The Rivian I Want: A No-Nonsense, Modular, Adventure-Ready EV Truck

[emoore]

A ~10 kWh pack would weigh ~130 lbs. Not too hard to load that onto someone else's rig, take to a charger, and come back with enough juice to get out.

A Tesla powerwall is 13.5 kWh and weighs 250 lbs.

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[ThirteenElectrics]

Rivian was originally what you wanted. However, the damn batteries cost so much that it had to be priced as a luxury car and sold to rich geeks. That's why you have this weird dichotomy where it's half a premium luxury car and half a noisy no frills bro-mobile. Take the HVAC and suspensions, for example. Noisy as hell. Nobody would care on a Jeep, but they're out of place on a luxury car.

I think the Scout will be what you want. I plan to migrate to them ASAP.

 

[usulio]

The Rivian You Got: a lot of nonsense. Not modular. Pretty darn adventure ready though.

What I would add to your list:
* keys that work
* a power button so you can turn the vehicle on or off
* vampire drain of fewer than multiple kWh per day
* repairable with manual published. for example, it would say where the fuses are and what they do.
* fair bit lighter weight thanks to lack of nonsense.

 

[docwhiz]

Hey Rivian team and fellow adventurers,

I absolutely adore my R1T tri-motor. It is hands-down the best vehilce I've ever owned. But I keep thinking about what a truly adventure-ready Rivian could look like. Right now, the R1T is a fantastic truck, but it’s more luxury adventure than no-frills off-roader. What I’d love to see is a Rivian that blends EV innovation with the raw capability and modularity of a Jeep—a truck that’s rugged, simple, and built to be modified.

The Truck I Want:

Affordable – A real adventure truck shouldn’t break the bank. Something in the $60K-$70K range, making it competitive with a Jeep Wrangler 4xe or Tacoma TRD Pro. We don’t need luxury leather, wood grain, and fancy software—just solid engineering and off-road capability.

A Modifiable Platform – Rivian should embrace the aftermarket and build a platform that’s easy to modify, not one that makes third-party upgrades difficult. Think modular body panels, universal mounting points, and factory support for lift kits, bigger tires, and customizations. Let people build the adventure rig they want!

Truly Built for Adventure – I shouldn’t be terrified that a minor dent is going to be a $15K repair bill. Give us more durable, repairable body panels (steel, aluminum, or even modular plastic options like Jeep). Make it tough and field-serviceable—if something mechanical breaks, I should be able to fix it with basic tools and a welder.

Keep It Simple – No fancy automated luxuries. Manual charging door, manual everything. The fewer motors and actuators, the better. A truck should be tough and reliable, not an electrical nightmare.

Basic Driver Assist, Nothing More – I don’t need 30+ sensors and an AI co-pilot. A basic, effective driver-assist system (adaptive cruise, lane keep assist) is all that’s needed. Frankly, the Kia rental I drove recently had a smoother system than my Rivian.

Real Off-Road Capabilities –
• Manual lockers – We need true mechanical lockers, not just software tricks.
• Smaller wheels, bigger tires – The stock 20” wheels and Pirelli tires are simply not that great for off-roading. It should be factory-equipped to run 35”+ tires, and it should be liftable without causing software headaches.
• Heavy-duty bumpers – Integrated, steel bumpers with tow points. Protect the vehicle from damage, especially in low-speed technical terrain.
• No glass roof – Cool gimmick, but useless for serious adventuring. A reinforced metal roof would be lighter, stronger, and more practical for mounting accessories like roof racks and rooftop tents.

Reserve Battery for Remote Rescues – Running out of charge deep in the backcountry is a real risk, and one of the main reasons people are not ready for a full EV off-roader. Instead of waiting for a tow truck, why not have a removable, modular battery pack with 25-50 miles of range? Something you can carry to a charger, plug in, and get yourself out of trouble. That would be a game-changer for off-road EV travel.

The Bottom Line

Rivian has an opportunity to create an EV overlander’s dream truck—a no-nonsense, trail-capable rig that doesn’t need to be babied. Think of it like a Jeep Wrangler, but electric. If Rivian can deliver this, it would dominate the adventure and overlanding space in a way no EV has yet.

