I picked up a ’15 XP1K a while back to use as a prerunner for King of the Hammers and as a general trail beater.
The first thing I did (with 0.7 miles on it) was stick it on jack stands & pull the shocks. I dropped the rear shocks off at Walker Evans for a full build – new valving, pistons, springs, crossover nuts, and 7/8" shafts. For the front shocks, I had W.E. build a set of 2.5" shocks with everything needed to match the rears.
I ditched the factory wheels and tires for a set of W.E. 15" beadlocks wrapped in 30" BFG KR2s at the same time, and added a 3/8" Factory UTV skid in place of the stock skid plate.
A Full Metal Fabworks Adventure Air Compressor sits under the hood.
A call to Rugged Radios got a full car to car kit with intercom to keep me in touch with everyone else, and to allow me to talk with my passenger without issue even while we listen to music through the helmet speakers. PRP GT SE seats & 5.3 harnesses, PRP door bags, a QD 13" steering wheel, and a 17" race mirror round out the interior changes.
CageWRX went above and beyond to get me a Super Shorty cage kit with roof, which took about me 30 minutes to set up and about half a day to TIG weld. I slapped a 30" LED bar on the front of the cage to help light up the nights.
For now, I’ve gusseted the front lower A-arms with some spare DOM tubing I had in the shop and the trailing arms with some 1/8" plate, but I plan on building a new set of high-clearance chromoly A-arms (+sway bar & front bumper) and trailing arms when I get a chance next month. I’ll be building a set of full doors tied into the A-pillar as well, skinned with .063" Al.
Where we ride in SoCal, things can go wrong quickly and you might be spending more time than planned in the desert. I’ve filled an 8 gallon Action Packer with what’s needed to keep me and a few others healthy and safe for up to 48 hours. The red backpack has food and water for 2 people for 3 days + survival blankets & a small first aid kit, the tan pack is a larger, more comprehensive first aid kit, the red case is a 35 pack of tire plugs, a spare belt, a tow strap, electrical tape, loc-tite, 12v USB adapter to charge a phone, full pack of fuses, 20V electric impact, TP, paper towels, jerky, & cliff bars. This leaves enough room in the Action packer for a hoodie or two, if packed correctly.
In the PRP door bags, I have an ACR RESQLINK Personal Locator Beacon, tire pressure gauge, a bottle of water, multi-tool, a snack or two, and anything else I feel like having close at hand.
In addition to the above, the cooler usually has between 10-15 bottles of water, ice, a meal or two depending on the ride, and a few other drinks. For tools, I carry a 185-pc tool kit under the Action Packer.
