Gear Tunnel Confessionals

[Luvolbikes]

I keep my charging items and car duster in the frunk. Things used often.
I keep my heavy items in the tonneau covered bed. Off road Jack, rescue straps, cinch straps, ramps , bed extender.
The gear tunnel with sled gets all the tools, cleaning supplies, jump starter, power tools, Jack pucks, etc.
I really like having it and it makes for a good occasional use storage space.

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[Alanparkcity]

I have a confession to make after over 2 and a half years with my R1T: the Gear Tunnel is far more of a novelty than a utility.

That's not to say that there isn't legitimate utility to it, just that the utility I've found isn't nearly commensurate with the hype around it. Worse still, in my use case (and I suspect many more), I think the size and shape of the gear tunnel makes the backseat much less convenient, especially with small children, then it should be.

I think this was a miss by Rivian in the design department. They could have kept the concept of the gear tunnel, albeit smaller, while keeping a more traditional rear door opening shape and size to improve the utility of the back seat.

It’s one of my favorite features! My golf clubs live in there in the Summer months. Ski gear is in there in the Winter (not skis). I sit on it regularly to change shoes, and I stand on it to wash and dry my R1T. Love it.

 

[s4wrxttcs]

It's a connected vehicle so I imagine Rivian has data on the usage of the gear tunnel..

Maybe they could a nice year in review where they tell us the most used and least used feature of your vehicle. Where they compare that to average.

Anyways I use the Gear Tunnel pretty often.

On the drivers side I keep hiking gear, and on the passenger side I keep a fridge.

Apparently my most favorite activities are hiking and buying baked goods requiring refrigeration.

 

[Arange98]

I use the gear tunnel all the time. Just installed a Range Industries slide and my golf bag and shoes go there right now. I sit on the door to put on my golf shoes. Backpack goes there for secure storage when I stop off on the way home from work. I find it very handy. Back seat is setup for my dogs to use and they have plenty of room. If we need more room for people we take the wife’s R1S…

 

[Hillbilly]

I have a confession to make after over 2 and a half years with my R1T: the Gear Tunnel is far more of a novelty than a utility.

That's not to say that there isn't legitimate utility to it, just that the utility I've found isn't nearly commensurate with the hype around it. Worse still, in my use case (and I suspect many more), I think the size and shape of the gear tunnel makes the backseat much less convenient, especially with small children, then it should be.

I think this was a miss by Rivian in the design department. They could have kept the concept of the gear tunnel, albeit smaller, while keeping a more traditional rear door opening shape and size to improve the utility of the back seat.

Exactly the opposite for me. I use it all the time for all kinds of things. You know you can fit 4 propane tanks in there vertically side by side? Office files, golf clubs, groceries, camp chairs, football pads/gear, the list goes on. You can toss hot/stinky take out back there. Plus it keeps pollen and rain off all those things.

 

[DayTripping]

I love the gear tunnel. Great place to put my dog when she barks too much as well. When I go into the store, nobody even knows she is in the truck. <JK>

I did order a slide that will exit either side that I am patiently waiting to arrive. I currently have my offroad jack, snatch straps, bolt cutters, 2A items, and use it a lot. It was one of the main reasons I bought my truck.

Could it be better, yes. I absolutely wouldn't have purchased the truck without it and one of the primary reasons I went with the T over the S. Now that I have a topper on the way, I am pretty much set. I'll be using a camp kitchen this summer once I get my slide installed.

I can see where it doesn't work for some. I do wish it was a bit more rectangular so my DC fridge would fit. I use the doors as seats and steps a lot. It took me a while to get used to it but now I am all in. Keeps stuff away from prying eyes as well.

 

[Riviot]

@kurtlikevonnegut the votes have been tallied. Please pack up your bags, place them in the gear tunnel, and disconnect the opening buttons. We shall remotely take command of your gear tunnel and release them when we see fit.

 

[bfilippo]

Yeah, I find it incredibly useful. My kids throw their sports gear in there, fishing poles in the summer. I keep my crossbars and ice scraper in there, and then there’s times like yesterday when I had to go waist deep into the freezing cold lake to retrieve my dock that had started drifting away and needed to stow my soaking wet jeans somewhere…in the gear tunnel. I guess if you’re not really living adventurously and wanted it to be a station wagon, then maybe it isn’t very useful.

 

[strykerwsu]

I use the gear tunnel all the time. Just installed a Range Industries slide and my golf bag and shoes go there right now. I sit on the door to put on my golf shoes. Backpack goes there for secure storage when I stop off on the way home from work. I find it very handy. Back seat is setup for my dogs to use and they have plenty of room. If we need more room for people we take the wife’s R1S…

My brother from a different mother.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

@kurtlikevonnegut the votes have been tallied. Please pack up your bags, place them in the gear tunnel, and disconnect the opening buttons. We shall remotely take command of your gear tunnel and release them when we see fit.

