W [=0===0=] TR 12 gallon frunk water tank PROJECT INFO

[BoxGods]

W [=0===0=] TR 12 gallon frunk water tank with sprayer

Designed specifically to fit the frunk of the Rivian R1T and R1S in the area under the sub-floor to take advantage of this difficult to use space. Nominal capacity is 12 gallons, (45 L). The tank includes a 12VDC pump that can be plugged into the frunk 12V power socket with the included cable, or it can be powered by a small rechargeable 12V portable battery sold separately here.

The water tank is roto-molded with 3mm (1/8th inch) walls for high durability and a long service life. The tank and included submersible 12VDC pump are BPA free, as are the included fill and sprayer hoses. The tank is baffled to reduce unwanted weight transfer--sloshing--while driving. It also has molded-in recesses for locating cleats or "pucks" to hold items placed on top of the tank in position. One example would be one of our coolers which will be shown in a follow-up post.

Preliminary pricing is looking like it will be about $300. The first run will cost about $30,000 and to enter production we will need 100 to 150 reservations. The reservation amount will vary based on the number of reservations. For example 100 reservations x $150 = $15,000 or 150 reservations x $100 = $15,000 and I will put in the remaining $15,000 as a good faith assurance to the group. For more information on projects I have worked on previously, you can click here.

To get on the sign-up list, please click here. If / when we reach the minimum number needed to start production, those signed up will be notified to place their reservation, and final pricing will be locked in.

Please note: There are currently 4 projects that are ready to enter production--the 40 QT 12VDC frunk cooler / freezer, the 60 QT frunk ice chest, the 12 gallon frunk water tank with sprayer, and the solar roof rack. The order in which products are run will be based on how many sign-ups there are for each.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions--this is the place to post them as our goal is to get everyone involved in the process.

[BoxGods]

Locator Cleats

Shown below are the optional locator pucks with the C [=0===0=] L 40 QT 12VDC cooler / freezer as just one example of how these work.

[BoxGods]

Requested Design Changes

Several posters pointed out that it would be more practical to move the sprayer and fill ports to the passenger / right side of the tank as this would be better suited for use with the camp kitchen, and would not be so close to the truck's charge port. This change has been implemented.

The group's consensus on the electronic fill stop valve was essentially "meh" so it was removed.

The design and usage input has been great and is much appreciated.

[BoxGods]

I made a structural revision to the water tank body. Originally there was a single center 3 inch deep "rib" that stiffened the top and worked as a baffle to keep water from sloshing while cornering. I changed it to a pair of top to bottom columns--it would maybe be more accurate to call them "support walls"--that still work as baffles but now provide more support for heavy items resting on top of the tank. The change likely cost us 1/4 gallon of total capacity--from 12.5 down to 12.25 gallons--but worth it IMO as it will stiffen up the tank quite a bit.

I am including some images of the change below. If you're not 100% clear on how the support walls work internally, just let me know and I can add a cross section view.



Unless anyone has suggestions for other changes they would like to see, it is looking like we are about ready to 3D print a prototype and test the fit.

[phatman113]

I'm new here, still waiting for my R1T, but I think there was some communication that the 12v port is getting removed from the Frunk on newer vehicles. Do you know anyone who's recently received their vehicle that can confirm the port is still there? It might affect your pump as well as your powered cooler...

Thanks for doing all this, these products are really awesome, I hope they come to fruition!

[BoxGods]

Nov 30, 2022 18:42:37 GMT phatman113 said:

I'm new here, still waiting for my R1T, but I think there was some communication that the 12v port is getting removed from the Frunk on newer vehicles. Do you know anyone who's recently received their vehicle that can confirm the port is still there? It might affect your pump as well as your powered cooler...

Thanks for doing all this, these products are really awesome, I hope they come to fruition!

Welcome to the Group =)

The consensus is that Rivian originally used the 13.6V light cluster branch of the wire loom to power the 12V frunk plug so when they removed the frunk plug itself they couldn't remove the wires under the frunk because they are also used for the lights. Several people on Rivian Forums have been able to confirm this on recent VIN's.

So adding the plug back is possible--it involves lifting the frunk out, but it is designed to be removable to access the trucks 12V battery anyway so not THAT hard.

All of the above being said, you can also power the 12 Gallon water tank with a simple $25 rechargeable battery available at Amazon and about the size of a cell phone folded in half.

[jcreviston]

Couple questions:

- How easy do you think the tank will be to clean and how do you envision going about it? I can't imagine keeping water long enough to mold but it looks like the position of the drain plug may restrict draining completely. Have you considered a separate drain plug at the furthest/lowest corner or is this overkill? 

- Will the frunk compartment separator lay flat over the tank or does it need to be removed completely? I'd like to keep the tank in the truck even when not camping and use the separator as a flat storage surface. Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere already.  


Thanks and as always, I admire your work! 

[BoxGods]

Jan 12, 2023 4:10:47 GMT jcreviston said:

Couple questions:

- How easy do you think the tank will be to clean and how do you envision going about it? I can't imagine keeping water long enough to mold but it looks like the position of the drain plug may restrict draining completely. Have you considered a separate drain plug at the furthest/lowest corner or is this overkill? 

- Will the frunk compartment separator lay flat over the tank or does it need to be removed completely? I'd like to keep the tank in the truck even when not camping and use the separator as a flat storage surface. Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere already.  


Thanks and as always, I admire your work! 

