Photo: XJmaxxG8 on Bring a Trailer / USPTO / autoevolution edit
Rivian's Camp Kitchen, the tank turn feature, and the 12V frunk sockets are probably the things that R1T buyers miss the most. But fret not; one is coming back – the Camp Kitchen! However, official patent documents reveal a new design and showcase the modular apparatus as an R1S, not an R1T option. Here's what you need to know.
Nobody likes it when cool features are promised and never delivered. But sometimes, it must happen. Rivian learned it needed to act before shipping a defective product to customers after the tonneau cover fiasco. Instead of just going with the flow and releasing the pricey option to everyone who asked for it, the brand took a step back, admitted it had more work to do, and didn't take a chance at dealing with a $6,000 product needing constant fixing.
"Our goal has always been to create the ultimate outdoor cooking experience. As our team has continued testing the Camp Kitchen in various environments, we've found opportunities to refine the design and make our version of cooking in the wild even better," beautifully spun it Rivian in emails sent to disgruntled customers.
The first Camp Kitchen included a two-burner induction cooktop, a removable kitchen sink, and a 4-gallon (18-liter) water tank, complete with the Snow Peak 30-piece kitchen set.
Later, the EV maker admitted that production of the Camp Kitchen was halted, and Rivian focused on ramping up deliveries of the R1T and R1S instead, which, fortunately, has happened.
But over 10 months have passed since R1T buyers learned they wouldn't get the Camp Kitchen. The Irvine-based EV maker has not released any news regarding an updated product version. That prompted independent businesses to create aftermarket and much cheaper solutions, some of which we have featured here on autoevolution.
Meanwhile, the last we've heard from Rivian regarding the Camp Kitchen was that it will offer "adventure-ready cooking solutions" in the future.
The return of the Camp Kitchen
But that unknown point in time might already be here because the automaker obtained a USPTO patent for a brand-new Camp Kitchen. This time, however, it's for the R1S!
According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) documents you can consult below, the retractable kitchen could be installed in the SUV's trunk in a dedicated dual slot that's part of a locking and moving assembly.
The R1S has a trunk with a square opening that measures 50 inches in length, 21 inches in width (with the third row up), and 28 inches in height. That means the cargo room capacity is at 17.6 cu-ft and 46.7 cu-ft when the third row is folded. There's also a rear cargo floor with a space of five cu-ft. The advantage of not having an engine is that the front trunk comes to the rescue with even more storage room – 11.1 cu-ft, to be precise.
Photo: Rivian
The diagrams included in the USPTO filing show a retractable tray with a rectangular box on top of it. Both offer storage rooms, neatly hiding from plain view a three-piece folding table with an electric stove (powered by a 1.5 kW inverter) comprising two hot plates, a cutting board, a collapsible sink with a special partition for food waste, and a drawer for utensils.
When stacked on top of each other through a rail structure, the two partitions seem to cover the trunk up to the rear quarter window. It's not immediately clear if the third row of seats has to be folded. However, since the drawings show the top compartment extending up to the left-side shoulder speaker, it looks like seating seven may not be an option when the camp kitchen is installed.
Springs, latches, and locks complete the moving mechanism that allows the moving parts to extend and unfold. Playing around with the new camp kitchen seems like a breeze thanks to all the joints and cleverly-designed hinges.
Rivian also considers adding a water pump and reservoir connected through a retractable hose.
The top might also hold additional kitchen equipment or other survival/camping gear.
Sadly, patent filings do not strongly indicate that a product will come to market. Neither does it prove that the filer is ready to start manufacturing and selling it. Furthermore, it's not representative of a final design. The USPTO documentation is just a way for the company to protect its design from being copied by others and offered at a lower price point.
Ultimately, we must wait for Rivian's official announcement, which ought to come sooner rather than later.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News