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

[Panik]

I guess I'm starting this thread because its way too early in the morning for me to be up and I can't sleep. (Been up since 3am) Part of this is venting and putting thoughts to paper for the first time and part is asking for advice, so please bear with me.

We have close to 11 acres in a pretty rural area in NW Georgia. Roughly 3 of those acres are cleared yard with the rest being regrown forest over old terraced farm land. We're actually at the top of a pretty decent foothill outside of what is literally a one stoplight town. It's about as close to being Mayberry as I could ask.

My wife was diagnosed within the last year as having Ankylosing Spondylitis. Broadly it is a autoimmune disease that is characterized by chronic inflammation of joints such as the sacroiliac joints. This can lead eventually to the calcification of joints and loss of joint mobility. In my wife's case, her disease appears to have a particular affinity for her SA joints and seems to be concomitant with a yet to be classified health issue causing the lymph nodes in her neck to be consistently swollen and as well as causing chronic pain in her left shoulder and chest. (MRI's of head/neck, X-rays of chest, and ultrasounds have yet to show anything)

The point being is that my wife is 34 years old and in the last year I watched her go from being an individual who was largely in better health and in many ways more vibrant that I to being someone who struggles with fatigue and constant pain and who has to fight with her own body in order to accomplish her goals for the day. (This is a woman who used to care for elephants and sling 60lbs bales of hay around on a daily basis) Unfortunately Ankylosing Spondylitis is a disease that she will have to work with for the rest of her life. For anyone who has some related experience, we are getting close to trying disease modifying drugs.

It's been incredibly hard watching this transpire as I am the type of person who wants to fix things and unfortunately there is nothing I can fix? At best I am only able to be as supportive as I can and be her advocate in the medical community when we encounter clinicians with outdated modes of treatment and thought. (Many drs. still view AS and being a primarily a man´s disease)

(End of vent)---------------------------------------------------------------

In any case my wife recently approached me about the idea of getting some form of vehicle in the near future order to help her get around the property. To be clear, at the moment she is able to walk without assistance the majority of the time. She might have 4 days a month where she needs to use her arm crutch. It is not something we are going to be able to afford immediately, but something we have put on the radar for the near future. I would like to plan for within the next 6-12months , but realistically that may be me trying to satisfy the need to "fix" things for her.

Where I am having difficulty with this is trying to fit a vehicle to her needs. Were it me, my go to work vehicle would be a toro workman with a dump bed. It would be a perfect compliment to my bx and we used them extensively (i.e. beat the heck out of) when I worked at Busch Gardens.

Something such as an RTV500 would be a good configuration and a good compromise between my desire for utility vehicle and her needs, however it feels like it might be a bit too much vehicle at the moment for 3 acres of yard. We are planning at some point to clear a trail on the remaining 8 acres. At the same time, I've never been real impressed with golf carts for anything off pavement, and from what I understand the price point for a good new golf cart and a UTV are not dissimilar.

I believe from Kari's standpoint her needs in a vehicle would be ease of operation, low maintenance, light off road capabilities and some form of bed to be able to carry light items (toys, for the kids, dogs, chairs, etc)

From my perspective it would be nice to have something as an alternative/compliment to the tractor for yard work and at least have a differential lock. I can also envision really enjoying taking my boys and wife for casual trail riding in the regional parks that allow UTV's. (I used to do advocacy for FL's Division of Forestry's ATV/OHV program)

All that being said anything we buy will be primarily for my wife. In any case, if you've made it this far thanks for reading and listening to me vent a bit. If you have any thoughts or insights about a vehicle for my wife or if you have any experience with AS or being a spouse and care giver I'd appreciate hearing anything you'd like to contribute. :thumbsup:

 

[timster2]

I am in much of the same boat with the AS. On thing I have found is you need something with a soft suspension, just mowing the grass with the BX can get painful at times. I would look into the off road golf carts. The new ones come in many configurations to choose from. My property is fairly flat and I have been eyeing a golf cart solution for a while. Scooters and power wheelchairs, I have both, don't work too well on wet grass or gravel drives. When the back flairs up I often go to the motorized solutions for a few days. As the joints fuse mobility decreases, climbing on and off things like a tractor become a chore so a low to the ground entry and exit off a piece of equipment needs to be considered.