The fill ports will double as drains and get you most of the way there. To completely dry the tank out for storage you can remove both caps for air flow, or if you are in a hurry, put your shop vac hose on one port and run it for a few minutes. Also, both hatches have reusable rubber seals so the hatches can be easily removed via six M5 screws--this allows for larger openings.

The tank material blocks UV which goes a LONG way towards preventing mold growth, but for my tank I will use a typical RV tank cleaning /storage method. A few cap fulls of bleach in a gallon or two of water--you can use a commercial RV tank cleaning tablet or powder product if you prefer--swish it around in the tank for a few minutes, rinse the tank out 3 or 4 times, and leave it in the truck with the caps in the vented position. If the tank is not going to be used for an extended period--like an entire winter--repeat the process in the spring when you are putting the tank back into service. The entire "procedure" is maybe 15 minutes and not all that involved.

As for the tank fitting under the fold down shelf. I did originally design it to work that way but to have the shelf down AND use the tank at the same time would require drilling holes into the shelf. I would be fine doing that but I know some people definitely would not, so for operation you do have to take the removable shelf out.

Leaving the tank in the truck full time is also what I would want to do so the tank has two internal full height support columns. IOW the tank is basically as strong as the frunk floor so you can leave it in the frunk for normal use--golf bags, groceries etc. without any issues. Obviously avoid anything sharp and heavy, but anything you would feel comfortable putting on the shelf will be fine sitting on the tank.

If something bad did ever happen to the tank that caused a puncture--and again it would take quite a bit to do that--the tanks ARE repairable the same way kayak's and similar items are. I have done my best to design and manufacture these to have usable lifespans measured in decades.

[jmag]

Getting excited about your progress and decided to look back at projects other than the slide and kitchen. on the water tank, how long are you making the sprayer hose? Also, if you need another buyer, count me in. You should be rewarded for your phenomenal work.

[BoxGods]

Jan 19, 2023 4:22:36 GMT jmag said:

Getting excited about your progress and decided to look back at projects other than the slide and kitchen. on the water tank, how long are you making the sprayer hose? Also, if you need another buyer, count me in. You should be rewarded for your phenomenal work.

Thank you for the kind words =)

IIRC the coiled hose is 6' and the straight hose option is 5'--we will most likely be going with the coiled hose option. For those that want to use the frunk tank with the slide out kitchen there will be a patch / connector hose long enough to run from the tank to the kitchen -- probably about 10-12 feet -- available as an extra item.

[Deleted]

Thank you so much for the detail on options to dry-out and/or clean the W [=0===0=] TR frunk tank...as I had the same questions and concerns. Might I also suggest a couple of things:

1. Include, with every purchase, a "How to care for your W [=0===0=] TR frunk tank", which essentially reiterates what you noted above as best practices. I think that that is good information for all who purchase the tank.

2. Another option for draining the tank for storage could be to design and include a lateral drain plug...optimally on either of the sides, near the top leading edge. This way, the tank can be stored on its side, standing up, and can fully gravity drain.

Just thought I'd relay some ideas since you appear to be open to feedback. You're doing great work on this and the other projects! Thanks again for your efforts!

[BoxGods]

Jan 20, 2023 7:46:10 GMT @909phillyman said:

Thank you so much for the detail on options to dry-out and/or clean the W [=0===0=] TR frunk tank...as I had the same questions and concerns. Might I also suggest a couple of things:

1. Include, with every purchase, a "How to care for your W [=0===0=] TR frunk tank", which essentially reiterates what you noted above as best practices. I think that that is good information for all who purchase the tank.

2. Another option for draining the tank for storage could be to design and include a lateral drain plug...optimally on either of the sides, near the top leading edge. This way, the tank can be stored on its side, standing up, and can fully gravity drain.

Just thought I'd relay some ideas since you appear to be open to feedback. You're doing great work on this and the other projects! Thanks again for your efforts!

I actually put a lot of thought into including a drain--it is not difficult to mold or expensive, but the unique requirements of the tanks installation into the frunk present a weird situation where nothing can protrude out from the tank. By that I mean the sides and bottom are form fitting because of the very limited space, and the top needs to fit under the shelf plane. Essentially this means that any place you put the drain plug would need to be indented INTO the tank. If the drain is not the lowest point you will always have a little bit of water left.

The only location where there is potential space for an extended drain area is on the bottom, left and right of the center flat section, where there are slopes to the center low point for the pump. The problem is that Rivian has reshaped this area twice so far and I am a little concerned about extending the tank into this space.

On balance, there is no way to drain the tank 100% anyway, so if the difference is one cup of water that needs to evaporate / air dry or three...two vented caps--or for even more airflow, two removable hatches--seems like a good trade off or balance.

[BlueMagicR1T]

Hi, excited to see the progress and eventual release of this product. What are your recommendations on warming up the water?

[BoxGods]

Feb 10, 2023 17:29:45 GMT BlueMagicR1T said:

Hi, excited to see the progress and eventual release of this product. What are your recommendations on warming up the water?

Provided you mean to prevent freezing for cold weather camping--and not hot water for showers--the easiest solution would be self stick 12v tank warming pads on the bottom of the tank. I would also put down a moving blanket under the tank for some insulation.

If you did mean hot water for showers, this tank is not designed for that. We are working on a solar roof rack with 12 gallon water heater for hot showers--see the thread HERE for that.

[Jimbo]

Sorry if this is posted somewhere else, but any idea on the flow rate and pressure from the pump and details on the sprayer/nozzle? Also specs on connectors/hose. Are they some standard compatible with standard fittings?