I Took My Rivian R1S on Its Longest Trip, Towing a Trailer, and Faced One Close Call That I Managed to Solve on the Fly

Four miles of battery left. Towing a trailer. Power cut. No chargers in sight. That’s the kind of situation that gives even the most seasoned EV driver cold sweats, and it’s exactly what happened to a Rivian owner named Bill on his way from Austin to the Ozarks.

I came across Bill’s post while scrolling through the “RIVIAN Electric Vehicles Discussion” group on Facebook. I wasn’t expecting to find a story like this, it read more like a chapter from a suspese novel than a casual road trip recap. Bill had taken his R1S on its longest journey yet, pulling a trailer through hilly terrain, and had only one close call, but it was a big one.

This wasn’t some hyped-up marketing post or sponsored content, it was a real-world account, unfiltered and full of valuable insights for anyone considering a Rivian or planning a long-distance EV trip. It’s the kind of post that makes you stop scrolling and lean in.

The Trip That Nearly Went Sideways

Bill Swartz kicked off his Facebook post with an overview of the trip: “I took my longest trip last week, driving from Austin to the Ozarks while towing a 1,500-pound trailer. The R1S performed flawlessly, and I even got to experience parts of the Whole Hog ride. The only tense moment came when we skipped the Lowell charger and had to make it from our Airbnb to the Denison Tesla Supercharger, arriving with just 4 miles remaining and a warning that power had been reduced to conserve mode. I wish that feature could be manually enabled while towing. It was a fantastic trip overall, and the only real issue (which was my fault) was the challenge of backing up the trailer, as the vehicle kept shifting into park. Once I stopped turning around to look and relied on the mirrors and rear camera instead, the problem was easily resolved.”

Let’s pause there for a second, 4 miles of range, in conserve mode, while towing. That’s not just cutting it close. That’s threading the needle at highway speed, with the weight of a trailer pulling you back and no guarantee you’ll make it to a charger. It’s situations like this that really test how well you know your vehicle, and how quickly you can adapt when things don’t go exactly as planned.

Why Skipping a Charger Can Be a Costly Mistake

Bill’s main mistake was bypassing the Lowell charger, probably thinking he had enough buffer to make it to his Airbnb and then charge later. But when you’re towing, even small stretches of road can eat up range quickly. On top of that, elevation, headwinds, and driving speed compound the battery drain.

By the time Bill left the Airbnb and aimed for the Denison Supercharger, things got tense. The R1S dipped into conserve mode, an automated feature that limits performance to save energy, but Bill wished he had the option to toggle it on earlier, especially while towing. It could’ve helped him manage power more proactively instead of waiting for the system to step in when it was almost too late.

The Reverse Gear Surprise

Another challenge Bill faced was something that caught him off guard: backing up the trailer. He noted that the vehicle kept shifting itself into park while he was trying to reverse, which made things frustrating, until he realized why.

The Rivian’s safety systems are designed to detect when the driver might not be fully focused or present. If it senses confusion, like turning around too far in your seat, it may shift to park as a precaution. Once Bill started trusting the mirrors and backup camera instead of twisting around, the problem disappeared. It was a small adjustment, but one that made a big difference.

My Take as an Outside Observer

Now, I don’t own a Rivian, but as someone who follows EV stories closely and writes about cars every day, this one really stood out to me. What I love about Bill’s story is how real it is. It’s not just a flex about towing a trailer across state lines in an electric SUV, it’s a transparent, practical look at the highs and lows of living with new tech in unpredictable situations.

Reading through the post and the reactions it sparked reminded me why these online EV communities are so important. They’re where the real truth lives, where everyday drivers share what works, what breaks, and what they wish they’d known. And trust me, stories like this are more valuable than a dozen marketing brochures when you’re trying to decide if a vehicle is right for your lifestyle.

The Community Chimes In with More Drama

It didn’t take long before others in the group jumped in with their own edge-of-your-seat EV moments. One that really caught my eye was from a driver named Aaron, who posted this in the comments: “I made a similar trip recently from Dallas to Bentonville, and things got intense when my range dropped to 8 miles and the vehicle entered turtle mode with less than half a mile to the charging station. It slowed from 70 mph to 35 mph on the highway, then crawled at just 7 mph for the final two blocks. I was genuinely worried it might shut off if I came to a full stop. Thankfully, I made it, but had to perform a hard reset after charging to exit turtle mode; had I known it would react that way, I would’ve stopped 20 miles earlier at an EVgo station. I’m still trying to understand the inconsistency, your trip had even lower range remaining, yet your vehicle let you maintain speed.”

That comment says a lot. Why does one vehicle let you coast in conserve mode with 4 miles left, while another hits turtle mode at 8 miles and nearly shuts down? That’s the kind of inconsistency that makes long-distance EV driving a bit of a gamble, especially when towing.

These Are the Stories That Matter

Bill’s experience is exactly the kind of thing prospective Rivian buyers need to read. It’s not curated. It’s not filtered. It’s a snapshot of real ownership, and it proves just how capable, but also how unpredictable, these road trips can be.

This story also reminded me of several other Rivian journeys I’ve been following, like this one where a driver traded their Model 3 for an R1S and another that compares the R1S and R1T. There’s clearly a growing number of drivers putting serious miles on their Rivians, and facing some curveballs along the way.

For families debating between options like the R1S and the Tesla Model Y, this kind of deep-dive post might tip the scale. Especially if you’re planning on doing more than just city driving. Here’s one buyer’s thought process that’s worth checking out.

What Rivian Could Improve

Reading through Bill’s experience and the community responses, a few key suggestions come to mind:

• Enable manual activation of conserve mode, especially for towing situations.
• Let drivers temporarily disable auto-park during trailer reversing.
• Clarify when turtle mode kicks in and how it behaves, especially when driving under load or in emergency low-range conditions.

As Rivian continues to update its fleet via OTA software changes, there's hope that more driver-controlled tools will emerge. With Gen 2 R1S already generating buzz, these are exactly the kinds of refinements that could make future road trips even smoother.

A Lesson in EV Preparedness

Here’s the big takeaway: When towing with an EV, the margin for error shrinks fast. You need to plan smarter, trust your instincts, and never underestimate the impact of terrain, weight, and skipped chargers.

At the same time, stories like Bill’s show that the Rivian R1S is more than capable. Even when things got dicey, the vehicle helped get him to the charger safely. And once he adapted his driving habits, like trusting the backup cameras instead of turning his head, everything just clicked.

That’s the beauty of electric adventure vehicles. They're not just about horsepower and torque. They're about learning, adapting, and ultimately building confidence with every mile.

What Do You Think?

Have you taken an EV road trip while towing a trailer? What was your closest call, or biggest mistake?

Let’s hear it:

• What’s the lowest range you’ve hit before reaching a charger?
• Have you ever skipped a stop and regretted it?

Drop your stories in the comments. These are the lessons that make all of us EV drivers smarter

Narek Hareyan is a young automotive journalist with experience in a golf cart dealership and an interest in the automotive industry. Follow Narek on X for daily news coverage about cars.