Originally featured as UTVGuide.net’s UTV of the Month for December 2008.
Todd Stauffer of Custom Splice transformed a 2008 Yamaha Rhino 700 EFI into a compact off-road recovery vehicle known as the Rhino Wrecker. Built for muddy conditions, the heavily modified Rhino combined oversized mud tires, a snorkel system, a custom recovery boom, and three WARN winches.
The Rhino Wrecker wasn’t merely built for display. It was put to work recovering stuck ATVs during the 2008 Mud Nationals, demonstrating how the original Rhino platform could be adapted for jobs well beyond ordinary trail riding.
Turning a Yamaha Rhino 700 Into a Wrecker
The centerpiece of the build is its custom cargo bed and rear recovery boom, both fabricated by Central Plasma Services. A WARN winch mounted to the boom allows the Rhino to lift or reposition disabled machines, while separate front and rear winches provide additional recovery options.
All three winches use AmSteel Blue synthetic winch rope supplied by Custom Splice. Compared with conventional steel cable, synthetic rope is easier to handle and is well suited to a purpose-built recovery machine where the winches may be used repeatedly.
The build also highlights the versatility that made the Yamaha Rhino 700 EFI such an influential platform. Its compact size and combination of recreational and utility capability gave fabricators a practical foundation for everything from race vehicles to highly specialized machines like the Rhino Wrecker.
Built for Deep Mud
A Gorilla Axle lift kit provides room for 28-inch Gorilla Silverback mud tires mounted on ITP wheels. The Silverbacks’ aggressive tread was selected to help the Rhino move through the deep mud commonly encountered at events such as the Mud Nationals.
A Bayou Snorkels system raises the engine’s air intake and drivetrain venting for wet conditions, while an EPI clutch kit helps the continuously variable transmission work with the larger and heavier tires. Dual rear shocks add support at the back of the vehicle, where the custom bed, boom, and recovery equipment place additional weight on the suspension.
An AC Racing dual-exhaust system completes a build that was equal parts working recovery vehicle and attention-grabbing custom Yamaha Rhino.
Yamaha Rhino Wrecker Modifications
- 2008 Yamaha Rhino 700 EFI
- Custom recovery bed fabricated by Central Plasma Services
- Custom rear boom fabricated by Central Plasma Services
- Three WARN 4.0 winches mounted at the front, rear, and recovery boom
- AmSteel Blue synthetic winch rope from Custom Splice
- Gorilla Axle lift kit
- 28-inch Gorilla Silverback mud tires
- ITP wheels
- Bayou Snorkels snorkel system
- EPI clutch kit
- AC Racing dual-exhaust system
- Dual rear shocks
A One-of-a-Kind Yamaha Rhino Build
The Yamaha Rhino helped establish an enormous aftermarket during the early years of the recreational side-by-side industry. Owners modified Rhinos for dunes, desert racing, rock crawling, hunting, work, and deep mud. The Rhino Wrecker remains one of the more unusual examples because its modifications served a clearly defined purpose: recovering other off-road vehicles.
Its custom boom and three-winch arrangement gave it capabilities rarely seen on a side-by-side, while the lift, Silverback tires, clutch kit, and snorkel helped it reach machines stranded in difficult terrain. Readers interested in the performance of the original vehicle can also see our firsthand Yamaha Rhino 700 EFI review.
Yamaha Rhino Wrecker Photo Gallery
