Vote for UTV Scene’s Project XPD
- Updated: January 2, 2016
It isn’t often that an invitation to participate in a manufacturer-promoted build-off-contest falls into your inbox. Without hesitation I was excited to head up UTV Scene’s entry for Polaris’s first-ever Show’N Shine Online Competition. What’s more, I would be customizing what is probably the most desired machine to have ever rolled off of their line, a brand new 2016 Polaris RZR XP Turbo!
The Contest
The simplicity of the contest is the beauty of it. Polaris would be sending me a brand spanking new 2016 Polaris RZR XP Turbo, along with whatever Polaris accessories I wanted, I could then fabricate and customize the machine into whatever my heart desired, then match our entry up against the other magazines that were invited to the competition.
The Build
Each builder was given the freedom to modify their vehicle however they saw fit. Seeing as how most of the competition was located on the West Coast they would surely build sand or desert focused RZR’s. Living on the East Coast, I decided to focus on a build plan that would help it stand out in the crowd of paddle tires and chrome and push the boundaries of the preconceived notions of UTV capabilities.
I have been watching the entire UTV market evolve for the past few years. During that evolution, the vehicles have increased in both terms of durability and performance. I feel the current Polaris RZR XP Turbo is now a vehicle truly capable of enduring extended expedition travel in some of the harshest terrain on the planet. With this I present you with our entry to Polaris’s Show’N Shine Online Competition, “Project XPD”, with “XPD” taking homage from the word expedition.
Not only does the RZR XP Turbo offer a huge boost in horsepower (144 HP), but the drivetrain has also been improved (improved clutch, larger axles, larger brake discs and calipers, reverse chain elimination, and more). All of these improvements make the RZR XP Turbo a truly capable expedition vehicle.
Improvement Agenda
There were a few expedition-focused characteristics I wanted to improve:
1. Ground clearance
2. Dry storage
3. Sleep system
4. Electricity
5. Lighting
Ground Clearance
One inherently successful way to keep your vehicle damage-free out on the trail is to keep it above the trail obstacles. When expecting to stay away from civilization for days at a time, it’s essential to keep your vehicle healthy. Increasing the ground clearance is valuable insurance. Rather than throw on a lift kit and risk CV damage from drastically changing the axle angles, I decided to use the Gear Lift kit from SXSGear. The main components in this kit are commonly referred to as “portals”. They are built from high quality billet aluminum and surround a steel gear set. This system gave the RZR nearly four inches of lift and an extra three inches of width per side.
I also wanted a tire that was overkill, nothing less would work for this build because nothing is worse than having your adventure come to an end due to flat tires. I reached out to GBC Motorsports and got a set of their Kanati Trail Hog light truck all terrain tires. The aggressive sidewall and multi-use tread pattern was perfect for this vehicle. The tires are 33” tall and 10.5” wide.
To keep the wheel to tire proportions in check we bolted on a great looking set of 17” HD4 wheels from STI. This is a true 17” heavy duty wheel designed to work directly on the RZR 4-lug (4x156mm) bolt pattern. The GBC Kanati light truck tires perfectly wrapped the STI HD4 wheels.
To maintain the appearance of the wheels and tires of the trailer, as well as simplifying our spare tire needs, we built a custom set of wheel hubs to mount the same 4x156mm STI HD4 wheels and Kanati Trail Hog tires to the trailer.
Keeping with the theme of extreme durability and added ground clearance, I wanted to swap out the OEM suspension arms with a more durable system. I reached out to Long Travel Industries and we agreed that a high clearance stock width kit was the best system for this build. Most of the components I added to this build were heavier than their stock replacements, but surprisingly the components from Long Travel Industries were lighter than the stock components as a complete system. Added ground clearance, added durability, and no weight increase – that’s the perfect equation!
Dry Storage
One of the hurdles to cross when you’re going to take a UTV on an extended exhibition trip is the storage capacity. For this build I wanted to create a roof system that would allow me to stack items in the rear and keep them dry at the same time. Sitting at a cafeteria table in the middle of the 2015 SEMA show, I sketched out the first concept of how this roof would integrate onto the RZR. As you can see, the design has evolved quite a bit since then.
This roof and rear compartment required a completely unique custom cage, one that would provide the support and structure needed. The guys at Long Travel Industries perfectly executed the design vision delivering a cage that worked great for the roof as well as the high mount receiver hitch for the trailer.
