Taming the chaos that is the center console

[bbqdevil]

After losing my chapstick among the depths of the center console, I did a little measuring and a little shopping.

The console is 6x6 at the bottom, and 6x8(ish) at the top. I swung by The Container Store and picked up a few stackable wooden drawer organizers that allow me to give things a place, and then lift out sections if I need what is below them. I used a 6x6 base and then two 3x6 sections that stack into it.

In my case, I have a stack of masks (my daughter's masks, which come longer and thinner fit snugly tucked into the side), then headache meds and gum, glasses cleaners, wallet, work badge, etc. up top.

I'm sure at some point, someone will make a great aftermarket solution, but if you're looking for a fix in the meantime, I'm pretty happy with these results.

Here's the link: https://www.containerstore.com/s/of...wood-drawer-organizers/12d?productId=11015175

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[Autolycus]

How deep is it?

It seems like the ideal for me would maybe be something that’s 6x6 at the bottom and can be pulled out with a grab handle and then a shallower bin that’s split in half and sits above the other one.

 

[bbqdevil]

11" deep. It's more of an abyss than a storage area.

I did the split trays on top because I can reach in and lift them out easily so I can get to the lower layer, but something with a handle would work. The handle could even act as another divider if need be.

 

[kylealden]

I went a slightly different route and grabbed two of these in different colorways: VisiMesh Utility Tool Pouch - STEP 22 Gear. I have one for gear (cables/chargers/etc. for every device known to man, and a spare USB-C battery) and one for miscellany (chapstick/excedrin/cleaning wipes). They're easy to access but I can also pull them completely out easily and move them to a side pocket or something if I need to use the whole interior volume (for my wife's clutch, a nalgene and dog bowl, etc.).

I also keep a larger pouch in the driver's side door for various glovebox stuff that never leaves the car - trauma shears with a glassbreaker/ring cutter/seatbelt cutter, a Leatherman with a firestarter, whistle, and bottle opener, a variety of large cleaning wipes that work miracles on vinyl for dog drool/food spills/etc, waterproof pen and field notes, some napkins, a carabiner key ring with spare keys for my crossbars/locking hitch pins/cargo boxes/bike locks, etc.

(There's a sister pouch for the passenger side door for passenger crap - otherwise that all winds up loose in the cupholders/console/door pockets. We'll see if this works )

Then the under-seat storage is reserved for sunglasses and the elastic in the console is reserved for park/wilderness permits, license and registration docs, the manual, and any other important papers.

What I like about this approach is it's super easy to yank everything if needed (e.g. for detailing the interior), without just having a loose bag of "console crap" that I then have to re-sort when I get back in the car. And it keeps everything out of site and well contained without be a huge PITA to get to while driving. Nothing makes me crazier than rooting around in a bin of loose crap. I'm ADHD enough that unless everything has a specific, intentional, permanent home, I'll never see it again, so finding the right amount of structure without too much overhead is the only way to keep sane and functional

 

[bbqdevil]

I'm liking the door pouch idea, thinking I may need to implement that as well.

It's funny how much we take a simple glove box for granted until we don't have it. There's still a litany of storage in the Rivian, but it's almost too much and too open to be effective, if that makes sense.

 

[kylealden]

It's funny how much we take a simple glove box for granted until we don't have it. There's still a litany of storage in the Rivian, but it's almost too much and too open to be effective, if that makes sense.

Jury is still out on this one for me. I've been fighting the good fight in my Tesla glovebox for years and I think I prefer a big open volume and usable door pockets which I have more ability to structure - I have an organizer for my Tesla glovebox but it's too small and oddly shaped to be super functional. I do miss the extra contained space (especially for things like napkins and documents) but realistically I'd just fill it will all the crap that I currently have more neatly contained in pouches.

I do 100% love the open storage at the footwell in the Rivian - perfect for a camera bag, fast food, some flowers, a purse, etc. I hate having that stuff underfoot and it's way more practical than the useless front bin in the Model 3/Y that I'm used to.

I'd take a glovebox if it had no tradeoffs, but if I had to decide I'd rather have the under seat compartments and the open floor area. (Not that those are the real world tradeoffs, just saying I'm happy on balance.)

 

[kylealden]

I'm liking the door pouch idea, thinking I may need to implement that as well.

If you go the door pouch route, be smarter than me and get a dark/neutral colored one I got bright colors to differentiate our bags, which is nice except now I've got a big neon "maybe there's valuable shit in here!" highlighter that is visible from the window unless I'm super careful to tuck it down. I've been through enough smash 'n grabs to be a firm believer that from the outside my car should look as empty as the day it was delivered.

