With the Patrol purchased (see Build Intro) and baselined (Phase 1: TLC), the real fun can now begin! With everything in peak condition and all of the basic reliability and safety items addressed, the Patrol was begging for some modifications to enhance its off-road capability.
I wasted no time knocking out some of the fundamental modifications.
ARB Front Bumper and Smittybilt XRC 9500 Synthetic Rope Winch
The ARB Bumper is a proven classic, which helps provide minor impact protection as well as increased front approach angle on the Patrol. Critically, the ARB bumper also provides a secure mounting point for a prime piece of recovery – the Smittybilt winch. There are numerous different winches on the market, but the Smittybilt fit the bill for me when based on price and local availability (i.e. availability in Guatemala).
Safari Snorkel
There are no shortage of water crossings in Central America, and a properly installed and sealed Safari Snorkel provides a little extra insurance against hydrolocking in deep water crossings. Plus it just looks cool.
OME 4” Lift and 33”x12.5’0R15 BF Goodrich KM2 Tires
ARB’s proven Old Man EMU 4” suspension lift provides additional ground clearance, articulation, and the ability to fit larger KM2s, all of which help the Patrol tackle tougher terrain.
ARB Touring Roof Rack (customized)
The key motivation for installing a roof rack was to mount my rooftop tent and awning on the Patrol for extended trips in the backcountry. Unfortunately, the ARB roof rack that was delivered to my install shop was not going to be compatible with both the Patrol and my rooftop tent. Fortunately, this was nothing several hours of fabrication and finishing work couldn’t fix (notice I didn’t mention the word easy)! So far I’ve been very happy with the outcome.
Rigid Dually LED Lighting
Rigid LED lights provide a ton of light output while requiring very little voltage. They were a no-brainer on the Patrol.
As you can see, the Patrol is continuing to see off-pavement action on a weekly basis and the modifications are getting put through their paces!
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