perrochon
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Inspired by this thread from @RivianBlueSLC and some help from @FooF
https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...han-expected-and-wow-what-a-difference.22998/
I was thinking of removing the second row for extra storage when sleeping in the car for a while, and then the above thread showed up, so I followed their footsteps and documented it for noobs like me.
Do this at your own risk. You are not supposed to do this, and I don't recommend you do.
It's quite easy, but it's not something owners are supposed to do. Also, there was some destruction going on, so you need at least a zip tie to put it back together. This is not something you do every week.
Start with the 40% because it's easier to lift out, and you need to disconnect the seat belt and it seems easier this way.
Step 1 - Disconnect Wiring Harness
First, you need to disconnect the seat electronics from the car.
The right side in this picture stays with the seat. The left side stays with the car. (left/right is flipped depending on which seat and which direction you look at) There is a tab in the middle of the left plug that you press to disconnect. The cable on the left is held by a zip tie.
The whole assembly is on a plate that can be folded down for easier access.
I didn't figure out how to remove this non-destructively and ended up cutting the zip tie. Be careful you don't damage the wiring harness. We need the part number of that connector to order spares.
When done, it looks like this.
Step 2 - Disconnecting Seat Belt Electronics
If you move the 40% all the way forward and the 60% all the way back, you see this. The 40% seat belt is actually wired to the 60% seat. Disconnect the green quick connect. You can also see a black ground wire further down to that bolt on the left side. Remove the bolt, remove the ground wire, reattach the bolt.
Step 3 - Removing Nuts from Bolts
You remove 5 nuts per seat. The bolts and nuts are covered under some plastic lids. I used a 15mm deep socket. You may be able to do it with a shallow socket, but it won't grip the nut all the way, so there is risk of damaging the nut.
Front
Back.
There are two nuts in the center (only one visible on the picture)
Step 4 - Lift out the Seats
I lifted the 40% alone, but didn't dare the 60%. Find a buddy to help you. The seat comes out with the plastic covers, so be very careful how you put it on the ground wherever it goes into permanent storage.
Step 5 - Clean Up and Prepare for Re-Install
The result looks like this. I put the bolts back on the screws to protect the thread. I already hid one of the connectors under the carpet.
It makes sense to do a bit of work here, and I spent more time cleaning up than taking the seats out. Wrap the connectors into a zip lock so any fluids spilling over them don't damage electronics. Also, double check where they are hidden exactly, because finding them crushed later when re-installing the seats will not be great. Finally, talk to Rivian to get replacements for the pins/zips.
I also found a $6 bag with 10 PVC pipe caps in the irrigation section at the hardware store that I'll install on top of the nuts and bolts for some protection. I also bought M10 nuts (not pictures) to cover the lower part of the bolts and protect the thread there.
Then some foam cut for the gaps (old garden knee pads work, but firmer would be better) and a floor mat to cover it all up.
The first approach covered it with a 3'x4' rubber mat.
After further experimentation, I ended up with a 3'x5' rubber backed carpet mat that covers a bit more on the side, including the bottom opening of the seat belts.
Step 6.1 - Further Mods - Full Size Spare
One motivation for the whole exercise was to add a full spare. Below is how it looks now. I still have two seats with crazy leg room in the back.
The tire is tied down to the seat bolts, and I can store tire related stuff, too.
Step 6.2 - Further Mods - Platform Bed
The end goal is to store various things, including the full size spare wheel here and build a platform on top for a bed frame. Here is a mockup with a convenient board I had sitting in the garage. (the scratches in the passenger seat are from another incident, not from this exercise)
The full spare is 13" (and 33" diameter). The spare will take up most of this space, and it will not go in horizontally, i.e. access to the spare requires removing the platform on top. Two 3x2 are about the right size to support a 3'x4' board on top. Tie it all down with a couple of straps and D-Rings and the spare should not hit the rear screen when braking hard. I'll update this post later.
This gives you a 7" long bed. Note that you get exactly the same bed if you leave the seat in and fold it flat. You just don't have much storage under it.
