Spare Tire

[EVTrucking]

I have been driving for 50+ yrs and have had 3 flat tires while driving. 2 of the 3 times I had a spare and was back on the road in 20 mins. I am still thankful I had the spare. The one time I did not have a spare was a nightmare. 4 hrs to finally get back on the road. Fortunately I was alone.

My last flat was mid Aug. 2021 on I84. It was 105F with my wife, elderly sister and 2 yr old grandson. Car wedged up against concrete barrier. Too dangerous for anyone but me to get out of the car. Our Prius had a spare so 20 minutes later we were back on the road. The flat tire was unfixable had to be replaced. Flat tire puncture repair kit would have been useless.

Feb. 2022 we purchased our 1st EV (EV6) and we really like it except for one thing, it does not have a spare!

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[Dark-Fx]

Does the R1T come with a jack if you don't order a spare tire? Reason I ask is for the people planning to plug a flat.. first step is to either remove the tire or at least jack it up off the ground. That's kind of difficult to do without a jack...

I've never done either of those things to plug a tire. Rivian's bonus is I don't have to use one of those godawful portable air compressors that take 10 minutes to reinflate a tire.

 

[NY_Rob]

^ I attempted to plug a tire on a sedan (2014 Chevy Volt) w/mud flaps.. tire on the car. Puncture was on a rear tire... It was a PITA just trying to locate the puncture, drive the car (with a flat tire) into position to remove the screw and insert and operate the rasp then finally force the plug in with the limited space I had to work with between the end of the mud flap and ground. Sooo much easier to do all of that with the tire off the vehicle.

 

[E.S.]

It should be noted - while one drives for "every day" usage. The spare is likely less needed (note: I said "likely less" not "you'll never need to change a tire in your life"). This increases exponentially when doing any sort of off-road activity (even something as simple as sand/beaching it). If you're going off road, it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and find yourself stuck out in bum-fup carajo-land.

Get the spare.

 

[SoCal Rob]

^ I attempted to plug a tire on a sedan (2014 Chevy Volt) w/mud flaps.. tire on the car. Puncture was on a rear tire... It was a PITA just trying to locate the puncture, drive the car (with a flat tire) into position to remove the screw and insert and operate the rasp then finally force the plug in with the limited space I had to work with between the end of the mud flap and ground. Sooo much easier to do all of that with the tire off the vehicle.

Keep in mind that with the Rivian you can raise the vehicle to max height and you’ll have a lot more room to work. I’ve done this when plugging punctures several times on our Land Rover. It saves a lot of time.

 

[Gshenderson]

I plan to do a 5 wheel rotation which should get me a few more miles out of the set. Seems better than having an $800 spare collecting dust under the truck bed. At first replacement I’ll decide whether to get 5 new and continue that, or just make the best one the new full time spare.

 

[NY_Rob]

Keep in mind that with the Rivian you can raise the vehicle to max height and you’ll have a lot more room to work. I’ve done this when plugging punctures several times on our Land Rover. It saves a lot of time.

Agreed, much easier than on a low slung sedan with mudflaps.
But as a fixed wing SEL/helicopter pilot and boater I like to consider worst case scenario when assessing risk: dark, raining, cold night on a busy highway and you are the lone occupant. Very difficult to locate no less plug that puncture with the tire still on the vehicle under those conditions.
Easiest fix: remove tire and replace w/ready spare tire
Next easiest fix: remove tire, toss it up in the bed, locate puncture, plug puncture, reinstall tire
Last option: creep vehicle forward or back on a flat tire till you eventually locate (alone in the dark) the puncture, working on the ground- remove nail/screw, file hole, install plug, reinflate.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

With a compressor in the bed, there’s very little reason for most to buy the spare. A $5 plug kit to go under the back seat and it’ll get you out of 90% of your flats.

That said, I’m buying one. I’m getting the 21” for road trips. I’ll actually pull my spare from the bed for the majority of the time but I’ll throw it back in if I know I’ll be doing a road trip.

I sourced a spare for my Tesla to do the same, but I’ve never had to actually use it. It’s just peace of mind.

 

[SoCal Rob]

Agreed, much easier than on a low slung sedan with mudflaps.
But as a fixed wing SEL/helicopter pilot and boater I like to consider worst case scenario when assessing risk: dark, raining, cold night on a busy highway and you are the lone occupant. Very difficult to locate no less plug that puncture with the tire still on the vehicle under those conditions.
Easiest fix: remove tire and replace w/ready spare tire
Next easiest fix: remove tire, toss it up in the bed, locate puncture, plug puncture, reinstall tire
Last option: creep vehicle forward or back on a flat tire till you eventually locate (alone in the dark) the puncture, working on the ground- remove nail/screw, file hole, install plug, reinflate.

If I’m on a busy highway on a rainy night and the lone occupant my version of the easiest option is to call AAA. Call me lazy.

Seriously, it’s a matter of use case and preference. For me the issue is when we’re off-road (I’m never solo) and it can be a lot more challenging to jack a to swap a tire for a spare when you’re on rubble, soft sand, etc. Plus, when off-road I want to save my spare for an irreparable sidewall puncture and not an easily-repaired tread puncture.

