FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – 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 Patrol1. 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-class2 390-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 engine, 8,500-lb. towing capacity3 and massive interior and cargo space1, is an ideal starting place to build an authentic overlanding vehicle.”
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”109″ gal_title=”Armada Mountain Patrol”]This year, the Armada Mountain Patrol takes overlanding readiness to new heights, literally, including a roof-mounted camping tent1. 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 Patrol4 – 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.”
For more information on the 2018 Nissan Armada and all Nissan vehicles, visit NissanNews.com.
About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.nissanusa.com and www.infinitiusa.com, or visit the U.S. media sites nissannews.com and infinitinews.com.
About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan’s second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment. For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.
Source: Nissan
Joshua, a native Phoenician, lives in the west Valley with his wife and two sons. He has a BA in Management and 24 years of experience in Information Technology. He’s passionate in his career of combining healthcare and IT to help doctors provide the best possible healthcare to their patients. Joshua also has multiple publications for IT education, which are used in universities around the world. He is a true Arizona liberal, supporting both human rights, equality for all.
