Introductions & Welcome Thread 👋

[Dave Cundiff]

I have one way of engaging service. This has worked well for me as a Portland Service Center (SC) customer.

(1) Call 855-RIVIAN-5, explain problem, try telephone troubleshooting.

(2) If telephone troubleshooting fails, accept next available routine appointment at SC (2-3 months out).

(3) Usually at least a day later, call 855-RIVIAN-5 again, ask the Call Center to transfer my call to the SC.

(4) Explain to SC staff why I need a different appointment (earlier or later).

(5) If they think my needs justify a different appointment, I get a different appointment.

This sequence has left me feeling cared for, and happy with the results, every time I've used it.

Very best wishes!

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[Ohm Boy]

It starts with yourself. Put in the time. Do the research. Do the test drive. Read the publicly available online owner manual (so you are equipped to ask better questions at the test drive). Convince yourselves. If you can’t convince/decide for yourself, it doesn’t matter what anyone tells you. You’re not a child to be told what to think or do with your money.

And how is going to the Rivian Forum, laying out very clearly their situation, and asking good questions not doing research?

 

[Jonger1150]

The only other option that might be interesting is the "Scout" that's being unveiled in 4 days from now. It sounds like a VW Rivian and will probably have the same software. I'd rather see an American car company succeed than a German one though.

 

[usulio]

On deciding the model I'm leaning more towards an r1t as it would most likely replace my truck, but the r2 planned price point was what got me looking. R1s looks way bigger than the durango, more suburban or tahoe sized. If I decided against the r1t id probably wait for the r2 over the s.

The R1S is exactly the same size as the durango according to the specs on the durango that I can find. Maybe the R1S is slightly wider.

I think of the R1S as the biggest a car can be and still be comfortable to drive and park around town without ever having to worry about size. And with the frunk and under-trunk storage, it has more storage than you'd think. I once went to the airport with 7 people to drop 4 of them off with all their luggage and they did not pack light. What I'm trying to say is (1) no, the R1S is not too big, but (2) it's bigger than you probably need. Of course, you might want the air suspension lift or other performance features compared to R2.

 

[usulio]

The big question I haven't seen asked is: do you road trip and would you road trip with this vehicle.

If the answer is no, it's a no brainer. Buy the EV and bask in your amazing new life.

If the answer is yes, still buy the EV, but be prepared to do a bunch more research and careful planning.

 

[Zoul]

im fine with a new vehicle having some minor glitches that dont brick it, so long as if minor turns major the warrantee backs it. more worried about major failure outside of warrantee, that i cant fix myself due to software blocking me. swapping parts i can figure out.

f150 lightning is definitely not on my radar, i just dont like fords. I may consider the ramcharger. but I dont really do big truck things anymore. I like having a bed, theres the rare occasion its necessary, hauling a fridge, pallet of mulch, engine for project car. the only thing i think would be an issue for the rivian is my mechanic toolbox, but i could put it on a trailer and be fine. the others would wear and tear, but not outside the capabilities and its a truck. for me a truck is a long term investment, new one should last me 10 years minimum. I take care of them to get them to last as long as possible, but dont baby them either. i care more about insurance covering enough for me to replace it should it be totalled, vs resale value.

the scout is another option id consider, but there is little info about it outside of speculation. though if its on the same software that could be huge for diy serviceability. I will likely be making a similar thread on scout forum if I like it after it is unveiled.

we dont need the Durango size. the third row is almost always down, its an ok size for us but we could be just as fine with the 2 row jeep grand Cherokee or maybe smaller size wise. we just didnt like the jeep. but is the r2 is going to be more like a dodge journey in comparison to the r1 as opposed to jeep grand Cherokee? ie r1s=Durango r2=jgc or r2=journey/hornet?

we dont road trip a lot. once every couple years Indiana to Branson, Mo or Gatlinburg, TN. maybe the odd trip to Michigan in between. usually take our newest vehicle on trips.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

The R1T will be a very different vehicle than what you had. I had a 2015 Ram Ecodiesel a few years ago, and I quite liked that truck; my R1 is so different it's not worth even comparing them. My Rivian was my first EV and it ruined me for ICE cars. The first thing I will go with is if you meet two small conditions EVs are leaps and bounds better than ICE cars as a general rule.

