Greg Kennon's 'Tombstone' - Rocketship Rockbouncer

Fabrication

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Turn Key

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On The Trail

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Greg Kennon’s Tombstone buggy is exactly what we like about the Wide Open Design Rocketship chassis platform. It's not overloaded with unnecessary extras, and it's not trying to be something it doesn't need to be. This is a purpose-built rockbouncer with the money invested in the places that actually matter: chassis geometry, suspension, steering, drivetrain strength, visibility, storage, cooling, and driver control.

Every part on this build has a job and every system was chosen because it helps the buggy work better on the trail. It is a clean, simple, serious off-road machine built around one of the most capable rock bouncer chassis platforms Wide Open Design has ever produced.

Built Around the Rocketship Rock Bouncer Chassis

The heart of Tombstone is the Wide Open Design Rocketship rock bouncer chassis. This platform was designed for drivers who want a buggy that feels planted, predictable, and fun to drive in real off-road terrain.

The Rocketship chassis is low, compact, and built around proper suspension packaging. The seating position drops the driver down deep into the chassis, which helps the buggy feel more controlled on climbs, side hills, ledges, and fast rough sections. Instead of sitting high and feeling like you are riding on top of the buggy, Tombstone puts the driver down inside the machine.

That lower seating position is one of the biggest advantages of this chassis. It improves the feel behind the wheel, helps with confidence in off-camber terrain, and gives the buggy the planted feel that separates a well-designed rockbouncer from a pile of expensive parts.

Visibility was also a major part of the design. From the driver’s seat, Tombstone gives you a clear view of the trail, the tires, and the obstacles in front of you. That matters in a rock bouncer. Whether you are picking your way through a technical rock section or lining up for a climb, being able to see what the buggy is doing makes the whole machine easier and more fun to drive.

BluePrint 427 Power

Tombstone is powered by a BluePrint 427 LS-based engine that fits the personality of the build perfectly. It has enough power to set you back in the seat when you want to get after it, but it is still manageable enough for technical rock crawling.

That balance matters. A rock bouncer doesn't just need horsepower. It needs usable power. The engine needs to be responsive, predictable, and controllable when the terrain gets tight. Tombstone has the kind of power that makes the buggy exciting without making it a handful every time you need to crawl, turn, or ease through a technical section.

Front and Rear Steering

One of the biggest things that makes Tombstone fun to drive is the front and rear steering setup. Rear steer changes the entire personality of a rockbouncer. It makes the buggy more maneuverable, more playful, and more capable in tight terrain.

On a trail, rear steer lets the driver place the buggy where it needs to be instead of fighting the wheelbase. In rocks, it helps the buggy pivot, correct, climb, and recover from bad lines. In the woods, it makes a full-size rock bouncer feel much smaller and easier to manage.

For drivers who have never owned a front and rear steer buggy, it is hard to explain how much it changes the experience. Once you have it, it is hard to go back.

Suspension Built for the Trail

One of the things that makes Tombstone stand out is its suspension geometry. Instead of chasing the biggest or most complex shock package available, this build uses a well-balanced system designed around the Rocketship chassis geometry. Up front and out back, Radflo coilovers work alongside Radflo bypass shocks to deliver a smooth, controlled ride, while the rear trailing arm suspension with Wide Open Design billet trailing arms provides excellent stability, articulation, and traction over ledges, trail chop, and rough terrain.

Supporting the system are Radflo hydraulic bump stops, which absorb hard impacts at full compression and help protect the chassis, suspension, and shocks from harsh bottom-outs. The combination creates a buggy that is predictable, comfortable, and capable of spending long days on the trail—not just making one hard climb. It's a suspension package built around real-world performance, giving Tombstone the confidence to handle technical rock crawling, fast trail sections, and everything in between.

43" SX Stickies

The buggy sits on 43" SX Stickies, giving Tombstone the traction and ground clearance needed for serious rock crawling and hard trail use. Big sticky tires are part of what makes a modern rock bouncer so capable, but they also place serious load on the chassis, steering, axles, suspension, and driveline.

That is why the whole build has to work as a system. Tombstone was not built by simply bolting large tires onto a chassis and hoping everything else would survive. The suspension, steering, driveline, and chassis were all selected to handle the way this buggy is meant to be used.

Why Tombstone Matters

Tombstone is an important build for Wide Open Design because it shows exactly what the Rocketship rockbouncer chassis is meant to be.

Every dollar in this build was spent where it matters most—on the chassis, suspension, steering, driveline, and the practical features that make a buggy enjoyable to own and drive. The Rocketship chassis delivers a low center of gravity, excellent visibility, proven trailing arm suspension, front and rear steer, and just the right amount of horsepower to keep the buggy fun, predictable, and reliable.

What truly separates Tombstone is its attention to the details that matter on the trail. A 20-gallon fuel cell provides the range for long days of wheeling, while the integrated toolbox offers convenient storage for tools, recovery gear, and spare parts without sacrificing cockpit space. Combined with clean packaging and practical engineering, Tombstone is the blueprint for an American-built rock bouncer that is equally capable of tackling technical trails, spending all day on the mountain, and making it back home. It wasn't built to impress in photos—it was built to be driven.