 

[bbqdevil]

Having lost the rear window in my M3 last week to someone curious about valuables in the car, I'm all about making sure that NOTHING is visible in the truck.

There was nothing in the car, either, but they popped the back seat to check the trunk. Which was also empty. So I'm out $556 for them to get nothing.

 

[Brewbud]

My 32oz Yeti tumbler fits perfectly in that console. I wish there was a sunglass holder up top though.

 

[dleewla]

nothing against you but i find it pretty ridiculous that there are so many storage hacks for that middle footwell area on a $90k vehicle. poor designing by Rivian. they went idealistic thinking a large, open area would be great for adventurers to put backpacks, when 95% of the usage will be to work, the mall and parks on the weekend. where we need to store more day to day things like sunblock, wipes, gum, masks, sunglasses, etc.

 

[ja_kub_sz]

I just leave that console empty.

My cab has practicality nothing in it (use the small seat storage though), but I've loaded all the rest of the truck with crap.

I-pass, sunglasses, screen cloth/wipe, and usb-c cable. That's all I carry now.

Oh... and a mask of course... And a hatchet under the rear seat.

 

[R1Sky Business]

I went a slightly different route and grabbed two of these in different colorways: VisiMesh Utility Tool Pouch - STEP 22 Gear. I have one for gear (cables/chargers/etc. for every device known to man, and a spare USB-C battery) and one for miscellany (chapstick/excedrin/cleaning wipes). They're easy to access but I can also pull them completely out easily and move them to a side pocket or something if I need to use the whole interior volume (for my wife's clutch, a nalgene and dog bowl, etc.).

I also keep a larger pouch in the driver's side door for various glovebox stuff that never leaves the car - trauma shears with a glassbreaker/ring cutter/seatbelt cutter, a Leatherman with a firestarter, whistle, and bottle opener, a variety of large cleaning wipes that work miracles on vinyl for dog drool/food spills/etc, waterproof pen and field notes, some napkins, a carabiner key ring with spare keys for my crossbars/locking hitch pins/cargo boxes/bike locks, etc.

(There's a sister pouch for the passenger side door for passenger crap - otherwise that all winds up loose in the cupholders/console/door pockets. We'll see if this works )

Then the under-seat storage is reserved for sunglasses and the elastic in the console is reserved for park/wilderness permits, license and registration docs, the manual, and any other important papers.

What I like about this approach is it's super easy to yank everything if needed (e.g. for detailing the interior), without just having a loose bag of "console crap" that I then have to re-sort when I get back in the car. And it keeps everything out of site and well contained without be a huge PITA to get to while driving. Nothing makes me crazier than rooting around in a bin of loose crap. I'm ADHD enough that unless everything has a specific, intentional, permanent home, I'll never see it again, so finding the right amount of structure without too much overhead is the only way to keep sane and functional

You are ready for the Zombie apocalypse

 

[bbqdevil]

nothing against you but i find it pretty ridiculous that there are so many storage hacks for that middle footwell area on a $90k vehicle. poor designing by Rivian. they went idealistic thinking a large, open area would be great for adventurers to put backpacks, when 95% of the usage will be to work, the mall and parks on the weekend. where we need to store more day to day things like sunblock, wipes, gum, masks, sunglasses, etc.

My hack is for the center console between the seats. I actually like the foot well and use it for things like my work backpack, my camera gear, etc., so for my work, it's actually perfect.

 

[Autolycus]

The footwell storage looks perfect for a laptop bag/backpack for commuting. Is it not? In my current car I throw my backpack on the passenger seat, assuming I’m alone. I’d much prefer having it on the floor, which also means there’s a place for it if I’m carpooling.

 

[Gshenderson]

The footwell storage looks perfect for a laptop bag/backpack for commuting. Is it not? In my current car I throw my backpack on the passenger seat, assuming I’m alone. I’d much prefer having it on the floor, which also means there’s a place for it if I’m carpooling.

To me that open space in the footwell is hard to access for larger items when you have the cup holders out. I would have preferred a more organized closed console there for smaller stuff. By no means a deal killer for me though. I’ll make it work.

My 2015 Tesla S was similarly configured. They later changed it to include a closed console, but not on 2015 and earlier - it was just a tray down at floor level. I ended up buying an aftermarket one that was leather wrapped and color matched to the interior. Looked like it came that way from the factory vs. an aftermarket hack. I’m optimistic that someone will do the same for the R1T.

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