When you spend every day building custom UTVs for customers, your personal build better be something special. This Polaris Xpedition ADV is exactly that. We debuted this rig at Dirt Expo in Scottsdale and finally had a chance to get it out in the desert for a proper walkthrough. Here's everything that went into this build and why we made the choices we did.
The Ultimate Polaris Xpedition Build: A Complete Walkthrough of Eric’s Personal Rig
The Foundation: Wrap & Powder Coat
First thing you'll notice is this Xpedition looks painted. That was the goal. Five18 Designs handled the full wrap, getting into all the crevices tighter than a typical wrap job. This is actually the first Xpedition we've done where the roof got wrapped too.
Our powder coater matched everything to the wrap so all the metal components flow together seamlessly. The black accents are done in a retro reflective powder coat - it's actually a dark gray that shines when hit with a camera flash or headlights at night. The combination of the wrap work and powder coat matching really sells the painted look.
Front End: Protection & Lighting
The front end is outfitted with DRT across the board. The DRT Front Bumper pairs with their grille for a clean, aggressive look. For the winch setup, we went with a MOJAB Fairlead and Hook. This solves the floppy hook problem that a lot of factory winch setups have with the magnet system Polaris uses. No worrying about it damaging anything, and you don't have to carry extra recovery gear - the hook is right there integrated into the fairlead.
For lighting, we mounted four Nacho Quattro Lights across the front bumper. These have a daytime running light mode plus high and low beam options. On the A-pillars, we added Nacho A-Pillar Lights using the DRT A-Pillar Mirror Mounts. These brackets are super versatile - they'll fit LP4s, even LP6s if you want to go big. The bracket works with factory mirrors too, but we went with DRT Mirrors to keep the theme consistent.
Suspension & Drivetrain
This is where the Xpedition really transformed. We installed an HCR Mid Travel Kit and paired it with Shock Therapy's Dual Rate Spring Kit and Ride Improvement System. Shock Therapy has our setup dialed from all the mid travel Xpeditions we've built - we just tell them what we're working with and they tune it exactly how we like it every time.
For axles, Super ATV Rhino 2.0 Axles handle the added stress from the mid travel setup. Steering and sway bar duties go to DRT with their Long Travel Tie Rod Kit and Front and Rear Sway Bar Links. Running a full tie rod instead of just an extension gives you way more peace of mind on the trail.
Wheels & Tires
The wheels honestly tie the whole build together. These are Price Designs Galaxy Wheels with Saw Blade Rings. The cool thing about Price Designs is everything is customizable - bolt colors, powder coat on the rings, centers, center caps. We powder coated the inside of the ring in the same gray as everything else on the car. They're also running the floating center caps that keep the Price Designs logo centered while you're driving.
Wrapped around those wheels are 35-inch Valor Alpha H2 Tires. Super aggressive tread pattern that's perfect for the Arizona terrain this rig sees.
Protection & Exterior
DRT handles most of the protection on this build. Their Rock Sliders protect the sides, while the AC Guards keep sticks and debris away from vulnerable AC lines. The Clutch Cover Mesh Panel, Intake Cover Mesh Panel, and Inner Fender Mesh Panel all got the retro reflective powder coat treatment to match the theme.
Underneath, Nacho Rock Lights do double duty. They run amber as subtle driving lights, but switch to bright white when you need to work on the car or light up the area around you.
Communication is handled through a Rugged Radio setup with the antenna mounted on a B's Fab Antenna Mount. This thing looks factory with hidden hardware and a clean powder coated finish. We run the Rugged Stealth Antenna since we're not covering huge distances.
Rear End
Out back, the DRT Rear Bumper matches the front. Backup lights are wired to trigger automatically in reverse, with a Switch-Pros override if we want them on manually. The DRT Exhaust Cover and our Jagged X XTC Lighted License Plate Bracket (designed specifically for DRT bumpers) finish off the rear.
The Geiser Performance Rear Window Handle makes accessing the bed easy. One custom touch we're really proud of - opening the doors triggers both the dome lights and the rock lights underneath. When you're night riding and park somewhere, you can actually see what you're stepping out into. First Xpedition we've done this on and it'll definitely become a regular feature on future builds.
