It’s going to happen. At some point you’re going to be blasting through the desert and your tire is going to hit a sharp rock. You’re going to be twisting through the woods and a tire is going to get gashed by a limb. It helps to be prepared with some tire plugs, which are fine for small holes in the tread. However, a slashed sidewall is a tough trail fix and as such, it’s best to have a spare tire with you.
There are many options on the market today and multiple ways to crack that egg. Some companies offer affordable fixed mounts, others offer systems that can lift up and down with hydraulics and still others offer tire carriers that serve multiple functions in assembly. We’re here to help you wade through some of the products out there and help you pick which is best for your Polaris RZR XP 1000 or XP Turbo.
Assault Industries Adventure Rack
We first installed the Assault Industries Adventure Rack in early 2019 and at the time considered it to be the best rack on the market that we had seen. Now, nearly a year and a half later, it is still our favorite tire carrier on the market today. Assault industries is constantly working to better there products. Since we initially got on hands on it, the rack has seen some minor improvements, most notably the pin bolt used to latch the tray assembly to the latch has been significantly improved with a hardened bolt and fixed sleeve design, which makes the lock down function stronger and makes assembly much easier.
The Adventure Rack mounts to the harness bar assembly at two wide attachment points with two sandwich mounts, which makes for a very stable platform and allows for some adjustability. The platform itself is constructed of strong steel tubing, along with a dimple die steel plate surface to spread the weight of anything is loaded on top of it and maximize strength. Two gas charged hydraulic shocks are used to help lift the weight of the assembly when opened and you can adjust how high it raises up by using different mounting holes for them. The latch system mounts to where your rear C-pillar comes down and attached to the frame. This keeps the Adventure Rack off of your bed plastics and helps prevent damage. It comes with a Y-strap which holds down your tire securely and allows quick and easy removal of the tire.
You retain 100% use of your bed space, but you will be limited on the height of what you can place in the bed under the rack. Some vehicle specific storage or coolers may not work with this assembly and others may be a pretty tight fit. However, there are plenty of smaller profile coolers and tool boxes that do fit the bill. Plus, having the lower profile makes it harder for items to fall out of the bed.
The Assault Industries Adventure Rack holds up to a 32″ tire, is made in the USA and is backed by a lifetime warranty against defects.
Pro Armor RZR Spare Tire Mount
This is one of our favorite fixed spare tire mounts on the market. It holds up to a 32″ tire with its fixed platform and Y-strap system. It also comes in a variety of colors, so that you can match it up with the factory color scheme of your Polaris RZR.
The wide c-channel design of the mount provides an exceptionally strong mounting point where your c-pillar mounts of the vehicle’s frame. Even with the length of the mount, the c-channel design minimizes any flex from riding and keeps the mount fairly rigid. The Pro Armor mount also can be expanded with the versatility of the platform with their QuickShot Accessory Mount, which includes a jack and gives you options to mount other accessories.
There is a trade off with this type of system. It leaves the bed space open and the height of what is placed into the bed isn’t as much of a concern as with the Assault Industries rack, though wider storage boxes or coolers may not be able to open fully due to the sloped design. Additionally, you will likely have a slightly less obstructed view in the rear when looking over your shoulder. However, the higher placement may prove difficult for some users to remove the tire due to the height. The same goes for the optional QuickShot Accessory Mount.
The Pro Armor RZR Spare Tire Mount is made in the USA and comes with a one year warranty.
PRP RZR XP Spare Tire Mount
PRP has an interesting design that allows you to mount the spare tire in the back of your 2014-18 RZR similar to automotive style spare tire carriers like seen on Jeeps. If you don’t have a rear bumper and want mostly unimpeded access to your rear storage space, this could be a good option for you.
The PRP spare tire mount uses a CNC laser cut and brake pressed plate system, along with multiple braces to mount your spare tire carrier in the rear. Additional support rods mount to your c-pillar and rear frame to help strengthen the system.
The spare tire carrier is limited in that it is only designed for the stock front tires for a Polaris RZR XP, however this is the most important one to carry if you are still running spare tires, since these are your drive tires and can still be used as a rear spare in a pinch.
Holtz Racing Tire Carrier Rear Bumper
If you like the style of Jeep style tire carriers, but want more versatility than what is offered in the PRP set up, then the Holtz Racing Tire Carrier Rear Bumper may be the perfect fit. You still have the front tire backspacing limitations like the, but the full system results in better protection and a more solid mount.
The bumper is constructed of TIG welded 4130-chromoly steel and will fit all 2014-18 XP1Ks and XP Turbos. You also keep full access to the bed of your RZR, though you do lose some departure angle in the rear due to the mounting position. The heavy duty handle system allows easy removal of the spare tire without tools and the conical shape of the mount holds the tire securely.
The Holtz Racing Spare Tire Bumper Carrier is made in the USA and is backed by a two year warranty.
CageWRX Spare Tire Carrier
CageWRX offers two different tire carriers for the XP 1000 and XP Turbo. The standard version gives a little more visibility, but you lose some of your bed height availability. The high clearance version of their tire carrier trades off some of that visibility to retain bed space, so that you can mount accessories such as the Polaris Lock-n-Ride storage box in the rear.
The unique design allows the CageWRX tire carrier to be welded on or bolted on to the rear harness bar and will hold up to a 32″ tire. High quality steel, aluminum, and hardware used throughout and the American made gas shocks provide very easy lift action when a heavy tire is attached.
The CageWRX Spare tire carrier uses a heavy duty quick thread handle system to lock down the tire without the use of any tools. The dual latch system provides an extremely solid and rattle free design as well. The latches are biases towards the front of the vehicle and can be a little awkward to depress to unlatch, but this is a minor inconvenience considering how heavy duty the latch system is. The front of the tire carrier swivels on a pair of adjustable heim joints, which gives the system even more strength.
The CageWRX Tire Carrier is made in the USA and comes with a 30 day warranty.