Also, the Rivian is tall enough that I could lift the whole platform maybe another 10" for a total of 7'x48"x12" storage area. It would require more boards and support in the back. Then I can also have 2 spare wheels for the Dalton Highway
https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...han-expected-and-wow-what-a-difference.22998/
I was thinking of removing the second row for extra storage when sleeping in the car for a while, and then the above thread showed up, so I followed their footsteps and documented it for noobs like me.
Do this at your own risk. You are not supposed to do this, and I don't recommend you do.
It's quite easy, but it's not something owners are supposed to do. Also, there was some destruction going on, so you need at least a zip tie to put it back together. This is not something you do every week.
Start with the 40% because it's easier to lift out, and you need to disconnect the seat belt and it seems easier this way.
Step 1 - Disconnect Wiring Harness
First, you need to disconnect the seat electronics from the car.
The right side in this picture stays with the seat. The left side stays with the car. (left/right is flipped depending on which seat and which direction you look at) There is a tab in the middle of the left plug that you press to disconnect. The cable on the left is held by a zip tie.
The whole assembly is on a plate that can be folded down for easier access.
I didn't figure out how to remove this non-destructively and ended up cutting the zip tie. Be careful you don't damage the wiring harness. We need the part number of that connector to order spares.
When done, it looks like this.
Step 2 - Disconnecting Seat Belt Electronics
If you move the 40% all the way forward and the 60% all the way back, you see this. The 40% seat belt is actually wired to the 60% seat. Disconnect the green quick connect. You can also see a black ground wire further down to that bolt on the left side. Remove the bolt, remove the ground wire, reattach the bolt.
Step 3 - Removing Nuts from Bolts
You remove 5 nuts per seat. The bolts and nuts are covered under some plastic lids. I used a 15mm deep socket. You may be able to do it with a shallow socket, but it won't grip the nut all the way, so there is risk of damaging the nut.
Front
Back.
There are two nuts in the center (only one visible on the picture)
Step 4 - Lift out the Seats
I lifted the 40% alone, but didn't dare the 60%. Find a buddy to help you. The seat comes out with the plastic covers, so be very careful how you put it on the ground wherever it goes into permanent storage.
Step 5 - Clean Up and Prepare for Re-Install
The result looks like this. I put the bolts back on the screws to protect the thread. I already hid one of the connectors under the carpet.
It makes sense to do a bit of work here, and I spent more time cleaning up than taking the seats out. Wrap the connectors into a zip lock so any fluids spilling over them don't damage electronics. Also, double check where they are hidden exactly, because finding them crushed later when re-installing the seats will not be great. Finally, talk to Rivian to get replacements for the pins/zips.
I also found a $6 bag with 10 PVC pipe caps in the irrigation section at the hardware store that I'll install on top of the nuts and bolts for some protection. I also bought M10 nuts (not pictures) to cover the lower part of the bolts and protect the thread there.
Then some foam cut for the gaps (old garden knee pads work, but firmer would be better) and a floor mat to cover it all up.
The first approach covered it with a 3'x4' rubber mat.
After further experimentation, I ended up with a 3'x5' rubber backed carpet mat that covers a bit more on the side, including the bottom opening of the seat belts.
Step 6.1 - Further Mods - Full Size Spare
One motivation for the whole exercise was to add a full spare. Below is how it looks now. I still have two seats with crazy leg room in the back.
The tire is tied down to the seat bolts, and I can store tire related stuff, too.
Step 6.2 - Further Mods - Platform Bed
The end goal is to store various things, including the full size spare wheel here and build a platform on top for a bed frame. Here is a mockup with a convenient board I had sitting in the garage. (the scratches in the passenger seat are from another incident, not from this exercise)
The full spare is 13" (and 33" diameter). The spare will take up most of this space, and it will not go in horizontally, i.e. access to the spare requires removing the platform on top. Two 3x2 are about the right size to support a 3'x4' board on top. Tie it all down with a couple of straps and D-Rings and the spare should not hit the rear screen when braking hard. I'll update this post later.
This gives you a 7" long bed. Note that you get exactly the same bed if you leave the seat in and fold it flat. You just don't have much storage under it.
Also, the Rivian is tall enough that I could lift the whole platform maybe another 10" for a total of 7'x48"x12" storage area. It would require more boards and support in the back. Then I can also have 2 spare wheels for the Dalton Highway
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