There are unforgettable adventures to be found wherever you are.
No one knows that better than our engineering team, who regularly head out into the wild to validate vehicle capabilities, test components and spend quality time on the trail.
Meet Ryan Davenport, Rivian Sr. Manager for Service Engineering. We caught up with him following a trip to Windrock Park, an off-road adventure area in East Tennessee. Here are his top tips and recommendations.
Level
The trails are colored by green, blue, and black. The park chooses the colors for each of the trails. They also rate each trail for vehicle width, too, so you won’t end up somewhere that you shouldn’t be. I try to mix gravel, easy, and medium difficulty trails when we go out.
The park includes several fantastic stops and trail sections:
Trail tips
The stock wheels and tires generally work pretty well at Windrock. We were out there with 34” All-Terrain tires on 20” wheels.
For Drive Modes,¹ we adjusted settings as the terrain changed:
Rally
Rally mode is great for getting to the trailhead as it smooths out the gravel mountain roads and can make them a little bit more fun.
All-Terrain & Rock Crawl
Once at the entrance to the trail, I’d often go into All-Terrain mode and high ride height, switching into Rock Crawl for the trails where it was needed, and into highest ride height when I needed the clearance.
Underbody Protection & Spotting
On the blue trails, you are gonna start feeling the rocks come up and say hello every once in a while, so it’s best to have the underbody protection. The ground clearance of the R1T and R1S typically make this a non-issue, but have someone spot you and be aware.
It’s common practice to air down your tires, but vehicles and tires vary, so check the Owner’s Guide for recommendations. I’d also recommend carrying one spare tire per vehicle, and also a repair kit. If I get a flat on trail, I will try to use my repair kit to fix it to get off of the trail, and then mount my spare once I need to drive on the road again. This ensures that I keep my spare in good shape.
Charging
The trailhead actually has a huge campground with quite a few 50-amp plug-ins, so for this trip, we picked a cabin in the campground and used the 50-amp RV plug as needed to charge the three trucks back up. It’s always good manners to ask the campground for permission.
Know before you go:
Final thought from Ryan
“Find a local Rivian club, other Rivian owners or an off-road group and encourage them to go out with you.² Adventuring is great, but it’s best enjoyed with others. It also helps the trip be a lot safer for all involved. Don’t be afraid to drive your Rivian, they were built for exploration. Whether I am out with friends, or out on a development trip, there is not a moment that I’m not left wondering what the hell I did to deserve to be here at this stage in my life. We produce what I think is the most compelling product ever here at Rivian. If you don’t believe me, take yours to Windrock and see how it does for yourself.”
Rivian is committed to upholding Tread Lightly! best practices to put trail stewardship at the center of every off-road adventure. Wherever you go, travel responsibly, respect the rights of others, educate yourself before you go, avoid sensitive areas, and do your part to leave the trail better than you found it.
The information provided in this article is intended for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute professional advice or expert guidance. Operate your vehicle responsibly, and only in areas and under conditions that match your experience. In addition to consulting your Rivian Owner's Guide before engaging in this activity, always check local weather and other conditions, such as trail closures, fire restrictions, or other hazards, and where appropriate, seek professional assistance. While we strive to ensure accuracy, we do not assume any responsibility or liability for any inaccuracies, omissions or errors in this content, nor for any adverse outcomes resulting from your failure to assess and respond to real-world conditions.
Rivian clubs, including those organized under Rivian Clubs of America, are independent organizations created by the Rivian community. These groups are not affiliated with, authorized, sponsored, or endorsed by Rivian Automotive, LLC, or any of its subsidiaries.
