A Havasu-Ready Polaris Xpedition Built to Match the Boat

This one came to us from Carlton, who lives out in California but keeps his Polaris Xpedition in Lake Havasu. And the second you see it you'll understand why — the entire car is wrapped to match his boat. That's not something we get to say very often, and the level of theme continuity on this thing is really cool.

A shop out in California had already started the build when Carlton brought it to us. We came in, topped it off, added all of our goodies, and there is a lot to cover on this one. Let's get into it.

Front End: DRT Motorsports Bumper & Nacho Offroad Lighting Grande Lights

Starting up front like we always do, this car has a DRT Motorsports front bumper on it. We put these on the vast majority of Xpeditions that come through the shop — the fitment is dialed, the look is clean, and they're built to take a hit. On the bumper, Carlton is running a DRT Motorsports hawse fairlead with a custom powder coat to match the theme, paired with a Factor 55 hook.

Now the lights on this bumper are where things get really interesting. He's got three Nacho Offroad Lighting Grande lights across the front. I'll be honest with you — when Carlton dropped this car off and told me he wanted these, I didn't even know Nacho made a dual-color version. Did some research, found them, and now I'm in love with them.

Here's what makes them so cool: when the key is on, they default to a daytime running light mode. But with the magic wand controller you can go in and change the function on each individual light — full amber back glow, lower amber only, just white, lower white, you name it. And they have a memory, so whatever you dial in, it holds. Then through the Switch-Pros, Carlton can hit a switch to go to a much brighter output for actual night riding. Ultimate adjustability.

Also up front are the XTC Power Products headlights with amber turn signal indicators. You can see the amber eyebrow blink right in the headlight when the signals are going. Clean, functional, and completely dialed in.

Suspension: JRI Kit with SDI E-Click Shocks

Underneath, this Xpedition is running a JRI suspension kit front and rear, paired with SDI E-Click shocks. We've talked about this combination a lot and we love it. The SDI E-Click system lets Carlton adjust his shock damping right from inside the cab — so whether he's loaded up heavy for a long Havasu trip or running light, he can dial the ride in on the fly. The SDI module is mounted in the interior so he can see exactly what the shocks are doing at all times. And if he comes up on something fast, there's a dynamics button on the steering wheel that locks the shocks out instantly at full stiffness. It's a really capable and adjustable setup for a car that's going to see real use.

Wheels, Tires & Exterior Protection

For wheels and tires, Carlton went with Valor Offroad V16 wheels in a 5+2 offset, powder coated to match the rest of the theme on the car. We've been running these on a lot of Xpeditions lately and the stance is just right. Wrapped around those are Valor Offroad Tango tires in a 33 inch. The Tango runs a little big but that's exactly why we love it at 33 on this platform. Great footprint, great look.

The Polaris extended fenders and factory rock sliders are all wrapped to match the rest of the car, which keeps the theme completely consistent.

On the protection side, Carlton's also got the DRT Motorsports A/C Line Protection Kit on both sides. It's one of those essential items for the Xpedition that just gives you peace of mind.

Exterior: Mirrors, Roof Rack, Whips & Nacho Rock Lights

Working up the side of the car, Carlton's running Sector Seven Prizm LED lighted mirrors with the turn signal indicators built right in. You can see them blinking in the mirrors when he hits the turn signal. Super clean detail.

Up top he has a vinyl rack, and one thing we did custom for him was fabricate a panel to cover the gap that exists up front when you're not running a light bar. The stock rack just has a pretty noticeable hole there and it kind of looks unfinished. We made a panel to bridge it and it cleans the whole thing up. On the rack he's got his AGM Products jack and a full-size spare. Covered if anything goes sideways out in the desert.

For whips, Carlton's running Marshin Whips in orange with a custom matte powder coated base, and we used a B's Fab dual mount that allows him to run a whip and a Rugged Radios shorty antenna side by side on the same mount. We've done a couple of these setups now and they're going into production in single and double configurations.

In the back, there's a Rigid Industries chase bar lit up, and we also installed our Jagged X Offroad tinted acrylic rear panel. If you have window tint on your Xpedition and you've been dealing with the acrylic panel bubbling at the tint shop, this solves that. It drops right in where the factory panel sits, no bubbling, no hassle.

Now, one of the coolest things on the entire exterior of this build — the Nacho Offroad Lighting rock lights. Just like the bumper lights, these are dual color. Running mode is an orange underglow that looks absolutely sick when he's cruising Havasu. Hit a switch and the same light flips to bright white — real work-light output, great if he needs to get under the car or work on something in the dark. Two totally different looks and functions out of one light. Really cool.

Carlton also has a factory Polaris accessory mounted in the nut rail in the bed area for fuel tanks. It's a simple thing, but it's a handy setup for trips.

