Dirt Wheels - September 2016

❏ When we take UTVs out to drive miles of trails, we generally have a few complaints about the doors. Our taller riders hit their knees against the doors frequently when the terrain gets rough. Naturally, that is very uncomfortable. In addition, there is an overall lack of storage on the performance machines. While there are usually cup holders, it is difficult to drink water from a bottle while driving with a helmet on. Pulling out water bottles and having to stop driving to drink is not convenient. Assault Industries figured that out. They recently released their Hydration door-bag system that fits many different types of UTV doors for $149.99 a set. We mounted up a pair to our Polaris RZR XP Turbo for a full test.

DESIGN

The door-mounted UTV hydration
packs are designed to fit best with
the stock Polaris RZR doors. Mounting
them is simple and takes just a few
minutes per door. The packs utilize
the stock hardware to mount to the
inside of the doors. The best way to
get them to fit easily is by loosely
mounting all of the screws before you
tighten them all down. The pack also
has two heavy-duty Velcro mounting
pads on the back to mount up to
almost any other brand of UTV door.
Each door pack comes with a
replaceable, anti-microbial water
bladder. Before use, it is best to wash
out the water bladders, otherwise the
water won’t taste good. It is also a
good idea to dry out the bladders and
wash them in between use.
The bladder sits in the rear pocket
of the door bag with a Velcro strap
that holds the water bladder hose
to it while you are driving. It is easy
to get to while you are operating
the machine. There is another longer
pocket that is large enough to hold a
spare water bottle, keys, a cell phone,
and more. This second pocket also
acts as a kneepad to protect your knee
from hitting the metal door frame.
THOUGHTS

The Assault Industries Hydration UTV door bags are a great buy. Being able to reach down and grab a tube to get water while you are driving is a big plus. The ends of the bite valves also have a pull-open-and-close locking mechanism so water won’t seep out.

We rarely need to drink a lot of water while driving UTVs, because the machines aren’t as physically demanding as ATVs, so the water bladder that holds a bit more than 16 ounces works well. On the Polaris, our one complaint was the location of the strap that holds the hose of the water bladder. It was put in the perfect spot for those hose ends to rub your arm while driving. After a few minutes you won’t notice it anymore, though, and you can always zip the hose up in the front pocket. To get yourself a set of Hydration door packs, go to www.assaultind.com or call (714) 799- 6711. ❏

PRODUCT EVALUATION
ASSAULT
INDUSTRIES
HYDRATION
DOOR BAGS
Water at the ready
for UTV driving

By the staff of Dirt Wheels

Installing the Assault Industries Hydration door bags takes little time on a stock Polaris RZR door. They come with heavy-duty Velcro mounting strips to mount to other UTV doors.