The unveiling of the Rivian R2 gave us an incredible look at its mass-market future. But Rivian didn’t just unveil a new vehicle; they also unveiled an entire suite of accessories designed to lean heavily into the adventure lifestyle.
Chief among them is the highly anticipated Treehouse rooftop tent. While Rivian has previously partnered with third-party companies like Yakima and iKamper for R1 rooftop tents, the Treehouse is a completely bespoke, deeply integrated piece of hardware that essentially makes your future R2 into a luxury camper.
Battery Connection
The biggest pain point with traditional powered rooftop tents is cable management. You often have to awkwardly route an extension cord down the side of the vehicle, through a cracked window, and into a 12V or 120V outlet to get power up top.
Rivian had a great solution for this problem with its proprietary electrical connections integrated right into the R2’s roof structure, but that feature isn’t making it into production. Instead, the tent will be powered directly through the vehicle’s NACS port. While it’s not as seamless as through powered rails, this is still an improvement over traditional tents.
This allows the Treehouse to pull power directly from the R2’s massive battery pack and feed it straight into the tent, without going through any windows or doors into the vehicle.
Climate Control & Connectivity
Because the Treehouse has a direct connection to the R2’s battery, it also has a direct connection to a lot of the R2’s functions.
With the Treehouse, you don’t need to bring a tent liner or sleeping bag in the winter. The tent features integrated fan and heating controls, allowing you to dial in the perfect temperature for sleeping or relaxing, whether it's chilly in the mountains or warm in the forest.
Alongside that, Rivian has included four integrated USB-C ports, two per side, enabling you and your camping partner to get set up and charge your phones, cameras, tablets, and even power a Starlink while you take a break.
Of course, like other high-end rooftop tents, the Treehouse also features integrated lighting, both inside and outside the cabin, so you can easily climb up or find whatever you need during the day or night.
Interior Luxury
Rivian didn’t just stop at power; they designed the entire interior of the tent to feel like you’re still inside a Rivian vehicle. Essentially, they translated their premium interior directly from your cabin to your tent.
That means hard-molded touchpoints throughout the tent, including dedicated trays and cupholders, as well as a mounting system for their optional projector. A screen can be rolled down over one of the side windows, and it can quickly turn your backcountry adventure into a movie night with a few buttons.
Of course, if you’re in the outdoors, what better to do than gaze outdoors? The large glass window panels on the roof and sides give you unobstructed views of the night sky and the terrain around you, while keeping bugs and elements out.
Aerodynamic Hardshell
Efficiency is everything for an EV, especially when you strap a large box to the roof rails. The Treehouse features a sleek, hard-shell exterior that’s designed to minimize drag and preserve as much of the R2’s range as possible while you exit suburbia and make it to your camping destination.
Will It Be Produced?
Rivian’s accessory team has a history of dreaming big and sadly falling flat. Early R1T reservation holders will painfully remember the original Camp Kitchen and Gear Tunnel Shuttle, which never materialized in their original forms due to cost and manufacturing complexities, or even the removable roof Rivian prototyped for the R1.
However, the Treehouse might actually make it as-is, because the R2 is specifically designed with those integrated power ports specifically for a powered tent. The fact that the most recent prototypes that reviewers went hands-on with still had the ports means that Rivian is clearly committed to getting this tent to market.
If they can execute and keep the price reasonable, the Treehouse might just become the must-have accessory for the R2.