I have also found that loosing weight eases the pain considerably and increases mobility. Its a vicious cycle as mobility/activity decreases weight increases. In the past year I have dropped over a hundred pounds and it has made a big difference in mobility.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Panik, I understand your apprehension of golf carts. But - I have two that I use on our 13 acre place, both electric. One is nice looking and the other looks like a Frankenstein creation. Both are lifted with knobby tires and both with a rear bed and trailer hitches.

While I can afford either a UTV, ATV or cart, I still strongly prefer the cart. There's never any 'out of gas' problem. No carb to gum up, and nice and quiet running. The electric cart is always ready to go. It's ideal for a small place with light duty. On occasion I'll hook up my 4' x 8' trailer to pull around to pick up limbs, logs, etc., but for normal 90% of the time - it's just for pleasure or going to pick up the mail at the highway.

Neither cart is anything like new. One is a 1991 ($900) and the nicer one is a 1994 ($2100). You don't have to spend a lot of money for a new cart. If nothing else, pick one up for her. If she isn't completely satisfied with it, you can always sell it and buy a UTV.

 

[dusty3030]

I third an electric cart with some type of bed- Nimble and quiet but still very capable.

 

[ovrszd]

Yeah, I'd agree with the electric cart idea. Less mechanical involvement to get vehicle movement, no gear shifter, less pedals, etc. And with the development of a rigid charging program it'll always be "ready" to use.

A friend of mine recently said to me "If you have your health, you have NOTHING to complain about". Those with afflictions know this much better than those without. Good luck with your adventure.

 

[MoKelly]

I read you worked at Busch Gardens. I worked at the brewery in St. Louis for 25 years. Small world.

I have an electric golf cart on our place. Nothing special. But, it does all the stuff you mention. My wife and younger son use it the most. I prefer the ATV ... but the ATV is much more high maintenance and much harder to operate.

Good luck.

MoKelly

 

[aczlan]

We have a couple of golf carts and an RTV500. We have also owned a Workman 2100 (the light duty one with a plastic bed) and I have driven the heavy duty version.
The RTV and the golf carts are a lot narrower than the Workman so they will fit places it wont.
For what you suggest, I would get a 48V golf cart, add a small lift, slightly larger tires (perhaps the 22" or 24" version of the All Trail or HD Field Trax) and (if needed) look into a locking differential.

On two of our golf carts, we replaced the stock 18x8.5-8 "cant tear up the turf" tires with 18x9.5-8 "Turf Saver" tires. That lifts the back end up about an inch, adds an inch of tire width and gives much better traction but it does not require a lift.
That is adequate for what we do (but we don't get into mud much). I got those for a real good price (already mounted on rims), but if buying new, I would get either the Field Trax or the All Trail.

One thing to keep in mind is that the RTV will not ride very well compared to a golf cart, but you can buckle into the RTV which you cant in a golf cart. The Workman also rode better than the RTV does.

Aaron Z

 

[houstonscott]

I own an RTV 1100, it's way overkill for my property of 18 acres. The cab with AC, heat, and insect protection it provides are the real reason I keep it, plus it's payed for. The AC is a real escape zone when out on a job, allowing a recovery from the heat. The heat has warmed up and saved many goat kids being recovered after birth in a winter storm. With 35 hours on it after two years it might have been a mistake. If I was to do it again I would look hard at these. Bad Boy Buggies - Getting You Closer to the Game HS

 

[charlz]

Why limit yourself to just one type of vehicle? A golf cart doesn't have the dump bed etc. but does offer ease of getting in/out of and ease of use and if she just wants to get out and about without walking that might be the vehicle of choice at that moment. A decent used one is not likely to break the bank. Then a RTV/UTV for days she is actually going to do some work and can put up with maybe a little rougher ride etc.

