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Upcoming First R1T Trip - Upstate NY to Steamboat Springs CO

E Allyn

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For the past 5 years, I have driven one of my Teslas from upstate NY to NW Colorado in early December, and then to SW Florida in April, and finally back to upstate NY in April. The first few years gave me (and my dog/driving companion) some range anxiety, but the Tesla SuperCharger network grew very well, and was ALWAYS reliable. Additionally (and perhaps because I stay in more obscure geographies), I never had to wait for a charger. Ever. And that's with over 400,000 miles between my Teslas.

As a DELIGHTED owner of an R1T, I am now excited to embark on the same journey. I am a user of ABRP, as well as plug share, and have begun to map my trip. A few other pieces of info: my R1T is Adventure model, LA Silver, 20" AT's, Quad Motor, Large Battery. Not much extra weight in the Truck with me - and sadly my dog has passed, so I'll be driving solo. My questions for this group:

1. CHADMO adapter - is it worth it? In the pre-Supercharger and early Supercharger days, I found it valuable.
2. I am signed up with Electrify America and EVGo. Others to consider? Any secrets on charging with them? Honestly, I am a bit nervous given some of the challenges I've read...
3. Related to route planner built into the Rivian: as a plot my route, and drill into the various high speed chargers, I have noticed that many of the chargers show IN USE - this seems to be particularly the case with EA chargers...indeed, as I write this, I see EV stations showing all 8 of their 150 kW chargers IN USE. Is there a way of seeing (either in the Rivian App, or through any other mobile app) which chargers are in use at any point in time?
4. Thoughts on the Driver+ Highway assist? I am a huge fan of Tesla's autopilot suite - it definitely helps me to exert less energy in my long drives. Hoping Driver+ will likewise help.
5. Any other thoughts on (nearly) cross country drive - particularly related to the 3rd party charging network?

Thanks, team Rivian!
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moosehead

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There are very solid ChargePoint fast chargers in both Routt County (Steamboat Springs), and Grand County (Fraser & Granby).

I've successfully used the CP fast chargers in Fraser CO in front of the Safeway fishing ponds, Granby CO at the Kum & Go gas station, and Steamboat at the Kum & Go gas station. If you have a ChargePoint account it is plug and go (phone tap).

Weather permitting recommend the drive over both Berthoud Pass and Rabbit Ears Pass on US 40 for the last leg Denver - Steamboat. Just did it this weekend in winter conditions, beautiful drive.
 
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Mathme

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I don't have a Rivian yet, but I've read some posts on here that the Rivian GPS doesn't do well if planning out a multi-day super-long trip. The work-around is to plot your daily distance, and then put that into the GPS...
 

Andystroh

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I don't think the chademo adapter works for CCS does it? But I wouldn't consider it worth it if it does exist.

For charger availability, look at the charger manufacturer apps. I would install chargepoint and electrify america apps if you haven't (EA app is useful for getting the chargers started too). If its mostly EA chargers on your route (likely) get the monthly subscription to reduce the cost. In the EA and chargepoint apps you can see charger availability. I've found it a little more reliable than the rivian app/nav screen in the truck.

Make sure you are using navigation in your truck to get to the next charger - the truck will only precondition the battery if its navigating to a charger. I haven't charged too much in colder weather yet (and when I tried this weekend in cold temps it didn't seem to precondition anyway), but it may help ensure you get the maximum charging rate available.

Good luck on the trip. Steamboat has been getting a ton of snow already this winter, it will be gorgeous up there I bet.
 

DB-EV

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For NYS, get Shell Recharge App to locate the Evolve NY chargers, some 350kw. NY put them in with VW settlement money.
 

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JoulesVerne

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I did this exact same trip this summer in our Ioniq5 (Orange County, NY -> North Routt County, CO) but went back to NY instead of FL.

ABRP is a must. The charging/routing logic is superior to the built-in nav in R1T right now.

The Plugshare app is a must to check on the status of your charging stops ahead of time.

The one time I forgot, we rolled into North Platte, NE with 50 miles of range only to find out that all 4 EA chargers were out of order. We ended up going to an RV park to charge using a portable EVSE so we could get enough range to fast charge at the next EA station 60 miles away. I used Google Maps to search "RV park near me" and called the closest one to the highway within range to explain my predicament.

I agree that the chademo adapter isn't really useful anymore. All EA stations that have a chademo also have a CCS cable. But there's a non-zero chance that the only working EA station is a chademo with a broken CCS cable I suppose!

You may want to consider a Teslatap or similar converter so that you can charge at Tesla L2 EVSEs. These adapters do not allow you to charge at a Supercharger.

I travel with that and a portable EVSE capable of supplying 40 amps (the Rivian EVSE only goes up to 32 amps). You'll want to ask RV campgrounds if they have a 50-amp outlet you can use if you find yourself in this situation.

In general there is a big difference between the Supercharger network and the patchwork of CCS chargers. Namely availability and reliability. Expect to see many broken chargers along the way and full chargers at popular stations and hotels. I suggest having a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C.

Lastly, I think it's time for a new driving buddy! Dogs love charging stops. Safe travels.
 
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bhopkins

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Having made a trip from mid-MI to CO this summer, make sure you have the following charging apps: EA and sign up for the monthly plan as it lowers your fees quite a bit; ChargePoint; EVGo. Use PlugShare to validate the EA chargers are working. Especially check the Ogallala, NE EA site as it has been very problematic. If it is down, there a single charger at Julesburg, CO that can be a lifesaver. The EA app will tell you which and how many dispensers are in use, but it won’t always tell you if the dispenser is down.

Also, check in at every station using PlugShare so other folks have an idea of what’s working/not working. Have fun and safe travels.
 

connoisseurr

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I would recommend using Plugshare. You can login on your computer and setup your trip, select potential charging stations and then save the trip. You can then access on your phone during your trip to cross reference as to what the Rivian navigation system is suggesting.
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