Aaron at Next Level Motorsports did an amazing job on the hand-built two piece aluminum roof. To say his skill level is an art is an understatement. I couldn’t be happier with the fit and finish of this roof. The quality of his work truly takes this vehicle to the Next Level, pun intended.
Not only did we add additional storage on the RZR, but we also incorporated an adventure trailer from MIG Adventure Systems. There is quite a bit of dry storage inside the trailer, definitely enough room for all that’s needed for two people to spend a week or more out in the wilderness. MIG was chosen for the unique design of their trailer which focuses on simplicity and low weight, both crucial to this vehicle.
Sleep System
My first plan for sleeping arrangements was to include a rooftop tent on the roof rack of the RZR. However, I quickly decided that the extra weight of the tent system on the roof of the RZR would raise the center of gravity more than I was willing to accept. Furthermore, removing a roof top tent is generally not a quick process. So, that was another plus in the column for the MIG Adventure Systems trailer. The tent is built into the trailer, so it can quickly be opened up and transformed into enough room to comfortably sleep four to six. Since we’re only accounting for two people in our setup, this was more than enough room. By having the tent built into the trailer, I can quickly uncouple from the trailer and leave the bulk of the tent behind, freeing up the RZR for more nimble exploring without compromising its fun-factor.
Electricity
Although I do plan on unplugging from the outside world, for the most part, on these adventures, having electricity to power lights, charge batteries, and power the ARB freezer is definitely a nice amenity. I will be providing charge to these external systems through the use of a large solar panel from Stion. This panel will be mounted on a roof rack system built onto the trailer and easily removable for proper location during setup of base camp each evening. The durability and highly efficient power output of the Stion panels made them an obvious choice for this vehicle. Power is collected by a MPPT charge controller and stored in a large deep cycle battery mounted in the trailer. The ability to live off grid in the most remote places on earth and have free electricity created by the sun is one of my favorite things about our one-of-a-kind entry to the Show’N Shine Online Competition.
Lighting
In order to continue driving late into the evening, it is essential to have sufficient lighting. I wanted a complete well thought out lighting plan for this vehicle, not just a few LED light bars, so I reached out to KC HiLITES due to the breadth of their product line. Working with KC HiLITES, we put together several lighting components to solve all of the lighting needs. On the roof, you will notice a brand new product, not yet released to the public. This all new modular light bar system is called the Pro6, Powered by Gravity LED. This top light bar provides the distance of long range spot lights, but also gave me the ability to radius each individual light creating a wider spread pattern. It also drastically simplifies the wiring by providing a single harness.
To provide some low, wide spread light, two 10” Flex light bars were added to the front bumper. I’m a huge fan of this light bar. I run the same ones on our UTV Rally Raid race vehicles. The distance and spread of this design is second to none. When stacked like they are here, the large amount of light in a small, compact package is unbeatable.
We added perimeter lighting by installing 3” LZR Cubes (spread pattern) to all four corners of the RZR and even on the rear of the trailer. Under fender (ie. rock lights) lighting was accomplished with clear Cyclone LED lights under all four fenders. I also incorporated two cyclone lights in the cab to serve as dome lights.
All of these lights require switches, and there is no better choice for custom back-lit switches than K4 Switches. They can print any icon and text on the switches that you need. The text and icons are illuminated from behind on the switched circuit from the RZR, making them easy to see at night. For this build, we chose to back-light the switches in blue. K4 Switches was also a one stop shop for all of the wiring needs on this RZR, including the fuse panels, wire, connectors, and even the terminals. The fancy aluminum switch panels and speedometer bezel are produced by Outdoor Logic and purchased from SXSPerformance.com. The bezels were powdercoated to match the color scheme. The fit of these panels was perfect and added a nice custom touch to the dash of the RZR.
Additional Features
Exhaust – I wanted a simple, easy to install exhaust system that wasn’t overly loud, but still provided an aggressive exhaust note. The slip on system from Gibson Exhaust was perfect. It is slightly louder than stock, but absolutely worth it when you hear this thing running. The Gibson system also ships with a trick exhaust shield that was powdercoated to match the RZR XPD color scheme.
