Overlanding in electric vehicles is becoming a thing, and Oregon-based camper shell and rooftop tent maker Super Pacific is one of the first aftermarket gear makers to announce a product compatible with the all-electric Rivian R1T pickup truck.
“We are super-fans of the innovation and ambition behind Rivian’s R1T. We have had enough inquiry from Rivian owners that we’re ready to take on the design challenge of an X1 Camper for the R1T, despite its unique complexity and relatively small numbers on the road,” co-founder and CEO Peter Williams said in a recent press release.
Super Pacific is looking for ten Rivian owners to put deposits down on a system before they undertake production. At present, Super Pacific is only focused on the R1T pickup truck, not the R1S SUV or newly announced R2S and R3 models (see story below).
So far, technical details are still being worked out, but Overland Expo reviewed an X1 setup mated to a Ford F-150 late last year and came away impressed. It’s likely the Rivian-compatible will hew fairly close to the X1 now available for most mid and full-size trucks, but with consideration for the different powertrain and options it allows for.
READ MORE: Review: Super Pacific X1 Rack And RTT Overland Expo®
Super Pacific told Overland Expo their construction methods take their cue from aircraft manufacturing to combine light weight, structural rigidity and utility in the design and build process. Super Pacific builds their products in a dedicated facility in Portland, Oregon.
Features of the X1 include a wedge-style hardshell rooftop tent that typically extends over the truck’s cab from the hard-mounted bed canopy. Two adults can sleep comfortably on the inflatable Exped mattress, and Super Pacific offers a quick-install “ThermaPuff” insulation kit for the tent section for cold-weather campouts.
Once installed, X1 side and rear access panels can be locked for security from both the outside and the inside. Molle panels allow for adding a wide range of gear or interior options. Cargo panels and the tent floor can be moved about to create weather-protected standing height headroom when no one (or one person) is up top in the tent. Super Pacific offers a wide range of awnings, bike racks and other gear to outfit the X1, which retails for $14,495.
The company says the Rivian version will have model-specific modifications that will make it more expensive than the standard models due to the Rivian’s truck bed layout and electric powertrain, but no specifics were mentioned in the press release. However, Super Pacific did say the first ten customers will get their Rivian models at the regular price. No specific pricing was announced for the units to follow.
READ MORE: Is Tesla’s Cybertruck ‘Cybertent’ Ready For Overlanding? Overland Expo
With the growing popularity of electric pickup trucks from Rivian, Ford, Chevrolet and now Tesla with their unusual but popular Tesla Cybertruck, electric overlanding is quickly becoming a niche within the industry. Naturally, overlanding in an electric truck has some advantages, including having a large power supply built into the setup itself to run lights, appliances and charge up most anything that uses batteries, from e-bikes to electric kayaks to movie projectors.
The Rivian R1T has a stated range of between 210 and over 400 miles, depending on configuration.
