Building a mountain cart - suggestions

[FlyingT]

I'm a newbie to this site and any advice would be appreciated. I've been researching a bit and trying to come up with a plan to build my own hunting cart. The purpose is to get us up the mountain and park at the top. We hunt in MT and typically have either hiked or gone on horseback about 1.5miles on flat to 20% max grade in the morning on switchback roads and again on the evening archery hunt. We want an EV for stealth and I find the commercially available buggies to be costly and I'm wanting to build my own. I'm thinking of starting with an EZGO TXT model as the base. I need to maximize battery life and utilize a high torque engine. Types?

Any and all suggestions appreciated. Thanks!

[JohnnieB]

Welcome to BGW!

Stock golf cart specs is up to a 25% grade, so 20% grade shouldn't be much of a challenge. Inclines are hard to judge and percent of grade gets mixed up with degree of incline, so I attached a hill grade conversion chart.

I built my cart for range (distant traveled) and it does a bit over 30 miles on a single charge, travels about 28 MPH on level ground, stays above 20 MPH on hills less the 25% grade (14°) and tires run out of traction before the motor runs out torque when climbing steep hills.

One thing to remember is the taller the tires, the less torque you have available.

What kind of round trip distance do you need?

[Revolution]

How manny passengers?

How much gear?

What size critter will you be hauling back?

[FlyingT]

Thanks for the replies! Round trip is under 3 miles. We climb 1000ft elevation. Total payload up would be four guys with bows. Roughly 800lbs.

[FlyingT]

We would be hunting elk/deer and we have a gas powered polaris we would use to transport the game back to camp once quartered

[DaveTM]

Flying-T,

As the others have mentioned, welcome to the forum. This is a great place for asking questions just like you have and for trouble shooting issues with electric or gas carts, and asking about upgrades from street to off-road.

I am a disabled hunter here in Southwest Pennsylvania. The terrain here can run from flat, to rolling hills to mountains. (Yes, real mountains that, like you ask, will go up 1000 feet and even more!! Black bear don't live "down at the corner!!)

So, I have an EZ-GO TXT, with most of my upgrades listed at the bottom of my post. Now, I believe my top speed is about 7mph, but I have enough torque to pull a rhino horn out. I run 8 6-V Trojan batteries (48-V total) and the temp's I ride in will be from 80 in the summer to 15 in the winter. Even lower if I get really "house bound crazy."

Go with top quality "stuff" and you will go a long time before you have problems. With a TXT and steep hills, go with one of ScottyB's F\R Reversing Contactors and toss the old style manual F\R switch. It's well worth the investment. With 4 guys, go with HD springs all the way around. And for sure disc brakes on the front at a min. I run the factory drums on the back and Jakes on the front with great success.

IMHO, I would stay away from the Bad Boy Buggies. They appear to have problems and when they do....the fix's appear to be difficult. Aside from the fact that they are much more expensive than you can build....and what you build is "more better" than the BBB can offer.

But, ask questions and do your research. And again, welcome to the forum.

Dave

[FlyingT]

Thanks DaveTM. Do you use the stock motor or did you need to upgrade? What type of mileage do you get between charges?

[Bronco Barney]

Originally Posted by FlyingT

Thanks for the replies! Round trip is under 3 miles. We climb 1000ft elevation. Total payload up would be four guys with bows. Roughly 800lbs.

Remember if all of you guys score it will add weight fast! Happy Hunt'in! I hunt in Montana when we do go and I helped a guy put a small bull elk in the little bed of a Kawasaki side by side (I think thats what it was) and it sunk it down so bad we called for a truck!


A year before I first went my friends put a big bull into the back of a Willy's jeep and all you could see in the back 'waz antlers and elbows!

Happy Hunt'in!

[DaveTM]

Originally Posted by FlyingT

Thanks DaveTM. Do you use the stock motor or did you need to upgrade? What type of mileage do you get between charges?

I have a D&D motor. I'd have to look to see the model. But it's one built for torque and not speed. My milage on a "warm" day (warm being 60 degrees or better) on "rolling" hills is about 12. Now what you have to keep in mind is the road would be, for the most part, hard packed dirt. Same road and the temp drops to 20 degrees or less, my milage would be about 8 miles. Now, on one mountain that I hunt black bear on, it's almost a straight up climb and large sections of the road are deep gravel. This type of road takes more battery amps to make it up to the top. On a cold day I can make about three trips up and down this hill. Of course, the trip down is all "free wheeling" so not so much battery is used.

I hope this helps.

Dave

[Revolution]

Well we have a good idea what you need now.

First step make a budget.

Second step throw the budget in the trash and warm up the credit card!