Things I learned about my machine from RRB

100Acre

100Acre

Samsquinch the Terrible Magic Bean Manipulator
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Apr 25, 2017
17,519
104,865
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Idaho
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  1. 1000-5
I believe that for different types of terrain, one might want to consider an all around better system to get to where you're going. So far my 25" tires have functioned well in much of the terrain out west but here in the east where lots of the trails were not only rocky and steep but also muddy and deep. All over the RRB trails I found myself continually bottoming out and hard. I'm extraordinarily thankful that I purchased the SSS OffRoad UMHW skid plates. Without them I'd of been up a Stinking Creek with lots of underside damage. I am curious how @trigger did with his stock plastic armor?
I'm thinking now about going with a 27" tire and 1" wheel spacers for better clearance and stability. If I head west anytime soon and am limited by trail width, I could always remove the spacers as needed. Also my front rim took many hits and it now shows 5 sizable dents along the bead edge. Even though each tire has two quarts of Quad Boss in them, I was still loosing air towards the end of the day on Saturday. Which in itself made me feel more tippy to the left. Will aluminum rims be any better as far as denting/bending is concerned? I'm also wanting to pick up and mount a spare tire somewhere on the P5. I'd also like to look into some better shocks at some point too for a smoother ride as well.
Although my big box on the back holds a lot of gear for when I'm riding way out in the backcountry alone, it also blocks a good rear view for when backing up and reverse maneuvering. Plus the more space you have, the more crap you bring, weighing down your vehicle even more.
There are a few things that I think are more important to have on hand which I'll be purchasing soon, and those items so far are are: One of those 12 volt air compressors. The one I have is a nice ARB but it's large and isn't 12v. One must remove the battery cover to access the terminals to operate it as it only comes with alligator clips. It's great for my Overlanding rig but not for the Pioneer.
Another item on the must purchase list is one of those 12 volt water pump with intake filter and sprayer nozzle to clean out the radiator. Myself and quite a few others seemed to have overheating issues due to clogged radiators. Because of the high amounts of dust and mud, I think carrying an extra air filter is a must as well. I'm really glad I brought a spray bottle of Cinch window cleaner and microfiber rags with me. it was non streaking and did a great job removing all the mud and dust from my windshield.
I think adding a snorkel is also a important addition. There were a few creek crossings that I wondered if I was gonna go too deep and get flooded. That and I believe it'll help with less dust being sucked into the airbox.
I'm very thankful for my winch as it's pulled much larger machines out of the mud and saved my butt a few times as well and I know there were a few folks out there without them. So, whomever reads this please note this as being one of the 1st accessories you should purchase! Without one, you may find yourself stuck and s*** out of luck. Although I've not had the chance to use it on my P5, I have a great heavy duty tire plug kit made by ARB and keep it in the box all the time.
Again, overall my machine outperformed any and all of my expectations and gave me a better peace of mind when riding at RRB. It climbed the steepest trails and powered through the muddiest bogs and ruts. I think with a few more changes soon, the Scarab will be climbing trees!
If anyone else has any suggestions for must haves please feel free to add them here and thank you..
 
Last edited:
JCMINIS

JCMINIS

Well-Known Member
Dec 19, 2017
158
833
93
Canton nc
Ownership

  1. 500
I was one with a clogged radiator as well. Our first real multi day trip out with the pioneer, learned alot about the machine and its capabilities. I did have some simple tools, but your winch proved to be most valuable to me ! haha... Next on my list

On a side note, I had a tire plug kit, BUT didnt have a compressor.. My genius has no limits apparently.
 
GRANITE

GRANITE

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@100Acre nice riding with ya all weekend buddy. I think I found the perfect radiator spray system and it will be here in a couple days. I'll send pictures as soon as I get it.
 
100Acre

100Acre

Samsquinch the Terrible Magic Bean Manipulator
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Apr 25, 2017
17,519
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113
Idaho
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  1. 1000-5
@100Acre nice riding with ya all weekend buddy. I think I found the perfect radiator spray system and it will be here in a couple days. I'll send pictures as soon as I get it.
Thanks buddy Ditto on riding with you, do you have a link?
 
