Long before Polaris offered anything resembling a factory-built six-passenger 6×6, U.S. Army SPC Kevin Knight created his own. Built inside an Infantry Recovery Workshop in Iraq, this custom Polaris RANGER 6×6 Crew combined the cargo capacity and traction of a RANGER 6×6 with a second seating area taken from a donor RANGER.
The finished machine was more than an unusual fabrication project. It became a working vehicle used to transport soldiers, carry equipment, make parts and meal runs, and move trailers around the base.
Building a Polaris RANGER 6×6 Crew in Iraq
Knight, who was serving with the U.S. Army’s 172nd Infantry Brigade, worked in the Infantry Recovery Workshop at Forward Operating Base Echo in Iraq. His idea was straightforward: combine the passenger capacity of a RANGER Crew with the cargo room and six-wheel-drive capability of a Polaris RANGER 6×6.
Executing that idea was considerably more difficult, especially with limited tools, materials, and replacement parts.
The base vehicle was a 2008 Polaris RANGER 6×6 that arrived in rough condition. Its engine and transmission were sitting in the cargo bed, the roll cage and most of the bodywork had been removed, and numerous components were missing. These reportedly included the shifter cable, relays, spark plugs, and fuel injectors.
Knight located an older Polaris RANGER 4×4 that could serve as a donor. Its chassis section, seat structure, and roll cage provided the major pieces needed to add a second row of seating.
Stretching the RANGER Chassis
To simplify the conversion, Knight cut the RANGER 6×6 frame behind the original seating area rather than relocating the drivetrain. This kept the engine and transmission beneath the front seat and reduced the amount of work required on the wiring harness, control cables, and coolant lines.
The seating and chassis section from the donor RANGER was then welded into the opening. Knight added another seven inches to the passenger compartment to improve rear-seat legroom and reinforced the extended frame with channel iron.
The stretched chassis required a longer exhaust system and rear driveshaft. Without access to purpose-built components, Knight fabricated the exhaust extension from several diameters of pipe. The rear driveshaft was also lengthened using the materials available in the workshop.
This was practical field fabrication, not a production-quality conversion. Knight readily acknowledged that the driveshaft was far from perfectly balanced and that better equipment and materials would have allowed him to build a lighter and more refined machine.
Hand-Fabricated Bodywork and Interior
With the chassis together, Knight fabricated the rear floor, engine cover, storage compartments, and roof from aluminum sheet and diamond plate. His TIG welder had stopped working, so the aluminum components were assembled with a MIG welder and spool gun.
The new panels were lined with budget heat and sound insulation to reduce heat transfer and control the considerable amount of vibration and rattling created by the conversion.
Knight also built two storage boxes beneath the rear seat. One housed a pair of JVC speakers, while the other contained a 400-watt amplifier with additional storage space remaining. A JVC MP3/CD receiver was mounted inside the glove box.
A Six-Passenger Work Vehicle
The extended RANGER reportedly became a useful part of daily life around the base. Its second bench allowed the vehicle to carry five passengers in addition to the driver, along with their equipment in the cargo bed. That reduced the number of trips required when personnel and gear needed to be moved quickly.
Knight said the conversion was fun to drive, although stretching the chassis introduced some predictable compromises. The vehicle sat lower and moved more slowly than a standard RANGER 6×6. Large speed bumps sometimes had to be crossed at an angle to keep the center of the chassis from dragging.
The most noticeable drawback was maneuverability. Knight estimated its curb-to-curb turning diameter at approximately 45 feet, making the stretched machine handle more like a bus than a conventional utility side-by-side.
Towing Far Beyond the Factory Rating
The custom RANGER was also used to move several trailers. According to Knight, one reportedly weighed approximately 7,300 pounds.
That load was several times greater than the vehicle’s factory towing capacity and should not be treated as a safe or recommended example. Excessive trailer weight can overwhelm a UTV’s brakes, hitch, chassis, drivetrain, and ability to maintain control. Operators should always follow the towing, tongue-weight, loading, and operating limits listed for their specific vehicle.
Built With the Materials Available
Knight wished he had been able to use better materials and more specialized equipment. With additional resources, he believed the stretched RANGER could have been made lighter, safer, and more refined.
Even with those limitations, the project demonstrated what could be accomplished through resourcefulness and practical fabrication. Starting with a damaged RANGER 6×6 and an older donor vehicle, Knight created a functional six-passenger work machine that served a real need in the Iraqi desert.
The result was not a polished prototype or a conversion intended for public use. It was a one-off vehicle built under difficult conditions by a soldier who recognized a problem and used the parts and tools available to solve it.
More Polaris RANGER 6×6 Crew Photos
Polaris RANGER 6×6 Photos
Learn more about the platform that served as the foundation for this unusual build in our Polaris RANGER 6×6 overview.
