Thoughts on a UTV/Property Vehicle for a newly disabled person?

[DennisArrow]

70 here and my AS showed up while I was in Viet Nam when I was 26. So.... many years of dealing with it and the side effects. Do you even have an internist type of doc???? A rheumy??? If you are in the emergency room for the pain, I wonder what kind of care you are getting from your Doc.......
Two different situations and advice here. One is of course the AS. The other is the RTV/Utility vehicle. Experience with all of the above...........

This isn't the place actually to do one of the medicine advice type threads; but have gone the meds for arthritis, stomach side effects from the meds, psycho for the depression, and internal med type docs which are the kind of docs she needs to see. Really not very many good docs to help you with this; but am glad to pass along stuff. Currently, for the last several years I am getting EXCELLENT help from the VA.......... If she can abide them, 400 mg of Advil 3 or 4 times a day work really pretty good, until her kidneys or other internal systems are affected. Aspirin is in the same boat for help; but the side effects are there............ Have been on Humera for the last 4 years or so. EXPENSIVE for sure. Halts the progress; but nothing for the pain......... And finally, what works.......PAIN MEDS....
Know, that yes, the lower back SA joints do solidify in a few years and that lower back and hips pain will abate some..........SOME...............
ON AND ON

The vehicle for her.........SHOULD BE UP TO HER......... What is she really.......REALLY.....gonna do with it???? Or is it a toy for you and the kids....... For us, it's hauling wood for the many cords of wood we burn every year. Feed for our many Boers show goats....... check fence lines........ on and on and on....... It's for work...NOT HAULING THE KIDS AROUND............... If it's for transportation around the place...... the golf cart is the way to go....LOTS of less maintenance, fuel, and upfront money.......

OH yes, I live in NW Georgia..... Sugar VAlley.......just north of Calhoun, west of Dalton over the ridge, and N.W. of Rome......... so, feel free for a PM and phone calls.............. God bless.........Dennis

 

[Panik]

Dennis, I sent you a PM.

As for the vehicle... Yes it is specifically for her. I think she envisions it as a way to get around the property, haul toys and things for the kids, maybe assist in light yard work etc. My ideas about a vehicle for fun do need to remain separate from what she needs/wants. Part of the reason I posted on the forum was to get ideas so that I can go back to her and show her the options, let her try them out and make a decision. From what it sounds like so far, a golf cart would be the way to go, however the decision will be hers to make. Lord knows she's put up with all of my toys, I mean equipment purchases

 

[Duwop]

I too found myself disabled 5 years ago I too needed a tool that would help with my mobility issues. I considered golf carts because they were a bit less price wise but if considering making alteration to a kart to meet my needs and terrain but I needed something else. We have 5.9 acres in hilly and rocky terrain I searched the UTV market and found the Honda 700M2 to be the perfect fit. I have added hard roof, windscreen,led lighting, winch and snow plow. It has a standard 1000 lb payload dump bed for carrying tools and what not. A 2" receiver for towing and boasts a 1500 lb towing ability. I have loaded up my 7x12 ft trailer with fire wood and had no problem moving around farm.

 

[EddieWalker]

I had a used, beat up golf cart for a few years and when I finally gave up on working on it, I thought I wanted to get another one. I liked not having to fuel it up and how smooth the ride was. Anybody could drive it, from young kids to seniors. I have 68 acres and it was able to get anywhere on my land that we had a trail or open space. The charge lasted long enough that it was never an issue. After going to a bunch of dealers, reading everything I could find on what was out there, and starting a thread on here, I spent a lot more then I thought I would and bought a new Kawasaki Transmule. 4 wheel drive, dump bed, seating for 4 and power steering made it night and day better then the golf cart. Since buying it, it's become the go to vehicle that everyone loves.

One of my clients is fairly well off and when his wife started having back issues, and several failed surgeries, they bought her a golf cart so she didn't have to walk from the back of their house to the lake. A distance of about 200 feet with a slight change in elevation. For her, it's allowed her to leave the house and join him and guests at their boathouse for hanging out, parties and fishing. It seemed like a lot of money, but he said that it's nothing compared to what she gets out of it.

In your case, I'm in agreement with the others who suggested getting an electric golf cart. You can add a bed to the back of them, and some of them are designed with a bed from the factory, but when I was looking, those where very pricey.

And sometimes, you just have to get two vehicles. One for her, and one for you!!!

Eddie

 

[ruffdog]

When I was working at a golf car shop, I bought a old used Cushman golf car for my parents for $50. It was a 2-cycle and had seen better days. As it turned out, they used that thing daily on their 25 acre Christmas tree farm(with some woods and hills). They used it for years but chose to move up to a EZGO 2-cycle that was well used. They are still using that EZGO today and haul shovels, chainsaws, pails of dirt, and go get the mail. They are 80 yo and have a few artificial joints so it helps them some. If you get a golf car with bigger tires, be sure it has different gearing so you don't lose the ability to climb hills if you have them. I would rather have a slower car that can crawl around good than one that can only go fast on the flat.

 

[Pirate]

Mobility Quad, Handicapped all terrain wheelchair vehicle

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

My wife loved her electric EZ GO. I would recommend one, but am worried about your hills.

The best Trojan batteries cost about $850 or so a set. They will last about 5 years if properly cared for. So about $170 year average cost.

Golf carts have easy ingress/egress and with electric, you don't have to choke it or start it. Just turn the key and go. You just have to charge it every couple hours of use. Best if used in increments, not to go long distances without stopping. Just like if you're golfing.

Otherwise, get a gasoline model if you need to climb a steep hill or go a long distance.

Prayers for your wife.

 

[zzvyb6]

I have an electric and a gas cart. Each has its own benefits. I have trailer hitches on both. They pull carts, chippers, sprayers and even the snowmobile trailer with hay bales on it. Nive way to take out the garbage cart and pick up the mail.

Electric is heaviest and best in deep snow. Since it has a lot of initial torque, its easy to dump stuff off the back (I have the fold down seats on both with work platforms on them). The gas one is the one to take on LONG journeys out back and can make it back without worrying about running out of battery. The 12V motor battery can be used to jump start a car or tractor or mower, run my chain saw sharpener, has good night time headlights and is the smoothest to control. Running battery powered accessories with the electric job is either 8V or 16V.

Mine are not lifted and are not new but easy to get in and out, stop and go. Easy to steer, no seatbelts and rear brakes only for both. I see used ones all the time either needing repair or refurbished because golf courses around here now provide them as a free bonus for all golfers in pairs or 4 somes.

 

[ohio farmer04]

Look at rtv 500

 

[aczlan]

One note on the golf carts, the newer EzGo carts (such as my FIL's 2008 RXV) have an electronic parking brake that turns on automatically, but older ones (like the TXT) have a latching brake that will not accidently release whereas some of the other brands (such as Yamaha and Club Car) have a parking brake that can pop off when it gets worn.
For that reason, I would stick with EzGo if getting a golf cart.

Aaron Z