RTV500 with Camoplast 4S UTV tracks Install and Trials

[beretta96man]

It looks great!... I know you will have a ton of fun with that setup. What is the coating on your brush guard? It looks like some kind of bedliner? Is it something you did, and if so what was the product?

It is bed liner similar to rhino liner. I took it in and had them do the bed, brush guard and the floorboards. This summer I might do the underside my self but we'll see.

Took it out and tried to get some action shots tonight but it's too dark. Man, I went all over the place, nothing stopped it, yet

 

[beretta96man]

Well, this thing has crazy pulling power. I pulled my equipment trailer out of the snow in low and didn't feel any bogging. Also got our spear house out but the lake's snow has settled and all is hard packed so not a real extreme test of the tracks but it worked great. I'd say that it's top speed is between jogging and running on the flat snow. Beats walking! I knew it wouldn't be a trail toy but it sure is a work horse

 

[2fast2]

Glad that you're so pleased. I'm guessing you haven't encountered anything sufficiently extreme to make you disappointed that the 500 isn't true 4 wheel drive? That might have been more of a theoretical than practical concern.
The tracks sure seem like a good idea on the frozen lake. More flotation means less chance of busting through.
Remind me again, what was the main reason you wanted the tracks? Was it work related or pleasure?

 

[beretta96man]

Glad that you're so pleased. I'm guessing you haven't encountered anything sufficiently extreme to make you disappointed that the 500 isn't true 4 wheel drive? That might have been more of a theoretical than practical concern.
The tracks sure seem like a good idea on the frozen lake. More flotation means less chance of busting through.
Remind me again, what was the main reason you wanted the tracks? Was it work related or pleasure?

Work/fire wood, moving trailers, plowing. I would have bought a Rhino or Ranger for play/riding as they were way faster when I test drove them. I do hunt and fish so I have my reasons for some play. Last year I hit slush with my sled and had to leave it on the lake till it froze up to recover. The tracks and something with a winch would have got right out of that.

I've had this thing out in my woods this weekend gathering my trail cameras from deer season and never got stuck. That impressed me as I basically pushed 1500lbs through 20" of virgin snow. True, the non-diff locking front end pissed me off when I had the tires on it and got stuck in a ditch. That was the only time I wished I had thought harder about the Ranger but I really like the hydro drive. In the end, my track dealer said the kubota would be better then CVT driven machines from a standpoint of not spinning out and getting stuck. Yeah, it's slow but I've climbed some pretty steep hills with amazement at what I was sitting on. From what I've driven this through as far as the tracks are concerned the true 4wd won't be a problem.

 

[Ford tractor]

Turning radius?


$$?

 

[General Lee]

Beretta - your 500 looks awesome. I most likely will never see tracks on mine but its nice to see it will perform with them. At most, mine may see a plow. Now if I could just get a winch squared away on mine. How's your winch, used it much? Probably not with those tracks on

 

[jimgerken]

I can't wait to take it out in our woods and give her a run. I even ran it backwards and it just kept going. The flotation was amazing. Now, powder is my next concern. How will it do in a fresh mega dump of snow? Only time will tell. For now, I can't wait to drive it again after work, might just double or triple the hours this weekend

Congrats on the new tracks, they are a blast. I have a CanAm ATV with CanAm Apache tracks installed. Basically there is no amount of fluffy powder that will stop it, and I would guess your UTV will be the same. Think of it this way: If the snow is so fluffy that you sink down through it, its so light that when the undercarriage does finally drag, it simply pushes the snow out of the way. The floatation on mine is enough to support the machine, the tracks, and two riders in moderately dense snow while sinking in only about a foot. And it has fifteen inches clearance. I have gotten it stuck once. I was pulling a homemade groomer through several feet of wind-drifted snow along a fenceline, on a sidehill, and the machine was leaning and then ran pretty far off the trail into the brush, I slowed down and tried to turn uphill back onto the normal trail, and the load of the groomer was too much for it, I spun the tracks down to the ground, and ended up hung up. Had to unhook, and dig out from under it enough to get moving again, then ran up and down the trail without pulling the groomer until I had a beaten path, then stopped and rehooked up the groomer and took off. Let me see if I can find some pics... Ahh, here they are. The CanAm of course, pulling the groomer, and the resulting trail I maintain. Once the trails are done, they set up overnight and are then rideable with TWO WHEEL DRIVE Sport ATV machines. That's when the fun multiplies.

 

[beretta96man]

Turning radius?


$$?

I didn't measure but on the lake I was surprised that it was not much larger than with the tires. If I think of it this weekend I'll check it.

$3780 shipped to my door from ATVtracks.net

 

[beretta96man]

Beretta - your 500 looks awesome. I most likely will never see tracks on mine but its nice to see it will perform with them. At most, mine may see a plow. Now if I could just get a winch squared away on mine. How's your winch, used it much? Probably not with those tracks on

I only used the winch to try and pull the ice block up for the spear hole. Haven't gotten it stuck yet. No sign of the seal looking like yours. I'm wanting to buy another for the rear but your problems are holding me back until I use mine more to see if it will crap out too.

 

[beretta96man]

Congrats on the new tracks, they are a blast. I have a CanAm ATV with CanAm Apache tracks installed. Basically there is no amount of fluffy powder that will stop it, and I would guess your UTV will be the same. Think of it this way: If the snow is so fluffy that you sink down through it, its so light that when the undercarriage does finally drag, it simply pushes the snow out of the way. The floatation on mine is enough to support the machine, the tracks, and two riders in moderately dense snow while sinking in only about a foot. And it has fifteen inches clearance. I have gotten it stuck once. I was pulling a homemade groomer through several feet of wind-drifted snow along a fenceline, on a sidehill, and the machine was leaning and then ran pretty far off the trail into the brush, I slowed down and tried to turn uphill back onto the normal trail, and the load of the groomer was too much for it, I spun the tracks down to the ground, and ended up hung up. Had to unhook, and dig out from under it enough to get moving again, then ran up and down the trail without pulling the groomer until I had a beaten path, then stopped and rehooked up the groomer and took off. Let me see if I can find some pics... Ahh, here they are. The CanAm of course, pulling the groomer, and the resulting trail I maintain. Once the trails are done, they set up overnight and are then rideable with TWO WHEEL DRIVE Sport ATV machines. That's when the fun multiplies.

Nice rig:thumbsup:

I like the groomer, where did you get it? My wife wants me to groom our trails for skiing so I plan to load up the otter sled with fire wood and go to town.