Deciding between R1T and R1S

[CGM55082]

Tesla owner and longtime Rivian lurker here -- and very excited to have finally placed my preorder on a R1T yesterday. I have always wanted an electric truck, but I find myself increasingly infatuated with the look of the R1S, so much so that I'm torn between the two. I don't necessarily need a truck bed, though I appreciate its versatility. I'm curious what folks chose (R1T or R1S) and the reasons behind your decision. Hope it might provide some insights and help for me.

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[CommodoreAmiga]

R1T was a no-brainer for me. I have a SUV currently and I want to go back to a truck. I don’t need a third row. Using my utility trailer is annoying so I want to go back to a truck.

With the frunk, gear tunnel, and powered tonneau, much of the advantage of a SUV goes away. Unless you need the third row or MUST have a cargo area that’s connected to the passenger compartment, the R1T is the more versatile choice, imo.

 

[Jabbahop]

I originally wanted the R1S for the rear area for our lab. Three issues steered us to the T for now. 1) max pack is a requirement for us and is still an unknown for the S. 2) we want to use is for remote camping so having the full size spare, tent and camp kitchen were critical. My wife refers to it as our adventure mobile vs a truck ;-) Good

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

I originally wanted the R1S for the rear area for our lab. Three issues steered us to the T for now. 1) max pack is a requirement for us and is still an unknown for the S. 2) we want to use is for remote camping so having the full size spare, tent and camp kitchen were critical. My wife refers to it as our adventure mobile vs a truck ;-) Good

What is your third reason?

 

[Jabbahop]

What is your third reason?

sorry - I sort of bundled the spare, camp kitchen/tent into #2 instead of breaking it into three.

 

[Coast2Coast]

I started a thread about the R1T/R1S choice a while ago. It comes down to a number of variables.
1. are you in a city or suburban/ex-suburban situation?
2. are carrying people or things more important?
3. how important is maneuverability?
4. how important is versatility?
5. how long are you willing to wait? R1T is available sooner.

In my case, I live in the country and have a small farm. So I need versatility for carrying people as well as tools, seeds, plants and equipment. And the sooner I can get it, the better. R1T all the way.

 

[CGM55082]

One of the things I think about with the S is how nice it would be to just throw a blow-up mattress in the back and have climate controlled sleeping quarters. That said, I'm not sure how much I'd actually use that. Does anyone know if the rear seats in the T fold down flat? Wonder how practical it would be to sleep in the back of the T width-wise for someone around 5'8"?

 

[sevengroove]

Adding a vote here for the R1S camp which I’m firmly in. I don’t haul a lot of stuff like seeds or soil or lumber, but I will need to haul people plus a dog who likes a whole row to herself. I also like that the S is almost 15” shorter than the T, which will come in handy while parking and maneuvering. I do actually like the look of the R1T better though.

 

[Coast2Coast]

I suspect the truck is wide enough to sleep in the back seat, if you push the front seats full forward, rig up some sort of a platform, and bend at the waist.

 

[wizard467]

One of the things I think about with the S is how nice it would be to just throw a blow-up mattress in the back and have climate controlled sleeping quarters. That said, I'm not sure how much I'd actually use that. Does anyone know if the rear seats in the T fold down flat? Wonder how practical it would be to sleep in the back of the T width-wise for someone around 5'8"?

The seat is hinged at the front so you can lift the back of the seat to put stuff under the seat. The back of the seat doesn’t move. There are pictures (thought it was on rivian’s site, but couldn’t find it quickly) that show the seat hinges up with the subwoofer taking up part of the under seat storage under the passenger side seat.

 

[Joe schmoe]

I've done exactly that a couple of times in a Model S, summer camping when weather moved through. My tent is much roomier, but if it's very muggy or there are thunderstorms, an inflatable mattress in the back of the S is very comfortable. Running the AC all night during with intermittent thunderstorms and lows in the 70s took about 20 miles of nominal range off the car.

 

[Taycanfrank]

I went with the S just because it's significantly shorter. It will be my only vehicle so it'll be driven in the city a lot.

Personally like the look of the T a bit better, though.

 

[protamine]

For me its easy

1. I dont want or need a truck
2. R1S hold more people and or gear inside
3. its shorter so it fits places better
4. I like the two tone appearance with the black roof
5. economy is (marginally) better

If I wanted the kitchen then itd be tough. If I had a R1T I'd just leave my golf clubs in the gear tunnel.

 

[Sgt Beavis]

I alwasy look at the use cases I need to support. For instance, if I have a dog and I want to keep it out of the weather and my back seat, I’d get the SUV. But carrying larger objects may dictate the truck.

 

[dleepnw]

I want to be able to haul two rows of folks and still have the dog inside in the back.
I don’t want to sleep in a tent when I camp. Much rather sleep with the back seats folded down inside the climate controlled SUV.
Prefer the smaller wheelbase and length of the R1S.
Like the functionality of the split gate.
Concerned about the durability of the powered tonneau cover.

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