Flat tire. No spare.

[Hillbilly]

Went out to the garage Sun am and found R1S with right front tire flat. Really flat.
Since the compressed spare was removed from my build and is not yet available in the gear shop, I have no spare.
I called roadside assistance and they said to have it Towed to a Discount Tire, and they could fix it or replace it.
They could arrange towing for $50 and $.35 per mile…

Discount Tire closed on Sunday.
Reinflated tire with garage compressor and drove it to Discount Tire on Monday. They do not have jack pucks for it, so they can’t help until they or I get Jack pucks.
So- ordered some.
Will take 2-3 days for them to arrive.

Very annoying- but what if I was out on the road somewhere?

When I learned to drive my father said never leave home without a good spare, a jack and a lug wrench.
Technically, I didn’t leave home, but…
Ugh!

That's the price to be paid for not having a full size spare.

It's also why we didn't get rid of our diesel. Buying an EV was a risky enough proposition for us that we didn't want to be left stranded at any time.

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[RedRaiderRivian]

That's the price to be paid for not having a full size spare.

It's also why we didn't get rid of our diesel. Buying an EV was a risky enough proposition for us that we didn't want to be left stranded at any time.

Many ICE vehicles no longer come with spares because of the extra weight. My 2011 Explorer came with an air pump and a canister of fix a flat. 145,000 miles later and not a single flat tire. Glad I haven't had to pack around a full size tire. I think its good for Rivian to let the consumer decide whether or not to have a spare based on where they drive and the risk of having a flat tire.

 

[Hillbilly]

Many ICE vehicles no longer come with spares because of the extra weight. My 2011 Explorer came with an air pump and a canister of fix a flat. 145,000 miles later and not a single flat tire. Glad I haven't had to pack around a full size tire. I think its good for Rivian to let the consumer decide whether or not to have a spare based on where they drive and the risk of having a flat tire.

If you didn't have a spare, you could get a flat tire on that explorer fixed anywhere on the same day.

 

[RedRaiderRivian]

If you didn't have a spare, you could get a flat tire on that explorer fixed anywhere on the same day.

And today I can get my Rivian fixed the same day at any Discount Tire or other shop. Jack pucks are recommended but not required to remove a tire.

 

[Hillbilly]

And today I can get my Rivian fixed the same day at any Discount Tire or other shop. Jack pucks are recommended but not required to remove a tire.

Not today you couldn't. They're closed. And if you had 21's you'll be waiting until Tuesday for them to order one on Monday and have it come in since it won't be in stock. Ask me how I know...

 

[RedRaiderRivian]

Not today you couldn't. They're closed. And if you had 21's you'll be waiting until Tuesday for them to order one on Monday and have it come in since it won't be in stock. Ask me how I know...

I have to order tires from Discount Tire for all my vehicles. I have used them for 3 sets of tires in the last six months and none of them were available the same day. The original poster had a flat tire only. They didn't require a new tire.

 

[Hillbilly]

I have to order tires from Discount Tire for all my vehicles. I have used them for 3 sets of tires in the last six months and none of them were available the same day. The original poster had a flat tire only. They didn't require a new tire.

I'm not trying to argue with you. Not every flat is repairable. I've already plugged one in my wife's R1S tire that was still in the tread but too close to the sidewall for them to plug. Ultimately you're at their mercy on what they will repair or won't and on what have in stock and when they'll get it.
My point stands- if you don't want to deal with the inconvenience of a flat in a Rivian, get yourself a spare or have a second vehicle for emergencies.

 

[usulio]

All Jeeps have full size spares as far as I know. I had 2 Grand Jeep Cherokees over a 30 year period and the full size spare was buried in the aft bottom of the vehicle but inside.

Ok, but to my point that spare was 28"-30" not 34". And, I've read, narrower than the OEM tire so not exactly the same either.

Rivian could have done this by getting rid of the 3rd row of seats I will never use.

You can do this by getting rid of the 3rd row of seats you will never use. That would be a cool project to see. This person opted to remove the 2nd row and put the spare there.

Other Jeeps have the spare on the back of the tailgate.

Yes, as I mentioned, but after seeing pictures of how huge the tire is from people on the forums with hitch mounts, I completely understand why they didn't. And it would be a huge pain to swing a 100lb weight out of the way every time to access the trunk.

