Subaru Crosstrek Off-Road Build Guide: Lift, Rock Sliders, Bumper and Camp Gear

The Crosstrek already handles a washboard forest road better than most people expect. Give it a little more height and some steel underneath, and it can go further down that road with less worry about the rocker panels on the way back out.

The short answer: lift it first, put rock sliders on next, then choose one front bumper and keep it. Recovery gear and a simple camp kit round it out. Below is the gear we carry for the Crosstrek, in the order most owners tackle it, with fit taken from each maker and our product pages. Where a maker does not publish something, we say "not published" instead of guessing. Everything lives in our Crosstrek collection.

Quick pick: Crosstrek gear by job

Crosstrek build order: lift, sliders, bumper, lights

Start with ride height, since it changes how everything else sits. Protect the rockers next, because they are usually the first thing a rock or stump finds. Then commit to a front bumper. Lights come last, since they ride on the bumper's mount.

Every part in this section is from Body Armor 4x4. The sliders are rated for a stock Crosstrek or one with a 1 to 2 inch lift, and the bumper has a mount sized for the 20 inch light bar.

1. Lift: Crosstrek strut spacer kit

The Crosstrek AWD 2" Front/1.5" Rear Strut Spacer Kit adds 2 inches up front and 1.5 inches at the rear. It bolts on, and Body Armor 4x4 says it keeps the stock ride quality. The front spacers also correct caster and camber. Body Armor 4x4 lists it for 2018 to 2025 Crosstrek AWD models.

On tires, Body Armor 4x4 says the lift clears 215/75-15 with no trimming, and 235/75 can fit with minor modification. It ships as a regular parcel.

2. Crosstrek rock sliders

Rocks, roots and stumps tend to find the rocker panels first, and rockers are costly to fix. The Crosstrek Revo Rock Sliders use 1.5 inch tubing to protect the doors and rockers, and the low-profile mounting brackets are less likely to catch on obstacles. Jack points at the front and rear of each slider support up to 25% of the vehicle's GVWR.

Body Armor 4x4 lists them for 2018 to 2024 Crosstreks. They work at factory height or with a 1 to 2 inch lift, including strut lifts like the kit above and subframe lifts. Some drilling is required, and they ship by truck freight with a flat charge shown at checkout.

3. Crosstrek front winch bumper

The Crosstrek Hiline Front Winch Bumper is built from 3/16 inch steel plate. It takes a winch up to 5,500 lb, has integrated shackle mounts for D-rings, and adds a bolt-on bull bar. A bolt-on skid plate comes in the box and works with most aftermarket skid plates. The finish is a two-stage, light texture black powder coat.

Body Armor 4x4 puts the install at about 1 hour with light to moderate mechanical skills. The box holds the bumper, the skid plate and all the mounting hardware; the winch and D-rings are sold separately. It ships by truck freight with a flat charge shown at checkout.

4. Lights: a 20 inch bar for the bumper

The Hiline bumper has a mount for a 20 inch dual row LED light bar, and Body Armor 4x4's own 20" Blackout LED Light Bar Combo Beam is that size. It is a double row bar with a combo flood and spot beam, a black face and a die-cast aluminum housing. Body Armor 4x4 rates it at 120 watts and 8,400 raw lumens, and it is IP67 waterproof. Mounting brackets and a wiring harness with an illuminated switch are included.

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  Crosstrek Strut Spacer Kit

  For a little more height on 2018 to 2025 AWD.

  • 2 inch front, 1.5 inch rear lift
  • Bolt-on, front spacers correct caster and camber
  • 215/75-15 tires with no trimming

  View spacer kit
• 

  Crosstrek Revo Rock Sliders

  For doors and rockers on 2018 to 2024.

  • 1.5 inch tubing, low-profile brackets
  • Jack points support 25% of GVWR
  • Works with 1 to 2 inch lifts

  View rock sliders
• 

  Crosstrek Hiline Front Winch Bumper

  For a winch and recovery points on 2018 to 2023. Not Hybrid.

  • 3/16 inch steel plate, bolt-on bull bar
  • Winch up to 5,500 lb
  • Skid plate included, about 1 hour install

  View Hiline bumper
• 

  20" Blackout LED Light Bar

  For the Hiline bumper's 20 inch mount.

  • Dual row combo flood and spot beam
  • 120 watts, 8,400 raw lumens, IP67
  • Brackets and switched harness included

  View light bar

Side by side: Crosstrek armor specs

The four Body Armor 4x4 parts at a glance. Read the fit column twice: the years are not the same for every part.

Recovery gear and jack points

Armor keeps damage off the car. Recovery gear gets you home. This build already adds two things you will be glad to have on a bad day: the bumper's shackle mounts give you front recovery points for D-rings, and the sliders give you jack points at the front and rear of each side.

