It was a short pipe-dream…

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Tr4ckD4ys

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Well… here I was a few weeks back, determined to buy another Ford Raptor, after my previous 2nd Gen Raptor was replaced in favor of an F250 Tremor. Both vehicles gave me tremendous and unforgettable joy to own and drive.

I was shopping around hard, calling and visiting dealers all over the east coast, especially in NY area. But after a few solid weeks of anxiety-causing dealer-woes like ADM, exorbitant used car prices and even illegal activity (see my other thread on buyer beware of a previously stolen but beautiful orange-blue-interior Gen 3), I was still left with no clear path to a new Raptor.

Then, out of pure desperation, I started walking into another kind of dealership. One was specialized in used RAM TRXs. The used RAMs, while better priced and more available than the Raptors, just wouldn’t excite me as much as my Raptor did. Add in the mindlessness of 6mpg in city traffic and the fact it’s, well, a RAM, and I had always been a Ford fanboy, it just didn’t add up.

Then finally, I test drove a very different kind of vehicle. The Rivian R1T in its newest incarnation with the 410-mile battery pack, performance motor and off-road package.

I feel like I should apologize to the crowd here and to ford. I did buy the Rivian. I still miss Raptors dearly (maybe I’ll need a second off-road truck soon?), but the Rivian did immediately create joy & passion like my first Raptor did.

Goodbye for now, although my second stint here in the forum was short lived and Raptor-less, I hope to be back one day.

PS: I can’t begin to describe how amazing it felt to buy a car not having to deal with dealers. The fact that Tesla and Rivian cut them out of the equation lifted a huge amount of anxiety and stresses off the buyer, as my Raptor search has shown. Sorry not sorry: F*** all these ****** dealerships.
 
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cptnslo

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Well… here I was a few weeks back, determined to buy another Ford Raptor, after my previous 2nd Gen Raptor was replaced in favor of an F250 Tremor. Both vehicles gave me tremendous and unforgettable joy to own and drive.

I was shopping around hard, calling and visiting dealers all over the east coast, especially in NY area. But after a few solid weeks of anxiety-causing dealer-woes like ADM, exorbitant used car prices and even illegal activity (see my other thread on buyer beware of a previously stolen but beautiful orange-blue-interior Gen 3), I was still left with no clear path to a new Raptor.

Then, out of pure desperation, I started walking into another kind of dealership. One was specialized in used RAM TRXs. The used RAMs, while better priced and more available than the Raptors, just wouldn’t excite me as much as my Raptor did. Add in the mindlessness of 6mpg in city traffic and the fact it’s, well, a RAM, and I had always been a Ford fanboy, it just didn’t add up.

Then finally, I test drove a very different kind of vehicle. The Rivian R1T in its newest incarnation with the 410-mile battery pack, performance motor and off-road package.

I feel like I should apologize to the crowd here and to ford. I did buy the Rivian. I still miss Raptors dearly (maybe I’ll need a second off-road truck soon?), but the Rivian did immediately create joy & passion like my first Raptor did.

Goodbye for now, although my second stint here in the forum was short lived and Raptor-less, I hope to be back one day.

PS: I can’t begin to describe how amazing it felt to buy a car not having to deal with dealers. The fact that Tesla and Rivian cut them out of the equation lifted a huge amount of anxiety and stresses off the buyer, as my Raptor search has shown. Sorry not sorry: F*** all these ****** dealerships.
I think the r1t has some cool features like the cooktop kitchen and stuff but after seeing off roading videos and the struggles it had on top of tire fitment etc I’m just like eh. I completely agree about getting rid of the dealerships, I was looking at a dark horse recently and the dealer wanted a 30k markup
 

David1986

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Cool trucks and I have seen a couple of them in the wild. How does the service side of it work out with no dealer? Are you close to a shop that they would send it for warranty to work?
 
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Tr4ckD4ys

Tr4ckD4ys

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Cool trucks and I have seen a couple of them in the wild. How does the service side of it work out with no dealer? Are you close to a shop that they would send it for warranty to work?
Yup - <20min away from a service center. That is, if that company stays afloat over the next few years :-D

I don’t mind the experiment though. I can always get back into an ICE if I’m struggling but this isn’t my first EV either so I’m versed in its dealings.
 
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Tr4ckD4ys

Tr4ckD4ys

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I think the r1t has some cool features like the cooktop kitchen and stuff but after seeing off roading videos and the struggles it had on top of tire fitment etc I’m just like eh. I completely agree about getting rid of the dealerships, I was looking at a dark horse recently and the dealer wanted a 30k markup
For the light overlanding and camping I have in mind it more than suffices. I can’t comment on rock-crawling or technical ability but it seems for the 90% masses of light off-roaders it does more than well enough.
 

cptnslo

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For the light overlanding and camping I have in mind it more than suffices. I can’t comment on rock-crawling or technical ability but it seems for the 90% masses of light off-roaders it does more than well enough.
I’m in Denver so it seems as if rivian sold half their currently produced vehicles to this area lol as long as you enjoy it that’s all that matters. I was reading an article recently on replacement costs if an accident occurs but since so much of that stuff is exaggerated I take it with a grain of salt. I worked in automotive as an engineer and the cost they were quoting for a rear panel replacement seemed unreasonably high
 

GordoJay

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Ford's new strategy of linking allocations of Raptors to EV sales may increase EV sales after all ... but not the way they intended. :(
 

XSTNKT

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Rivian is an intriguing vehicle. Probably the only EV company to potentialy give Elon a run for his money. Congrats! I hope it does everything you want it to do! My wife likes the R1S. But the closest service center is in Chicago (2 hours away).
 
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