To Shield or Not to Shield? Option the Reinforced Underbody Shield?

[dleewla]

the RUS weight is negligible for range. the non-RUS shield ripping off is most likely due to bolts being loose, not because it isnt made of metal. all it takes is one offroad trip without it to regret not having it. since the non-RUS is composite/plastic it'll get damaged easier and id guess if you have to replace parts of it, it'll quickly add up to the cost of the RUS at time of purchase. id say it probably also increases resale value if you plan on selling your R1.

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[C.R. Rivian]

Do you also have the powered tonneau cover?

yep, OK so far

 

[goldburger]

I have a RUS with a spare and underbody on 21’s and get wonderful range. Still wish I didn’t have it tho since I don’t off road lol.

 

[astonius]

I have a RUS with a spare and underbody on 21’s and get wonderful range. Still wish I didn’t have it tho since I don’t off road lol.

Enjoy the quieter ride!

 

[goldburger]

Enjoy the quieter ride!

Oh just seeing that it shields road noise? Wow that’s great. Also one of the reasons I love the 21’s— so quiet! Makes the wind issue on my A pillar deafening lol.

 

[astonius]

Oh just seeing that it shields road noise? Wow that’s great. Also one of the reasons I love the 21’s— so quiet! Makes the wind issue on my A pillar deafening lol.

It’s not an advertised benefit but one myself and others have noticed anecdotally.

 

[BrentInCO]

I'm curious if anyone has 1) regretted not getting the Reinforced Underbody Shield (e.g. incurred damage that the shield may have prevented, or 2) regretted spending the $ on it.

[I have the RUS on my Launch Edition R1S as I regularly do some serious off-roading, have used my FJ for doing so prior to receiving my R1S. And I now have a tougher decision to make on my second Rivian order, as I want to be under the $80k MSRP threshold for CO state tax incentives ($5k credit). I know the RUS is only available at time of manufacture, unlike some of the other options I'm deliberating over, such as upgrading to black wheels. 2nd order will be a Dual Motor, so less capable off road anyway. I'm likely leaning toward no RUS. It is a second vehicle after all; so there'd be optionality / diversification. The ground clearance is already significant.]

 

[jplblue]

I'm curious if anyone has 1) regretted not getting the Reinforced Underbody Shield (e.g. incurred damage that the shield may have prevented, or 2) regretted spending the $ on it.

[I have the RUS on my Launch Edition R1S as I regularly do some serious off-roading, have used by FJ for doing so prior to receiving my R1S. And I now have a tougher decision to make on my second Rivian order, as I want to be under the $80k MSRP threshold for CO state tax incentives ($5k credit). I know the RUS is only available at time of manufacture, unlike some of the other options I'm deliberating over.]

I have RUS on the R1S. If I were in your position (already have an R1 with RUS + losing out on tax incentives), I would definitely skip the RUS.

 

[MidnightRivian]

Bash plate all day long.

don’t even do any mods until you save up $2,000 for the bash plate.

 

[GrandEnigma]

Having lived in NJ most of my life, you dont need to be off-roading to get utility from a skid plate. You never know what you might encounter on the road. Having to replace a damaged skid plate is much cheaper then having to replace some drive train component that took the impact instead.

My Tesla MYP even has one for this reason.

 

[Andystroh]

I'm curious if anyone has 1) regretted not getting the Reinforced Underbody Shield (e.g. incurred damage that the shield may have prevented, or 2) regretted spending the $ on it.

I'm curious about this as well. Come on, no one has banged up the bottom?! No replaced batteries from rock impact?

I do not have the underbody shield. I have a few scratches on the panels on the bottom but definitely nothing severe. When I spoke with my guide back in the very early days of production, it was expressed several times that the underbody shield extended the protection to cover a greater area, but the battery protection was essentially the same on either one. The RUS just gave better protection forward and behind the battery. I can even read that interpretation in the current description:

Protecting the underbody of our vehicle is a layered shield of high-strength steel, alloyed aluminum and carbon fiber composite. Engineered to absorb, deflect and distribute force from impacts, the shield is designed for protection in the most extreme off-road conditions.

With the Reinforced Underbody Shield, available as an optional upgrade, the underbody shield is enhanced with reinforced materials extending from bumper to bumper and side to side.

So is it a layered shield of high-strength steel, alloyed aluminum, and carbon fiber composite by default? And if you get the RUS it extends it from side to side and front to back? Whereas without it the areas beyond the battery are weaker?

Of course now that we've seen vehicles with both there are some differences, even the panel on the battery, so it is tough to know how significant the difference is.

Fortunately with the serious ground clearance, we have to go on pretty rough roads to get into trouble. We don't go 'rock crawling', we just want to be able to get to trailheads without concern. We definitely feel like that need is fulfilled, even without the underbody shield. It would be great to have a few more details about the differences though.

edit: So maybe to answer the question minor regret in not getting the RUS, but without any actual consequence to the vehicle.

 

[Robotpedlr]

Opposite of the OP, we had shop access and only found our exact color/wheel/interior match with the RUS option, so we opted to get it (even though our original config was w/o).

No regrets beyond the initial $1,700 or so. We figured the extra protection can't hurt and may come in handy if we run over some sh*t on 167 or 405 through Renton. Plus if it helps with road noise, all the better.

 

[Mathme]

I got it as it was bundled in the off road package...and I really wanted the full size spare.

 

[EchoDelta]

Probably just speculation. Just like speculation that you’ll be able to replace the battery pack with new battery chemistry. Not going to happen.

A chunk of steel plate is easier to replace than a battery. We put on our Model Y the one that Mountain Pass Performance offers. So many more companies are offering these sort of accessories for Rivian that I believe it is mostly a matter of figuring out pricepoints and logistics (it's not like UPS will drop a steel plate the size of a small car on your doorstep).

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