An “Adventure” vehicle should have a full size spare available besides taking up the sleeping quarters when camping IMO.

I tend to agree and I was pretty annoyed about this issue as well for a long time, but I have come around to agree with the tradeoffs Rivian chose. Mostly what I'm saying is it's not an easy solution that anyone else has figured out either. Removing the 3rd row might make it possible but you can see why that doesn't make business sense either.

 

[jeeden]

I continue to be shocked by how much "spare tire anxiety" there is in the overall car community (I've seen this same thread in the mustang forums when they came out in 2015 with sealant, an inflator, and no spare). If you're going overland I get you need a full size spare and you should put one on a hitch mount or roof mount. A majority of the people would rather have the storage and the third row instead of a full size spare and aren't overlanding or even off road much.

I bought the compact spare in even I begrudge giving up the storage in the well that it sits in.

I'm still a firm believer that nobody should be changing a spare tire on the side of the road unless they are out in the absolute middle of nowhere hundreds of miles from the next human being. If that's the case then you should be carrying a full size spare on a hitch mount anyway along with food water medicine and anything else you need to survive and be willing to take the injury risk. Thousands of people are injured and killed every year trying to changing tire on the side of the road. Look at how many cops are hit everybyear on the side of the road with big flashing lights and not trying to jack up a vehicle (we just had another get his door cleaned off on the capital beltway last weekend). A majority of the population probably can't life the wheels on most vehicles these days.

For my family (and me) you put the glop in the tire and get to a service station for the replacement, patch, or change or wait behind the guardrail or buckled in for a tow truck

Changing a spare tire on the side of the road is going the way of filling coolant at the service station, changing the oil, and is going to be something we tell kids people used to do when they watch the old man in a Christmas storyndonit. I get it is an anxiety issue, a convenience issue, a control issue, but it's not worth your life and the math is way against you doing it without getting injured or killed.

 

[RivianRunner]

If flat no spare...
1. Get vehicle to nearest safe place you can access the wheel.
2. Place flag in window indicating truck is disabled. Hazard light while you are actively working.
2. Jack up affected corner and place a jack stand (optimal method)
3. Remove wheel.
4. Get alternate transportation to preferred (or nearest) tire center. (uber, friends/ family...)
5. Get new tire mounted/ ballanced.
6. Get alternately transportation back to disabled truck and hope it's still there and undamaged.
7. Install repaired wheel. (remember hazard lights)
8. Remove jack stand and lower jack.
* Depending on the location you may need/ want to notify police of the disabled vehicle and when you plan to have it moved.

Way better to just have a spare but like @jjswan33 said many new vehicles sell without spares.

If you have a plug kit you don't even need to jack the vehicle or wrestle wheels on and off.

 

[RivianRunner]

I carry one of these in the OTRs (other than Rivian) vehicles:
https://a.co/d/eY4e11V
Edit: It's just a patch kit... nothing special, but I've been able to use it successfully.

The gummy worm type of plug work far better and are more versatile for more types of tire damage than the rubber mushrooms. I don't even know why they still make the rubber mushroom style of plug.

 

[iansriv]

I honestly had not had a flat for years. Then I got the Rivian and had two flats within a few weeks. First one looked like I had taken shrapnel. I somehow managed to inflate, stop, inflate, etc to a discount tire a few miles away. They put a "loaner" tyre on and ordered the 20" OEM replacement. Went back the next day and swapped the tyre out. Second one was a small nail. They plugged it. I got a DT warranty for about $400. As luck would have it, I have not got a flat since. I ordered the spare and am getting it installed in a few weeks. I'm also going to get one of those patch kits suggested here (many thanks). All this maybe overkill for someone that never goes off road. All the best.