1. You have a place to charge at home and can do so as often as necessary, even nightly.
2. Your long trips (over 100ish miles one way) and towing (under 50 miles one way) should be infrequent.

You said you are a mechanic, so you aren't making multiple trips for work daily. So long as your drive to work isn't 100 miles and you can charge at home, you will take full advantage of EV convenience. If you can charge daily, you can leave your battery to stop charging at 70% capacity each night, which is what Rivian recommends for the battery's longevity. This will give you about 215 miles of range, less in winter, as EVs use more power for heat. Most people's commute distance makes this a nonissue, and for me personally, I never even pay attention to range on daily errands I just plug in when I get home.


The next significant difference is in driving dynamics. The claims of Rivian quads going 0-60 in 3 seconds isn't an exaggeration or a party trick. It will do it every time you have traction. There is no engine to get in the correct RPM range, no transmission to shift, mash the go pedal, and it will go instantly and in the same fashion each time you do it. The R1T also handles the road much more sportily than any other truck. The air suspension means you can take spirited drives through winding roads on the way to the trail, press a button and have the high ground clearance and big truck feel for when the pavement ends.

That brings us to the next difference. EVs are computers with wheels, not cars as you're used to. That means you can change the feel of the car, pedal mapping, drive height, road manners with a couple of clicks of the screen, and the changes are to a far greater degree than anything ICE can do. It also allows for stuff like one-pedal driving. The accelerator works like a tractor with a hydrostatic transmission. Press down to go, let up to slow down, and stop. On most trips I take, I do not need to use the brake pedal at all. This saves wear on brake pads, and recaptures lost energy to help charge the battery pack. One-pedal driving is such a great feature that I won't get another vehicle unless it's an EV if I can help it.

Now, the downsides. The first one is road trip charging. Road trips are going to take more effort than you're used to. There are two kinds of charging, at home you will use 220V which is called level 2 charging. Think of a welder outlet; in fact, if you have a 14-50 outlet for a welder now, you're already set up to plug in the charger. On the road, you will charge at fast chargers called level 3 charging. Your home charger could take up to 12 hours at the 220V speeds, most daily charges will be shorter mine takes 2-3 hours and it doesn't matter because you're home so you can do other things.

Fast charging can take up to an hour; unlike charging at home, you're stuck sitting at the station for that time. You can leave and walk around, though, so if there are other things to do in the area and you can get there on foot, it's possible to do so. Your navigation will tell you when you need to stop, and what percentage you need to charge to to either reach your destination or the next charger. I make trips that are a thousand miles one way at least yearly, this year will be 3x my truck has made a trip of that distance including one my wife took it on solo and was able to manage.

It's a little bit of a learning curve and there are apps to help weed out broken or slow chargers. Stick around here and you'll learn everything you need to know before going out on the trip. I did that before my first trip, and there were no surprises; I knew what to expect, how to deal with potential problems or head them off before running into them, and roughly the best way to plan the charges. If you are willing to learn I prefer the EV road trip experience because forcing you to stop for 30 min every 3-4 hours does take longer but makes the drive much more pleasant.

The next negative is that you won't be able to fix a lot of stuff on it. As I mentioned before, it's a computer with wheels, and most of the parts aren't going to translate to what you're used to. Some of the suspension stuff, wheels, tires, and brakes are the same, although with one-pedal driving, you won't be changing those often/ever. Overall EVs, and Rivians in particular are superior to ICE cars in my opinion but there are a few things to learn before getting one.