Inside the Cab: Rugged Radios, SDI Controls & More

The interior on this car has a lot going on, and all of it is clean. There was already a Switch-Pros installed when the car came to us, but it was covering the factory switches in its original location. We relocated it to a lower position using a Stayflush Motorsports flush mount so Carlton keeps full functionality without losing access to anything. While we were in there, we dropped in a Rugged Radios M1 radio.

The SDI E-Click module sits front and center so Carlton can see and manage his shock settings while he's driving. The dynamics button on the [NEEDS VERIFICATION — BRT Steering Wheel] steering wheel gives him instant lock-out at full stiffness when he needs it. Push to talk is right there on the wheel as well.

Carlton's running a Viper Machine shifter with a custom orange powder coated knob that ties into the color theme perfectly. The Rugged Radios external antenna is mounted up top, and Geiser Performance headset hangers keep everything organized front and rear. Dome lights are installed on both sides with our custom Jagged X dome light plate, all wired into the Switch-Pros [NEEDS VERIFICATION — dome light brand].

The seats are MB² seats that weren't purchased through us, but they look dialed in that cab and we have no doubt they match the boat perfectly. This car also has remote start and power door locks built in, which is really practical for someone parking in Havasu and stepping away for a while.

Security & Convenience: Kill Switch, Jump Lugs & Extended Door Straps

Carlton lives in California and the car lives in Havasu — so we made sure it's set up properly for that situation. We installed our Jagged X Offroad Jump Lug & Kill Switch Kit. The kill switch is hidden, so when Carlton heads back to California the battery is killed and nobody who doesn't know what they're looking at is going to figure it out. And the jump lugs mean if the battery ever does drain, he doesn't need to pull seats or dig for anything — open the door, hook up the cables, done.

We also put on the B's Fab extended rear door limiting straps. These give the doors about six more inches of throw. That's actually why you can see me standing inside the car and reaching to everything during the walkaround — the extra door opening makes a massive difference when you're loading gear, getting in and out, or just trying to work in the car. For a real-use Havasu build, this is a no-brainer.

An Axia Alloys mount keeps the fire extinguisher secured in the back. Good to have, properly done.

Complete Parts List

Protection & Bumpers
- DRT Motorsports Front Bumper for Polaris Xpedition
- DRT Motorsports Universal Hawse Fairlead (Custom Powder Coat)
- DRT Motorsports Front A/C Line Protection Kit (2pc)
- Polaris Factory Rock Sliders (Wrapped)
- Rigid Industries Chase Bar (Rear)

Suspension
- JRI Suspension Kit (Front & Rear) — Contact Us
- SDI E-Click Shocks — Contact Us

Wheels & Tires
- Valor Offroad V16 Wheel (5+2 Offset, Custom Powder Coat)
- Valor Offroad Tango Tire (33")
- Polaris Extended Fenders (Wrapped)

Lighting
- Nacho Offroad Lighting Grande Lights (x3, Bumper, Dual Color)
- Nacho Offroad Lighting Rock Lights (Dual Color Orange/White)
- XTC Power Products Xpedition Headlights with Amber Turn Signals
- Sector Seven Prizm LED Lighted Mirrors
- Rigid Industries Chase Bar (Rear)

Audio & Communication
- Rugged Radios M1 Race Series Radio
- Rugged Radios External Speaker
- Rugged Radios Shorty Antenna (Whip Mount)
- Switch-Pros Switch Panel
- Geiser Performance Headset Hangers
- KC HiLiTES Dome Lights with Jagged X Dome Light Plate

Interior
- MB² Seats
- Viper Machine Shifter (Custom Orange Powder Coat Knob)
- DRT Steering Wheel
- Stayflush Motorsports Flush Mount (M1 Radio & Switch-Pros Relocation)
- SDI E-Click Module & Dynamics Controller
- Remote Start & Power Door Locks — Contact Us

Exterior & Roof
- Vinyl Rack with Custom Gap Cover Panel
- AGM Products Jack
- Full-Size Spare Tire
- Marshin Whips (Orange, Custom Matte Powder Coat Base)
- Jagged X Offroad Tinted Acrylic Rear Panel
- Polaris Factory Fuel Tank Accessory (Nut Rail Mount)
- Full Vehicle Wrap — Pro Line

Security & Safety
- Jagged X Offroad Jump Lug & Kill Switch Kit
- Axia Alloys Fire Extinguisher Mount

Mounts & Accessories
- B's Fab Extended Rear Door Limiting Straps
- B's Fab Dual Whip & Antenna Mount
- Axia Alloys Headset Hanger Mounts
- Factor 55 Hook

Want to Build Your Polaris Xpedition?

We build Xpeditions every week out of our shop in Phoenix. Browse our full catalog of Polaris Xpedition parts and accessories, or reach out to us directly if you want to talk through your build. We're happy to help you figure out the right combination for how you ride.