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aAlpine

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For me I am going with the R1s over the pickup for these reasons. Gear tunnel is too short to put my skis in it and the bed is too short to put the skis in the bed. If it was a little bigger in width and bed length I would have hands down chosen the pickup for practical reasons. I also have a longboard surfboard for small days and if I am going to rack up a 10 foot board I might as well do it on the SUV. Possibly I might get the 3rd row seats if I can live with the shorter range which I am still on the fence on as I think battery tech may improve and more level 2 chargers pop up . Also I love the looks of the SUV.
Do we know the exact interior dimension of the gear tunnel yet? I was hoping to fit skis in there myself. The R1T width from the website specs is 79.3 inches => 201cm, and I run 180cm long skis. Might be close when you take into account door thickness and where that vehicle width number is measured.

Regarding the bed, using specs from here (https://www.evspecifications.com/en/model/8b4391), the diagonal will be 196.9cm. Once again pretty close tolerances depending on exactly how you measure. I wonder if you have a couple of adult friends how that will all fit in there. Maybe actually better than a giant bed where everything shifts from side to side for each bend in the road?

Given that this is an Adventure Vehicle (TM), I'd hope that Rivian folks have considered skis within the 90th percentile lengths or something. If a test drives become a thing, I'll be bringing my tape measure still ;).
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hola29

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1. carrying people & animals vs carrying stuff = 2,1
2. vehicle security (fully metal enclosed vs tonneau covered bed) = 1.5, 1.5
3. length/maneuverability = 3,0
4. utility & versatility = 1,2
5. loadability (ease of loading/unloading) = 1,2
6. urban vs non-urban driving = 3,0
7. cost (basic vs fully loaded costs) = 1.5,1.5
8. availability (R1Ts will be first off the line) = 1,2
9. climate conditioned vs au naturel camping = 1.5,1.5
10. looks (highly subjective but clearly important) = 2, 1
TOTALS

R1S 17.5
R1T 12.5


I might be in the minority here, but having to deal with urban parking and maneuvering is a huge deal for me. If it wasn't it would be much closer. My calculus is that the bed will be empty 95% of the time, but I have to park a much longer vehicle 100% of the time. I have driven around blocks numerous times wistful of a Mini lol
 
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Coast2Coast

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hola29, aAlpine, bajadahl, and others. You raise good points which, if I try to summarize, comes down to: is the R1S or R1T preferable for most of my driving needs?

For most of your driving needs, many of you are selecting the R1S and it makes sense.

How often will we use the extra storage, gear tunnel and pickup bed, of the R1T? It's an individual thing, but I wager not so often, unless you go snowboarding, mountain biking, camping and such for a dozen weekends a year. Then you need a R1T. If you go only once in a while, not so much.

Nowadays, more people live in cities and close-in suburbs than the countryside; for them, maneuvering, parking and carrying more people are more important than carrying more stuff.

Besides storage and bed potential, looks are important in two ways. Some people prefer a pickup truck's looks, others a SUV's. Some care about how they look when driving a pickup or a SUV. Either of these looks is unrelated to use & totally subjective.

In short, I wonder if 55% of sales will be R1Ts, as RJ speculated, once Rivians start rolling off the line. I suspect not. Though pickups are national sales leaders by far, sales include both work trucks and lifestyle trucks. There are lots and lots of choices. Single cab, double cab, crew cab, short bed, long bed, V4, V6, V8 and diesel.

There aren't nearly as many SUV configuration choices as pickup choices yet, as this thread may indicate, many folks are leaning the SUV way.
 
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throwback

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I am leaning toward the R1T and I'm not a truck guy. I just think it is much more unique than the R1S.
 

Rob P

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Do we know the exact interior dimension of the gear tunnel yet? I was hoping to fit skis in there myself. The R1T width from the website specs is 79.3 inches => 201cm, and I run 180cm long skis. Might be close when you take into account door thickness and where that vehicle width number is measured.

Regarding the bed, using specs from here (https://www.evspecifications.com/en/model/8b4391), the diagonal will be 196.9cm. Once again pretty close tolerances depending on exactly how you measure. I wonder if you have a couple of adult friends how that will all fit in there. Maybe actually better than a giant bed where everything shifts from side to side for each bend in the road?

Given that this is an Adventure Vehicle (TM), I'd hope that Rivian folks have considered skis within the 90th percentile lengths or something. If a test drives become a thing, I'll be bringing my tape measure still ;).
Please let us know if you get a tape measure for diagonal in the tunnel and the bed. I called but they left a message saying to look on the website and its hard to tell .
 

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electruck

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Please let us know if you get a tape measure for diagonal in the tunnel and the bed. I called but they left a message saying to look on the website and its hard to tell .
Purely an estimate based on pics and the limited pre-prod specs that have been published but I suspect the tunnel diagonal is going to be somewhere around 68-70 inches. The width of the tunnel appears to be pretty close to the track width (distance between midpoint of tires) which is published at 1710 mm (67.3").
 

Rob P

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My daily skis are DPS Wailer 112s 188cm and they have wide rocketed tips so there would have to quite a bit clearance beyond the corner to corner measurements.
 
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The gear tunnel is easily one of the most unique features of the R1T, but I don't believe there's another 3 row BEV SUV on the market in N. America, depending on how you evaluate Tesla's Model X. Certainly, if the criteria are 3 rows, BEV, SUV with off-road capabilities, the R1S is/will be unique.

Our discussion is fascinating. How often does a single feature, in light of a vehicle's dozens of standout features, push us toward the R1T or R1S? It's beginning to feel that happens fairly often.
 
