Getting ready to go enter the cart world.

[NC Hunter]

I've been lurking here for a while and reading lots of posts and now I'm getting ready to take the plunge into the cart world. Here is where I need help from all of the collective experience here. I'm sure this has been asked several times but I haven't found the exact info I need.

I want to buy a project cart that my daughter and I can spend time building but I'm at a bit of a loss on the platform I should get. What we want is an electric cart that will be used exclusively for hunting. We have a few steep hills and when it rains a bit our roads will get muddy in places. The cart will only haul two hunters, our gear and the occasional deer. We will spend more time cruising slowly than at full throttle and the cart will mainly stay on the dirt roads and out of the the thick stuff.

Ideally we would like to get something that can be used now by just adding a lift kit and/or batteries. Then we would like to add motor, controller, solenoid, heavy duty springs, f/r switch, etc. What platform would y'all start with to be able to use it now then begin adding goodies/performance mods as time and money allow? I need info like, would it be better to get a 36 volt platform or go ahead and start with a 48 volt? Would a PDS system work for my needs or do I need to stick to a TXT DS? Also which cart, EZGO or (eh hem) CC is easier to work on for the newbie?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

[chloe]

Here's my opinion. An older SERIES drive TXT will give you the best 36 volt torque. It will also be a bit less expensive as they all have a few years on them. The series carts can give very impressive performance increases with voltage upgrades. Their reliability is time tested. Performance parts are very readily available
The down side is: increased ride height from larger tires will decrease torque. But, that holds true for all electric motors. Torque is what carries the weight, climbs the hills and gets the buggie up to speed. If your main priority is to increase the ride height, go with a newer RXV with the AC motor.
So, again in my opinion. if you want a project cart, get a good Series drive TXT and enjoy making it all yours. But, don't change the suspension until you are ready to improve the drive system. OR, look for a nice series TXT that has all of most of the improvements you want and spend a bit more up front. Make the rest of the changes you desire over time.

[NC Hunter]

Originally Posted by chloe

Here's my opinion. An older SERIES drive TXT will give you the best 36 volt torque. It will also be a bit less expensive as they all have a few years on them. The series carts can give very impressive performance increases with voltage upgrades. Their reliability is time tested. Performance parts are very readily available
The down side is: increased ride height from larger tires will decrease torque. But, that holds true for all electric motors. Torque is what carries the weight, climbs the hills and gets the buggie up to speed. If your main priority is to increase the ride height, go with a newer RXV with the AC motor.
So, again in my opinion. if you want a project cart, get a good Series drive TXT and enjoy making it all yours. But, don't change the suspension until you are ready to improve the drive system. OR, look for a nice series TXT that has all of most of the improvements you want and spend a bit more up front. Make the rest of the changes you desire over time.

Hey, thanks for the quick reply. So your suggestion is on an older TXT to hold off on a lift kit till I'm ready to add the controller, solenoid, f/r switch and 48 volt battery pack?

I have done absolutely zero research on the RXV and the AC motor. What is the advantage of it over the series motor?

I'll start expanding my search to carts with some mods already done then add goodies over the summer. Right now I'm hoping to have a functional cart in time for the Georgia turkey season.

[chloe]

In layman terms, (my kind), the AC motors are more powerful and less prone to negative impacts from minor alterations, (lifts, etc). But their costs are much greater.

[HiTechRedNeck]

Hi.
RXV tech here.
RXV drivetrain ( motor controller gears)
Are best left to people with experience or training with RXVs
The electrical wiring (factory wire harness)
Should NOT be cut into or modified in any way.

That said-
They have great performance stock
With no mods.
There is a conrtoller upgrade from Ez Go that
Improves torque quite a lot.

Aftermarket accessories are plentiful and reasonably priced.
The cart has been in production with little change since 2008.

You can put larger tires on them without a lift.
They come stock with a limited slip diff.

All in all a good package.

And stock speed programmable by dealer to 19 mph.

[Skydo]

NC Hunter. I would hold off on the lift and bigger tires until you are ready to upgrade the controller, fr switch, solenoid, and cables as a minimum.

