- Thread starter
- #1
We launched Thunderbolt Adventure Supply last year with our Camp Kitchen designed to make the most of the space Rivian created in the Gear Tunnel. The design improved on the never-delivered Rivian Camp Kitchen by providing a more reasonable cooking height and more flexible storage. And we delivered these improvements at a $2,000 savings compared to Rivian's proposed camp kitchen. We love how quick it is to pull out the kitchen and get coffee going in the morning. We love how everything has a place and stays free of trail dust between uses. And we love the reliability of the induction cooktop - no more worrying about wind blowing out the camp stove flame.
We've lived, traveled, and camped with our setup for about a year and a half now. And we've taken some lessons learned and feedback from the Rivian community and developed our new Overland Camp Kitchen. Let me walk you through a few of the changes as well as the design elements we've carried over from our original product.
As in our previous design, the Gear Sled provides the platform for the kitchen modules. The new Gear Sled utilizes the same durable linear bearings as our original model. But there are a few important changes. We realize people have different camping or work setups that strongly inform their preferences. So, we’ve made the new Gear Sled available to exit either the driver’s or passenger’s side of the truck. The deck of the Gear Sled is now made of powder-coated aluminum and has a redesigned and more flexible system for attaching items to the sled’s deck. It utilizes an aluminum box construction to reduce the height and maximize the usable space in the gear tunnel. Our original Camp Kitchen made from marine grade plywood now ships with the new aluminum Gear Sled.
The Overland Camp Kitchen is also now constructed of powder-coated aluminum. And when you fold it open to reveal it’s nearly 9 square feet of workspace, you’ll find a bamboo countertop and sink cover. We still include four custom-designed waxed canvas bags to store all of your essential cooking supplies. And we’ve recently become a Dometic dealer, so you can purchase their 11-liter water tank and touch-operated faucet to be delivered with the rest of your kitchen.
Rounding out our new offerings is a simple and elegant solution to the black hole that is the under-seat storage in the R1T, the R1T Under Seat Cover. We have a big rowdy puppy and prefer to have her somewhat contained in the back seat area. Folding the seats forward creates a nice flat area where she can either stand or lay down. But Rivian designed the under-seat storage area without a cover. We solved that issue by creating an aluminum cover for that storage area that stays in place when the seats are in either position. We use this functionality even when we leave the dog at home, like when we want to put a dirty box in the back seat area rather than the bed of the truck, but we don’t want to dirty or damage the upholstery. And when we’re at camp, we like to put our grocery bags in the back-seat area next to the Camp Kitchen. Roll down the window and you’ve got a handy pantry solution!
We have even more ideas that we're excited to share with you in the coming weeks and months. If you'd like to check out the new Overland Camp Kitchen in person, we'll be at both Overland Expo in Flagstaff and Gary's Jamboree put on by the Bay Area and Sierra Nevada Rivian Clubs. Come say hello to us and let us know what you think!
Sponsored