 

[JonW716]

I went from a Ram 2500 to the Rivian and my wife drives a Durango SRT Hellcat. I also loved the idea since my Ram would only pull, our boat and transport bulky but light stuff for trade shows. I am a bit over 2 months into ownership and do love the truck, BUT I am having 2nd thoughts and regretting not waiting a little longer. The Rivian fits all my needs but there are several minor issues with my truck, and 1 major one. Major issue is the AC is not draining condensation externally but it’s going inside the truck under my front floor mats creating mold (seems to be a common issue) and I got fast tracked for a service center appointment. They will have my truck for a MINIMUM of 2 WEEKS, probably 3. There are also some cabin noises, a lift gate issue, loose mechanical fitting clunking and my original appointment for that stuff was for December 20 which was almost 3 months out. I turn my own wrenches usually so this is especially frustrating when there are not many replacement parts, manuals and the possibility of voiding my warranty if I tear it apart to look. The truck itself is great and I am sure they will fix it, BUT the service aspect of it is terrible and if you do some digging many people have the same sentiment. I knew what I was getting into when I bought a truck from a startup and understood they were having some issues, but I did not realize that the service centers would be such an issue and take so long to get an appointment. Again, the truck is awesome but the service end of it is making me somewhat regret my decision….. I feel helpless especially since I can and have done just about anything working on vehicles from engine swaps to differential rebuilds. In addition out of warranty will cost a small fortune for work and there is only 1 place as of now to have it serviced.
*EDIT* Two more thing I wanted to touch on was the towing range & highway driving range impact. My boat is 4,000lbs, range goes down to roughly 135 miles, which is just enough for our needs but its something to consider if you will need to tow. Also Going to an EV vs ICE, highway mileage is greatly diminished once you break the 65mph mark, ICE has the same impact but its less noticeable since gas stations are everywhere. In Florida the speed limit is usually 70 and its not uncommon to go 75-77+ on the highways, my truck goes from 340 range down to roughly 270 when speeding BUT going 65 I can get the stated range of 340. I regularly drive from Florida to VA (7 times a year) and my 4 charging stops each way add up to roughly 2 hours of additional travel time. Its not bad at all and forces me to take breaks, driving throughout the night many places do not have amenities open but you can pick and chose where you stop. Just food for though, I hope it helps and this is my first EV also so I am learning the in's and out's still. Rivian is a great truck if you don't need service centers which many people do not...... I am looking forward to getting my truck serviced and loving it for a long time, I just hope its one and done.

 

[Davethadog]

I had a launch edition. It was cool but at the end of the day it could not compete with my ram for actual truck things. I know I am in the minority here obviously but I think rams top level trims are much more comfortable and enjoyable to be in than the Rivian. Glad my wife has an r1t so I can keep the fomo at bay but my recommendation is to be very clear eyed about the Rivian and the state of the brand before you get rid of a truck you might really miss.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

I had a launch edition. It was cool but at the end of the day it could not compete with my ram for actual truck things. I know I am in the minority here obviously but I think rams top level trims are much more comfortable and enjoyable to be in than the Rivian. Glad my wife has an r1t so I can keep the fomo at bay but my recommendation is to be very clear eyed about the Rivian and the state of the brand before you get rid of a truck you might really miss.

What things specifically did the Rivian fall short on? You said "actual truck things," but it would be helpful to the OP if you could describe where it falls short so he can see if those things apply to him.

 

[Move]

Damn you guys are fast. Other forums I am on, it takes weeks to get replies to my threads. Seriously i couldn't reply fast enough a new message would come through as i type.

On deciding the model I'm leaning more towards an r1t as it would most likely replace my truck, but the r2 planned price point was what got me looking. R1s looks way bigger than the durango, more suburban or tahoe sized. If I decided against the r1t id probably wait for the r2 over the s.

It is less of a “tell me what to do” and more what arguments can you make from a practicality standpoint that me not being an avid EV guy(yet) would not know or think of. Trust me ill do plenty of research, but part of that research would be peer review.