Interior
The interior is where this build gets comfortable. Triple X Heated and Cooled Seats with diamond stitching in black and gray suede completely change the experience. Blades Custom Decking covers the door panels, floorboards, and dash pieces - gets rid of that cheap plastic look and makes everything softer and more refined.
Three Litt Industries Dome Lights mounted on custom plates light up the cabin. DRT handles the accessories with their Sun Visors, A-Pillar Grab Handles, Passenger Grab Handle, and Steering Wheel with Hub Adapter. The Geiser Performance Shift Boot Kit keeps dust, cold, and heat from coming up through the shifter area - if you've had your Xpedition out in the elements, you know exactly what we're talking about.
Electronics run through a Rugged Radio M1 with an external speaker up top, all controlled by a Switch-Pros system.
Rear & Cargo Area
Back seat got recovered by Triple X to match the fronts. B's Fab Door Extenders are installed - honestly our number one seller on the website. They give you about six extra inches of door throw so you can actually access the rear seat area. Absolute necessity on any four-door Xpedition.
The floor has our Jagged X Floor Mat with B's Fab Dust Proof Floor Plugs replacing the factory quarter-turn plugs. O-rings keep dust from coming up through the floor. Our Jump Lug Kit and Kill Switch are also installed so the car can sit for extended periods without draining the battery.
For storage, a Geiser Performance Slide Out Tray holds a ROAM Storage Box and ROAM Cooler. When you're out with the family, you can slide everything out for easy access without leaning over the tailgate.
Chase Light
Finally, a Litt Industries Chase Light sits up top. It's wired to flash amber for visibility and the white lights trigger with reverse along with the backup lights on the bumper.
Parts List by Category
Exterior & Protection
- DRT Front Bumper
- DRT Grille
- DRT Rear Bumper
- DRT Rock Sliders
- DRT AC Guards
- DRT Clutch & Intake Cover Mesh Panel
- DRT Inner Fender Mesh Panel
- DRT Exhaust Cover
- Five18 Designs Full Wrap
Lighting
- Nacho Quattro Lights (x4)
- Nacho A-Pillar Lights
- Nacho Rock Lights
- Litt Industries Dome Lights (x3)
- Litt Industries Chase Light
- Jagged X XTC Lighted License Plate Bracket
Suspension & Drivetrain
- HCR Mid Travel Kit
- Shock Therapy Dual Rate Spring Kit
- Shock Therapy Ride Improvement System
- Super ATV Rhino 2.0 Axles
- DRT Long Travel Tie Rod Kit
- DRT Front Sway Bar Links
- DRT Rear Sway Bar Links
Wheels & Tires
- Price Designs Galaxy Wheels with Saw Blade Ring
- Price Designs Floating Center Caps
- Valor Alpha H2 Tires (35")
Mirrors & Mounts
Interior
- Triple X Heated and Cooled Seats
- Triple X Rear Seat Recover
- Blades Custom Decking
- DRT Sun Visors
- DRT A-Pillar Grab Handles
- DRT Passenger Grab Handle
- DRT Steering Wheel with Hub Adapter
- Geiser Performance Shift Boot Kit
- Geiser Performance Rear Window Handle
Electronics & Communication
- Rugged Radio M1
- Rugged Radio External Speaker
- Rugged Stealth Antenna
- Switch-Pros System
Storage & Cargo
- Geiser Performance Slide Out Tray
- ROAM Storage Box
- ROAM Cooler
- Blade's Custom Deicking Jagged X Logo Floor Mat
- B's Fab Dust Proof Floor Plugs
- B's Fab Door Extenders
- Jagged X Jump Lug Kit
- Jagged X Kill Switch
This Xpedition came together exactly how we envisioned it. Huge thanks to all the partners who made this build happen - DRT, Shock Therapy, HCR, Super ATV, Price Designs, Valor, Five18 Designs, Triple X, Geiser Performance, B's Fab, Litt Industries, Nacho, MOJAB, Blades Custom Decking, ROAM, XTC Power Products, and Rugged Radio.
If you're looking to build out your Xpedition, get a hold of us. Whether you want to go all-out like this or just add a few key upgrades, we can make it happen.
