Rivian Hitch Cover Thumbscrew

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Description

This is a replacement thumbscrew for the hitch cover on a Rivian R1.  They come with a screw that works fine but requires a quarter or screwdriver to open (or really strong fingernails).  I decided to make my own take on this.  You might consider buying these injection molded ones instead for greater durability, but I didn't care for the way they look.

Note: You should re-use the plastic washer that holds the original screws, but I have included a model in case you lose one.

There are now two versions:

• V1 - my original model.  It feels pretty good to use but I wasn't happy with how much supports were needed and how horrible the underside looked.
• V2 - my revised model after trying to optimize for cleaner printing.  Ended up with just a different design.  Not sure it's any better, honestly.

Printing

If you decide to print these, you want to use a durable material.  I'm using PETG because that's what I have, but TPU or ASA would be better.  I spent a while trying to get the cleanest print I could, given the supports required, even though I'll almost never see these things.  This ended up in resulting in the V2 version with marginal improvements.  These are the settings I ended up using and what's included in the .3mf:

• Nozzle: 0.40mm
• Layer Height: 0.15mm QUALITY
• Perimeters: 15  (so it just prints solid)
• Seam position: rear
• External Perimeters first: enable
• Fill gaps: disable
• Supports: enabled
  • Overhang threshold: 15 degrees
  • Style: grid
• Print horizontally with the fins on the sides, as seen in the slicer photo.

Support

If you like my designs and want to make my day, you can buy me a ☕!