I have a 2001 TXT series cart and added a 6"lift with 23" tires before upgrading anything on the cart and it was not happy in the woods deer hunting his past fall. That said, I have upgraded everything on the cart with the guidance of Scotty B and it is perfectly set up as a hunting cart.

This cart has been a fun project to do with my 13 year old son.

[MattFX4]

I have been really impressed with my '03 TXT PDS. I converted to 48 volt, upgraded motor, controller, wiring, etc. She is fun.

[JohnnieB]

Since you are looking for a project cart for you and your daughter to build, I'd stick with a 36V Series or SepEx drive.

Since you are going to be using it off-road almost exclusively and with little need for speed, I'd limit the tire height to what is needed for axle clearance and avoid lifting the body off the axles any more than what is need to keep the tires from rubbing. (If you stay under 20" for the tires, you'll probably not need to lift the body off the axles, which raises the center of gravity of a narrow track, short wheelbase vehicle and reduces its lateral and longitudinal stability.)

Like MattFX4, I am very pleased with my PDS cart. Unlike MattFX4, I have tiny tires (17") and a 42V battery pack. His cart is faster than mine due to his taller tires and higher voltage battery pack, but if we tied our rear bumpers together and had a tug-o'-war, my cart has about 9% more torque where rubber meets road, so I might pull his cart backwards . (26% more based on tire height, but 16.7% less due to pack voltage for a net of 9.3% more)

However for a dedicated low-speed, high-torque, off-road cart, I'd probably go with a series drive.

[gornoman]

My cart is based on a '97 TXT Series chassis. It's 48v HD UPGRADE EVERYTHING, and runs street rubber @ 24mph. I have no doubt I could lift it with 22's and be happy with it in the woods. I'll say it again, build for your worst case scenario (weight, terrain, slope, etc), and never get stranded by weak parts. Scottyb will take good care of you.

[HiTechRedNeck]

Re-Posted without permission... hope no one minds.

This may help-- Real info from BGW contributor.

Grassflats--- Update on RXV hunting buggy please.



BGW -- grassflatsfisher

Haven't read every post but I went through all the same problems you are having with my 02 PDS. It was also a hunting cart and we have some significant hills etc to go up and down also. My original motor had a broken field wire from where the cart had been wrecked prior to me getting it. I sent the motor to plumquick and got one of their purple motors. It lasted about a month before buring it up. It was a great motor, it just wasn't made to creep around the camp with people, gear, and dead deer on the back. I ended up getting a d&d and it lasted about 2 days of turkey hunting before melting down. Again, just think the application was wrong. I then said enough is enough and bought the $100 kit to convert my cart from a PDS to a Series cart. Basically it was the fwd rvs knob, linkage, and Fnr switch itself in the kit...super easy install. I upgraded the buss bars in the factory fnr switch, new hd solenoid, new 500amp Alltrax, and a EMP 2 Speed series motor. Cart has run like a dream ever since. It has never over heated and will pull wheelies in torque mode. On high setting it runs about 20mph and on torque mode it tops out at 12mph which is perfect for hunting. I ended up selling it to a buddy of mine last year and he has run it the last 2 hunting season with no problems as well. Everyone in his camp wants to build one just like it because its faster and has a ton more power than any of theirs.

Although I do love that cart I upgraded to a 2011 RXV recently and I can not tell you how awesome this cart has been in the woods. It has taken me a little work to get all the squeeks and cracks out but now that I have it quieted down I feel like a ninja going in and out of my camp now. Matter of fact, its first 4 trips in the woods it hauled out 3 8pts and a big 7pt. And should have been a 5th 8pt I shot with my bow but ended losing on a neighbors property. Coincidence? Maybe...we had a crazy good rut this year. It runs 27mph top end and creeps along great with ZERO heating issues. The little bit of regen it has is perfect for going down hills. You basically get the speed where you want it and hold the pedel there and it stays at that speed. Plenty of torque and takes hills like their nothing. The DC/AC system is very efficient and goes forever on a charge compared to my other txt carts from the past. Very happy to say the least. Can't wait to chase A few long beards around next month.