What suggestions do you have on mods or improvements on my RXV?

[Biaviian]

I have a 2012 RXV that has a stock solenoid from Feb 2012 (so I assume it has the original controller), a 6" spindle lift kit, 23" tires, an 80" top, and a flip-down back seat. I believe the suspension is stock (no idea how to verify it), but it looks to have a new rear axel (Schafer Driveline) from 12/13/2019. The cart came from a dealer that refurbished it, but they didn't touch the electrical components.

I will be using it for yard/outdoor work. It won't be on roads, but it might be on trails.

I will be adding USB ports, and I need some type of a mirror. I also understand that I should be changing the controller and solenoid. In a perfect world, I would mount a smart speaker, but I am not sure how much it will drain the battery. The speaker would need to stay running the cart is off.

This link contains pictures of the undercarriage and other areas of the cart.

[BobBoyce]

Originally Posted by Biaviian

I have a 2012 RXV that has a stock solenoid from Feb 2012 (so I assume it has the original controller), a 6" spindle lift kit, 23" tires, an 80" top, and a flip-down back seat. I believe the suspension is stock (no idea how to verify it), but it looks to have a new rear axel (Schafer Driveline) from 12/13/2019. The cart came from a dealer that refurbished it, but they didn't touch the electrical components.

I will be using it for yard/outdoor work. It won't be on roads, but it might be on trails.

I will be adding USB ports, and I need some type of a mirror. I also understand that I should be changing the controller and solenoid. In a perfect world, I would mount a smart speaker, but I am not sure how much it will drain the battery. The speaker would need to stay running the cart is off.

This link contains pictures of the undercarriage and other areas of the cart.

Very nice cart. Too bad the dealer made the most common mistake when turning carts around for resale. Lifting it and putting on oversized tires. They look good like that, but they are not EV engineers! That cripples the torque of the cart, as it takes a LOT more energy to turn tires that tall. So much so, that it will be causing you problems. Lifted carts are VERY unstable at speed, and on uneven terrain they can flip over so much easier than stock height carts. These things were not designed to be ATVs. While the RXV has more torque for the power consumed, that power is lost when the tire size is that much larger than the drivetrain was designed for. Not only does it compromise the go power, it also reduces the braking effectiveness. All in all, not a good combination. Not only will it need more power, but it will need to be reprogrammed for better braking, as there are NO physical brakes on an RXV. It is all up to the motor and controller to slow you down and stop you!

You are in luck in one way, as it already has the Trombetta solenoid and a Curtis controller! The bad news is it is a stock 235 Amp Curtis controller. The dealer chose not to spend the $$$ for the controller upgrade required for those tires.

The next thing to do is to put some pep in its step. It has those 23" tires though. Those tires are way too tall for the stock controller, and will burn it out, especially if used on roads or trails with any grades/hills. 20.5" tires are the limit for the stock controller. I'm out on the road on a reprogramming trip. 23" tires require a 350 Amp Curtis upgrade controller. I happen to have a new one with me on this trip that belongs to Jeff, usgicollector. Where are you located?

[Biaviian]

Originally Posted by BobBoyce

You are in luck, it already has the Trombetta solenoid and the Curtis controller!

Next step is to put some pep in its step. It looks to have 23" tires though.

So the solenoid and controller are good enough for the tires? I was concerned only because of the date on the solenoid. I have a lot to learn. What do you suggest for the pep?

I would love to get it on our road. We live on the top of the hill that is about 1/2 mile and the steepest is probably 25%. Also, one of our fields is ridiculously bumpy. Would better leaf springs help?

[BobBoyce]

Originally Posted by Biaviian

So the solenoid and controller are good enough for the tires? I was concerned only because of the date on the solenoid. I have a lot to learn. What do you suggest for the pep?

I would love to get it on our road. We live on the top of the hill that is about 1/2 mile and the steepest is probably 25%. Also, one of our fields is ridiculously bumpy. Would better leaf springs help?

I was still editing my original post to add more details, read it again and you will see the added info.

[Biaviian]

Originally Posted by BobBoyce

All in all, not a good combination. Not only will it need more power, but it will need to be reprogrammed for better braking, as there are NO physical brakes on an RXV. It is all up to the motor and controller to slow you down and stop you!

