Rivian’s Camp Kitchen is Delayed Again for a Redesign, and Its Price Could Change
Rivian’s nifty slide-out kitchen will be upgraded before it reaches customer hands, though the improvements could come at a price.
Rivian has been shipping its electric R1T pickup truck for months now, but none of its customers have gotten their hands on its optional slide-out Camp Kitchen. That's because Rivian is redesigning the long-overdue accessory, though the company hasn't yet confirmed it will retain the same price.
The delay was announced in both a blog post and an email to reservation holders, which found its way onto Rivian Owners Forum (which a Rivian spokesperson confirmed to be authentic). The message states that Rivian is "temporarily pausing production of the Camp Kitchen [...] to update its design," though Rivian didn't say what prompted the redesig, or how the Camp Kitchen will be altered. Sightings of a possible new iteration indicate changes to the locking mechanisms and fitment, though it's unclear whether these will be carried forward to the production version. Rivian added that the update will also improve the Gear Tunnel Shuttle, on which the accessory slides out of and back into the R1T's body.
Originally available through Rivian's configurator for $5,000—then $6,750 this year, according to a Rivian spokesperson (it's still there, albeit grayed out)—the Camp Kitchen has been removed from customers' pre-orders for the duration of R1T (and now R1S) production. Rivian says that customers who have already received their vehicles will be able to purchase the redesigned accessory through its Gear Shop, though this means it won't be eligible for financing. Rivian was also unable to confirm the Camp Kitchen's pricing would stay the same, stating it would share pricing info only when it is "finalized."
Rivian's noncommitment to retaining the same price calls to mind the attempt to raise prices on its vehicles, which was reversed for reservation-holders after negative feedback. To be sure, it's always better for car companies to fix their products before shipping them than afterward to prevent things like its recent suspension bolt recall. It all shows that while breaking into the automotive industry as Rivian has is immensely difficult, it's still possible, even if you make some of the same mistakes your legacy competitors make. It's just important to own up to them and do what's right, rather than sweeping things under the rug.
Update: This story has been updated with comment from a Rivian spokesperson that the price of the kitchen camp accessory went up in 2022 before its removal.
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