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100Acre

100Acre

Samsquinch the Terrible Magic Bean Manipulator
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Apr 25, 2017
17,519
104,865
113
Idaho
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
These are the ARB compressor, filler gauge thing, and tire plug kit. The latter is super heavy duty and comes with really thick plugs! I highly recommend it.
713INoyTsL SL1500
20121026163055171
001 arb speedy seal tire repair kit lead
 
Vondy

Vondy

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Mar 10, 2015
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My P500 is running 27" Reptile on 14" beadlock rims. They did great the whole trip, came close but never high centered or stuck. I also run the Walker Evans shocks which i believe help a lot on the ride and can adjust to give a little lift. I still drug bottom quite often and had some hard hits on bottom. I am pretty sure my stock skid is trashed (part of it is hanging down), that will be my next upgrade. I think I can get a little more lift out of the shocks. I thought the axle angle was getting a little to much, but didnt factor in the 440lbs of riders (need to shed a few lbs there :)

My must haves on a P500 would be
- Winch - First mod on about any machine, especially if you go anywhere alone.
- I think the 27s - I would go bigger, but the 27 were rubbing when wheel was being pushed up. Someone need to make some arms to offset to the front about an inch.
- Walker Evans shock. Love the adjustability height wise and dampening. Bottomed out in front several times early, adjusted up 4 clicks and never had issue after.
- 1.5" or 2" wheel spacers to help with stability. Like you said those can be easily taken off when riding regulated trails. I'm running 2"
- LED Lightbar or at least LED Pods - Absolute necessity if you ride at night on trails. Stock headlights are a joke.

Not must haves, but I carry on machine
- GPS, tire repair items, small assortment of tools(sizes used on machine only), basic recovery straps, d-rings, Towels, water or windshield safe cleaner, 12v Air compressor, tire guage, goggles, some electrical repair items, zip ties, plastic bags, electrical repair items. I'm sure there are others

Back at a camp
- Oil and filter
- Air filter
- Spare tires(should carry with, but space is premium on a 500). I just kept my stock rims and tires for emergency use.
- Coolant
- I have a few replacement parts, if they are reasonable cost and could ruin a weekend of riding, Itry keep a spare at the truck. Starter, cooling fan motor, couple sensors.
- Fuel

I'm sure there are a few other things. I'll check my box and add to list
 
100Acre

100Acre

Samsquinch the Terrible Magic Bean Manipulator
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Apr 25, 2017
17,519
104,865
113
Idaho
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
- LED Lightbar or at least LED Pods - Absolute necessity if you ride at night on trails. Stock headlights are a joke.
Agreed! I forgot to add that to my list. It's one of the main reasons I think I flipped going back up that steep 32 dead end trail. I couldn't see squat!
 
100Acre

100Acre

Samsquinch the Terrible Magic Bean Manipulator
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Apr 25, 2017
17,519
104,865
113
Idaho
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
1.5" or 2" wheel spacers to help with stability. Like you said those can be easily taken off when riding regulated trails. I'm running 2"
I guess it makes more sense to go with wider spacers here in the east. Do the 2" spacers wear the bearings more though? Second and 3rd questions: are Bearings easy and inexpensive to replace ?
 
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100Acre

100Acre

Samsquinch the Terrible Magic Bean Manipulator
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Apr 25, 2017
17,519
104,865
113
Idaho
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
I'm also gonna add either a seat belt harness or seatbelt strap padding to the list. That stock seatbelt cut into my neck and shoulder area way too much so by the end of the day let alone 4 days of riding...ouch! I started riding with it under my armpit but would place it back over my shoulder if we came to a sketchy spot on the trail.
 
Vondy

Vondy

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I guess it makes more sense to go with wider spacers here in the east. Do the 2" spacers wear the bearings more though? Second and 3rd questions: are Bearings easy and inexpensive to replace ?

I bought my machine used with 1.5" spacers on it , I had some 2" , so I put them on for this ride. I turned 500 miles this trip, only my third trip out with this machine. I just downsized to the P500 from offroading jeeps for the last 15+ years. I believe it had spacers on most of the time since new. My rear did start squeaking a bit on this trip but could have just been dirt, they will definetly get inspected and possibly replaced. Looks like they need pressed in and out.

I never flopped all weekend and ran almost all trails on the Sundquist side, didnt make it across 75 though.
 
