Stupid Idea? Probably

[sillygoose]

It is a fine line between crazy and adventure but there is no better way than to dive and do the trip. After all there is a lot going for you:
- it is all downhill to Boston
- plenty of DCFC charging options along I80/I90
- in NY you can also stop at Tesla Superchargers in Fredonia, Batavia, Verona (all nicely spaced on the Thruway)
- then a final charge at the Tesla Superchargers in Malta (outside Albany) and take the back roads thru VT/NH for a scenic finish to an epic road trip.

+1 on using the EA $4/month plan and get the Tesla app to setup charging at supported Tesla Superchargers in NY should you need to use them.

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[lefkonj]

you are perfectly fine. Just be playful with your trip. Don't listen to anyone but yourself regarding the state of charge you are comfortable with. However I live by the 25-30% rule, when I hit that I charge, period end of story. Get it back up to 85-90 or higher and then move on.

It will all be fine and you will love the R1S as do I. I didn't take as long of a trip as you but I did NJ to Boston in my R1S a few days after delivery and it was amazing, it too was my first EV.

 

[halseygary]

I took delivery of my R1T at 9:30am and loaded it up and was on the road for a 1,000mi trip by 10:30am. I'd never owned an EV previously and it worked out great.

With that said, I did pre-plan my trip with charging stops via Plug Share.

 

[Kwgeorge]

So I just scheduled my July 1st R1S pick up in Denver. Was set to receive it in June but pushed on my end due to increased state EV credit coming in July.

I am now forced to leave for my road trip to Boston that day in order to have any chance of being there on the 4th. I have no EV experience outside of test drives, friend’s cars and thousands of articles and videos. Am I crazy for thinking I can do this day 1 of ownership? Just to be clear, I don’t really intend to listen to anyone that says I’m crazy and shouldn’t do it, it just factors into my personal comfort level as I make the attempt

Any advice on routes or things to bring along would be greatly appreciated. Flying my family to Boston so that the stress is only car related, so hopefully that makes me less insane for considering.

I did a virgin drive in an R1T last fall and love the adventure. Go for it.
http://georgecooper.info/index.php/2022/11/28/a-rivian-ride/

 

[WSea]

I did a virgin drive in an R1T last fall and love the adventure. Go for it.
http://georgecooper.info/index.php/2022/11/28/a-rivian-ride/

Congrats on beating the big C! Love your reward...and great story

 

[RivCA]

So I just scheduled my July 1st R1S pick up in Denver. Was set to receive it in June but pushed on my end due to increased state EV credit coming in July.

I am now forced to leave for my road trip to Boston that day in order to have any chance of being there on the 4th. I have no EV experience outside of test drives, friend’s cars and thousands of articles and videos. Am I crazy for thinking I can do this day 1 of ownership? Just to be clear, I don’t really intend to listen to anyone that says I’m crazy and shouldn’t do it, it just factors into my personal comfort level as I make the attempt

Any advice on routes or things to bring along would be greatly appreciated. Flying my family to Boston so that the stress is only car related, so hopefully that makes me less insane for considering.

Embrace the adventure. I flew to Denver for pick up and drove to SF day 1. Truck was amazing and charging was graceful enough. One recommendation, I bought Track Armour tape on AMZN and wrapped a few key spots on the front to guard against rock chips. Worked perfectly. Got the truck fully wrapped a few weeks later. good luck

 

[tyfly867]

Do it! Excited to hear the results!

 

[240vPlug]

Not crazy at all. Patience will be key. You can use the in car NAV or ABRP. Depending on the distance and available chargers along your route....you may want to setup accounts ahead of time with the charging network(s) in order to speed things up when you pull in to the charger and connect.

Good luck and nothing like a crash course to get you started

 

[defcon888]

So I just scheduled my July 1st R1S pick up in Denver. Was set to receive it in June but pushed on my end due to increased state EV credit coming in July.

I am now forced to leave for my road trip to Boston that day in order to have any chance of being there on the 4th. I have no EV experience outside of test drives, friend’s cars and thousands of articles and videos. Am I crazy for thinking I can do this day 1 of ownership? Just to be clear, I don’t really intend to listen to anyone that says I’m crazy and shouldn’t do it, it just factors into my personal comfort level as I make the attempt

Any advice on routes or things to bring along would be greatly appreciated. Flying my family to Boston so that the stress is only car related, so hopefully that makes me less insane for considering.

