R1T towing an inTech Sol Dawn

[VandalSibs]

First camping trip of the year in the bag!

Here's some numbers:

Total towing distance: 205.1 miles
Max speed when towing: 60mph
mi/kWh on the way: 1.47
mi/kWh going home: 1.26
mi/kWh average for trip: 1.37

Overall, my wife and I are very happy with this setup! Never had to charge on the road (45% left on arrival, 35% left when we got home). There's a 1,000 foot elevation change over about 10 miles on this route, downhill on the way and up going home... so that affected things. Also had a nice tailwind on the way out, but crosswinds heading home today.

Nosed in so that we could charge the truck off the 14-50 outlet at the campsite. Wish we had chosen one with more trees around it for more shade and some wind breaks... oh well.

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[KBabione]

Thanks for the photos...This thread prompted me to call our favorite Pennsylvania State Park (Hickory Run) and ask if they had a policy about charging your EV if you're staying on one of the sites with electric - each of which has 20/30/50 amp service. You pay more per night to have electric, water, and sewer at your site. She reminded me that they (but not every SP) have a couple L2 chargers available at the Visitor's Center but that you're not allowed to leave it plugged in overnight. As far as she knew, there's no restriction on charging an EV at an electric site - "If it works, go for it!"

 

[moosetags]

We took Factory Delivery of Opal (our R1T) in Normal last April. We had gone up there with our 25' Airstream Travel Trailer towed by our Silverado Duramax. We spent about ten days camped in the Love's RV Park in Normal. We spent this time touring Central Illinois in the Rivian and familiarizing ourselves with the Rivian and EV driving. We had a great time doing this. The campground had 20/30/50 amp electric service. Our Airstream uses 30 amp service. We were able to plug Opal into the 50 amp outlet at our campsite, and got her fully charged overnight. The campground did not charge us any extra for using the 50 amp for Opal. We also did some DC charging in the the area to familiarize us with the process. We also did some test towing of the Airstream with Opal during our stay in Illinois.

On our return trip to Florida we camped at three different campgrounds along the route. All of these had 20/30/50 amp electric service. Each night we were able to fully charge Opal for the next day's run. We also did some minimal DC charging along the route. The trip back was very pleasant.

WE realize that as EV's become more prevalent as camper tow vehicles, campgrounds will start charging for plugging in an EV at your campsite. This would be acceptable to us because it sure is convenient.

We found that during our limited campground EV charging experience, we were getting between
15 and 18 MPH charge on the campground's 50 amp outlets. Our leisurely RV camping style lends itself very well to this scenario.

Brian

 

[Bernard]

We took Factory Delivery of Opal (our R1T) in Normal last April. We had gone up there with our 25' Airstream Travel Trailer towed by our Silverado Duramax. We spent about ten days camped in the Love's RV Park in Normal. We spent this time touring Central Illinois in the Rivian and familiarizing ourselves with the Rivian and EV driving. We had a great time doing this. The campground had 20/30/50 amp electric service. Our Airstream uses 30 amp service. We were able to plug Opal into the 50 amp outlet at our campsite, and got her fully charged overnight. The campground did not charge us any extra for using the 50 amp for Opal. We also did some DC charging in the the area to familiarize us with the process. We also did some test towing of the Airstream with Opal during our stay in Illinois.

On our return trip to Florida we camped at three different campgrounds along the route. All of these had 20/30/50 amp electric service. Each night we were able to fully charge Opal for the next day's run. We also did some minimal DC charging along the route. The trip back was very pleasant.

WE realize that as EV's become more prevalent as camper tow vehicles, campgrounds will start charging for plugging in an EV at your campsite. This would be acceptable to us because it sure is convenient.

We found that during our limited campground EV charging experience, we were getting between
15 and 18 MPH charge on the campground's 50 amp outlets. Our leisurely RV camping style lends itself very well to this scenario.

Brian
Could you share the efficiency you were getting in towing your Airstream 25 with your R1T? I am waiting my R1T in Montreal and we have an Airstream 25 as well Thank Brian,
Bernard

 

[ElmTree]

Looking at the pics I wonder if the R1S would get better efficiency numbers? Hmmmm.
Yes, do share please.

That is my assumption. Last year I traveled to western US and I believe the triangular storage box on the tongue AND the Thule on the roof of my 4Runner decreased the coefficient of drag. I expect the same when I take R1Strips later this year.

 

[VandalSibs]

Forgot to post, but the second camping trip of the year happened about two weeks ago. Nothing really different to report vis-a-vi efficiency numbers as the campground was only about 60 miles from home & we charged up on the TT30 RV outlet, but it was a nice trip and the Rivian did wonderfully.

The next post (unless people have questions!) will be in September on my big multi-stop trip from Eastern Washington to the Oregon Coast. I'll try and post pictures and such while on that trip, provided phone service works.

 

[Epicloop]

We have the R1S quad so your range could probably be significantly better than ours too.

It is unlikely that the dual will have any measurable efficiency improvement while towing as they are both in AWD while towing.
Another member here did a unlaiden hwy test between the dual & quad(in conserve) and the result was they had identical efficiency.

