Last year I did a Baja Trip using the UTV’s. (You can read about it here) 2014 Baja Trip This was a first for me as we had always used the pre-runner buggy’s in Baja. What we learned is you can use a UTV for long distance multi day trips. I posted the trip on here and I got several questions regarding how we did the trip and prepared for it. So this coming September we are going to do another trip in Baja with the UTV’s. But this time I thought I would start a thread talking about how we prep our UTV’s and what we carry for a 3-4 Baja trip.

But really what I’m doing could apply for any UTV Adventure. I don’t claim to be a “Know it All” when it comes to UTV’s, but I have prepped many off-road race cars with lots of success. Some of the tips I will post are things we have been doing with the race cars & pre-runners for years. Feel free to ask questions as I will be an open book, and if you have proven tips please feel free to share them, as everyone likes to learn a new tip or way to do things.

This will be a multi part write up and once we get past the basics I will get into more details on what we are carrying and why. So I promises it will get more interesting!

Part 1

First off any good prep starts with a clean vehicle. I like to pull all the removable covers such as the hood, and both engine access covers. I pull the seats and any gear bags or removable items that are just going to be in the way.

[IMG][/IMG]

Once I have cleaned everything, I start to walk and inspect the whole vehicle. For the most part UTV’s are pretty maintenance free and don’t require the prep a buggy or truck would need. But I look for damage that could lead to failure, and it write down. Look closely at axles, CV boots (between the folds as boots like to split at the bottom of the bend) radiator lines, engine hoses & wiring. Baja is not as desolate as it used to be, but there will be times where you’re many miles from anyone and even if you are close to civilization, I don’t know of a UTV dealer or shop in Baja. Plus doing a repair in the field is much harder than in your garage.

I have also made a Prep Check off sheet. It’s simplified, but very similar to what I do when prepping race cars or prerunners. I take this paper and tape it to the side of the car, so as I complete a task I can check it off. This reduces the chance of something getting overlooked.

[IMG][/IMG]

Now we can look at the basics like oil, filters & fluids. I know most UTV’s have oil change intervals, but in cases where I’m going to put allot of miles or more than normal stress on the UTV, I feel starting off with fresh engine oil and filter is cheap insurance. I know everyone has their preference and theory on what is the best oil, but I use Maxima Synblend4. I get my oil from Alba Racing as Nate explained to me why they use Maxima vs Polaris. (If you’re interested in Maxima oil and want to know more call Alba) If it’s good enough for Alba’s engines then its good enough for me.

[IMG][/IMG]

When it comes to the trans & dif oils, I have felt just checking it and making sure I don’t go over the scheduled maintenance interval is just fine. If you’re getting close to mileage or timing out, then change it early. Also I have chosen to stick with Polaris oils for the trans & dif. Same with the radiator fluid. You should not have to change it, unless your plan on replacing a hose or getting into the cooling system. In regards to grease for the bushings, U-joints or swaybar, I use Huskey’s Dyna-Mite Red grease. It’s not an easy grease to find as it more found and used in industrial applications. I started using Huskey Lubricants back in 2002 with our race team and have proven results with their products. I could go into allot of detail, and if requested I will. (So please ask if you want to know more.) But bottom line is you need a good grease that can handle extreme temps, is resistant to washout, and will not melt or run out of the joint or bushing.

When it comes to air filters, once again we all have our opinions and preference. I run the stock air box and have seen no issues to make me think I need to change it. I too have had success with stock filters, but I was very careful to make sure to grease the filter gasket lip. This trip we are trying the new R2C XP900 Panel filter. I have known of R2C in the racing world and know they have a very good synthetic filter material. What makes it special is it not only that it filters great, but its not made of gauze like other performance filters, and the R2C filter does not need to be oiled and is fully reusable. This is huge as our last trip we carried an extra air filter as we did not know if we would have filter issues covering 600+ miles of Baja dust & silt. With the New R2C filter we can tap it or blow it out and keep going, so we will not have to carry an extra filter. Plus they redesigned the filter lip to seal better, and we will not have to use grease. That is another huge plus!

