Rivian’s latest patent filing hints at possible new Camp Kitchen design

Loyal sleuths on the Rivian forums have pointed out the American EV automaker’s latest patent filing for a “modular kitchen mounting apparatus.” Could this be the next iteration of Rivian’s defunct Camp Kitchen? If it gets made, it’s definitely not going in the gear tunnel.

If you’ve been in and around a Rivian R1T pickup or R1S SUV, the engineering throughout is something to marvel at. In addition to delivering premium EVs, both aesthetically and performance-wise, Rivians come equipped with some of the coolest features in the industry.

Hidden flashlights, a removable Bluetooth speaker in the center console, and even an air compressor in the rear are all unique features owners can show off to their friends. Additionally, Rivian has developed a lineup of accessories to bolster the capabilities of its vehicles – add-on options like a Yakima rooftop tent or the Tunnel Shuttle and Camp Kitchen originally designed for the R1T’s gear tunnel.

Last October, Rivian initiated a “temporary pause” on the production of the Camp Kitchen and Tunnel Shuttle, relaying that both would be seeing a redesign. By March 2023, however, both items had been completely removed from Rivian’s Gear Shop and haven’t returned since.

According to a patent filing this week, Rivian may have found its next Camp Kitchen design – one radically different from the gear tunnel version. Check it out.

First of all, shout out to our friends at Rivianforums.com, especially user Kanundrum, who shared the images from Rivian’s August 17, 2023 filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The “Modular Kitchen Mounting Apparatus” is described as follows:

Systems and methods are presented herein for a mounting apparatus configured to arrange a retractable kitchen within a vehicle enclosure. The mounting apparatus comprises a first slot configured to accommodate an alignment protru­sion of a kitchen module. The mounting apparatus further comprises a second slot configured to accommodate a lock­ing assembly, which, when actuated into a locking position prevents translation of the kitchen module along the second slot. The mounting apparatus shall be arranged on a bottom side of the vehicle enclosure and shall have a retractable kitchen module fixedly attached to the mounting apparatus. The retractable kitchen module comprises a kitchen module enclosure configured to move from a stored position to an extended positioned, and a kitchen work surface configured to extend away from the front side of the vehicle enclosure.

With a wider design compared to the original Camp Kitchen that lived in the gear tunnel exclusive to the R1T, we can’t help but wonder if R1S owners might also be able to add this new piece of equipment to their EV… if it actually gets made.

Like all other automakers, Rivian files several patents in the US each year – many of which never come to fruition. However, given that the automaker has already shared intentions to completely revamp the Camp Kitchen, the prospect of this new design making it to the Gear Shop page leaves a little more room for optimism, but we’ve been hurt before, haven’t we Rivian owners?

We shall see.