Testing Out the C3 Roof Kit for the Polaris Ranger

Derrek Sigler
by Derrek Sigler

The Polaris Ranger is, without a doubt, the most popular UTV on the market. More of these capable machines have been sold than any other by a large margin. One of the most popular models is the Ranger 900, a machine that has recently been replaced in the lineup with the new Ranger 1000. There are so many accessories available for these machines that I couldn’t list them all if I wanted to, so something has to be quite remarkable to grab my attention. The C3 Polaris Ranger Roof, from ASR Outdoors did just that.

What is the C3?

Rear lights

The rear cargo lights double as back up lighting

The C3 Roof kit is a turn-key roof kit for Ranger 900 and 1000 models. The roof system has a 32-inch, curved light bar, front running lights, rear cargo lights, a dome light, a USB charging port, and the control switches all built into the roof. It is powered with a fused harness that can attach to the Polaris Pulse bar or to the older 3-stud accessory power attachment point. I had access to a 2014 Ranger 900 that I could use to try it out, so away we go.

Installation

Stock lighting

This is the light put on the trail with stock headlights on high beam.

I’ll start out by saying that installation of the roof on a newer model Ranger should take about 30 minutes. On my ‘14 model, things were a little tricky, but it all worked out. The structure of the ROPS on the ‘14 has the same dimensions, but not the same connections. I had to drill a hole through some steel. Not a big deal. I also had to grind down one side of the nut with the included studs. Again, no big deal. Once I figured that out, the whole thing went on in minutes.

C3 Ranger Roof

The ASR Outdoors C3 roof for the Polaris Ranger goes on quickly, but you may have to make some changes on the fly if your machine is older.

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The wiring could not be simpler. I’m serious. With everything contained in the roof, it is simply a matter of connecting the wires to the right locations and Ta-Da! Instant lights! The owner of ASR Outdoors is an engineer by trade, and it really shows that someone with an engineer’s mind designed this product.

Extras

Lightbar

This is the C3 light bar on and the headlights turned off.

The Ranger 900 has a Kolpin poly windshield already on it. This is important because the clamps that hold the windshield in place work really well to hold the wire bundle in place to run it down the side of the ROPS. If you don’t already have a windshield on your Ranger, it is a great idea to add one at this time. Be sure to include a rear panel so you don’t eat a lot of dust and snow. The C3 doesn’t interfere with the windshield mounting, and from the sides, it looks like it’ll match up well with a door package if you want a full cab. The C3 is vented, so it’ll help with airflow some. There are parts of the kit that let you block things pretty well, so for cold weather riding, it can help keep things a little warmer, too.

Check Out Windshield Options Here

What if?

Add-on lighting

Adding on your own light bar can be good, but the wiring is not going to be as easy as the C3 kit.

I thought to myself, what if someone has a roof and wants to build their own setup like this? You’d need to start with a light bar. You can pick up a 30-inch curved dual row light for around $300. Throw in another chunk of change for the two rear-facing work lights. After that, you have to deal with wiring and switches. There are some deals to be had, though.

Get Deals on Light Bars Here

You can probably save a few bucks adding a tap light to the roof, but when it is all said and done, the C3 roof, if you don’t already have one, is a better buy.

Riding with the C3

Light it up

The lighting you get with the both the C3 light bar and the stock high-beam headlights on.

My son joked that we were riding with the power of a thousand suns on the roof. Maybe not quite that much, but there is a significant increase in light when you flip the switch. We rode down a tight path through pine trees so we could really get a feel for how bright things really get.The biggest increase is to the sides, as the headlight project forward, but really don’t give you a great amount of side vision. That changes with the C3 setup.

The rear-facing work lights give you ample room to load things in the bed of the machine in the dark. They also give you great back-up lighting, which could be a major plus to riding on unfamiliar trails. As a hunter, I look forward to using them if I bag a deer and need to haul it out after the sun goes down. The dome light is another win, as it makes doing anything inside the cab so much easier.

The C3 is a winner and we are impressed. ASR also sells a dog kennel that fits in the back of a Ranger, too. Look for that review soon. For more information on either product, go to the ASR website.

Derrek Sigler
Derrek Sigler

Derrek's love for all things ATV started when he was a mere 11 years old, growing up on his family farm. His mom gave him and his sister a choice - get a horse, or a three-wheeler. The sister wanted the horse, and Derrek wanted the ATV. Luckily he won out, and was soon burning up the trails on a Yamaha Tri-Moto 200. By the time he was 14, he had saved enough of his own money by working on the farm and in his folks restaurant to buy a new 4-wheeler. That happened the day he and his mom were driving past the dealership and saw 1987 Banshee. His mom had no idea what he was buying, and he never looked back. He's been riding ever since, and been writing professionally for many years. He has ridden all over North America and been behind the controls of just about every machine out there. And yes, he still has his 1987 Yamaha Banshee.

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