Having said that, I’ve mostly had little pluggable punctures while on road and I can use the plug kit in ideal conditions by just raising the vehicle via suspension setting.

edit: autocorrect didn’t

 

[Dirty_B]

Absolutely get the full sized spare and Pirelli Scorpion tire. On value alone it's an incredible bargain. Peace of mind as well. Finally, there are NO aftermarket wheels of any kind available that fit the Rivian because of the massive front caliper and offset. Because of this, I'm building a custom forged set now..(picture of wheel manufacturer taking measurements after scanning).

If I could buy four more Rivian wheels alone for $1500 I'd do it in a heartbeat, but that isn't happening....in fact, over a month into my ownership and I still don't have my full sized spare......

Did you use a Tesla puck to lift that or did the shop have to use some special piece? More than the wheel, it's the jack and ancillary equipment you don't get if you don't get a spare IMO.

 

[3121]

Need is a strong word, but value-wise it seems like a no-brainer. You get a whole matching wheel and tire for $800, grants peace of mind, and allows you to do 5-wheel rotations.

Fully agree, to get a spare factory wheel with rubber for $800 is a bargain, especially if you are getting the 22"s. Worst case you can sell it in a couple years if you never use it.

 

[E.S.]

With a compressor in the bed, there’s very little reason for most to buy the spare. A $5 plug kit to go under the back seat and it’ll get you out of 90% of your flats.

That said, I’m buying one. I’m getting the 21” for road trips. I’ll actually pull my spare from the bed for the majority of the time but I’ll throw it back in if I know I’ll be doing a road trip.

I sourced a spare for my Tesla to do the same, but I’ve never had to actually use it. It’s just peace of mind.

Part of me disagrees. If one is doing daily driving, your point carries more merit. But off-roading? Everything is game. There are plenty of reasons to have both a spare and the luxury of a built-in compressor. Nature doesn't GAF about one's experiences and weather you have or have not gone through needing a tire change because flats out there are usually not a simple puncture that can be fixed with a plug kit. Get that tire gashed and that kit is as good as toilet paper. The spare is more than just a piece of mind. It's a "necessary evil" if one off-roads even on a semi-frequent basis.

Hell I plan to beach/sand it more than mudding and serious off-roading. I wouldn't even consider it had it not been for R1Ts having a built-in compressor and ability to carry a full sized spare.

 

[zefram47]

I have been driving for 50+ yrs and have had 3 flat tires while driving. 2 of the 3 times I had a spare and was back on the road in 20 mins. I am still thankful I had the spare. The one time I did not have a spare was a nightmare. 4 hrs to finally get back on the road. Fortunately I was alone.

My last flat was mid Aug. 2021 on I84. It was 105F with my wife, elderly sister and 2 yr old grandson. Car wedged up against concrete barrier. Too dangerous for anyone but me to get out of the car. Our Prius had a spare so 20 minutes later we were back on the road. The flat tire was unfixable had to be replaced. Flat tire puncture repair kit would have been useless.

Feb. 2022 we purchased our 1st EV (EV6) and we really like it except for one thing, it does not have a spare!

3 months after getting my MINI EV I hit a pothole just the wrong way and blew out the sidewall of one tire. Also managed to do this on a highway on-ramp with no good place to be pulled over given how weird the merge lane was as it doubled as an exit ramp to another highway. It was sketchy. At the time, I didn't have a second set of wheels, but a friend had just swapped to winters on his MINI, so I was able to get them to bring an extra wheel/tire to me. I was still stuck at the roadside in a sketchy spot for about 40 min, but still quicker than waiting on a tow. As you mentioned, the fix a flat kit would've been futile since it was a sidewall puncture and damage to the wheel.

As ever, anyone planning to go off-road should have a full size spare as well. If it's pluggable, sure, do the plug first...but I sure wouldn't want to be on the trail without one.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

Part of me disagrees. If one is doing daily driving, your point carries more merit. But off-roading? Everything is game. There are plenty of reasons to have both a spare and the luxury of a built-in compressor. Nature doesn't GAF about one's experiences and weather you have or have not gone through needing a tire change because flats out there are usually not a simple puncture that can be fixed with a plug kit. Get that tire gashed and kit is as good as toilet paper. The spare is more than just a piece of mind. It's a "necessary evil" if one off-roads even on a semi-frequent basis.

Hell I plan to beach/sand it more than mudding and serious off-roading. I wouldn't even consider it had it not been for R1Ts having a built-in compressor and ability to carry a full sized spare.

I put that in the 10%. There are plenty of wranglers, broncos, and land rovers that never see anything g but pavement.

Even if you do, what percentage of your driving is off road? And how is that any different than me throwing the spare into the back when I do road trips?

 

[E.S.]

I put that in the 10%. There are plenty of wranglers, broncos, and land rovers that never see anything g but pavement.

Even if you do, what percentage of your driving is off road? And how is that any different than me throwing the spare into the back when I do road trips?

As mentioned above, if one plans to do any off-roading, no matter how little the chance, it is enough of a percentage that it is better to be with it and not need it, than need it and be stuck out in who knows where-land without it.

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