2011 trooper opinions

[ducksbit]

Long time lurker, still have a lot of unanswered questions though. I'm looking into buying a 2011 trooper, but haven't seen much on here or anywhere else on the net about them. Have they corrected any recurrent problems? Anyone know anyone who bought one? I'm a pretty mechanical person, but don't want to be working on my utv instead of driving it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Jimmy

[Kinarfi]

Long time lurker, still have a lot of unanswered questions though. I'm looking into buying a 2011 trooper, but haven't seen much on here or anywhere else on the net about them. Have they corrected any recurrent problems? Anyone know anyone who bought one? I'm a pretty mechanical person, but don't want to be working on my utv instead of driving it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Jimmy

According to release of some sort that was supposed to be private,They fixed quite a bit, swing arm is one I remember, don't remember what else, trashed the release or I'd send it to you.

[2scoops]

Long time lurker, still have a lot of unanswered questions though. I'm looking into buying a 2011 trooper, but haven't seen much on here or anywhere else on the net about them. Have they corrected any recurrent problems? Anyone know anyone who bought one? I'm a pretty mechanical person, but don't want to be working on my utv instead of driving it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Jimmy

Welcome potential Trooper owner. I would first like to know what draws you to the Trooper?

What drew me to it was price, size, power, & its all tubular frame. I bought mine used for $5k so looking at the $11k price tag on the new ones gives me bitter beer face. I have about $9k into it now & I wouldn't even consider trading it for a 2011.

However, not having driven the new ones if they have truely made upgrades in the suspension & differentials I would at least consider one. The suspension is where I sunk most of my money in new shocks. If I were you I would drive one first (offroad preferably). The original differentials can be problematic after a few hundred miles if they aren't set up correctly at the factory. Problem is the only way to tell is to pull it apart. A few members on this forum have supposedly had "upgraded" differentials only to find out that was false.

Also, a huge factor for me in paying the $11k price tag would be having a reputable dealer nearby who would cover warranty work. For instance, if I lived near No Limits Power Sports I would strongly consider one. Another thing I wish they would have addressed was the underbelly. The screws hang down. It just looks cheap & they get caught on everything & bend. If I was to pay $11k I would expect a little more refinement.

Until some members with 2011's start giving us some feedback we have nothing to go on.

[2scoops]

Welcome potential Trooper owner. I would first like to know what draws you to the Trooper?

What drew me to it was price, size, power, & its all tubular frame. I bought mine used for $5k so looking at the $11k price tag on the new ones gives me bitter beer face. I have about $9k into it now & I wouldn't even consider trading it for a 2011.

However, not having driven the new ones if they have truely made upgrades in the suspension & differentials I would at least consider one. The suspension is where I sunk most of my money in new shocks. If I were you I would drive one first (offroad preferably). The original differentials can be problematic after a few hundred miles if they aren't set up correctly at the factory. Problem is the only way to tell is to pull it apart. A few members on this forum have supposedly had "upgraded" differentials only to find out that was false.

Also, a huge factor for me in paying the $11k price tag would be having a reputable dealer nearby who would cover warranty work. For instance, if I lived near No Limits Power Sports I would strongly consider one. Another thing I wish they would have addressed was the underbelly. The screws hang down. It just looks cheap & they get caught on everything & bend. If I was to pay $11k I would expect a little more refinement.

Until some members with 2011's start giving us some feedback we have nothing to go on.

List of upgrades:

http://www.utvboard.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=544

[rocmoc]

Buy a RZR !

rocmoc n AZ

[ducksbit]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm looking at them because of about every aspect that 2scoops mentioned. And my budget is only about 10-12k max. There has to be someone out there with a 2011, they've been out a while. Another concern like stated above is the dealer support for warranty work. I live near near st. louis, mo and i don't know of any local dealers. I'm not big into gambling, so I don't exactly want this purchase to be a crap shoot. Thanks

Jimmy

[rocmoc]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm looking at them because of about every aspect that 2scoops mentioned. And my budget is only about 10-12k max. There has to be someone out there with a 2011, they've been out a while. Another concern like stated above is the dealer support for warranty work. I live near near st. louis, mo and i don't know of any local dealers. I'm not big into gambling, so I don't exactly want this purchase to be a crap shoot. Thanks

Jimmy

I have been to the UTV Rally in Moab and EVERY product on the market preformed excellent. BUY USED RZR ! If I were a gambling man I would put my money on Joyner going OUT of business in the future. There is not a dealer network and after they burned the dealers with the first bankruptcy you would have to be the worst business man in the world to invest your future in Joyner. I have bought nearly a complete second Trooper so I will have parts in the future. If I had it all to do over again, I would have went with a RZR. I am one of the very first owners with a 2008, so have been around since the beginning. Good luck with our choice !

rocmoc n AZ

ps, retaining valve after the initial sale of a NEW Joyner sucks. In other words, after you purchase and drive it off the showroom floor kiss half you money good buy !