The ABRP (A Better Route Planner) app is a great app to start. Also, use the Plug-Share app as well.

Since you have a few weeks, look at the Rivian charging map to see where the RAN (Rivian Adventure Network) chargers are....they have 3 lightning bolts for icons. Plan your route and you will be ok. Since it will be your first experience, charge whenever you can to avoid the "running out of electricity" worries.....and by the way, you are NOT crazy.

 

[CharonPDX]

I should add - my original plan when we got the truck was to pick it up at the factory, then drive it home to the West coast over 4 days. A friend (hey @mgc0216 !) got to do that, but took more time. Sadly, by the time my vehicle was ready, they weren't allowing factory delivery any more unless you live in Illinois. (It looks like they have since started again.)

So instead, I had to wait three weeks for it to arrive by rail. Then I took it on a towing camping trip three days later. Which involved a puckeringly close call getting to a charge station, turning off AC (in 90+ degree weather) for the last half hour, and arriving with 3 miles of range left (and it was downhill the last 6 miles before the charge station!)

 

[mgc0216]

yep - I picked up my R1T at the factory just over a year ago and drove it home over 3 days from Illinois to Oregon - Had only ever driven a Model Y on a test drive, but it was all a non-issue.

My toolkit included:

- A better route planner
- Electrify America and Charge point apps w/ the accounts all setup
- A credit card

Really wasn't a big deal, and the truck was great for multiple 12+ hour days (I've actually done three different trips with multiple 12+ hour days and it was totally great).

 

[HaveBlue]

Great thread. I'd say if you are driving by yourself, you'll want a rest every 4-5 hours anyway. Meal breaks fit with charging sessions.

 

[halseygary]

Great thread. I'd say if you are driving by yourself, you'll want a rest every 4-5 hours anyway. Meal breaks fit with charging sessions.

I tell this to people all the time. After 300miles of range in a vehicle it's not the range that limits you it's Food/Drink/Restroom break for the driver and passengers.

 

[cbrcanuck]

So I just scheduled my July 1st R1S pick up in Denver. Was set to receive it in June but pushed on my end due to increased state EV credit coming in July.

I am now forced to leave for my road trip to Boston that day in order to have any chance of being there on the 4th. I have no EV experience outside of test drives, friend’s cars and thousands of articles and videos. Am I crazy for thinking I can do this day 1 of ownership? Just to be clear, I don’t really intend to listen to anyone that says I’m crazy and shouldn’t do it, it just factors into my personal comfort level as I make the attempt

Any advice on routes or things to bring along would be greatly appreciated. Flying my family to Boston so that the stress is only car related, so hopefully that makes me less insane for considering.

Haven't read the thread but figured I'd throw my opinion out there. Fun! Life is for adventures, and this is just another one. This is my first EV and have found ABRP to be great with trip planning and not to trust the truck's thoughts on navigation (at least within cities). And the ABRP and truck's range projections have been really good, which gives me a lot of confidence in trip planning.

I did July 4th in Boston almost 25 years ago, don't know what it's like now but it's still the best July 4th (or July 1st as I'm Canadian) fireworks I've ever seen!

 

[Swilly]

Thanks to everyone for the words of encouragement, advice and well wishes. I am absolutely going for it and will report my success and subsequent east coast debauchery. Too many great messages to respond to each, but after reading everything, I had a few things to mention.
1) I think that range is the least of my concerns. I am the type that drives everyone in my car nuts because I fill up at every available gas station when on a road trip. I will likely stop more often and sooner than needed, but we all have something conservative about our personalities.
2) on ABRP, I was surprised by the stations they chose for me along the way when cross checked with plugshare. Lots of slow chargers when faster we’re available nearby and stations with very problematic check ins in terms of success charging. Anybody else experience this?
3) Have my car emergency kit dialed in thanks to everyone’s recommendations. I am now turning to accessories. I was going to hold off on the roof rack until I find something properly suited for the R1S, but could really use on this trip. I know that the three attachment points thus crossbars aren’t level, and have seen some intense workarounds. Anyone come up with an easy solution that will allow for a standard platform rack to be installed quickly and be level? Was thinking pool noodle or a notched pvc pipe, but that’s all headed towards a McGyver meets bush fix look.

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