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Lmirafuente

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I am leaning toward the R1T and I'm not a truck guy. I just think it is much more unique than the R1S.
...and it appears to have more of the gadgets, gear-tunnel, truck-bed cover, options for kitchen and potentially other stuff...

Somebody else commented that it had more of an aggressive look with the rear contoured flared wheel wells.

I would agree with you on the uniqueness of the R1T! However I saw the white R1S at Mill Valley and it was stunning.
 
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Coast2Coast

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Both the R1S and R1T are unique, just in different ways. "Uniqueness" by its very nature may not be comparable. It may not discriminate well between the R1S and R1T.

In our discussion, two thought threads have stood out. First, for 95% of our daily needs, which vehicle serves us better? This is the pragmatic approach.

Second, among R1S & R1T's many virtues - there are lots - does one really grab us? The gear tunnel, third row seating, the R1T's rear haunches ...the whatever it is. This is the "gotta have it" approach.

Both are valid. Maybe it's more a matter of personality or how we make decisions, and these may change day to day. What I gotta have today may not be what grabs me tomorrow.

RJ thinks it's going to be a 55-45% R1T split. I think it's going to be more even, and possibly run the other way. But ask me tomorrow.
 
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Coast2Coast

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I started this thread weeks ago in an effort to help others and myself decide between a R1S or a R1T. I go back and forth. I thought scoring a fairly comprehensive list of criteria might help me decide. Originally, I scored my preference for a R1S vs a R1T, using the criteria in #1, as a draw, 15.0 to 15.0.

It might be interesting if I scored my leanings again, a few weeks later, and tonight I did so. The only change was to score at the margins. By that, I mean which vehicle would you rather have when push comes to shove, when something needs to be done.

In other words, the situation isn't neutral. When the situation is a bit extreme, are you more likely to be satisfied with a R1S or a R1T? When I score at the margins, the R1T scores 17.5 points to the R1S' 12.5. Instead of a draw, I'm clearly in the R1T's camp when I ask which vehicle best satisfies my needs in atypical situations/at the margins.

I think this makes sense. Either vehicle can do almost anything well. So maybe 90-95% of the time, it doesn't really make too much difference which vehicle we have. (However, I'm sure there are forum members for whom this is not true. Some folks carry a lot of people often; a 3 row R1S is what they need. ) It's only in atypical situations when our preferences are actually revealed.

I'm sure there's a psychological theory for this. Scoring at the margins did help to clarify my mind.
 
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Moonjock

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Great discussion. I'm replacing a truck so I'm going R1T. My wife has a 7 passenger Subaru Ascent.
 

skyote

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For me, a 3 row SUV wins out. I originally reserved an R1T, but that is not a suitable replacement for my diesel truck, primarily for towing a 5th wheel and other trailers.

The R1S will be the primary family & catch all vehicle, and provide the ability to vehicle camp & tow most loads.

The R1T will be a suitable truck replacement for most people, but R1S is a better fit for me.
 
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Forum members,

Thanks for great comments & thoughts on a 10-point scheme for deciding between a R1S & R1T.

Oddly enough, I didn't realize until today a crucial criterion was not included in the list. Is the Rivian to be a replacement for or complement to existing vehicles? We're not picking out of the blue. We have other vehicles and significant others have vehicles. Are we replacing what we have or are we altering the mix of vehicles we already have and intend to keep?

I also mentioned above that both the R1S and R1T satisfy most of our needs most of the time. Only when unusual circumstances occur, are we likely to say, "damn, I wish I had a R1S/R1T". So I added two new criteria to the original 10-point decision list.

Scoring: 0-3 points; split scores, 1.5 per, allowed
Decision Criteria
R1S__________________R1T
1. carry people & animals vs carry stuff
2. vehicle security (metal enclosed vs tonneau covered)
3. length/maneuverability importance
4. utility & versatility importance
5. loadability (ease of loading/unloading)
6. urban vs non-urban driving
7. cost (basic vs fully loaded costs)
8. availability (R1Ts will be first off the line)
9. (enclosed ) climate conditioned vs au naturel camping
10. looks (highly subjective but clearly important)
11. replacement vs complement vehicle
12. desirability in extreme circumstances
TOTALS

Some of the criteria require interpretation. For example, cost. The R1T will cost less than the R1S for the base model, but it's highly likely the R1T will be outfitted with options, like the pull-out camping stove and Tepui tent, that won't fit the R1S.

Desirability in extreme circumstances also requires interpretation. What sort of extreme circumstances are you likely to encounter? Relatives fly-in unannounced or a load of firewood is needed when the power goes out?

My scoring has jumped around, 15.0 to 15.0 on my first pass, 12.5 to 17.5 (R1T) on my second, and 15.0 to 21.0 (R1T) on the third, with two new criteria. That probably says the decision criteria aren't doing a good job of sorting out my preferences or my mind isn't really made up and I'm fickle.
 
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DucRider

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For me, I don't need a scoring system.
The R1T speaks to me while the R1S is meh...
Never owned a truck or SUV before, and didn't know I wanted one until the R1T came along.

And as to #2, both the S & T have the frunk to secure objects, and that is a bigger space than many sedans. And the R1S cabin area is not metal secured, it is glass secured and visible to at least a certain degree (unless you go full "limo tint"). While possible that someone may randomly slash/rip/tear the tonneau cover on the hope of finding something inside, the glass smash and grab is much more common (ask Model 3 and S owners about this).

The only advantage I see for the R1S is that it is easier to fit in a garage since it is a foot and a half shorter.

Also possible that it will replace two vehicles (C-Max Hybrid and Clarity Electric). Or at least mostly - a (used?) short range BEV for around town errands may still be desirable. 500e, Spark, or even an Arcimoto?
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