Add traction boards first. The ActionTrax Recovery Boards come as a pair, 44.5 by 12.88 inches each, and are a good fit for most weekend trips in sand, mud and snow. Then air: the ARB Onboard Air Compressor lets you air down for the trail and back up before the highway. ARB does not publish a Crosstrek mounting spot, so confirm with us before ordering. Pack a real first aid kit too. The MyFAK First Aid Kit comes in Standard or Pro. Our off-road recovery kit guide goes deeper on what to carry, and our guide to airing down covers tire pressure.

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  ActionTrax Recovery Boards

  For sand, mud and snow.

  • Sold as a pair
  • 44.5 x 12.88 inch

  View ActionTrax
• 

  ARB Onboard Air Compressor

  For airing back up at the trailhead.

  • 3.08 CFM at 0 PSI, 100 PSI max
  • 50 percent duty cycle (30 on, 30 off)

  View ARB compressor
• 

  MyFAK First Aid Kit

  For the glovebox or a MOLLE panel.

  • A full first aid kit from MyMedic
  • 11 x 8 x 6 inch

  View MyFAK

Sleep and camp in a Crosstrek

Fold the rear seatbacks and the Crosstrek cargo floor makes a decent bed for one or two. Luno's fit tool puts the 2013 to 2026 Crosstrek, including the XV Crosstrek, in its Size 1, 74 by 50.75 inches inflated. If you run a cargo tray or floor riser, confirm with us before ordering.

One reason we carry Luno: Luno has been named a Subaru Trusted Brand Supplier, and its car camping kits are now available at Subaru dealerships across the U.S.

On the Subaru Crosstrek Car Camping Mattress, choose AIR Pro or AIR+FOAM Pro. AIR Pro inflates with the included 12V pump in about 2 minutes and is rated R-value 1.5 for three seasons. AIR+FOAM Pro self-inflates to about 60% in 3 to 5 minutes, tops off with the AirRoll Bag, and is rated R-value 11 for cold nights. Window screens, a fan and overhead storage are covered in our Subaru Crosstrek car camping setup guide.

Set the bed up once in the driveway before the first trip.

The mattress fills the cargo floor, so a full-size hard cooler will not fit back there with the bed down. A soft cooler in the footwell or on the front seat works. The Canyon Coolers Nomad 20 is a 20 liter soft cooler that Canyon rates for up to 32 cans, and it weighs 4.5 lb empty. If you would rather skip ice, the Dometic CFX2 28 is the most compact CFX2 and runs on 12/24 volt DC or household AC, so plan where it rides and how you will power it.

For the kitchen, the Chuck Box Camp Kitchen keeps the stove, dishes and dry goods in one box, and its top lifts off as a wash bin. Our camp kitchen checklist covers what goes inside.

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  Subaru Crosstrek Car Camping Mattress

  For the cargo floor. Pick AIR Pro or AIR+FOAM Pro.

  • Luno Size 1, 74 x 50.75 x 4 inch
  • R-value 1.5 (AIR Pro) or 11 (AIR+FOAM Pro)

  View Luno mattress
• 

  Chuck Box Camp Kitchen

  For a kitchen that packs in one box.

  • 19 x 24.5 x 18 inch, 19 lb empty
  • Top fits a stove up to 22 x 13 x 5.5 inch

  View Chuck Box
• 

  Canyon Coolers Nomad 20

  For ice, in the footwell or on a seat.

  • 20 liter, up to 32 cans
  • 18 x 10.5 x 15.5 inch, 4.5 lb

  View Nomad 20
• 

  Dometic CFX2 28

  For a fridge and freezer on power.

  • 28 L, up to 36 cans, down to -7 F
  • 12/24 V DC or 100 to 240 V AC, 29.3 lb

  View CFX2 28

Crosstrek build order by budget

Every tier mixes brands on purpose. Shop it all in the Crosstrek collection.

On a 2024 or newer Crosstrek or a Hybrid, the Hiline bumper in the Full build tier does not fit, so put that money toward recovery gear, or confirm with us before ordering a front bumper. And choose your front bumper once: buying one now and another later is the most expensive way to get there.

What to skip on a Crosstrek

• A winch over 5,500 lb. That is the Hiline bumper's limit, so a 12,000 lb truck winch is the wrong pick here.
• Tires bigger than the lift is rated for. Body Armor 4x4 says 215/75-15 fits with no trimming and 235/75 with minor modification. It does not publish anything larger.
• Trail days without sway bar disconnects. Body Armor 4x4 says the spacer kit needs them for off-road use.
• Guessing on a 2013 to 2017 Crosstrek. None of the armor here lists the first generation. Confirm with us before ordering.
• A full-size hard cooler on the cargo floor. With the mattress down there is no room for it. Take a soft cooler instead.

Crosstrek off-road build FAQ

Related guides

• Subaru Crosstrek car camping setup
• Off-road recovery kit guide
• How to air down tires for overlanding
• Camp kitchen checklist for car camping

More Subaru parts are in our Subaru gear collection, and every Body Armor 4x4 part we carry is in the Body Armor 4x4 collection.