You might be looking into purchasing a Rivian R1T truck. However, you’re hearing conflicting information about how big the truck bed is. How big is the Rivian truck bed?

The truck bed of the Rivian R1T is actually smaller than a lot of other available pickups. Whether it’s big enough for you depends really on what you want to use it for.

Key Takeaways:

While most tires on fossil fuel vehicles last an average of 50k-60k miles (about 4 years), tires on electric vehicles don’t last nearly as long and you may need to change them as soon as 15-20K miles.

As a general rule, you should start shopping for new tires one the tread pattern has about 4/32″ of an inch remaining.

While many tires are warranted between 45k-60k miles, electric vehicles like Teslas wear out much faster, meaning replacement can come as soon as 15k miles.

Since the Rivian R1T is primarily an adventure truck, if you want it for heavy work loads, you might want to look elsewhere. I’ll discuss the true dimensions of the Rivian R1T truck bed, as well as extra features of the truck itself.

Dimensions of the Rivian R1T Bed

The total storage capacity of the Rivian R1T (including the nifty hidden storage compartments) is about 62 cubic feet. A good portion of that capacity is in the truck bed. Here I’ll discuss the length, width and height of the Rivian truck bed, along with the distance between the ground and the bed.

Length

With the tailgate up, the bed length measures between 54 and 55.1 inches. With it down, that length extends to 83.6 inches.

Width

The maximum width of the truck bed is 51.1 inches. Between the wheel arches, that width decreases to 50.2 inches.

Height

The height from the bed bottom to the bed rails is 18.3 inches. With the tonneau closed over the top, the height is 17 inches.

Distance from Ground to Truck Bed

While it obviously depends on the suspension setting, the distance from the ground to the truck bed is about 34.5 inches.

Rivian claims you can drive on all types of terrain with a clearance distance of 14.9 inches or more.

Upsides and Downsides of the Rivian R1T Truck Bed

In terms of storage capacity, the Rivian R1T truck bed is a little small. However, the truck has other, unexpected storage areas.

The gear tunnel, for example, provides a small cylindrical compartment for your smaller and more compact gear. This compartment is also watertight.

The R1T also has a spare tire compartment built directly into the bed. If your spare is currently in use, you can also use this extra space for storage.

The bed is made out of wear and corrosion-resistant material. It also has tie-downs along the sides, like most pickups. In addition, the bed features two 110-volt outlets, LED lighting, and an air compressor.

On the downside, there is no pass-through area from the bed to the cabin. If you were planning on carrying long wooden boards, this area would be off-limits in the R1T.

In addition, owners complain about the lack of a step-up to get into the truck bed. Many recommend a ramp.

Rivian is always looking for new innovations in their vehicles, however. Hopefully, they’re listening to these owners and incorporating their critiques.

How Do I Know Whether the Rivian Truck Bed is Big Enough for Me?

It really depends on what you’re planning on using your Rivian truck for. Rivian advertises the R1T as more of an adventure vehicle than a work truck.

If you’re in that market, you can probably fit a good amount of camping gear in both the bed and the front truck, or “frunk.”

Apparently, the Rivian R1T is great for families, with plenty of extra features and all the storage space they need for camping trips.

Even then, owners report the Rivian R1T isn’t the truck you want to use if you’re planning to attach a camper or a trailer.

While their towing capacity is 11,000 pounds, and the average camper trailer weighs around 5,200 pounds on its own, you’ll presumably be packing plenty of stuff into the trailer as well as the bed and frunk.

This might test the towing weight limits of the R1T. Serious campers might want to consider a different pickup, especially if they prefer camping in a camper or trailer.

Those looking for an electric work truck might want to look elsewhere. The bed of the R1T is apparently smaller than the smallest Ford F150 model.

It’s not the best choice if you’re planning to transport bulk material to a job site. To be fair, many owners and reviewers praise the R1T’s suspension system.

A few heavy loads every once in a while probably won’t do any damage to the truck.

Can I Add Storage Racks to My R1T?

You certainly can! Owners have successfully attached bike racks to both the back of the tailgate and the top of the cab.

Some have even figured out how to add bike racks on top of the closed tonneau over the bed.

Of course, Rivian provides factory-made racks for the tops of their cabs for roof storage. These, along with other options, makes the R1T great for transporting bikes, surfboards, snowboards, and more!

Are Rivian Building Any More Trucks?

Rivian reports they’re planning to build six more electric vehicle models by 2025. They have not mentioned what type of cars they’ll be building.

We know one will probably be a delivery van, considering their recent partnership with Amazon.

It could be Rivian plans to expand into different car models. However, one of the six new vehicles could be a pickup truck with a larger bed. This might be the answer for those looking for an electric work pickup.

For now, we can just keep on the lookout for more details about Rivian’s new designs.

Conclusion

The Rivian R1T has a bed that generally is smaller than other truck beds on the market. This might make it a great option for some truck owners, but not for others.

Reportedly, the R1T is a great option for family camping trips and other adventures. However, if you need a heavy-duty work pickup, you might want to look elsewhere.

Since Rivian is making six more electric vehicle designs, they might have a larger pickup available for sale in the near future. Keep your eyes on electric vehicle news to learn more.