Polaris Accessories – Finding quality aftermarket products worthy of the level of professionalism of this build was as easy as clicking the Shop button on polaris.com. The following components were incorporated from Polaris:
Winch – recovery is essential on trips like this. The Polaris Pro HD 4,500lb. Winch Kit was easily installed onto the front using the RZR-specific mounting bracket. With the firewall of the RZR designed to secure the winch components, this was an obvious choice. Synthetic rope, sensing fair-lead, and a RZR-specific wiring harness are also nice traits of this winch. The connector for the remote is conveniently stored in the dash storage box below the speedometer. From the factory, Polaris provides a cutout outline on the back of this box to make installation quick and easy.
Doors – the one piece aluminum doors are a perfect fit and provide a good seal when closed. They also utilize the factory door frame and door latch which are both of high quality. Last but not least, the smooth outer surface of the door is perfect for wrapping.
Bumpers – both ends of this RZR are now protected by Polaris bumpers. Again, these products were a perfect fit and very easy to install using the expanding nuts. The front bumper is designed with winch systems in mind so there is ample clearance for the rope.
Fire Protection – I opted for the Polaris fire extinguisher bracket as it was designed to be used with 1.75” tube and easily removable in time of need.
Door Bags – Polaris makes a very nice set of door bags that work with the stock door frames. The bags provide a very convenient storage location and added padding for an arm rest. It’s these little things that make long rides and essentially living out of the vehicle so much more enjoyable.
Rock Sliders – not wanting to beat up the rocker panels, I opted to incorporate a set of Polaris Rock Sliders. Taking the extra height of this vehicle into account, the rock sliders also provide a good place to step when getting in and out of the RZR.
Vehicle Jack – With the addition of the larger wheels and tires as well as the trailer, it was essential that a vehicle jack was included in this build, but not just any jack would do. For over 100 years, Hi-Lift has been providing top quality off road components. Their jack is, by far, the industry standard and has been tested in extreme conditions, far surpassing anything that I can throw at it. The Hi-Lift jack was the obvious choice.
Wrap – To tie together the visual for the RZR and the trailer as well as provide some basic protection from limbs while on the trail, I reached out to Patrick’s Signs in Anaheim, CA to design a wrap worthy of an expedition vehicle. The design cues were: nothing too fancy, a matte finish and a clean design. I feel they pulled that off quite well.
Safety/Comfort – while perusing the Polaris accessory catalog, I came across a very unique set of seats I had not seen before. The High Flow Mesh Seat by PRP added that extra bit of functionality to the seat that made it a good fit for this vehicle. The mesh back provides good cooling, reduction in weight, and the capability for fine dust and dirt to fall through. Plus, it looks great and maintains the PRP high quality standard for which they are known. We’re also running a set of PRP’s 3” padded five point harnesses with a seat belt console bracket from Expedition UTV.
Navigation – during the cage fabrication, we welded on two tabs to the dash bar. To those tabs is secured a tablet mount. The waterproof tablet will provide guided navigation as well as basic GPS capability.
Secure Storage – I have been working with Mac’s Custom Tie Downs for my past few projects and I have a strong admiration for what they have done to design, produce and acquire high quality storage solutions. For this project, I included their VersaTie Series 2 Track into the trailer roof rack and the RZR roof rack. The versatility of this track system is essential to keeping everything secure on the trail.
Conclusion
I’m extremely satisfied with the end result of Project XPD. I feel that we have pushed the boundaries of what UTV’s are traditionally thought to be capable. Project XPD includes products from some of the off road industry’s top and most trusted companies. That trust and long term durability is what this vehicle is all about. This vehicle not only allows two people to go off roading together, it provides them with the ability to live out of the machine for long periods of time many miles from civilization. I am excited to soon get Project RZR XPD out for an extended adventure.
Working with this build and hearing the excitement of the sponsors and fans of the build has inspired me to launch an expedition-focused parts and full-service vehicle build business called at ExpeditionUTV. If you would like to discuss how to prepare your UTV for expedition use, please contact us at StayOutside@ExpeditionUTV.com.
We will be producing the cage and roof system. The production versions of the roof will be fiberglass and include a gas-assisted, opening rear window. To add your name to the list for product announcements, including pricing, please join the mailing list at ExpeditionUTV.com.
Special Thanks
Long Travel Industries proved to be a key partner in this build keeping me connected with everyone needed to produce a high quality product. I can’t thank the guys there enough for their dedication to seeing this build through to completion.
Your Vote is Appreciated
If you think Project XPD deserves to win the Polaris Show’N Shine Online Competition please vote it as the best RZR Turbo build in the contest.
