Rivian Mom
Member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2024
- Messages
- 148
- Reaction score
- 24
- Rivian
- R1S
We have been planning a winter trip to North Carolina to visit my in-laws for the holidays, but what has been on my mind so far, is how I'm going to deal with schlepping all of our ski gear for the trip. Didn't really want to put wet gear and boots in my vehicle, nor was I excited about using a rooftop box due to range concerns when it's already cold outside, as well as just being a general pain to access on a pretty tall vehicle.
So I saw someone who has the Yakima EXO lineup installed in his R1S. He says it was a pretty easy installation but quite heavy once assembled! According to him, he takes it on and off pretty regularly rather than hauling the whole thing from the mountain cabin back to Boise with each drive, so I'm still figuring out a way to on-/off-load a 100lb rack by myself so I don't have to bug anyone every time or in case no one is around. I've got a rack valet from Hollywood Racks on order, and I'm hopeful that will at least help with moving around and storing, but the actual lift-on and off is still going to be a bit difficult.
All that said, the EXO lineup seems to be a pretty slick product. Looks easy to swap out the various components. So far he's just gotten the Swingbase, Topshelf, Gearlocker, and Snowbank (ski/board rack). Said he has plans to add the bike mount and possibly check out the Camp Kitchen next year.
It all seems to fit very well on the back of the rig, and it's rock solid. Doesn't look like it will create too much drag since even with the locker on top, it still sits just below the height of the rear roofline. I wish there was a bit easier way to bolt and unbolt the hitch pin, but I think the fact that it is threaded is what is giving it such stability. Just makes it a bit more time consuming to install and remove, but not bad.
It's very easy to swing the whole EXO setup away from the vehicle and then fully access the rear hatch and tailgate. If I should settle for the Yakima EXO Hitch Hauler, I will probably install a little bit of adhesive rubber on the TopShelf upright post just in case the rear hatch gets opened accidentally while the swingarm is in it's closed position, just to avoid any scratches on the paint or window. I'm open to other suggestions but for now, it seems like this might be my best option.
Happy ski/board season and happy holidays!
So I saw someone who has the Yakima EXO lineup installed in his R1S. He says it was a pretty easy installation but quite heavy once assembled! According to him, he takes it on and off pretty regularly rather than hauling the whole thing from the mountain cabin back to Boise with each drive, so I'm still figuring out a way to on-/off-load a 100lb rack by myself so I don't have to bug anyone every time or in case no one is around. I've got a rack valet from Hollywood Racks on order, and I'm hopeful that will at least help with moving around and storing, but the actual lift-on and off is still going to be a bit difficult.
All that said, the EXO lineup seems to be a pretty slick product. Looks easy to swap out the various components. So far he's just gotten the Swingbase, Topshelf, Gearlocker, and Snowbank (ski/board rack). Said he has plans to add the bike mount and possibly check out the Camp Kitchen next year.
It all seems to fit very well on the back of the rig, and it's rock solid. Doesn't look like it will create too much drag since even with the locker on top, it still sits just below the height of the rear roofline. I wish there was a bit easier way to bolt and unbolt the hitch pin, but I think the fact that it is threaded is what is giving it such stability. Just makes it a bit more time consuming to install and remove, but not bad.
It's very easy to swing the whole EXO setup away from the vehicle and then fully access the rear hatch and tailgate. If I should settle for the Yakima EXO Hitch Hauler, I will probably install a little bit of adhesive rubber on the TopShelf upright post just in case the rear hatch gets opened accidentally while the swingarm is in it's closed position, just to avoid any scratches on the paint or window. I'm open to other suggestions but for now, it seems like this might be my best option.
Happy ski/board season and happy holidays!