 

[aczlan]

Why limit yourself to just one type of vehicle? A golf cart doesn't have the dump bed etc. but does offer ease of getting in/out of and ease of use and if she just wants to get out and about without walking that might be the vehicle of choice at that moment. A decent used one is not likely to break the bank. Then a RTV/UTV for days she is actually going to do some work and can put up with maybe a little rougher ride etc.

Generally, you can get a 2-3 year old golf cart and add a dump bed kit to it. We have 2 golf carts with boxes on them, but a dump bed was an option.

Aaron Z

 

[houstonscott]

Segway - The leader in personal, green transportation

The all terrain version of this might be a good answer too. I am seriously thinking about one to just jump on and go. HS

 

[ovrszd]

Watched the Duck Dynasty boys race around on a pack of those. Was fun to watch. And they seemed pretty capable. Just not sure someone with physical limitations would want to try it.

 

[houstonscott]

Watched the Duck Dynasty boys race around on a pack of those. Was fun to watch. And they seemed pretty capable. Just not sure someone with physical limitations would want to try it.

I could see anytime I decided to walk pasture for missing goat kids, free a goat in a fence, check a fence, or down to mail box, even trip next door, it could used, a majority of the time for me. Step out front door and be gone, fast. HS

 

[ovrszd]

I could see anytime I decided to walk pasture for missing goat kids, free a goat in a fence, check a fence, or down to mail box, even trip next door, it could used, a majority of the time for me. Step out front door and be gone, fast. HS

Yep. I still can't figure out how they work, but they do. Except for the one old guy on DD. He struggled with the concept.

 

[Panik]

Hey folks I appreciate all the responses. I apologize for not responding sooner. We're actually in a ER room at the moment - the pain in her neck shoulder and chest got to the point where should could not ignore it. Not that I/we are expecting a resolution to what is happening in her neck, but maybe get some relief until we can figure out what's going on.

It's a little hard typing on a iPhone, but I really appreciate all the post and will answer in a bit more detail when I can get to a full size keyboard. I had not realized golf carts were all that reliable. My experience with them was from roughly 15 years ago and of the two I was responsible at least one was in the shop every other month.

Are golf carts like tractors in that the bigger brands are roughly comparable in quality and choice can be based on personal preference and dealer service?

 

[aczlan]

My experience with them was from roughly 15 years ago and of the two I was responsible at least one was in the shop every other month.
Are golf carts like tractors in that the bigger brands are roughly comparable in quality and choice can be based on personal preference and dealer service?

We have a EZGo and a Yamaha which have been very reliable for the past 7 years. The only real maintenance has been batteries (and a couple of wires that got pulled out by some brush).

Aaron Z

 

[RSKY]

We got an EZ GO for my mother. The dealer also sold Club Car. She said, "we sell EZGO and work on Club Car".

Yamaha or EZGO avoid the others!

 

[milkman]

I've had a Club Car gas cart for six or seven years and it's been up and down hills, through the fields and cross creeks and held up to nieces, nephews, and grandkids of all sizes. It never fails to start and is a lot easier to get in and out of than the RTV. I like the gas version, but would also consider the battery version. I waited a long time to get one because I thought they would be weak and always stuck unless on the road, I was wrong, they're very capable, and tough machines.

 

[Panik]

I am in much of the same boat with the AS. On thing I have found is you need something with a soft suspension, just mowing the grass with the BX can get painful at times.

I have also found that loosing weight eases the pain considerably and increases mobility. Its a vicious cycle as mobility/activity decreases weight increases. In the past year I have dropped over a hundred pounds and it has made a big difference in mobility.

Timster, thanks for sharing! You've got my respect! At 38, mowing the yard on a bx can knot up my back if I am not careful, and I've got a reasonably decent back! Kari, my wife, actually was the one who brought up the idea of a golf cart with "those big knobby tires", and the more I am reading the more I am inclined to think that this might be the perfect thing for her.

