Sean's R1S: Slide-Out Camp Kitchen and Spare Tire Setup

At the Toyo Tires Trail Pass event, Sean pulled back the hatch on his Gen 1 Quad Motor R1S and walked me through one of the cleanest camp builds I’ve seen on the platform. Four and a half minutes of video barely does it justice.

The Slide-Out Kitchen

The centerpiece is a fully removable cargo system that rides on rails in the rear. It’s not bolted in permanently — Sean runs four screws to lock the slide in place and a set of ratchet straps toward the back to keep it from tipping. Pop the screws, release the straps, and the whole thing comes out cleanly. That matters because he still uses the third row, which means the setup has to earn its floor space.

The foundation is a set of 3D-printed risers sourced from the Rivian forums. The original forum version didn’t level out quite right for Sean’s floor, so a friend printed a custom set that keeps the slide level and stable. That kind of community-sourced problem-solving is exactly what makes the R1S forum ecosystem worth paying attention to.

The slide-out holds a dual-zone fridge/freezer, giving him independent control over fridge and freezer temps in the same unit. His power source is a Bluetti station mounted in the cargo area — enough capacity to run the fridge through a full weekend without touching the 12V system or draining the drive battery. He skips the freezer zone while camping to stretch the runtime, but the option is there.

When the slide comes out for non-camping use, he gets the third-row seat back. He runs five or six seats most of the time, giving up one seat position to keep the cargo setup in. It’s a reasonable trade for a dedicated camp rig.

Kuat Swing-Out Spare Carrier

The other standout is the Kuat hitch-mounted spare tire carrier on the rear. It swings out to 120 degrees for full rear access and locks in place when not in use. Sean runs a full-size spare on it, and the carrier removes cleanly from the hitch when he doesn’t need it.

The setup clears the back end without limiting access to the cargo area, which is the failure mode on most hitch carriers. This one works because the Kuat is purpose-built for that swing clearance. If you’re running trails where a flat is a real possibility, this kind of dedicated spare mount beats a puncture kit every time.

Tires and Rooftop Tent

Sean’s running Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws, which track well with what most Rivian overlanders land on after a few trail seasons. Predictable in dirt, quiet enough on the freeway, and proven in the mud. The rooftop tent sits across all three crossbars on his Prinsu-style rack setup.

One detail worth flagging for anyone planning a similar build: the rear crossbars on the R1S don’t sit at the same height as the middle one out of the box. Sean had to shim the rear pair with washers to bring them level with the middle bar so the tent platform sits flat. It’s a small fix, but one that isn’t obvious until you’re mid-install. Vic’s R1S build hit a similar crossbar fitment note if you want more context on that.

Worth Seeing

A build like this doesn’t happen in one weekend. The slide-out alone required iterating through the forum risers before finding a custom solution, and the tire carrier, rooftop tent, and power system all came together over multiple camping seasons. The result is a Death Valley-capable, camp-ready R1S that still functions as a family hauler during the week.

If you’re building out your own R1S and have questions about the cargo system or the Kuat carrier, drop them in the comments. Sean’s setup is worth stealing ideas from.