SXS

[nfh]

Well let's hear it. The good, bad and ugly. New to the side by side game. We wanted a new family hobby. To set the scene we got a can-am commander 800r 4 seater. We are just planning some good local trails to visit some caves and such. Never understood the hype on sxs but we gave in and looking forward to it. Rock crawling and mudding is not on the list to do

Any tips? My obvious things to look into and get was fix-a-flat kit, air compressor, spare tire, battery tender and Possibly a winch.

 

[MountainSqwabler]

From my years of riding four wheelers and dirt bikes and sxs, a winch Is among one of the more commonly used things on a sxs. Get stuck? Winch. Need to pull an animal out of a nasty hole? Winch.

 

[grizzly]

For sure get a winch.

Also, put on a light bar, it's a night and day difference (said in "dad joke" voice ?)

I wired mine with a relay to my high beams and love it.

I put a cab kit on mine for plowing snow and it makes a great hunting vehicle but gets too hot for leisure riding in the summer.

It was great for getting Christmas trees today, though. Even in deep snow with chains.

_______

I also put a gun rack on the ceiling (similar to pic below) and got a dome light from Amazon that is removable and has a built-in LED flashlight. It is USB rechargeable so I can recharge it in the machine, if necessary. It's amazing how nice a dome light is when you're heading out to go hunting before light or getting back late and trying to find your keys in your pack.

 

[Weiserbucks]

Windshield when it's not dusty, pull Windshield when it's dusty.

 

[Horniac]

Heaters are nice if you are planning to ride it in the winter…

Horniac

 

[Servehim]

Wench is the ticket when you come up on a fallen tree blocking the road as well.

 

[elkassassin]

If It Fits in between Tree's & etc BLAZE Another F'N Illegal Trail!

See How Fast You Can Run Country & How Much Dust You Can Stir Up!

Put a TURBO & A Straight Pipe On it!

If Your Buddies Have 38" Tall Tires Put 40" Tall Tires On Yours!

Make Sure & Wear a .79 cent Made In China Respirator,You're gonna need it!

Take it To Moab and Ride it with 4,000 Other Side X Siders!

Put 12-15K worth of Extras on it,It's Still Cheaper Than Your 100K Pick-Up You Don't wanna Scratch Up!

Just RAZZIN You nfh!

I Know You're Not That Type & You Have Respect For The Lay Of The Land!

If It's a Polaris PLEASE PACK A COUPLE OF BIG FIRE EXTINGUISHERS!

 

[Bluehair]

Don’t wreck.

 

[nfh]

What size winch you guys running? IF the mud is deep i will not go through it. 2000lb winch seems a little weak. Isnt the formula a winch that is rated 3x more weight than your rig? so if go get stuck in a bad a the winch has the power to get you out.


Also the windsheild is a half size. We went out last week with a temp of 35-40 degrees and we felt just fine.

No plans of a gun rack. Wont be using it for hunting. I use horses although one place i hunt in montana it would save a lot of wear and tear on the truck to get to the trail i use to hike in.


Appreciate all the tips

 

[wayno945]

Spare belt and the tools to change it. Canam has a special bolt to loosen the pulleys on the clutch. Windshield, heater, and cab if you want to use it in the fall and winter.

 

[eshunt]

Congrats on the new toy! They can be a good way to explore the hills without tearing up your truck. That's why I have one. It's basically like a jeep for me, with great suspension that allows me to access areas throughout rough roads a lot easier.

If you are like me, and are often out on your own without another buddy that has a SxS too, then you will need to bring enough tools and parts that you can fix any of the simple breakdowns or getting stuck. I keep a spare belt, tools, tire patch kit, compressor, spare tire, jack etc. These all fit in an under seat bin (except the spare tire, LOL). I have a 4500lb winch on my Can Am Defender Max XT. So yeah, that's about 3x what the dry weight of the machine is. I also have a small bag that has a couple snatch blocks, tow strap, hitch with shackle etc. for helping out if I need to use the winch to get myself out of a situation.

I'm sure that as I explore more, there will be some more little items that I will want along as well, but for now I have the main items I believe I will need. I've put almost 1,000 miles on my machine and have yet to need the winch or any of the tools, but I know it's only a matter of time.

I also have a car seat in mine so the whole family can go enjoy time in the mountains together. There's an endless amount of extras you can put on yours, and that will just depend on how you want to use it. One item on my wish list is a good light bar, the headlights on mine leave a lot to be desired.

 

[nfh]

Well looks like I better get a belt ordered. Changing oil is next on the list. Bought it with 800 miles on it. Came with a small tool kit so I better look into what's involved for this special tool. Changing oil is a little ridiculous. Have to pull the passenger seat and then a side panel. It's not horrible but a bad design.

Here she is. Got a damn good deal. I paid way under book. It paid to wait and not hurry to buy one. I figured with tough times someone was going to have to get out of a loan so when I threw a cash offer they couldn't resist plus they threw the trailer in the deal

 

[larrbo]

After years of using a quad for my hunting I decided to order a side by side last September. Well after over a year of waiting Polaris gave me a slot to build one. Hopefully I'll have it for hunting season next year.

 

[elkassassin]

Hey Larrbo?

Does It Come With a Fire Extinguisher?

After years of using a quad for my hunting I decided to order a side by side last September. Well after over a year of waiting Polaris gave me a slot to build one. Hopefully I'll have it for hunting season next year.

View attachment 93276

 

[grosventrehunter]

I put a dual battery set up with an isolator on my Honda Pioneer 1000-5. If you ride alone its nice to have the extra battery. Glad I don't have to worry about belts.

 

[larrbo]

Hey Larrbo?

Does It Come With a Fire Extinguisher?

Nope, but at least I'll be warm when it's 5 degrees out in November.

 

[Chump]

Well looks like I better get a belt ordered. Changing oil is next on the list. Bought it with 800 miles on it. Came with a small tool kit so I better look into what's involved for this special tool. Changing oil is a little ridiculous. Have to pull the passenger seat and then a side panel. It's not horrible but a bad design.

Here she is. Got a damn good deal. I paid way under book. It paid to wait and not hurry to buy one. I figured with tough times someone was going to have to get out of a loan so when I threw a cash offer they couldn't resist plus they threw the trailer in the deal

View attachment 93274

Nice! You will get hours and hours of enjoyment out of it. We own a 2010 Polaris RZR 800, the old 2-seaters that are only 50" wide, nice for tighter trails. There are numerous resources online from parts to forums that are worth checking out. Invest in a good 1st aid kit!

 

[Zeke]

Wench is the ticket when you come up on a fallen tree blocking the road as well.

Do you just have the wench get out and move the tree?
I've tried that with the wife a couple times but I guess it didn't work because she's not a wench.

 

[mulecreek]

I have a 2016? rzr4. No problems so far. Winch for sure. I use mine for a snow plow more than anything. Comes in very handy, where we live. I particularly like telling the wife "I am going to go plow the neighbors".