100Acre

100Acre

Samsquinch the Terrible Magic Bean Manipulator
Lifetime Member
Club Contributor
Apr 25, 2017
17,519
104,865
113
Idaho
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
I bought my machine used with 1.5" spacers on it , I had some 2" , so I put them on for this ride. I turned 500 miles this trip, only my third trip out with this machine. I just downsized to the P500 from offroading jeeps for the last 15+ years. I believe it had spacers on most of the time since new. My rear did start squeaking a bit on this trip but could have just been dirt, they will definetly get inspected and possibly replaced. Looks like they need pressed in and out.

I never flopped all weekend and ran almost all trails on the Sundquist side, didnt make it across 75 though.
We did the Eternal Flame ride. There were some deep spots crossing the creek and one steepish drop but everyone did great. That was a cool ride after I overheated. lol
 
Mudder

Mudder

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Yep, radiator overheating was a first for me. Ordered this, and a couple 2 liter bottles of water will be in my box for sure. Also glad to have K9 support in our ride group, (Bayleaf??)

PS. Extra wide Mudbusters survived all the rut rubbing, glad they have some flex, impressed.

38B87EE2 9836 4016 A785 E010FDCC4870
 
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Ragnar406

Ragnar406

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Dragon21

Dragon21

In my defense, I was left unsupervised
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Mudder

Mudder

NTC Ambassador of Walls
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Oct 1, 2016
11,660
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Georgia
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  1. Other Brand

  2. 500
Got Tire repair kit with CO2, but likely to get small foot pump just incase.

DC012A38 CC03 482F A38A FD0EBB74661B
 
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J

JTW

Guest
I believe that for different types of terrain, one might want to consider an all around better system to get to where you're going. So far my 25" tires have functioned well in much of the terrain out west but here in the east where lots of the trails were not only rocky and steep but also muddy and deep. All over the RRB trails I found myself continually bottoming out and hard. I'm extraordinarily thankful that I purchased the SSS OffRoad UMHW skid plates. Without them I'd of been up a Stinking Creek with lots of underside damage. I am curious how @trigger did with his stock plastic armor?
I'm thinking now about going with a 27" tire and 1" wheel spacers for better clearance and stability. If I head west anytime soon and am limited by trail width, I could always remove the spacers as needed. Also my front rim took many hits and it now shows 5 sizable dents along the bead edge. Even though each tire has two quarts of Quad Boss in them, I was still loosing air towards the end of the day on Saturday. Which in itself made me feel more tippy to the left. Will aluminum rims be any better as far as denting/bending is concerned? I'm also wanting to pick up and mount a spare tire somewhere on the P5. I'd also like to look into some better shocks at some point too for a smoother ride as well.
Although my big box on the back holds a lot of gear for when I'm riding way out in the backcountry alone, it also blocks a good rear view for when backing up and reverse maneuvering. Plus the more space you have, the more crap you bring, weighing down your vehicle even more.
There are a few things that I think are more important to have on hand which I'll be purchasing soon, and those items so far are are: One of those 12 volt air compressors. The one I have is a nice ARB but it's large and isn't 12v. One must remove the battery cover to access the terminals to operate it as it only comes with alligator clips. It's great for my Overlanding rig but not for the Pioneer.
Another item on the must purchase list is one of those 12 volt water pump with intake filter and sprayer nozzle to clean out the radiator. Myself and quite a few others seemed to have overheating issues due to clogged radiators. Because of the high amounts of dust and mud, I think carrying an extra air filter is a must as well. I'm really glad I brought a spray bottle of Cinch window cleaner and microfiber rags with me. it was non streaking and did a great job removing all the mud and dust from my windshield.
I think adding a snorkel is also a important addition. There were a few creek crossings that I wondered if I was gonna go too deep and get flooded. That and I believe it'll help with less dust being sucked into the airbox.
I'm very thankful for my winch as it's pulled much larger machines out of the mud and saved my butt a few times as well and I know there were a few folks out there without them. So, whomever reads this please note this as being one of the 1st accessories you should purchase! Without one, you may find yourself stuck and s*** out of luck. Although I've not had the chance to use it on my P5, I have a great heavy duty tire plug kit made by ARB and keep it in the box all the time.
Again, overall my machine outperformed any and all of my expectations and gave me a better peace of mind when riding at RRB. It climbed the steepest trails and powered through the muddiest bogs and ruts. I think with a few more changes soon, the Scarab will be climbing trees!
If anyone else has any suggestions for must haves please feel free to add them here and thank you..
My suggestion would be buying a 1000
 
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