A couple uses their new Rivian R1T to tow their Ford Mustang across the county and back – here is their story. Most of us have wondered what it would be like to make a cross-country trip in a new Rivian all-electric pickup truck. This trip is even more telling because it involves real-world towing.
Big thanks to @gideontherivian for all images and information in this story. Please take a look and follow their Instagram account for all the details, images, and video clips.
The couple loaded up their Aluma flat-deck car-hauler trailer with their Ford Mustang Shelby GT and went from Detroit to Los Angeles. They report that the Rivian R1T with the two of them, their luggage, and the loaded trailer weigh exactly 14,260 lbs. The R1T has a curb weight of 7,148 lbs (according to Edmunds). Doing some simple math suggests that the two people, their luggage, and the loaded trailer weigh 7,112 lbs. It’s difficult to say exactly, but the loaded trailer weight is a bit over 6,000 lbs.
How did the trip go? They used either the PlugShare or the ABRP (A-Better-RoutePlanner) apps to locate and plan out the charging locations. The return trip is documented on their Instagram page. The return trip from Los Angeles, California to Detroit took a southern route via Phoenix, AZ and Dallas, TX.
The first leg of the return trip that they documented was approximately 2,000 miles from LA to near Sikeston, Missouri. Their map shows 20 planned charging stops. This is an average of 100 miles towing between charging stops. The second leg of the trip is approximately 695 miles, and their screenshot shows seven planned charging stops. This is also 100 miles of towing range between charging stops.
They report stoping at many Electrify America fast chargers that are generally installed in a Walmart parking lot or at a shopping center. They report stopping at many Walmart stores along the way. Some charging stops were less successful than others. They report one charger with a low output of just 30 kW. Assuming most fast chargers are capable of charging at 150 kW or even 350 kW – 30 kW is slow indeed.
Also, it appears that they used a GenY Hitch – a heavy-duty height-adjustable hitch that we regularly use at TFLtruck.
Here is our detailed view of the Rivian R1T pickup truck.