Unfortunately if I got a rivian it would not be in the garage, as the garage is full with my sweet sixteen car that i am restoring/modding. Not having to do oil changes in the driveway would be nice.my camaro will have plenty of loud pedal, but I wouldnt complain.
The durango is making me feel that way about the ram. Both our vehicles would be paid off(or close) by the time the r2 is out and if we like the rivian as much as i am hoping, i feel like the wife will not want to wait to trade them both.

i guess i should have included in some background, I am a mechanic for usps. I have worked for frieghtliner, mercedes benz, international, subaru, general motors dealerships and a few other shops. I am not really afraid of major repairs on any vehicle, I am just getting disgruntled over them all making “cost cutting” decisions that lead to the big repairs. But i do like what i do for a living. It is my craft, my trade. So half of me knows i can fix anything, the other half is wondering do I want to, just to drive to work and do the same thing.

As far as driving one, what are peoples experience with setting that up at the normal, il location. Do they have multiple configs/trim levels, or do you only get to try a maxed out quad motor? Are there any r2 available to testdrive?

I would just tell you it takes about 1-3 days to get used to driving an EV. After a year of ownership, I really never want to go back to an ICE vehicle. I hate when I have to drive my wife’s. Smoother ride, quieter, and most importantly, FUN. The instant power is a total game changer. Lastly, this is still a new company so be prepared for what that means. Engineering is solid, materials are pretty good, but operations struggle. I fully expect they will get better, not because they have to, but because this organization actually wants to. They do a good job of listening to their customers.

 

[Zoul]

please do list the truck things the r1t cant do as thats my thing. i dont think i use my ram at its capacity. towing a couple time yes, but the r1t has same tow rating. hell an s10 would fulfill my needs. as for getting rid of a truck ill miss, i already did that with my avalanche when i got the ram. granted it was time. upper trim rams are in the same price point or higher. but i dont think the hurricane will compare to ev or even the hemi for torque down low like a truck needs. switching to a diesel might be more expensive than switching to an ev if thats gonna be the argument.. either way I am at the point of knowing I need to start the research now, to replace the ram within the next 2-3 years, as i feel it will be about time. if i decide this isnt the route i want to go, Ill find a clean old avalanche to rebuild and know ill be content. I just dont want to discount making the changes to get with the times.

the regenerative braking on ev sound similar to having the jake brake active on a semi. I do prefer the way a vehicle with a jake brake drives and would actually like it to be stronger for a passenger vehicle.
it seems like rivian put out a good product that people like, they have a good foundation there. though they are having growing pains, it doesnt alarm me as much as some of the issues bigger companies are starting to have.

some further research has shown some enthusiast work on an independent service manual and work on hacking the diagnostic port for a third party scan tool. so some of my concerns with diy serviceability may be going away by the time I have to worry about real problems.

other questions: what have you guys of the used/second hand market? are they all the problem childs? or is it a lot of barely driven 1st gens that people traded off or didnt like? does rivian have an in house used market?
anybody use one for delivery driving? the wife delivers pizza for her for fun money, id hate to find out the hard way an ev doesnt work well with that.
any tips on financing? lease any good for my needs? use a heloc to buy outright?

 

[iansriv]

OP: This is very interesting. You are a mechanic (hopefully not the Jason Statham kind) and I don't see a lot of mechanics posting here. I'm sure you know cars better than a lot of us. The R1 is my first EV. There are a lot of great things because it's an EV, that others have pointed out here. I look at car buying and gun purchasing the same way. The car has to "fit" me properly. After a lifetime of sports cars, the R1 is perfect for me. I'd encourage you to test drive it. I look forward to your posts and hopefully you joining our dysfunctional family.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

please do list the truck things the r1t cant do as thats my thing. i dont think i use my ram at its capacity. towing a couple time yes, but the r1t has same tow rating. hell an s10 would fulfill my needs. as for getting rid of a truck ill miss, i already did that with my avalanche when i got the ram. granted it was time. upper trim rams are in the same price point or higher. but i dont think the hurricane will compare to ev or even the hemi for torque down low like a truck needs. switching to a diesel might be more expensive than switching to an ev if thats gonna be the argument.. either way I am at the point of knowing I need to start the research now, to replace the ram within the next 2-3 years, as i feel it will be about time. if i decide this isnt the route i want to go, Ill find a clean old avalanche to rebuild and know ill be content. I just dont want to discount making the changes to get with the times.

