RTV - Rec Model Test Drive Feedback

[Green_Center]

Hello,

After all the talk about this RTV, I went to the local dealer for a test drive of my own. Here is my list of pluses and minuses from the test drive.

Plus

* Very Strong frame/solid vehicle
* Power Steering (The best I have driven.)
* Diesel motor
* Hyd. Bed lift is very nice

Minus

* The rec model I drove stopped fast when I let off the pedal. I did not like this agressive stopping.
* Bed vibration seemed a little high.
* VERY pricey/limited availability of accessories.

The RTV is a very nice vehicle. It will be interesting to see what the next model year brings. Do you guys see that stopping when you let off the pedal ?

Thanks.

 

[rtvman]

- Quick stopping will get better over time (you will get use to it during the break-in time too)

- Bed vibration can be corrected completely or diminished (see previous posts about this problem)

- more accessories I am told are coming soon. PTO add-on? remote hydraulics?, 3-pt attachments??? to name a few.

- very pricey, no getting around that /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Good luck!

 

[avorancher]

re: the aggressive stopping.

When I first got my Worksite, it would leave skid marks on the driveway when I let off the gas in high range... now with about 6 hours on it, it no longer does that. It still slows quickly and in the lower gears and can toss you forward as if you slammed on the brakes. I got used to it pretty quickly and really like the 'feature' when going down steep hills in 4wd.

So, the tranny loosens up a bit and the driver gets used to the machine and learns to feather the throttle. I notice it mostly in reverse now.

I would have to agree with the excessive bed rattle, especially when carrying some tools in the back. I'm looking at bed liners to help.

I thought the price was competitive with similar machines like the mule, and I'm hoping the resale value justifies any extra like it did on my orange tractor.

 

[rtvman]

avorancher, I would recommend a spray-in liner instead of a tub liner. I had bad luck with a lot of rattle with a tub liner. I had a spray liner put in and it eliminated all of my problems. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[bczoom]

Green_Center

Welcome to TBN.
I concur with avorancher and rtvman responses.

Re. accessories and pricing:
Accessories "should" be coming soon. Due to Kubota's lack of accessories, coupled with the high pricing, other companies are developing comparable products at more reasonable pricing. Many things (e.g. a winch) can be purchased most anywhere.

I know of a company that is currently working on:
Windshield
Storage Box under hood
double wall foam filled roof
maybe a Bed Box
snow plow
Enclosed cab
maybe a spare battery box for under the hood
Hyd. Lift kit (for the RTV's that don't come with one)
Tire/rim kit (already has this).

Depending on your needs for accessories, many things can be made yourself.

As for pricing of the machine itself, once I narrowed it down to the RTV and a couple other mfgr's, I started to price the others to make them equivelent to the RTV. Once done, they came out real close but the RTV has a couple features others don't. The CVT on hills and the power steering to me are definitely worth something to me due to my terrain. Very few have the diesel. Again, he value of a diesel over a gas engine is worth something to me.

 

[Green_Center]

bczoom--

It will be nice to see some competition in the accessories. The price of the RTV itself when compared to others is fair. I did not even mind the price on the hyd. lift, but the blade and cab where pretty salty. My dealer gave me a price of 10,400 for a rec model. I do not know if this is a good price.

The best thing about the RTV is build. This actually surprised me how solid the machine is built.

thanks for feedback...

 

[flyingn]

That is correct about the spray on bed liner. I have it on my RTV and get NO bed vibrations.. The stopping when you let off the gas is the design of a hydrostatic trans. It saves on brakes and when you have a load going down a hill itsa godsend The brakes are th ewet type and wuth the braking of the trans.. Brake pads should last a lifetime in an RTV

Frank

 

[Dargo]

You are likely beginning to know me...over kill on everything. I first had the spray in liner put in my RTV. Great! Wanted more protection, so I then added the drop in liner. (Thanks Jippy) They seem to work well together. My theory is that if I want to take out the ole plastic liner, the spray in liner will have protected my bed from the drop in liner. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Hey, it cut down on rattles too. It also helps when my 90 pound German Shepherd Dog refuses to let me drive the RTV without him in the back. His weight quiets most of the rest of the rattles! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Ricochet]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( You are likely beginning to know me...over kill on everything. I first had the spray in liner put in my RTV. Great! Wanted more protection, so I then added the drop in liner. (Thanks Jippy) They seem to work well together. My theory is that if I want to take out the ole plastic liner, the spray in liner will have protected my bed from the drop in liner. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Hey, it cut down on rattles too. It also helps when my 90 pound German Shepherd Dog refuses to let me drive the RTV without him in the back. His weight quiets most of the rest of the rattles! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )</font>

np /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[riptides]

So my kid wants a dog and my wife wants a bed liner.

Hmm, I seem to have something here. let me think about it for a while. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The other day I used the RTV, man I had to wash it off after I was done. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif