Are R1T / R1S really 'Adventure Vehicles'? Discuss...

[Mathme]

Adventure is what you make of it. I've put almost 4,000 miles on my adventure truck in 2.5 months. Most of the extended miles have been to places where we go Mtn biking, staying overnight, wine tasting, in some cases both in the same day, trips to the local nursery, and so forth.

Is it the best vehicle at doing everything, no. But then again, it's great for how I use it and after 20 years driving an SUV, I love the change in form factor.

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[Thedude]

Tell that to my friend who has a lightning and couldn't go on an overlanding trip because of ground clearance and it's associated angles.

If a R1T can make it there so can a F150. You might scrape a bit here and there but that’s a pretty standard part of driving off-road driving.

 

[John G.]

For me:

1) 0 to 60 in 3.0 seconds
2) The first fully-electric pickup truck made available in America
3) Unprecedented driving capabiities combined with advanced engineering
4) Battery charging at home in the Pacific Northwest where it costs ~ .04 cents a mile
5) Pet mode for my two Bostons
6) A truck my wife actually likes and encouraged me to buy, instead of a new Mercedes for her...

...I could go on and on. But I'd say it's been an adventure vehicle for me, and I haven't even gone deep into the outback yet. So, I'll have to get back to you on that...

 

[SeaGeo]

If a R1T can make it there so can a F150. You might scrape a bit here and there but that’s a pretty standard part of driving off-road driving.

I can definitely make it a lot more places with my R1T without touching than the lightning can get to. The difference between the R1T and Lightning in approach angle is very apparent in person. Sure if you want to pull the air dam off and still risk losing a bumper you can get to a lot of the same spots.
Lightning:

R1T:

 

[Chewy734]

For me, the answer to your question is a resounding yes.

I don’t do rock crawling, but instead enjoy exploring off-road trails in my R1S. I’m also a novice, but anything that I’ve thrown at it has been handled quite easily, despite using just all-season tires.

That being said, I think a fairer comparison would be to a stock Jeep instead of a “well-modified” one.

 

[HighVoltOverland]

sure you can. Use the radio. Or your phone over BT. The spamellite radio service I suspect you want isn't the only way, and personally I'm glad I'm not getting spam from them because I bought a Rivian. I've dealt with that too many times in the past.

If music is really important you could just download for offline listening before your trip.

That has been a step for long drive prep for a while, never let me down, even driving through the boonies

 

[SeaGeo]

If music is really important you could just download for offline listening before your trip.

That has been a step for long drive prep for a while, never let me down, even driving through the boonies

They clarified their point that they'd like music over USB to not have to rely on Bluetooth for music.

 

[NineElectrics]

Also:

- no heat pump
- flimsy jack
- vehicle is only secured by one brake/tire when changing a rear wheel: not good. Front wheels rotate free. Makes it sketchy to change a tire on an incline without bringing chocks.
- prone to skidding on ice during regen
- no winter tire available in 21”
- poor deicing of windshield wiper well
- no 30A RV park charge adapter bundled

 

[ironpig]

"Adventure vehicle" is obviously a branding and marketing label.

But really Adventure is something done by people, not a vehicle. Any vehicle can be an adventure tool in the right hands on the right trip.

 

[HighVoltOverland]

They clarified their point that they'd like music over USB to not have to rely on Bluetooth for music.

I realize I responded to the wrong person, but yeah I saw they said they literally were just wanting to complain

 

[Thedude]

Here’s a real adventure vehicle. Quicker and faster than a Rivian but you can still camp in style and have a cold beer waiting when the Rivian driver finally shows up

 

[Kevlar]

Absolutely. This entire process since 2019 has been an adventure.

 

[Rknb2000]

Anything that makes you hunt for a charger in a random parking lot is by default an adventure vehicle.

? Great comment!

 

[alameli]

I was pondering whether I'd consider the R1T to really be an "adventure" vehicle while driving yesterday. I realize the claim is partly branding, this isn't all that important since I love the thing, and I don't want to get overly pedantic, but still...

"Yes, it is":
- acceleration
- ground clearance
- cornering on fairly firm surfaces
- camp speaker (I know it's not universally loved, but it still falls in this category)
- 4-wheel independent traction control
- short-range towing ability
- water fording depth

"Could have been":
- camp kitchen

"No, not really":
- range limitations (particularly if doing something demanding)
- fragile outer skin
- weight (an issue on packed snow, ice, mud, sand....)
- long wheelbase (R1T particularly)
- time/cost for repairs
- very limited ability to customize (larger wheels/tires, body lift, light bar, winch, etc.)
- poor turning radius

So, then I ask, how is it better than a well-modified Jeep?
- on-road experience (acceleration, ride, cornering, quiet)
- short-range towing
- cargo space
- water fording depth
- ... is that it?

And, where is it good as a "real" truck?
- road experience (acceleration, ride, cornering, quiet)
- short-range towing ability
- cheaper to operate, assuming your electricity is cheap

I can see it's a different blend of compromises than most of what's out there, so marketing it differently makes sense. Still, would you call it an 'adventure vehicle'? If so, why?

Curious about others' thoughts...

Bought it for the camp kitchen. They have failed in this aspect…so the adventure is gone!

 

[SDH]

This is a great thread. For me, just look at the photo of this thread.

My only ask for Rivian would be to have an option of an R1 without air suspension and a decent set of shocks instead. I can live without the adjustable ride heights and modes. Plus it's probably cheaper to buy and fix.

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