4th of July Week 2024 – Rivian R1T Max Pack and Casita 17’ Trailer
By David Penzkover, Go Electric Colorado
A question I often hear is, “I’d love to get an EV, but what about long road trips?” It might be a valid concern, and I’ll admit I had a touch of range anxiety before embarking on our first family EV camping trip this summer. While towing you lose range on any vehicle, so it was a true proof of concept.
We set off from Colorado to Wisconsin and back, traveling through seven states. What better way to celebrate Independence Day than by towing our Casita camper with our Rivian R1T and covering 2,300 miles through America’s heartland—all without using a drop of gasoline?
An EV road trip does require some initial preparation and understanding, although we found it fun planning. Checking potential charging locations on Google Maps before setting off provided us with a clear picture of where to find chargers and what parking would look like when we got there. One of the big unknowns for us was how often we’d need to disconnect the camper for charging. Thankfully, most of the Electrify America charging stations along our route were conveniently located at the far end of Walmart parking lots or behind the stores. This setup allowed us to charge without unhooking the camper, saving us time.
It was exciting meeting other EV enthusiasts along the way. Rivian owners would give us the customary wave, we met several Tesla owners, a new Blazer EV owner, BMW, Kia, and of course the occasional Cybertruck. When we camped, we easily charged overnight with the campground outlets, and our overall charging costs being about half of what gasoline would have cost for the entire trip.
Although Rivian’s in-dash software is great for integrating the multiple charging networks, we did encounter a few stations under construction when we expected to charge. This can only get better as the Apps improve and become more sophisticated and consolidated. Surprisingly, spending 40-60 minutes at charging stations turned out to be a delightful break. Instead of a quick gas refuel, we enjoyed family lunches, explored local towns, and played board games. It’s a reminder of what we all strive for in our hectic lives—a chance to slow down and savor the moment.
We’re looking forward to many more EV adventures and can’t wait to see you all out on the open road!