Last year I did a Baja Trip using the UTV’s. (You can read about it here) 2014 Baja Trip This was a first for me as we had always used the pre-runner buggy’s in Baja. What we learned is you can use a UTV for long distance multi day trips. I posted the trip on here and I got several questions regarding how we did the trip and prepared for it. So this coming September we are going to do another trip in Baja with the UTV’s. But this time I thought I would start a thread talking about how we prep our UTV’s and what we carry for a 3-4 Baja trip.

But really what I’m doing could apply for any UTV Adventure. I don’t claim to be a “Know it All” when it comes to UTV’s, but I have prepped many off-road race cars with lots of success. Some of the tips I will post are things we have been doing with the race cars & pre-runners for years. Feel free to ask questions as I will be an open book, and if you have proven tips please feel free to share them, as everyone likes to learn a new tip or way to do things.

This will be a multi part write up and once we get past the basics I will get into more details on what we are carrying and why. So I promises it will get more interesting!

Part 1

First off any good prep starts with a clean vehicle. I like to pull all the removable covers such as the hood, and both engine access covers. I pull the seats and any gear bags or removable items that are just going to be in the way.

[IMG][/IMG]

Once I have cleaned everything, I start to walk and inspect the whole vehicle. For the most part UTV’s are pretty maintenance free and don’t require the prep a buggy or truck would need. But I look for damage that could lead to failure, and it write down. Look closely at axles, CV boots (between the folds as boots like to split at the bottom of the bend) radiator lines, engine hoses & wiring. Baja is not as desolate as it used to be, but there will be times where you’re many miles from anyone and even if you are close to civilization, I don’t know of a UTV dealer or shop in Baja. Plus doing a repair in the field is much harder than in your garage.

I have also made a Prep Check off sheet. It’s simplified, but very similar to what I do when prepping race cars or prerunners. I take this paper and tape it to the side of the car, so as I complete a task I can check it off. This reduces the chance of something getting overlooked.

[IMG][/IMG]

Now we can look at the basics like oil, filters & fluids. I know most UTV’s have oil change intervals, but in cases where I’m going to put allot of miles or more than normal stress on the UTV, I feel starting off with fresh engine oil and filter is cheap insurance. I know everyone has their preference and theory on what is the best oil, but I use Maxima Synblend4. I get my oil from Alba Racing as Nate explained to me why they use Maxima vs Polaris. (If you’re interested in Maxima oil and want to know more call Alba) If it’s good enough for Alba’s engines then its good enough for me.

[IMG][/IMG]

When it comes to the trans & dif oils, I have felt just checking it and making sure I don’t go over the scheduled maintenance interval is just fine. If you’re getting close to mileage or timing out, then change it early. Also I have chosen to stick with Polaris oils for the trans & dif. Same with the radiator fluid. You should not have to change it, unless your plan on replacing a hose or getting into the cooling system. In regards to grease for the bushings, U-joints or swaybar, I use Huskey’s Dyna-Mite Red grease. It’s not an easy grease to find as it more found and used in industrial applications. I started using Huskey Lubricants back in 2002 with our race team and have proven results with their products. I could go into allot of detail, and if requested I will. (So please ask if you want to know more.) But bottom line is you need a good grease that can handle extreme temps, is resistant to washout, and will not melt or run out of the joint or bushing.

When it comes to air filters, once again we all have our opinions and preference. I run the stock air box and have seen no issues to make me think I need to change it. I too have had success with stock filters, but I was very careful to make sure to grease the filter gasket lip. This trip we are trying the new R2C XP900 Panel filter. I have known of R2C in the racing world and know they have a very good synthetic filter material. What makes it special is it not only that it filters great, but its not made of gauze like other performance filters, and the R2C filter does not need to be oiled and is fully reusable. This is huge as our last trip we carried an extra air filter as we did not know if we would have filter issues covering 600+ miles of Baja dust & silt. With the New R2C filter we can tap it or blow it out and keep going, so we will not have to carry an extra filter. Plus they redesigned the filter lip to seal better, and we will not have to use grease. That is another huge plus!