Re: Rivian Truck
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 10:52 am
Rivian for surfing!
Wow, the bed is so much shorter than my last several trucks! That's my Rivian today with 7'6 foot board. I didn't want to bother getting the optional Rivian racks because I don't like having to tie down the board, I want to put the board in and go. But the bed is a bit short so this is what I am doing with the 7 foot boards and my 8 foot board goes 'corner to corner' from front passenger side of bed to driver rear of bed with a bungee cord to hold the bag in place. I find it a challenge to lift the tailgate back up when wet, my other trucks have had a plastic lip spoiler at the top of the tailgate and worked well as a handle. The Rivian doesn't have it and I end up grabbing the paint and scratches are going to be an issue fast unless I get some PPF on that painted surface below the top plastic of the tailgate.
I find the gear tunnel doesn't work well as step for me to get into the bed while dripping wet in the wetsuit, so I added step/hitch you might be able to just barely see here. Some places I park to surf we have a guard rail inches from passenger side, preventing me from dropping gear tunnel on that side, and road is pretty close on driver side such that gear tunnel door is a hazard if dropped on either side. I want to step from the back into the bed like I have always done to change back to street clothes and only the Rivian lacks a rear step, every other truck in the world has a rear step molded into the bumper design, on the bumper, often both, etc. Clearly this is Rivian's first truck effort and I am surprised such a basic item was overlooked (and before anyone says gear tunnel again, many modern trucks have step in that area AND step options at the rear).
For comparison, my neighbor is a Contractor, look at all the step options, that's a truck actually designed for bed access for both work and play. SEVEN built in step points that don't require the owner to unlock the truck and lower a panel for step access when their hands are full and wet, that's rational truck design! I bet an update of this truck down the line includes some step options molded into the rear bumper area, it would be easy to do. It is crazy that there are no steps to access the bed of the Rivian unless you first unlock it and then drop a gear tunnel door. When hands are full and wet that's the last thing I want to do.
Wow, the bed is so much shorter than my last several trucks! That's my Rivian today with 7'6 foot board. I didn't want to bother getting the optional Rivian racks because I don't like having to tie down the board, I want to put the board in and go. But the bed is a bit short so this is what I am doing with the 7 foot boards and my 8 foot board goes 'corner to corner' from front passenger side of bed to driver rear of bed with a bungee cord to hold the bag in place. I find it a challenge to lift the tailgate back up when wet, my other trucks have had a plastic lip spoiler at the top of the tailgate and worked well as a handle. The Rivian doesn't have it and I end up grabbing the paint and scratches are going to be an issue fast unless I get some PPF on that painted surface below the top plastic of the tailgate.
I find the gear tunnel doesn't work well as step for me to get into the bed while dripping wet in the wetsuit, so I added step/hitch you might be able to just barely see here. Some places I park to surf we have a guard rail inches from passenger side, preventing me from dropping gear tunnel on that side, and road is pretty close on driver side such that gear tunnel door is a hazard if dropped on either side. I want to step from the back into the bed like I have always done to change back to street clothes and only the Rivian lacks a rear step, every other truck in the world has a rear step molded into the bumper design, on the bumper, often both, etc. Clearly this is Rivian's first truck effort and I am surprised such a basic item was overlooked (and before anyone says gear tunnel again, many modern trucks have step in that area AND step options at the rear).
For comparison, my neighbor is a Contractor, look at all the step options, that's a truck actually designed for bed access for both work and play. SEVEN built in step points that don't require the owner to unlock the truck and lower a panel for step access when their hands are full and wet, that's rational truck design! I bet an update of this truck down the line includes some step options molded into the rear bumper area, it would be easy to do. It is crazy that there are no steps to access the bed of the Rivian unless you first unlock it and then drop a gear tunnel door. When hands are full and wet that's the last thing I want to do.