Poll: How often do you use the Camp Speaker?

[JamesPolk24]

It's too damn buggy to use on a regular basis. Won't charge in dock. Will drain itself to 0%. Trouble connecting. Not worth dealing with. Plenty of bluetooth speakers on the market that aren't that expensive and work as expected.

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[Aka_Buck]

All I wanted it to do was sit in my garage while I wash the truck and stream music from my phone. Too bad the truck and speaker fight for my Bluetooth connection and the music plays in the truck. Carwash mode didn't help this. Had to use a second phone to play the music. This created the biggest first world problem lol.

 

[anotherburrito]

Flashlight: All the damn time.
Camp Speaker: oh yeah. There’s a camp speaker! Anyways…

 

[anotherburrito]

I’m hoping someone comes up with an aftermarket hidden drawer for that thing.

 

[madgrey]

I keep coming across this thread... I still haven't tried out the speaker... I'll get to it right after I test the compressor.

 

[the long way downunder]

“Almost never” is precisely why I want these things. It’s the things I “almost never” use that I always forget to bring and really miss when I don’t have them. I’ve used the flashlight pretty often and the camp speaker on road trips and I love having both. They’re definitely not something I need every day, but neither is off road mode, a steering wheel heater, an air compressor, a gear tunnel, 800hp, and on and on and on…

You'd have to separate out "off road" mode – while "non-essential" it's very high on the "without this button, we're going to lose sales."

Sadly, in my experience with the driving modes, Rivian didn't finish the software, they just stopped development and went into production, which is the same explanation I have for the Camp Speaker … it's a poor idea, poorly implemented.

I'd observe "one size fits all" is the antithesis of long-lived vehicles with a worldwide community of enthusiasts. e.g. Porsche 911 starts "bare bones" and the buyer has a long list of checkboxes to suit their purposes. Jeep, Bronco, Land Rover, Land Cruiser. Famously long-lived vehicles that have long options lists. The longevity of these vehicles is efficiency. They perform their intended function with excellent efficiency.

Rivian should have focused more on efficiency:
Battery efficiency (maximum kWh)
Charging efficiency (minimum time for maximum kWh)
Range efficiency (minimum mi/kWh, max regen)

We're about to see Tesla deliver the Cybertruck with 1000V and MW charging. Tesla has made efficiency their priority; I think it's going to make the ugly duckling clustertruck the better vehicle .

 

[FNWY2004]

Never, but if anyone has one that they’ve broken, I’d like to hollow it out and use it for handgun storage.

 

[staytuned]

Never, but if anyone has one that they’ve broken, I’d like to hollow it out and use it for handgun storage.

+1

If it remains lockable like the camp speaker is, that would solve the #1 thing I miss coming from Tesla, with a glovebox PIN

that said, I do use the speaker (maybe once a month) and the flashlight almost daily

 

[Scoiatael]

I honestly have never removed it to check if it even works.

 

[JeremyMKE]

I use it. The sound is good.
Needs the following
1) sync to truck audio
2) full control of all features in the app

 

[the long way downunder]

I use it. The sound is good.
Needs the following
1) sync to truck audio
2) full control of all features in the app

Do you mean play the audio that's playing the truck?
That's the original feature description as an "extension" of the truck audio system. I believe Rivian still intends to write the software and provide that functionality.
I think control from the app makes sense (especially since the buttons are inconvenient.)
I'd like a lockable, powered drawer instead of the speaker. I'd put the speaker in a charging dock in the frunk or the gear tunnel to make use of that space right next to the driver. For now, I just leave the speaker in the house and use that space as a hiding place to keep things out of view when parked.

 

[JeremyMKE]

Do you mean play the audio that's playing the truck?
That's the original feature description as an "extension" of the truck audio system. I believe Rivian still intends to write the software and provide that functionality.
I think control from the app makes sense (especially since the buttons are inconvenient.)
I'd like a lockable, powered drawer instead of the speaker. I'd put the speaker in a charging dock in the frunk or the gear tunnel to make use of that space right next to the driver. For now, I just leave the speaker in the house and use that space as a hiding place to keep things out of view when parked.

Yes I know they intend to add the sync feature but while still a super fan I will believe it when I see it.

I am good with the speaker, in fact I like it. I find there are often cases where I am like a portable speaker would be handy and I use it. Maybe it’s because I am often just waiting for my kids somewhere and I keep my yeti chair in the gear tunnel at all times.

 

[the long way downunder]

Yes I know they intend to add the sync feature but while still a super fan I will believe it when I see it.

In my opinion, that is the consensus and "Rivian really needs …" to start paying attention to the shift from optimism and excitement to the skepticism.

For me, it's the software delays more than the hardware defects that's the real concern … did they simply not hire a software development team and now they have an undersized dev crew?

What were they doing from 2018 thru 2021 if not writing software for the whole vehicle and all the promised features and expected functionality?

I'm sure they're all bright people and presumably most of them are still dedicated to success and motivated to take pride in their accomplishments and the potential of their work, but the software is just second rate at best.

Some of the problem is hardware (I assume) for things like proximity "passive" key detection to be so bad, but that would improve if the phone app was (far) better (the phone could fill in for the car and predictively get the car "up" using its proximity BLE etc.) But most of the problem is the UX, which would be bad for 2015 compared to the Model S … not to ignore Driver+ just doesn't work even though it's the same technology as GM and Ford uses (and their implementations do work … really well.)

 

[GHuff]

I've tried to use it twice. Both times were when I was near the vehicle and had issues of Spotify 'jumping" between the car and the speaker. Very frustrating. Haven't used it since.

 

[ja_kub_sz]

Every time I work out at the fire department and whenever I'm doing work around the house, which comes out to pretty much every single week.

I really like it, but then again definitely not essential.

I would say I use my flashlight less than that however.

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