Hood rack for an RTV-900...

[ayelvington]

I'm looking for a hood rack for my RTV-900 so that I can fill the bed with wood, and put my saw and stuff up front.

I've seen a "universal" rack for $200, and the Seizmik as low as $300. Does anyone out there have experience to share with either (or one that I haven't seen yet)?

I'd build my own, but I'm seriously busy with other stuff...

 

[trailbuilder]

I had a RTV 900 and we had 2 scaboards for the saws that just hooked on the side of the box...20 minutes and scrap plywood. For fuel and oil jugs we had a hook on the ROPS and they slung on it with a bungi. File and wrenches were in the scaboard. Lunch, drink coolers and First Aid kit in the cab.

 

[ayelvington]

Hello my Yooper friend! (I was the lighthouse keeper in Eagle Harbor in the 70s, and went to MTU in Houghton)

I'm going to consider your recommendation, but I'm hesitant to hang anything outside of the box/cab since I typically squeeze through some very tight places in the woods.

Do you have any pictures to share?

 

[trailbuilder]

Pictures are hard to get right now. But picture a 6 inch by 6 inch plywood with a 1 inch spacer to clear the box and then a scaboard 16-24 inches long and 6 inches wide.
I will try to get a picture of the scaboard we have on the JD tractor. My wife wiped out the scaboard for the RTV trying to get through the gates.

 

[ayelvington]

I ordered this today since I really don't have time to mess with making something by trial and error:

Great Day, Inc. - UTV Front Rack Model UVFR 751

This is the less expensive cousin to the Seizmik rack (I ordered for $165 + $10 s&h) and is made of aluminum instead of steel. The specs rate it for 145 lbs which should be more than enough for my saw, chaps, and lunch.

Does anyone out there have experience with this rack?

 

[Monster5601]

I ordered this today since I really don't have time to mess with making something by trial and error:

Great Day, Inc. - UTV Front Rack Model UVFR 751

This is the less expensive cousin to the Seizmik rack (I ordered for $165 + $10 s&h) and is made of aluminum instead of steel. The specs rate it for 145 lbs which should be more than enough for my saw, chaps, and lunch.

Does anyone out there have experience with this rack?

I'm interested in your experience with this solution. The word "universal" always makes me nervous (past lessons learned). I too am looking for a hood rack for my RTV900.

 

[ayelvington]

I'm interested in your experience with this solution. The word "universal" always makes me nervous (past lessons learned). I too am looking for a hood rack for my RTV900.

The rack arrived via FedEX today, and I'll give it a A- and call it a very good value.

Documentation BAD (D)
Quality of construction VERY GOOD (A)
Made in U.S.A. EXTRA CREDIT!
Flexibility of installation VERY GOOD (A)

Step 1 in the instructions stopped me dead since my ROPS is 2" O.D. and they provided hardware for a smaller ROPS. A call to Michael in technical support has replacement hardware on the way. (Very good customer service) I used ty-raps to hold the original brackets in place until the replacement hardware arrives.

The finish on the rack is very nice. A dull matt black that looks like it will hold up well. The depth of the rack is great and will hold my saw in the case with no problem.

They provide four different front support solutions so that you can pick the mounts that best match the geometry of your front grill. Very nice! (Three in photo, and fourth used in the installation.)

I had a pair of brackets left over. That makes me nervous, and I chalk it up to the very (VERY) poor installation instructions. I encouraged them to put a bit more effort into them, and a second sheet of paper in the box to cut down on the phone calls!

I got mine through shopperschoice.com for $176.25 delivered. This is a very competitive price, and I think it's because they have a drop-shop arrangement with Great Day. (Search under UVFR751 to find it fast)
http://www.shopperschoice.com/item_name_Great-Day-Inc-UTV-Front-Rack_item_2565936.html


I'd give this rack a thumbs-UP! :thumbsup:

 

[trailbuilder]

Looks like a real nice rack; it will be handy for extra storage!

 

[ayelvington]

Looks like a real nice rack; it will be handy for extra storage!

I desperately needed it last winter when I was out cutting wood. I had to jam all of my cutting gear in the cab to get home with a full load.

I splurged a bit this year and have a 300W electric heater to install over the weekend. We travel several miles to the cutting zones, and the drive home at night is absolutely frigid.

The softside cab was added at the end of last winter because I was fed up of freezing on the way home from wind blasting across frozen fields. I got the heater and soft side from http://www.greenemountain.net. Very good prices!:thumbsup:

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Looks good. Thanks for info and pictures.