For the second year in a row, Nissan is laying down big tire tracks at Overland Expo WEST with the debut of a special overlanding-equipped project vehicle – this time, the Nissan Armada Mountain Patrol. And, once again, Nissan has called on social media followers on @NissanUSATrucks Instagram and Facebook pages to help guide construction of the one-off project.
The Armada Mountain Patrol will be on display at Overland Expo WEST, May 18-20 at Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Ariz. Following its public debut, the Armada Mountain Patrol project vehicle will take the road less traveled to various media and outdoor events through the remainder of the year.
The specially modified eight-passenger Armada full-size SUV follows last year’s Nissan TITAN pickup-based Project Basecamp, which was one of the featured vehicles at the 2017 Overland Expo WEST.
“For those family adventure fans who aren’t familiar with the term ‘overlanding’, all they need to do is look at the Armada Mountain Patrol to understand that this is not glamping, not a day trip to the local forest – it’s adventure taken to new heights,” said Brandon White, director, Chief Marketing Manager, Nissan North America, Inc. “The Nissan Armada, with its rugged platform, best-in-class 390-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 engine, 8,500-lb. towing capacity and massive interior and cargo space, is an ideal starting place to build an authentic overlanding vehicle.”
This year, the Armada Mountain Patrol takes overlanding readiness to new heights, literally, including a roof-mounted camping tent. The roof-topper, selected via the social media campaign, is from Cascadia Vehicle Tents. The four-person Mt. Shasta tent keeps occupants safely above the ground and a little closer to the stars. To go along with the rooftop tent, Rhino Racks supplied a custom awning and Alps Mountaineering added an additional pop-up tent, sleeping bags and chairs.
Because overlanding is designed to take participants off the beaten path, that means taking everything you might need with you – and back out again. The Armada Mountain Patrol includes a number of custom comfort, convenience and storage features. The project includes a Lowrance navigation system and Rugged Radios off-road radio system. Storage systems include a Rhino Racks aluminum back-bone pioneer tray, ARB pull-out drawer system, Pelican gear cases, Dometic refrigerator/freezer and Otterbox Venture coolers.
“One thing true off-road enthusiasts understand about the Armada Mountain Patrol is its authentic adventure heritage. Every 2018 Armada is inspired by the global Patrol – a vehicle with over five decades of off-roading credibility,” said White. “For that reason, only minimal modifications were made to the factory Armada drivetrain.”
Icon Vehicle Dynamics contributed the Armada Mountain Patrol’s heavy-duty coil-over suspension and extended A-arms to fit the fan-favorite 17-inch Icon Rebound wheels and Nitto Ridge Grapplers 35/12.25/17 tires. A Magnaflow cat-back exhaust system was added to help the Armada’s advanced 5.6-liter Endurance® V8 breathe easier in high-mountain air.
The next critical elements in the project build – and any overlanding vehicle – are vehicle protection and vehicle recovery equipment. To help protect the Armada body, Calmini added rock sliders, a spare tire swing-away and custom fabricated front and rear heavy-duty steel bumpers.
To help extract the Armada Mountain Patrol from tight spots, if necessary, the recovery tools list includes a 12,000-lb. Warn Platinum Series winch, rack-mounted MaxTrax vehicle recovery boards, Hi-lift vehicle jack and Rhino Rack shovels. Auxiliary fuel storage was provided by RotoPax.
Adding the final touches to the Armada Mountain Patrol are a roof-mounted LED light bar, bumper-mounted fog lights and wheelwell lighting – all from Baja Designs. The unique body wrap, selected by social media voting from several available designs, is from Rocket West Off-Road.
“We want to thank everyone who provided input on the design and equipment for this special Armada Mountain Patrol build,” added White. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome and look forward to showing it at Overland Expo WEST and events throughout the summer.”