 

[Captain JB]

Agreed that if one does not go off road and stays on the street in this high performance vehicle, you do NOT need a full size spare. But I for one and I know there are many that bought this “ADVENTURE”vehicle to go off road and have adventures. Rivian has done well with a challanging goal as a startup but they have made a few mistakes and the biggest one is NOT having a full size spare in an ADVENTURE all wheel drive vehicle. There is no after market solution that works. I am not going to move this heavy wheel every time I want to camp off road. No way my wife and I could lift it on top. The MISTAKE is a design flaw. There should have been an option of a 3rd row seat or a full size spare that could easily fit in the depth of the rear section if there were not seats there. I know many peeps that their main sport is off roading…they dont golf or play pickleball but they will never switch over to EV despite the awesome performance. with no full size spare. Off roading with no full size spare is anxiety. No company is perfect but gthe way Rivian brags about being an ADVENTURE company, they should back that up. No I should not have bought a truck as I dont need or want a truck. Ok, I am off my soapbox but it will hurt revenue for sure with true off roadders that wants their adventures to be safe. JB

 

[RivianRunner]

Agreed that if one does not go off road and stays on the street in this high performance vehicle, you do NOT need a full size spare. But I for one and I know there are many that bought this “ADVENTURE”vehicle to go off road and have adventures. Rivian has done well with a challanging goal as a startup but they have made a few mistakes and the biggest one is NOT having a full size spare in an ADVENTURE all wheel drive vehicle. There is no after market solution that works. I am not going to move this heavy wheel every time I want to camp off road. No way my wife and I could lift it on top. The MISTAKE is a design flaw. There should have been an option of a 3rd row seat or a full size spare that could easily fit in the depth of the rear section if there were not seats there. I know many peeps that their main sport is off roading…they dont golf or play pickleball but they will never switch over to EV despite the awesome performance. with no full size spare. Off roading with no full size spare is anxiety. No company is perfect but gthe way Rivian brags about being an ADVENTURE company, they should back that up. No I should not have bought a truck as I dont need or want a truck. Ok, I am off my soapbox but it will hurt revenue for sure with true off roadders that wants their adventures to be safe. JB

I disagree. Old maxims (like always carry a spare) should not be propagated beyond their usefulness, just because that's the way it's always been done.

What I've found off-roading my EV is that there is less need to air down as much to get the same amount of capability, due the more effective electric drivetrain. The control of torque and power makes it easier to negotiate trickier sections of trails without resorting to the kind of very low air pressures regularly used by ICE vehicles, just to get through the tricky sections. And excessive airing down is the most common contributing factor to an unrepairable flat.

It's important to understand that a flat tire is just one potential way to be stranded. Any unrepairable failure of a critical part of the powertrain will leave you stranded just as certainly as an un-repairable flat tire with no spare. Or two unrepairable flat tires with only one spare. In my experience, a flat tire that cannot be repaired trailside is one of the least likely ways to be stranded, even more so if you avoid airing down to excessively low pressures.

I know it seems like it makes sense to carry a spare, because that's the way it's always been done, but flats are rarer than ever, and more easily repaired than ever. How many spare tires should one carry to feel secure? My analysis says zero, assuming you have a good repair kit and know how to use it. Yes, this goes against traditional wisdom, and what passes for common sense, but I don't believe in propagating outdated habits beyond when it makes actual good sense. There was an era when carrying a spare made a ton of sense. That era has long passed. Automakers were actually very slow to come to that conclusion. In part, I'm sure, due to consumer fears.

 

[Captain JB]

I agree that old habits are not in stone and improvements are always coming but it is a percentage play. We just did our first off road trip in the R1S on the famous White Rim Trail which I had done several times in my Jeeps. This forum said in 3 trips I believe that they deflated to 32 psi. I only deflated to 35 psi because of what you alluded to, the performance is just so good, you dont need to. Even with 35 psi, it is a higher risk of a pinch flat on the sidewall. Well after inspection at the top of the trail, I discovered a slight tear in the front right tire. Nylon showing but no flat. I won’t deflate below 40 psi again but we are waiting for a new tire to be installed in Moab, Utah as it is not safe for the freeway. Yes, it is a different paradigm on the street but nothing is different off road….when traveling over rocks, potholes etc etc, there is a much higher percentage of a flat and consequently, there should be a full size spare in a $80K vehicle built for it. I dont mean to be stubborn and I love the vehicle but even with all the sealant and patch kits, I was forced to make a calculated risk and I should not have to do that. That and no car play are the only things I do not like about this special vehicle. I used 1/20 of the HP available on this sometimes very very steep trail.

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