[rocmoc]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm looking at them because of about every aspect that 2scoops mentioned. And my budget is only about 10-12k max. There has to be someone out there with a 2011, they've been out a while. Another concern like stated above is the dealer support for warranty work. I live near near st. louis, mo and i don't know of any local dealers. I'm not big into gambling, so I don't exactly want this purchase to be a crap shoot. Thanks

Jimmy

I have been to the UTV Rally in Moab and EVERY product on the market preformed excellent. BUY USED RZR ! If I were a gambling man I would put my money on Joyner going OUT of business in the future. There is not a dealer network and after they burned the dealers with the first bankruptcy you would have to be the worst business man in the world to invest your future in Joyner. I have bought nearly a complete second Trooper so I will have parts in the future. If I had it all to do over again, I would have went with a RZR. I am one of the very first owners with a 2008, so have been around since the beginning. Good luck with our choice !

rocmoc n AZ

ps, retaining valve after the initial sale of a NEW Joyner sucks. In other words, after you purchase and drive it off the showroom floor kiss half you money good buy ! Needless to say this does not sit well with my peers when I am this honest with my opinion. Just remember it is MY opinion but I am not the average Joe on this Topic.

[ricksrb]

Buy a RZR !

rocmoc n AZ

Of course rocmoc must think you need a shave...(jmho)

[ricksrb]

I have been to the UTV Rally in Moab and EVERY product on the market preformed excellent. BUY USED RZR ! If I were a gambling man I would put my money on Joyner going OUT of business in the future. There is not a dealer network and after they burned the dealers with the first bankruptcy you would have to be the worst business man in the world to invest your future in Joyner. I have bought nearly a complete second Trooper so I will have parts in the future. If I had it all to do over again, I would have went with a RZR. I am one of the very first owners with a 2008, so have been around since the beginning. Good luck with our choice !

rocmoc n AZ

ps, retaining valve after the initial sale of a NEW Joyner sucks. In other words, after you purchase and drive it off the showroom floor kiss half you money good buy ! Needless to say this does not sit well with my peers when I am this honest with my opinion. Just remember it is MY opinion but I am not the average Joe on this Topic.

rocmoc,

your intitled to your opinion,I for one and i'm sure everyone else will not hold that against you.I think no matter what your purchase was you would be out making mods to your satisfaction,that just seems to be the person you are.Thats not to say you would probably(as you did) end up making more on the trooper then what you might have made on a RZR..But with your knowledge you also must have figured when you purchased your trooper it was not a 15 to 20k atv and there would be things you would change.yes its a crap shoot as far as them staying in business.As far as retaining its value,you take that hit no matter what new vehicle you buy.I for one respect your opinion no matter what it is,just glad your not hesitant about saying it.

[rocmoc]

Thank you Rick for being a Gentleman.

Given the sales presentation in 2008 & no track record of a new product I had hopes of Greatness for Joyner. I normally do not make mods of the magnitude I have on my Trooper but I felt they were required with MY toy. I personally do not enjoy working on the stuff but would rather play, never grew-up. I don't even like to do the maintenance, LOL ! BUT I will be around in the crowd for a long-time and one of these time will probably show up at a Jamboree with a RZR on the trailer with the Trooper. TWO toys WoW, a guy can dream ! Maybe I can put it on the back of my Trooper instead of a spare tire. That said, play & have fun with with ever you have. I feel very lucky to have what I have. Life is too short to not enjoy !

rocmoc n AZ

[2scoops]

It has been twice now I have been out on trails where RZR's had issues. One had a bad battery connection which we figured out in about 10 minutes and the other had a bad throttle positioning sensor which we babied home and got it to the dealer. And that is the nice part...he could take it to the dealer.

I am 6'4" tall and feel cramped in a RZR. I can really stretch out in the Trooper. Also, I knew I could comfortably fit a 3 place rear seat in the back with out it hanging out the sides.

That being said, if they were the same price I would get a RZR 4, 900 XP, & consider the Artic Cat Wildcat 1000; BUT, they aren't even close to what I have into my Trooper. That is why I have a problem with the $11,999 MSRP on the new Trooper. There are just too many questions. If you aren't very tall and don't need a rear seat then I would look at a used RZR S for about the same price. I would consider a new Trooper at $10k if I was nearby some solid dealer support.

When I was researching Troopers I found posts from Rocmoc on almost every UTV forum under the sun. He was usually defending the brand when people would refer to them as a cheap Chinese brand. So, I know it pains him to say anything negative about Joyner, but it sounds like he is fed up and understandably so. If I purchased the first Trooper that was built on a Friday I would fed up as well .

[Kinarfi]

I spend hours every day in my garage, a lot of it goes to my Trooper, I just consider it a hobby, like building radio controlled cars or airplanes or electronics. Being retired, I need something to occupy my time, and just driving around in circles won't do, so I have to take somewhere to play with it. I too am 6' 4" and handicapped and I can't even get my self into an RZR, however, I do wish I had a little more leg room, but that's just my handicap needs.

