Tonneau cover issues

[BoltEVowner]

Spoke with a service tech yesterday (he was working on my bricked truck due to 12v drain issue). He recommended keeping the top of the cover clean before retracting and using a dry, graphite based lube in the rails.

If careful cleaning and graphite are needed, should be some sort of service bulletin/email from Rivian to current owners, and may eliminate a lot of service calls. Maybe Rivian should just include a recommended graphite product to use on the rails, versus trial and error by owners???

Sponsored

 

[hed]

We are building a house that is in the middle of the woods and we have to travel 1.2 miles down a gravel road that gets extremely dusty. The house we live in currently is in suburbia so that is not an issue.

When we move there will be a ton of dust the truck/cover will be subjected to every day. With all the problems I've read about concerning the tonneau I think I may just keep the cover open. I never had a tonneau before on any of my other trucks so it's not like I'll feel like I'm missing much.

Too many moving pieces, too fragile (?) and it sits out in the elements while being located on the part of the truck that arguably receives the most abuse.

Though unlikely, I hope at some point, Rivian will offer owners a service to remove the tonneau and all associated hardware and supply a trim piece to cover where it comes out of the bed. Basically seal up where it once resided.

 

[NY_Rob]

^ yeah, I would just keep the cover open too. At that point it will be just like any other pickup... open bed, but that's better than having a locked/covered bed due to a jammed cover.


Kudos to the forum members who called this issue years ago... y'all were correct.. it's a problem!

 

[aw113sgte]

Well, interesting behavior. Been back from service for about a week after tonneau replacement. Open/closed tonneau maybe 4 times since service. Decided to try it today with my son watching behavior of the 1 inch overhang on open thing and it decided to not close completely. Brand new cover as of a week mind you. The slowing toward the end of closing behavior turned into slowing to a stop with about 1 inch left open. We were able to open/close it and pull the cover towards the back at the end to get it to close completely. Calling service again.

Well mine is having the same behavior. Pushing and holding the button it will close all the way but just pushing the button it stops short about 1" on each open and close.

 

[kneebuster]

A mobile tech was at my house today for some other issues, and I asked about the tonneau problems. He said I definitely don't want to join the "tonneau club" and suggested spraying the track with dry lube. That's what they do, but he didn't have any in the truck. I picked some up at Home Depot, but unfortunately, it dried white. Need to find one that's clear or black.

 

[RayzorBEV]

A mobile tech was at my house today for some other issues, and I asked about the tonneau problems. He said I definitely don't want to join the "tonneau club" and suggested spraying the track with dry lube. That's what they do, but he didn't have any in the truck. I picked some up at Home Depot, but unfortunately, it dried white. Need to find one that's clear or black.

Did he recommended dry graphite lube? Thank you in advance

 

[M00v0vr]

Did he recommended dry graphite lube? Thank you in advance

I've used the following for other uses, can find at most autoparts stores.
Crc 03094 $10.49 Graphite Dry Film Lubricant, Aerosol, 10 Oz. | Zoro.com

 

[kneebuster]

Did he recommended dry graphite lube? Thank you in advance

He didn't mention graphite, though it seems reasonable. Really wish he had a can in the truck I could have eyeballed.

 

[chrismc]

I've used the following for other uses, can find at most autoparts stores.
Crc 03094 $10.49 Graphite Dry Film Lubricant, Aerosol, 10 Oz. | Zoro.com

This guy?

CRC Dry Graphite Lube 03094 – 10 Wt. Oz, Dry Film Lubricant https://a.co/in1cquS

 

[Zoidz]

^ yeah, I would just keep the cover open too. At that point it will be just like any other pickup... open bed, but that's better than having a locked/covered bed due to a jammed cover.


Kudos to the forum members who called this issue years ago... y'all were correct.. it's a problem!

I've said it before, and at the risk of beating a dead horse - just because you CAN automate something doesn't mean you SHOULD. It's one of the reasons I changed my order from an R1T to an R1S. After I saw and heard videos of it, I was very skeptical.

It really sucks that it's so unreliable. Design over function, ugh.

 

[M00v0vr]

This guy?

CRC Dry Graphite Lube 03094 – 10 Wt. Oz, Dry Film Lubricant https://a.co/in1cquS

yup.

 

[Rivian_Hugh_III]

Isn’t there a ceramic product that wipes on and blocks UV? If the problem is heat related, perhaps applying the ceramic would help. Maybe that plus lube would do it?

I do trust Rivian to get this right eventually. A roll away tonneau is an awesome and unique feature. They’ll nail it eventually.

 

[paul_rivianlife]

I also have a service tech coming to my house for another issue and will ask as many questions as I can about maintenance, any home repair options to get it unstuck if it stops, cleaning, etc. Keep all posted.

 

[cjust2006]

Spoke with a service tech yesterday (he was working on my bricked truck due to 12v drain issue). He recommended keeping the top of the cover clean before retracting and using a dry, graphite based lube in the rails.

Not something Rivian should expect owners of a couple of weeks to worry about.

Not that I don't like solving my own problems, I just don't think they'll all get fixed if we solve the problem for them.

Edit: grammar

 

[AO_Pete]

I took delivery today and was called during inspection notifying me that the Tonneau had a problem, but parts were not in stock. I told them to deliver anyway and will get it fixed when parts come back in stock. Expected late June parts supply.

They are going to completely replace mine. It has some small bends and some scratches through the coating on the first panel, like they put some pliers on it to pull it out of its hatch. I can confirm the cover is aluminum with a black coating that can be scratched off.

Virtually the same thing just happened to me. Delivery was due Wednesday, but got a text saying they found an issue with the cover, and were going to lock it open until it could be resolved 'in a couple of months'. Then an hour or so later I got another message saying they found an issue with the hood latch, so now they're going to fix that, and replace the entire tonneau cover, in theory so it's ready for delivery next week.

Sponsored