That is somewhat of a concern with steep grades on roads.

Originally Posted by BobBoyce

You are in luck in one way, as it already has the Trombetta solenoid and a Curtis controller! The bad news is it is a stock 235 Amp Curtis controller. The dealer chose not to spend the $$$ for the controller upgrade required for those tires.

Would this solenoid handle the larger controller?

Originally Posted by BobBoyce

The next thing to do is to put some pep in its step. It has those 23" tires though. Those tires are way too tall for the stock controller, and will burn it out, especially if used on roads or trails with any grades/hills. 20.5" tires are the limit for the stock controller. I'm out on the road on a reprogramming trip. 23" tires require a 350 Amp Curtis upgrade controller. I happen to have a new one with me on this trip that belongs to Jeff, usgicollector. Where are you located?

I'm in Pennsylvania. I wanted a lifted cart so I could go back into a wooded area that will require more than the stock clearance, but I didn't think about the tires being too big. With a better controller, can I make up for the issues with the 23" tires or should I look into downgrading the size of the tires?

[BobBoyce]

Originally Posted by Biaviian

That is somewhat of a concern with steep grades on roads.



Would this solenoid handle the larger controller?



I'm in Pennsylvania. I wanted a lifted cart so I could go back into a wooded area that will require more than the stock clearance, but I didn't think about the tires being too big. With a better controller, can I make up for the issues with the 23" tires or should I look into downgrading the size of the tires?

Yes, the solenoid will handle the 350 Amp controller. The controller actually comes with a brand new 48V coil solenoid to replace the 36V coil solenoid used on RXVs older than 2016.

The 23" tires cause you to lose approximately 21.5% of your torque and braking effectiveness. With those tires, you would not be able to safely navigate a 25% grade, as that is way more than the RXV was designed to handle, even with stock 18" sized tires. If the controller burns out on a grade, you would lose all drive and braking, The motor brake would fail rather than hold on that grade, leaving you no alternative but to jump off and let it crash, or TRY to control it on an uncontrollable descent. You can add 2" wheel spacers to improve the stability of the lift. That will take its toll on the bearings and suspension components, but it is worth the tradeoff of higher maintenance costs to help keep you safer.

The upgrade controller can be reprogrammed and sent to you via mail. But really, it needs to be tweaked to your use of the cart. That requires it to be done in person.

[ErikG]

Bob - I'm not sure what your thoughts are on lithium, but wouldn't the weight reduction alone reduce the strain on the stock controllers?

It looks like the stock curb weight of an electric RXV is ~900lbs. Using my lead acid batteries as an example (4 - 12V's @ 86lbs per battery = 344 lbs). Most of these lithium vendors claim a 66 to 75% battery weight reduction. So that would reduce the total battery weight by ~230lbs at 33% and ~260lbs at 25%. That's about a 25% total curb weight reduction minimum.

That weight decrease would reduce the amount of force required in the torque equation, no?

I don't necessarily think that's a solution by itself, but I'm curious about the impact a weight reduction like this would have.

[Biaviian]

Originally Posted by BobBoyce

Yes, the solenoid will handle the 350 Amp controller. The controller actually comes with a brand new 48V coil solenoid to replace the 36V coil solenoid used on RXVs older than 2016.

...

The upgrade controller can be reprogrammed and sent to you via mail. But really, it needs to be tweaked to your use of the cart. That requires it to be done in person.

There is only one person within 45 minutes that works on golf carts and they haven't replaced many (I think that means any) controllers in the RXV. I assume it isn't much of a difference. Do you feel that a 350 amp will be enough or should I step it up? They seemed to balk at the idea of only going to 350.

This has the upgraded solenoid so I assume I should be getting a kit like this. No, I won't be paying that price; it is just the first link I found.


I had posted this but ignore it.

Is this similar to what I should be getting? I don't see many Curtis controllers out there. I see a lot of Navitas.

[cgtech]

That's totally not for an rxv, and could never work for the RXV motor.

[Biaviian]

Originally Posted by cgtech

That's totally not for an rxv, and could never work for the RXV motor.

Once I posted it, I saw that it probably isn't for the RXV.