the regenerative braking on ev sound similar to having the jake brake active on a semi. I do prefer the way a vehicle with a jake brake drives and would actually like it to be stronger for a passenger vehicle.
it seems like rivian put out a good product that people like, they have a good foundation there. though they are having growing pains, it doesnt alarm me as much as some of the issues bigger companies are starting to have.

some further research has shown some enthusiast work on an independent service manual and work on hacking the diagnostic port for a third party scan tool. so some of my concerns with diy serviceability may be going away by the time I have to worry about real problems.

other questions: what have you guys of the used/second hand market? are they all the problem childs? or is it a lot of barely driven 1st gens that people traded off or didnt like? does rivian have an in house used market?
anybody use one for delivery driving? the wife delivers pizza for her for fun money, id hate to find out the hard way an ev doesnt work well with that.
any tips on financing? lease any good for my needs? use a heloc to buy outright?

If an s10 would fit your "real truck" needs, then the Rivian would more than fit them. The most significant drawbacks are towing long distances and bed capacity. Towing around town the Rivian tows like a 3500 because it's heavy with diesel torque levels. I have never owned a better truck for the dynamics of towing, the range is short at 150 miles total. If you're just towing around town that doesn't matter. If you are just picking up the occasional thing from Home Depot, the R1T would be overkill.

I cannot speak to the secondhand market overall, but I will say I am trading in my 2-year-old R1T in the next month or so. It has been so reliable that I had my wife take it on a 2K mile solo road trip over her BMW because I felt better about her driving my Rivian for such a long distance. If the truck is so good, why am I trading it? I'm trading because I need an SUV, and I'm getting another Rivian. My truck has front PPF and ceramic coating, the original power tonneau that still works well and no major problems outside of some initial problems that got ironed out.

Yes one pedal driving is similar to a jake brake, but you activate it by lifting off the pedal not a separate actuator. That and it doesn't make noise, but similar concept for sure. As far as financing, that depends much more on your individual circumstances. There are good lease deals, you get a 7500 dollar rebate if you lease, but not all of it if you buy or in my case none at all if you buy. I'm not sure how your state handles taxes for a purchase or a lease but in mine a lease also saves a big tax bill. With that said I bought my current one cash as they didn't offer leasing as a option at the time.

Also for delivering pizzas or other stop and go driving tasks the Rivian, and EVs in general are superior than ICE cars. It costs me what it would cost to run a Prius for my R1T because power is cheaper at home than gas is at the gas station for distance traveled and EVs get more efficient in those short trips whereas ICE gets less efficient.

 

[Dave Cundiff]

Road trips are going to take more effort than you're used to. There are two kinds of charging, at home you will use 220V which is called level 2 charging. Think of a welder outlet; in fact, if you have a 14-50 outlet for a welder now, you're already set up to plug in the charger. On the road, you will charge at fast chargers called level 3 charging. Your home charger could take up to 12 hours at the 220V speeds, most daily charges will be shorter mine takes 2-3 hours and it doesn't matter because you're home so you can do other things.

Fast charging can take up to an hour; unlike charging at home, you're stuck sitting at the station for that time.

@Donald Stanfield: EV road trips take planning, but our Maryland-to-Washington-State trip in May-June 2024, target around 550-600 miles per day, was surprisingly pleasant for the two of us. A detailed account is available via Web search for "coast to coast with a new R1T".

Takeaways: (1) Rivians charge quickly if the charger supports high charging speed; (2) We enjoy stopping anyway; (3) During the day, most DC Fast chargers are near restrooms and restaurants; (4) We nearly always got enough charge to get to the next planned charger in the time it took to use restroom, or eat or walk around if we wanted to; and (5) We were able to find hotels to charge at or near 100% overnight.

Whether @Zoul will be happy with Rivian road trips is very much a matter of personal style for @Zoul and wife. I don't want to take an ICE road trip again, if a Rivian or equivalent is available. Everyone's mileage may vary.

@Zoul: I think you're getting a good, balanced picture of the positives and negatives. I'm glad you're here!

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