R1S vs R1T Winter Camping

[messinator]

Got back yesterday from car camping at Crystal Mt in my Model 3 for a pow day (see image!). The roads close/become impassable occasionally + you get to skip a 2+ hour drive so it's increasingly a nice tool in my ski life. What are people's opinions on the R1S vs R1T for car camping in the winter? Plugging the car into the RV plugs and running the heat makes a pretty good sleeping experience but the main annoying thing about my M3 right now is how cramped inside it is for anything other than sleeping/lazing. I guess my axes I'm considering are:

• Sleep temp comfort
• Ability to not cook outside in a blizzard
• Range (curious how much we think a truck camper reduces range? 30% for a small one?)
• Size - I live near downtown Seattle and the R1T may just be too damn long
• snow driving safety - i think anything you tow is too unsafe in snow/ice - thoughts

Maybe i can get the R1T + camper and just toss a tarp over the camp kitchen for cooking, as funny as that sounds. Anyways, has anyone been thinking through this usecase much?

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[pklomboy]

When you say camper do you mean the RTT(rooftop tent)? I have been researching this too because I plan on traveling to different resorts next season. You came up with a good idea to avoid crowds too!

 

[messinator]

No, a hard top camper that would fit in the bed of the truck. Like these. I'd rather sleep in the back of an R1S over a soft tent in the winter any day.

Yeah, yesterday they closed the road in and so it was a private pow day for those who drove up at 5 am + those smart enough to camp the night before. Would do again

 

[crashmtb]

No, a hard top camper that would fit in the bed of the truck. Like these. I'd rather sleep in the back of an R1S over a soft tent in the winter any day.

Yeah, yesterday they closed the road in and so it was a private pow day for those who drove up at 5 am + those smart enough to camp the night before. Would do again

None of those as they are will work with an R1T. Getchaself a little trailer, if getting an R1T.

 

[Fred6v]

Not winter worthy but looking forward to this 3 season combo! With R1T in 2023.

 

[Whmorken]

No, a hard top camper that would fit in the bed of the truck. Like these. I'd rather sleep in the back of an R1S over a soft tent in the winter any day.

Yeah, yesterday they closed the road in and so it was a private pow day for those who drove up at 5 am + those smart enough to camp the night before. Would do again

In ski country where I live — expecting 2-3 feet in next few days — trailers problematic on icy roads. Having a warm cozy place to sleep in an R1S is attractive minimal space option. Hard top for R1T may have more room but this cuts into range.

 

[Monkey]

For this use case it's R1S all the way. If you can plug in where you camp then you should be set. I'm going to assume it will have features like Tesla camp mode.

 

[messinator]

None of those as they are will work with an R1T. Getchaself a little trailer, if getting an R1T.

Yeah i was thinking more one of these, which are custom to the truck bed. Better range too.

For this use case it's R1S all the way. If you can plug in where you camp then you should be set. I'm going to assume it will have features like Tesla camp mode.

That's my thought too. Currently a FG R1S holder. 2023 can't come soon enough

 

[Inkedsphynx]

I also live in DT Seattle and am suffering a tiny bit of anxiety over the size of the R1T. The parking garage in my building will be the biggest hurdle. I had my First Mile test here and it definitely fits down into the garage, but it's a VERY tight squeeze to get in and out of any spaces in this garage, which is pretty comparable to most garages in the area.

It's definitely not going to be the easiest vehicle to park with, but other than that I don't see any issues with having one in an urban area like Seattle.

I would expect either Rivian to handle towing in snow pretty well, assuming your trailer is properly equipped to be towed in snow. One of the tow-behind overland-style campers is probably your best option for the R1T. Personally, I'm getting the roof-top tent and will totally camp in the winter/snow in it. The biggest concern there is snow load on the tent. I figure if the snow is outpacing the internal heat's ability to melt it off and/or my ability to smack it off with my hands, then I'll just sleep in the cabin (or the gear tunnel!).

I've considered the outdoor cooking thing too (I'm also going with the camp kitchen). My hope is for some sort of enclosure that can be mounted to roof racks and cover at least 3 sides and the top of the kitchen. That would alleviate most of that concern for me.

I'm R1T all the way regardless, but I do believe either vehicle will be a good option for this type of activity and I believe wherever there's lack in the OEM product the aftermarket will support us. Given that these are marketed as adventure lifestyle vehicles, I'm hoping for a robust aftermarket akin to that for Tacomas.

 

[Forager]

I get along just fine with a full size (F150 super crew + 6.5’ bed) in Seattle. Keep in mind I only rented apartments with off street parking, but I’ve parked on streets all over DT, Ballard, Fremont, Phinney Ridge, Capitol Hill and SoDo without much difficulty on nights and weekends. You better be good at parallel parking, though. Sometimes I would pay to garage park downtown and drive into work, not a problem there either. Parking the R1T would be a dream compared to that truck.

Now, if you are trying to street park every day in lower Queen Anne or Belltown, I wouldn’t want a full size truck, but I don’t think R1S would be that much better than R1T in that regard anyway.

 

[RivianXpress]

How about this test in the bed?

https://napieroutdoors.com/us/product/sportz-truck-tent-57-series/

 

[messinator]

I'm back on this coinflip. iKamper makes some nice hardshell tents that you can get insulation for, and it's a nicer experience for the summer. Gear tunnel makes it an even sweeter proposition for pulling out the mini-doors to sit on for boots etc. With the R1T charger incentive + it being slightly cheaper a R1T max pack might be an awesome usecase.

On the other hand, future kids/dogs might make the S a better choice. But then again, an iKamper is probably more comfy when adding dogs or children.

Choices..

 

[WSea]

no decision yet?? Dogs in my roof nest are as good as heaters. Crystal also has 8 Flo EVSEs

 

[messinator]

no decision yet?? Dogs in my roof nest are as good as heaters. Crystal also has 8 Flo EVSEs

I bought a house, dried up my cash for a bit.. was all in on R1S until recently

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