[Guest Lenny]

Didn't take me long after buying my Trooper that I could see it needed things changed. For myself, having a machine shop in my garage and enjoying working on this type of stuff, have had a lot of fun making changes and learned a lot along the way. Would I buy the Trooper again knowing what I know now? Probably not but the RZRs I wanted initially wasn't going to do what I wanted either without a lot of changing. I've come to the conclusion that the other UTVs are fine but I still want the extra width and length for stability and prefer to have about 18-20" of suspension, a good low range and more power. The only way Im going to get what I want is to build one from scratch. It's only a lot of bucks and a lot of time. What the heck, I can't take it with me. Even with my mistakes in life, I'm having a ball and If I wouldn't have bought a Trooper, I wouldn't have met all of you great guys whom I've enjoyed an awful lot. I've done so many things to mine that it is close to being the way it should have been made to begin with. No rattles, no clunks, no sloppy joints or loose bearings, good power and now with good power steering, it's a really nice machine that I don't have to work on much anymore. Darn, what am I going to do now that it's about done except for redoing the roll bar, adding doors and caging the occupants better and a coustom enclosure and .................................................and..... Guess I'm not really done yet. When I am done, I'll find somethoing else to work on. Right now $20,000 won't buy my Trooper. Did the same thing with my little 5th wheel camper and you can't buy it either. I want to build one of those from scratch too.

Lenny

[ricksrb]

Didn't take me long after buying my Trooper that I could see it needed things changed. For myself, having a machine shop in my garage and enjoying working on this type of stuff, have had a lot of fun making changes and learned a lot along the way. Would I buy the Trooper again knowing what I know now? Probably not but the RZRs I wanted initially wasn't going to do what I wanted either without a lot of changing. I've come to the conclusion that the other UTVs are fine but I still want the extra width and length for stability and prefer to have about 18-20" of suspension, a good low range and more power. The only way Im going to get what I want is to build one from scratch. It's only a lot of bucks and a lot of time. What the heck, I can't take it with me. Even with my mistakes in life, I'm having a ball and If I wouldn't have bought a Trooper, I wouldn't have met all of you great guys whom I've enjoyed an awful lot. I've done so many things to mine that it is close to being the way it should have been made to begin with. No rattles, no clunks, no sloppy joints or loose bearings, good power and now with good power steering, it's a really nice machine that I don't have to work on much anymore. Darn, what am I going to do now that it's about done except for redoing the roll bar, adding doors and caging the occupants better and a coustom enclosure and .................................................and..... Guess I'm not really done yet. When I am done, I'll find somethoing else to work on. Right now $20,000 won't buy my Trooper. Did the same thing with my little 5th wheel camper and you can't buy it either. I want to build one of those from scratch too.

Lenny

Just my luck,that was the exact amount I "WAS" going to offer you for it..(LOL)

[Big'n]

Hi there! This is my first time writing on here but I have to reply about my 08 trooper. I bought mine used 3 ears ago from McCoy powersports in Pikeville Ky. After paying them 7500 bucks for it and the salesman telling me there were no problems getting parts I took it home and commenced taking it for a ride. The first 3 months I had no problems, then it started, brakes-$200,next fenders started breaking $175 for front $200 for rear. After having a heartattac(a real one!) I let it set for 6 months recouping, then a good friend of mine wanted to borrow it and needless to say he wrecked it. He claimed the steering locked up then the wheel became free with no control. After tearing it down all 4 balljoints were dry as powder and rusty inside, the wheelbearings were shot the tierod ends wore out, even the heims were wore out. Since then everything mentioned has been replaced, all 4 axleshafts have been replaced, and I have drilled out the steering knuckles to install larger bolts to hold the ball joints in. Now I am having electrical issues. All this being said, I LOVE MY JOYNER TROOPER!!! I may be a nut but when this thing runs I have been able to outclimb every RZR and Wildcat and Can Am I have ridden with, also I get a lot better fuel economy. I will keep this thing running as long as I can, the sound of this motor is awesome! And changing gears is awesome too, I guess that comes from being a gearhead.OH, I almost forgot, I have also replaced the steering box and rebuilt the steering column.

[charlie]

well i think there is an ass for every seat!!! I have an 09 and sometimes I wanna set it on fire and other times I am so happy to have it and I just make it better and take care of it cause I own it so when it breaks or sits for a couple weeks im not making a 200 a month payment on it!! If i knew it all and started over would I buy a trooper idk my wallet would say yes but now there is some pretty awesome machines out there but that comes with the big price tag. so I enjoy mine try to keep up with it and have a great support group here

[2scoops]

Big'n if you read through this forum and fix or upgrade all the stuff we have run into before you head out it is a very reliable machine. I can't bear to part with mine. I just like being different. Most of us do here and we are all in good company.