I think it's great that people use their gear tunnel. I certainly expected to use mine frequently when I first got it. That doesn't change the underlying observation about the tradeoffs which I'm reminded of every time I have to awkwardly lean in to get my kid into his car seat.

Go and look at every other truck on the market. They all have doors that are a traditional rectangular shape. Even a Tacoma is easier to get into the rear seat of than the R1T.

 

[bfilippo]

Maybe because I am on my 3rd kid and desensitized to carseat maneuvering having had a Prius V primarily with my older two kids, but I have never thought it was difficult or awkward to get my 4 y/o in and out of his car seat, even with my 13 y/o and 10 y/o in the truck. I drive him to/from school every day. My 13 y/o is like 5’10” too…

Now I’m feeling like I’m suffering unknowingly and need to watch people get in and out of the back of other mid size trucks.

 

[madhat]

I think the gear tunnel is one of the best features. We use it all the time. From golf clubs in the summer to many cases of beverages when I work out of town to plugging a crock pot in and cooking on the way to friends or families houses. Also, I keep some straps and a chain in the tunnel over winter. Also as someone else said it is the first thing I show people. My nieces and nephews enjoy crawling thru it too.

The crock pot is hilarious! Must have a locking top.

That is what the frunk is for.

The funk isn't fully water proof. If you took your truck snorkeling, poor kid might drown. When you get back and find them with fish sticking out of their ears you'll wish you'd gone gear tunnel.

Tell that to all the gear tunnel slide makers...

I used mine for all sorts of stuff before getting a slide, but it was messy. Now that I have some split bins, it's THE BEST. I would either have a bunch of stuff on the rear floor or backseat and frunk instead of the GT. Instead my frunk has a water tank, fridge, grocery/dry goods stores, and my back seat stays clean/clear when the Dougle isn't in there.

I figured i don't store enough in my truck to justify one, but you've got me thinking it might be super handy with bins...

Bad response. The fact that you use yours every day changes literally nothing from the point I was making.

Honest question, with embellishment. How does a rectangle make getting your kids in easier? The opening doesn't interfere with the ingress path at all. The side of the seat is still there for all your fondling desires, just the seat back is flush with the opening. When you install your children in the back seat, do you hold one hand behind the seat back for leverage?

 

[DayTripping]

Maybe because I am on my 3rd kid and desensitized to carseat maneuvering having had a Prius V primarily with my older two kids, but I have never thought it was difficult or awkward to get my 4 y/o in and out of his car seat, even with my 13 y/o and 10 y/o in the truck. I drive him to/from school every day. My 13 y/o is like 5’10” too…

Now I’m feeling like I’m suffering unknowingly and need to watch people get in and out of the back of other mid size trucks.

I deal with a booster seat for my kid. The biggest PITA is the seat cover when trying to get the seat belt latched.

 

[Rivdog]

I understand your argument that, despite the functionality of the gear tunnel, it has caused a net negative with respect to usability of the rear seats. But is that really true? I also wish the rear seats were more spacious and less upright, but is that because of the gear tunnel or because of Rivian’s desire to have room for the powered tonneau? I agree that it’s obviously a bit harder to get in and out of, but other than that issue, would the back seats actually be bigger and more functional with a smaller gear tunnel? I don’t think so, but I’m not an engineer. Honest question because I get what you’re arguing but I’m not convinced a smaller gear tunnel would actually result in the issues you’re having being improved.

edit: I absolutely love the gear tunnel and it’s a feature I use constantly. No one has mentioned it yet in the comments, but aside from the storage, being able to use the doors as seats or to stand on for various reasons has been extremely helpful to me.

 

[DayTripping]

I understand your argument that, despite the functionality of the gear tunnel, it has caused a net negative with respect to usability of the rear seats. But is that really true? I also wish the rear seats were more spacious and less upright, but is that because of the gear tunnel or because of Rivian’s desire to have room for the powered tonneau? I agree that it’s obviously a bit harder to get in and out of, but other than that issue, would the back seats actually be bigger and more functional with a smaller gear tunnel? I don’t think so, but I’m not an engineer. Honest question because I get what you’re arguing but I’m not convinced a smaller gear tunnel would actually result in the issues you’re having being improved.

edit: I absolutely love the gear tunnel and it’s a feature I use constantly. No one has mentioned it yet in the comments, but aside from the storage, being able to use the doors as seats or to stand on for various reasons has been extremely helpful to me.

I think I mentioned the doors as seats upstream but you reminded me of something else.

I love the little pass through door to the gear tunnel to keep snacks back there. I have a smaller fridge that fits and I sometimes use that one and access it through the sliding door.

Also the manual tonneau cover fits nicely in there as well. Another good use for it.

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