Photo: Auto Focus on YouTube / everythingandthecampkitchen on Instagram / autoevolution edit
Being adventurous with an EV doesn't mean relying only on snacks and sandwiches. Carbonated drinks may be out of the question to keep the personal carbon footprint to a minimum while exploring, but being unable to cook a fish or make some soup shouldn't be. For this reason, Rivian was supposed to give its owners the camp kitchen. But it's still nowhere to be found. Fortunately, now someone else has a real solution.
The quad-motor Rivian R1T is an excellent all-electric pickup truck. Aside from a couple of industry-specific growth issues, this vehicle made most of the owners out there happy, and it's prone to continue doing the same even in dual-motor spec. It has plenty of power, McLaren-inspired suspension, a great interior, a decent bed length, and better storage space than some competitors. The fact that it looks great overall is also a plus.
Unfortunately, in trying to ramp up production and satisfy investor requests, Rivian has given up on a couple of features and accessories along the way. The sound system isn't Meridian anymore, the 12V center console socket is gone, the driver monitoring camera has been dropped, the Membership Pack has been unbundled, and even the hyped tank turn feature has been canceled. And that's just to name a few…
But the thing everyone still secretly hopes to be shipped at some point is the coveted camp kitchen. The startup said last year that it was pausing the production of this impressive setup to redesign it. Even though it cost $6,000, many still wanted it. Besides looking cool, it was also practical to have in the car, ready to deploy immediately when out and about. It also helped the first all-electric pickup truck that came to market to make a name for itself.
Fortunately, when a manufacturer fails to deliver, others rise to the challenge. Some Americans made the measurements, did the tests, and now have a camp kitchen for your R1T that's cheaper than Rivian's apparently discontinued product.
Photo: everythingandthecampkitchen on Instagram
Named the "Thunderbolt Camping Kitchen," this 80-lb assembly that includes the gear sled costs $3,885 and comes in two colors – natural and "flamed." The latter is $410 more expensive, but that added coolness might be worth it. It boasts a Japanese finish that adds an extra bit of texture.
It's made from plywood and features a dual burner induction cooktop (make sure there's enough juice to keep it running), a collapsible sink, and around nine square feet of countertop space, so you can make anything you want. There's also a discreet bottle opener included. It doesn't come with a water tank but can be hooked up to a three-gallon one.
Right now, it only slides out of the gear tunnel on the passenger side, but a future version might come with more flexibility in this regard if you're not hurrying up to get one now. They thought of practicality too! As such, customers can store the camp kitchen in separate, easily stacked modules. Plus, there's a Danish oil finish that protects the surfaces.
This aftermarket solution looks sturdy, is easy to pack, and the cooktop has a two-year warranty plus ETL certification that confirms it'll work well with the truck's power source. Maybe Rivian shouldn't have taken so long to develop a viable solution. Others appear to be getting ahead!
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
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