Who else wants to see something like this? What would you add to the list?

Hey Rivian team and fellow adventurers,

I absolutely adore my R1T tri-motor. It is hands-down the best vehilce I've ever owned. But I keep thinking about what a truly adventure-ready Rivian could look like. Right now, the R1T is a fantastic truck, but it’s more luxury adventure than no-frills off-roader. What I’d love to see is a Rivian that blends EV innovation with the raw capability and modularity of a Jeep—a truck that’s rugged, simple, and built to be modified.

The Truck I Want:

Affordable – A real adventure truck shouldn’t break the bank. Something in the $60K-$70K range, making it competitive with a Jeep Wrangler 4xe or Tacoma TRD Pro. We don’t need luxury leather, wood grain, and fancy software—just solid engineering and off-road capability.

A Modifiable Platform – Rivian should embrace the aftermarket and build a platform that’s easy to modify, not one that makes third-party upgrades difficult. Think modular body panels, universal mounting points, and factory support for lift kits, bigger tires, and customizations. Let people build the adventure rig they want!

Truly Built for Adventure – I shouldn’t be terrified that a minor dent is going to be a $15K repair bill. Give us more durable, repairable body panels (steel, aluminum, or even modular plastic options like Jeep). Make it tough and field-serviceable—if something mechanical breaks, I should be able to fix it with basic tools and a welder.

Keep It Simple – No fancy automated luxuries. Manual charging door, manual everything. The fewer motors and actuators, the better. A truck should be tough and reliable, not an electrical nightmare.

Basic Driver Assist, Nothing More – I don’t need 30+ sensors and an AI co-pilot. A basic, effective driver-assist system (adaptive cruise, lane keep assist) is all that’s needed. Frankly, the Kia rental I drove recently had a smoother system than my Rivian.

Real Off-Road Capabilities –
• Manual lockers – We need true mechanical lockers, not just software tricks.
• Smaller wheels, bigger tires – The stock 20” wheels and Pirelli tires are simply not that great for off-roading. It should be factory-equipped to run 35”+ tires, and it should be liftable without causing software headaches.
• Heavy-duty bumpers – Integrated, steel bumpers with tow points. Protect the vehicle from damage, especially in low-speed technical terrain.
• No glass roof – Cool gimmick, but useless for serious adventuring. A reinforced metal roof would be lighter, stronger, and more practical for mounting accessories like roof racks and rooftop tents.

Reserve Battery for Remote Rescues – Running out of charge deep in the backcountry is a real risk, and one of the main reasons people are not ready for a full EV off-roader. Instead of waiting for a tow truck, why not have a removable, modular battery pack with 25-50 miles of range? Something you can carry to a charger, plug in, and get yourself out of trouble. That would be a game-changer for off-road EV travel.

The Bottom Line

Rivian has an opportunity to create an EV overlander’s dream truck—a no-nonsense, trail-capable rig that doesn’t need to be babied. Think of it like a Jeep Wrangler, but electric. If Rivian can deliver this, it would dominate the adventure and overlanding space in a way no EV has yet.

Who else wants to see something like this? What would you add to the list?

https://www.telotrucks.com/

 

[R1Thor]

A Tesla powerwall is 13.5 kWh and weighs 250 lbs.

Listen,
He's just thinking about this in future tense!

 

[emoore]

Listen,
He's just thinking about this in future tense!

Would love for that to happen but the words forecast and 2030 make it less plausible.

 

[docwhiz]

Would love for that to happen but the words forecast and 2030 make it less plausible.

These forecasts have been accurate in the past.
Battery costs are now much less than $100/kWh and will continue to drop.

 

[docwhiz]

Telo Trucks

 

[Eeyore]

The reason automakers like Ford and GM continue to make money is because they overcharge for trucks and SUVs. Those vehicles have the highest profit margins.

Disagree. They charge no more that what the market will support. It's more like people PAY more than those vehicles are worth.

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