R1T Towing Experience: 7000 lbs Trailer

[DannyC]

Towed my travel trailer this past weekend for a short 20 mile trip to a local campground in San Diego.

Towing was easy, hooked up no problem, auto leveled really well, and the trailer brakes worked no problem. Cruise control is not adaptive in tow mode, but I recommend using it as its pretty easy to speed even with a trailer attached. In California the speed limit is 55 with a trailer. I had trouble keeping it under 65 including onramps.

Got about 1.35 miles per kWh in bad traffic going there.
Got about 0.56 miles per kWh in no traffic driving normally.
Towing has a pretty substantial hit on the mileage.
Trailer is about 7000 pounds (guessing with everything in it) and is a 33" aluminum frame travel trailer.
Standard weight distribution setup, nothing fancy.

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[JeremyP]

Seems to be a huge difference in energy, was there much elevation change?

 

[DannyC]

With traffic I was going pretty slow and was rarely over 60. On the way home it was full speed and I drove closer to 65 and sometimes 70. Faster starts on the ramps etc. Elevation change was minimal both ways.

 

[SuperFan86]

I towed a 5x8 uhaul with about 300 lbs of weight about 75 miles at 70 mph on Friday. Projected range was 200 miles, which I felt was pretty minimal hit.

 

[CharonPDX]

That looks pretty darn close to the same size/weight as our trailer, so good to hear the experience. It would be good to know longer-drive efficiency at 55, as most of our trips will be on 55 MPH state highways. (Of course, most of ours will also involve driving over a mountain pass, so.....)

 

[RivnSoon]

Thanks for sharing @DannyC .

I bet (ok, would like to believe) the air resistance from the tall camper was responsible for the energy hit. I will be towing an open car trailer regularly, so hope of a lesser hit on range than a camper.

 

[Zoidz]

I towed a 5x8 uhaul with about 300 lbs of weight about 75 miles at 70 mph on Friday. Projected range was 200 miles, which I felt was pretty minimal hit.

Thanks for posting this info. For reference, UHaul says this trailer is 900 lbs empty, so you appear to have been towing about 1200 lbs total weight.

 

[Hexijen]

Cruise control is not adaptive in tow mode, but I recommend using it as its pretty easy to speed even with a trailer attached. In California the speed limit is 55 with a trailer. I had trouble keeping it under 65 including onramps.

Do you have the 20 AT? i cant be sure from the picture

If you ever do a stretch of highway where you set the cruise control to 50 mph, even just for 10-20 miles, id love to hear what efficiency you get towing that trailer!

 

[kizamybute']

Wow, 0.58 miles per wh in "NORMAL" driving. Yikes. Gives you about 75 miles in range. Unfortunately, we're a long way off from EV's being practical tow vehicles. And that was in California where I'm certain the weather was nice. Imagine where that 0.58 figure would be in 20 degree weather.

Still amazing vehicles and can't wait to get an EV truck. I just now that towing will not be on the list of practical uses for it. Maybe for my 35 mile trip to the local lake, but at 0.58 per mile, that will make things tight. If it has any phantom draw during the day, might have to stop to charge to make it back home

I knew range would take a big hit towing, but I don't think many expected the hit to be as big as it is? Rule of thumb originally seemed to estimate about 50% of regular range. Looks closer to 25-30% instead.

 

[SeaGeo]

Got about 0.56 miles per kWh in no traffic driving normally.
Towing has a pretty substantial hit on the mileage.

1. That's.... a huge hit to range.

2. Is there A LOT of dry wit buried in there?

 

[E.S.]

What I want to know is: How the phuck did U-Haul accurately get my mother 'n' law's weight?!?

 

[Zoidz]

Towed my travel trailer this past weekend for a short 20 mile trip to a local campground in San Diego.
...
Got about 1.35 miles per kWh in bad traffic going there.
Got about 0.56 miles per kWh in no traffic driving normally.
Towing has a pretty substantial hit on the mileage.
Trailer is about 7000 pounds (guessing with everything in it) and is a 33" aluminum frame travel trailer.
Standard weight distribution setup, nothing fancy.

1. That's.... a huge hit to range.

A couple of thoughts:
1) The trips were only 20 miles. A longer trip might produce better averaged results. Assuming it was the same route both trips. we see an overall average of .96 miles per kWh, a little more than 50% hit overall. That's not surprising, and from experience you get a similar hit in an ICE truck when towing a trailer that size.
2) That's a pretty big difference between to the two trips. Clearly speed and driving style have a huge effect.

I get it that towing range anxiety is a thing. But TBH I'm constantly surprised at the "oh crap 50%+ hit, that sucks" comments, when that's what we get towing large trailers with ICE. Not sure why people expect Rivian can change the laws of physics?

 

[Rivian_Hugh_III]

Towed my travel trailer this past weekend for a short 20 mile trip to a local campground in San Diego.

Towing was easy, hooked up no problem, auto leveled really well, and the trailer brakes worked no problem. Cruise control is not adaptive in tow mode, but I recommend using it as its pretty easy to speed even with a trailer attached. In California the speed limit is 55 with a trailer. I had trouble keeping it under 65 including onramps.

Got about 1.35 miles per kWh in bad traffic going there.
Got about 0.56 miles per kWh in no traffic driving normally.
Towing has a pretty substantial hit on the mileage.
Trailer is about 7000 pounds (guessing with everything in it) and is a 33" aluminum frame travel trailer.
Standard weight distribution setup, nothing fancy.

I’m picturing something like this. It would attach to a rack on the roof and a rack on the bed. Wonder how much it would help range via aerodynamics?

 

[Zoidz]

I’m picturing something like this. It would attach to a rack on the roof and a rack on the bed. Wonder how much it would help range via aerodynamics?

It would almost certainly help. But good luck finding someone to manufacture it at reasonable cost, given the low volume of sales that are likely. Seems to me it's ROI challenged for both the Rivian owner and the manufacturer?

 

[SeaGeo]

"oh crap 50%+ hit, that sucks" comments, when that's what we get towing large trailers with ICE. Not sure why people expect Rivian can change the laws of physics?

~75% is just a large hit. It's not surprising so much as... interesting to see even though you already know the outcome. Sort of like seeing a youtube video of a little guy starting a fight with an absolute unit only to see the lil fella get dropped immediately. You knew it'd happen, but you still go "look at that!"

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