She is fortunate in that weight has never been an issue, but since being afflicted she has had to carefully balance the amount of exercise she does. Too little and she gets stiff, too much or the wrong type at the wrong time and it exacerbates the issues.

I read you worked at Busch Gardens. I worked at the brewery in St. Louis for 25 years. Small world.

MoKelly

I really loved working at Busch Gardens when it was owned by the family. Miss getting the 4 free cases of beer a month, but then the entertainment and parks side of things got sold off pretty quick after Inbev acquired the company.

Panik, I understand your apprehension of golf carts. But - I have two that I use on our 13 acre place, both electric. One is nice looking and the other looks like a Frankenstein creation. Both are lifted with knobby tires and both with a rear bed and trailer hitches.

While I can afford either a UTV, ATV or cart, I still strongly prefer the cart. There's never any 'out of gas' problem. No carb to gum up, and nice and quiet running. The electric cart is always ready to go. It's ideal for a small place with light duty. On occasion I'll hook up my 4' x 8' trailer to pull around to pick up limbs, logs, etc., but for normal 90% of the time - it's just for pleasure or going to pick up the mail at the highway.

If you don't mind me asking, have you ever had to replace the batteries and if so roughly how much did it cost? I do really appreciate the idea of a quiet machine, especially because anything that involves transporting stuff with the tractor involves headphones. I'm sure she would appreciate the quiet as well considering a lot of her use will be with the dogs and the kids.

QUOTE=aczlan;4174829]We have a couple of golf carts and an RTV500. We have also owned a Workman 2100 (the light duty one with a plastic bed) and I have driven the heavy duty version.
The RTV and the golf carts are a lot narrower than the Workman so they will fit places it wont.
For what you suggest, I would get a 48V golf cart, add a small lift, slightly larger tires (perhaps the 22" or 24" version of the All Trail or HD Field Trax) and (if needed) look into a locking differential.

On two of our golf carts, we replaced the stock 18x8.5-8 "cant tear up the turf" tires with 18x9.5-8 "Turf Saver" tires. That lifts the back end up about an inch, adds an inch of tire width and gives much better traction but it does not require a lift.
That is adequate for what we do (but we don't get into mud much). I got those for a real good price (already mounted on rims), but if buying new, I would get either the Field Trax or the All Trail.

One thing to keep in mind is that the RTV will not ride very well compared to a golf cart, but you can buckle into the RTV which you cant in a golf cart. The Workman also rode better than the RTV does.

Aaron Z[/QUOTE]

Aaron, in all honesty after thinking about it today the idea of a RTV is somewhat selfish on my part. I've been thinking of this as primarily being a multiple purpose vehicle, rather than a vehicle that has a primary purpose (my wife's tranportation/toy) that might also be put use in a couple of other situations. Likely a lift and good tires like the ones you linked would be more than adequate for her purposes. In fact, assuming I don't go crazy with things I think she would rather like a lifted golf cart. The locking differential thought was more in response to doing trail riding with the boys or doing more than light duty riding. We really don' have much mud typically and thankfully no sugar sand.

You mentioned a 48 volt system. Would it be safe to assume that the reasons would be longer time to discharge as well as more available power over a 36 volt system?

I loved using the heavy duty workman's at Busch especially because you could easily haul over a ton of material in the dump bed and the things would just keep asking for more. However, that's really not what this is intended for. I will, however have to look into bed options on a golf cart.

Why limit yourself to just one type of vehicle?

:laughing:My friend I wish I had the money to do that! I feel fortunate to even be at a point in my life where I am able to consider owning a tractor, let alone a tractor and a golf cart/utv.

Any thoughts on the downside of owning a golf cart. Would I be right in assuming that when the batteries start to go its best to replace the entire series of batteries (6 or 8, system dependent)? Someone mentioned a rigid charging program - any insight into what this is and how it impacts battery charging?

 

[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