
No. Although tow bar failures have happened, they shouldn't happen. It is more likely the case of improper installation or usage than the tow bar itself. My tow bar has telescoping arms and the brake doesn't engage until the surge from the vehicle moves the hitch. So, the tow bar is taking most of the force of the deceleration before the cars brakes are activated.

Additionally, an EV assisting with acceleration would put no where near the force on the tow bar as during a panic stop.
 

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Babbuino

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Forgot about this video from ~1year ago. He mentioned tow charging and flat towing the vehicle... I guess this is no longer the case....
 

DuckTruck

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Wait... I'm confused. I responded to someone else's post, and you then responded to me saying

How did you get all bent out of shape saying something like that to me even though I had not even responded to you at that point?

Also, your friend would not be able to legally tow with this setup in the vast majority of states.

These laws change over time is a map showing where that would and would not be legal.

https://www.readybrake.com/state-towing-laws.html
ERguy,

Thanks for the link to the towing laws around the country. I had no idea how vastly the requirements differ from State to State. Certainly best to know before you go, or tow.

Happy Hauling!
 

SANZC02

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Crap! There goes my Rivian! I need it to flat tow behind my RV!
1617985001376.jpeg
Thanks for posting. Not the answer many were looking for but it is nice to finally see a definitive answer coming out of CS.
 

jjwolf120

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Crap! There goes my Rivian! I need it to flat tow behind my RV!
Just get a trailer? It doesn't seem like it would be that inconvenient or expensive to get a trailer for the R1T, also I expect it will save you money on tires. Admittedly, I have zero knowledge on the subject.
 

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DucRider

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There are a few issues in implementing flat towing on not just the Rivian, but EVs in general.

At the most basic level, that would mean some method of disconnecting the wheels from the motors/gears and implementing a method for the tow vehicle to activate the hydraulic portion of the EVs brakes. A method of enabling tail lights, brake lights and turn signals while the EV was "off" would also be required.

Ideal would be for the EV to be "on" to some degree with the ability to utilize regen as the braking (unless the battery was full and then it would need to switch to mechanical braking).

All of these are addressable, and Rivian could indeed implement them. But at what cost (in development and testing time as well as $$)? And what percentage of their customers would need that feature? They expressed the intent/desire at early events, but the reality of bringing the vehicles to market dictated they balance those factors, and by necessity some features were dropped. This was apparently one of them.
For the vast majority of owners, it is not something they will ever use. For those of you that consider it a "must have", it may be implemented down the road by someone, but nothing likely in the near future.
 

StevieD

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The official word, from RJ, unfortunately:

Rivian R1T R1S R1S flat towing behind an RV? EB1A5E4E-D6AC-4CD9-BCFE-AFD7D385D622
 

StevieD

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Just get a trailer? It doesn't seem like it would be that inconvenient or expensive to get a trailer for the R1T, also I expect it will save you money on tires. Admittedly, I have zero knowledge on the subject.
Trailers present other issues I don’t want to deal with! I’ve been RVing since 1970 and feel that I understand this a bit more. To some, a stacker or flat trailer works, especially when you find a place to park the trailer when one’s traveling. One nite in a back in site can mean unloading the car, moving the trailer, and then backing the RV in. Do the reverse in the morning. Obviously without the trailer, I still need to unhook the R1T to back in but usually I can easily park it in the front as well as most likely using it for sightseeing, etc. After many years using many Class A RVs and many different TOADs for my definitive of a venture lifestyle, I don’t see the need to change. I was interested in the Rivian because RJ said it would flat tow.
 

godfodder0901

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The official word, from RJ, unfortunately:

EB1A5E4E-D6AC-4CD9-BCFE-AFD7D385D622.jpeg
J. R. is a member of the CS team. RJ is the founder and CEO. Not the same person...
 

cohall

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Thanks for posting. Not the answer many were looking for but it is nice to finally see a definitive answer coming out of CS.
CS has been confirming no flat tow for months. It's just that some folks on the forum refuse to believe it. I'm assuming this latest confirmation doesn't change anything for those people.
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