 

[Shavaloo]

I’m newly considering getting out of an ICE tow vehicle (12 mpg towing) and trying an R1S to tow a 3700 lbs dry off road camper. Haven’t seriously thought about this until they upped the range a bit in the refresh, but still wondering what towing range will look like with the second gens. I see the range you’re getting while towing, but curious how that compares to the range you normally see unladen. What’s the percentage hit been for you? To be honest, anything above 200 miles is fine for me as I need to stop anyway; it’s really charging time that is the biggest concern. I think EV’s have tackled the range issue by and large now; but charging time is the remaining bugaboo for me.

 

[VandalSibs]

I honestly would love to tell you a good comparative number for non-towing, but my wife and I haven't done any drives without the trailer longer than 20 miles or so, outside of when we brought the truck home back in February. We've just been busy at home all summer, outside of the two camping trips.

 

[VandalSibs]

Today was the big day - day one of our long trip to the Oregon Coast.

Plan was to go from Eastern Washington to Ainsworth State Park for the first night.

We made it, but there were KILLER head and crosswinds the whole drive, especially in the Columbia Gorge - talking sustained 20mph, with gusts higher. It took a toll on efficiency...

Leg 1: Spokane to Kennewick: 144.7 miles, 1.20 mi/kWh. Went from 99% to 4% - that was the closest we cut it all day.

Leg 2: Kennewick to Boardman: 47 miles, 1.03 mi/kWh. This was where the wind really started kicking in...

Leg 3: Boardman to The Dalles: 78.8 miles, 0.85 mi/kWh. After this, I forgot to reset the trip meter, so the leg from The Dalles to the first campground combined with this one: 128.1 miles, 0.95 mi/kWh.

Total distance was 319.8 miles, with an average of 1.03 mi/kWh. Not the best we've done, but I'm still impressed considering how crazy the winds were.

Tomorrow is a much shorter drive, only about 120 miles. I'll have more numbers tomorrow evening.

 

[VandalSibs]

Day two - yesterday - was much better, thanks to a lack of headwinds and overall lower speed limits. Alas, I didn't get numbers for the last leg of the day, as we had arrived at the campsite and went to get dinner without the trailer, so things got skewed.

Overall for the day, I would say we got 1.3-1.4 mi/kWh, over about 140 miles while towing.

Truck has been handling beautifully, but the unevenness of the roads has made me realize that my trailer hitch might need some lubricant. Lots of squeaking!

 

[HaveBlue]

I’m newly considering getting out of an ICE tow vehicle (12 mpg towing) and trying an R1S to tow a 3700 lbs dry off road camper. Haven’t seriously thought about this until they upped the range a bit in the refresh, but still wondering what towing range will look like with the second gens. I see the range you’re getting while towing, but curious how that compares to the range you normally see unladen. What’s the percentage hit been for you? To be honest, anything above 200 miles is fine for me as I need to stop anyway; it’s really charging time that is the biggest concern. I think EV’s have tackled the range issue by and large now; but charging time is the remaining bugaboo for me.

You will lose between 1/3 and 1/2 of your range towing, not unlike an ice. Get the biggest battery you can. I get 225 miles of range towing this

 

[HyperionMark]

Great report, thanks!

It is crazy to think about all those huge trucks with the massive 5th wheel campers going 80+. They literally have to be getting about 4 or 5 mpg.

 

[KootenayEV]

Today was the big day - day one of our long trip to the Oregon Coast.

Plan was to go from Eastern Washington to Ainsworth State Park for the first night.

We made it, but there were KILLER head and crosswinds the whole drive, especially in the Columbia Gorge - talking sustained 20mph, with gusts higher. It took a toll on efficiency...

Leg 1: Spokane to Kennewick: 144.7 miles, 1.20 mi/kWh. Went from 99% to 4% - that was the closest we cut it all day.

Leg 2: Kennewick to Boardman: 47 miles, 1.03 mi/kWh. This was where the wind really started kicking in...

Leg 3: Boardman to The Dalles: 78.8 miles, 0.85 mi/kWh. After this, I forgot to reset the trip meter, so the leg from The Dalles to the first campground combined with this one: 128.1 miles, 0.95 mi/kWh.

Total distance was 319.8 miles, with an average of 1.03 mi/kWh. Not the best we've done, but I'm still impressed considering how crazy the winds were.

Tomorrow is a much shorter drive, only about 120 miles. I'll have more numbers tomorrow evening.

I'll be doing that Spokane to Kennewick leg next March when we head to Utah, so good to get some beta on it! You managed a fair distance there! Looks like it is because it is largely downhill? (I've only been through WA once, and it was a bit west of there, on my way down to Bend last year)

 

[VandalSibs]

I'll be doing that Spokane to Kennewick leg next March when we head to Utah, so good to get some beta on it! You managed a fair distance there! Looks like it is because it is largely downhill? (I've only been through WA once, and it was a bit west of there, on my way down to Bend last year)

Yeah, that bit has a good chunk of downhill toit. My numbers would have been even better without the head/crosswinds there.

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