Golf Cart Owners

[RV Pirate]

Hi Guys,
I'm trying to get a little info from you golf cart owners out there.

First, Gas or electric ? pros and cons

How often do you get to use it on trips?

Price range? New vs Used?

Thanks in advance.

Bob

[SuperD]

Gas is faster, electric is stealthy! For electric you have to deal with charging and frequently checking the batteries. For gas you have to fill it, usually before a trip, and you have to do oil changes. Neither is "better" just different. I used my cart a lot to tour campgrounds or whatever else I could, some areas forbid or limit cart driving, check before you go. Look around on places like Craigslist and you can sometimes find some great deals.

[gmadams]

Some campgrounds do not allow gas golf carts.

[gmc]

I don't own one... yet... but have looked several times...

Wide range of sizes and prices out there.
As SuperD said - gas vs electric is just 'different'. If going electric, the age of the batteries is important.
Can't really give guidance on prices - but hoping others can.

I almost bought a small one - a Cricket - a year ago from a camping neighbor - but we were already towing a dinghy 4 down - and it wouldn't quite fit in the back of the Jeep Wrangler (hmmm... might fit in the back of the new Explorer now... dang this forum can be expensive... lol)
They are under 400 pounds so can go on a hitch mounted carrier if not towing - or in many SUVs.

For larger carts often a choice of bringing the cart or the toad... though I've seen full size pickups being towed with larger golf cart in the bed.

[penguin]

Originally Posted by SuperD

Gas is faster, electric is stealthy! For electric you have to deal with charging and frequently checking the batteries. For gas you have to fill it, usually before a trip, and you have to do oil changes. Neither is "better" just different. I used my cart a lot to tour campgrounds or whatever else I could, some areas forbid or limit cart driving, check before you go. Look around on places like Craigslist and you can sometimes find some great deals.

X2 . Also gas carts tend to be able to travel farther. No range anxiety.

[JamieGeek]

I drove one for 3 years...a Focus Electric...oh wait (some people did call that a glorified golf cart LOL).

Sure an electric golf cart may not have the range of a gas one but you can charge it right at your campsite--don't have to "go get gas". Thus range may not really be an issue (theoretically its infinite).

[Travelin' Texans]

We gave 3k for a 6 year old 4 seater 36 volt cart with new batteries. Personally I don't like the noise & smell of a gas cart & as far as speed you can soup up both gas & electric to go about as fast as I'd want to go. My Dad lives on a golf course with long steep hills & had an electric cart that didn't have enough power to make it up the steep grades so traded for a gas & now has no problems.
Be very careful shopping on Craigslist, I found a heck of a deal on a cart & after dealing through emails found it was a scam, if it looks/sounds too good to be true it's most likely a Craigslist scam, Craigslist is getting very bad/ hard to find real deals.

[fotofx]

I had an electric and built a gas one last year. The electric made me crazy because there never seemed to be enough warning before the batteries died. Even with a meter it was still Russian roulette.

I mainly use my cart at Fort Wilderness and like to do allot of looping. The gas cart can go for weeks on a tank of gas. I also added the necessary equipment and made it street legal so many places that would not allow gas as a golf cart can not object because it is now a motor vehicle (toad).

[blw2]

I have one that my Father In Law gave us several years ago. He lived in a 55+ mobile home park but as his health got worse he didn't need it anymore.

I spent a fortune buying new Trojan batteries for it.
We considered getting a trailer for it
and I have considered making it street legal
but haven't done either one.
So many places we go it's not allowed to use

\and in Florida if you go through a lot of expense and hoops to get it tagged and street legal, you are still limited to only roads with posted speed limits below 35MPH....which pretty much restricts against most everywhere that we would be. For example, leaving a CG or state park to go into town, safe bet there will be roads 45MPH limits or more.

and if you don't tag it, you can only drive it on roads that have been designated for golf cart use (a posted sign will say golf carts in use). How often do you see that? Not much for me....

So, we could use it at Disney's Fort Wilderness.
Maybe some places in Georgia where they seem to be a little more liberal with them (such as Saint Simon's Island...but there's not CG there so what's the point)
Maybe at some private RV parks
Just doesn't seem worth it for us. I wish that wasn't the case though

So now the thing is sitting on flat tires in the garage. I just watered up the batteries 2 days ago...wishing that they were 6 volt and not 8 volt so at least i could put them to use in the RV. I should sell it.

[HighMobious]

Is there a Q?

[Hittntherooad]

Originally Posted by gmc

I don't own one... yet... but have looked several times...

Wide range of sizes and prices out there.
As SuperD said - gas vs electric is just 'different'. If going electric, the age of the batteries is important.
Can't really give guidance on prices - but hoping others can.

I almost bought a small one - a Cricket - a year ago from a camping neighbor - but we were already towing a dinghy 4 down - and it wouldn't quite fit in the back of the Jeep Wrangler (hmmm... might fit in the back of the new Explorer now... dang this forum can be expensive... lol)
They are under 400 pounds so can go on a hitch mounted carrier if not towing - or in many SUVs.

For larger carts often a choice of bringing the cart or the toad... though I've seen full size pickups being towed with larger golf cart in the bed.

We bought a Cricket last year. We love it. Can carry it in my hitch receiver.

[Hittntherooad]

Pic of Cricket loaded

[KNMIB]

Originally Posted by Hittntherooad

Pic of Cricket loaded

Can you drive it most anywhere?

[Hittntherooad]

Originally Posted by KNMIB

Can you drive it most anywhere?

Since it's really considered a handicap vehicle, we haven't had to provide insurance for it. Not saying everywhere but most places.

[blw2]

I wonder about the little SW3 models, that look more like a mini-golf cart

[Hittntherooad]

Originally Posted by blw2

I wonder about the little SW3 models, that look more like a mini-golf cart

We looked at those also. Would have bought one but a guy was trading this one in and we got a great deal on it only a year old.

[Beau388]

We have a 2004 EZ-GO electric equipped for the road. Everything is expensive to replace so have a used one checked thoroughly by a competent mechanic. With big batteries and a 19.9 mph motor, you have just under 18 miles range on a full charge. A little more if you aren't trying to keep up with traffic and have a cart with regenerative braking. We live in a CCRC so a golf cart is our daily transportation. We just drive it up the ramp into the truck bed when we are taking a trip. Easy to load even when the truck is on the dolly.

[Bob Denman]

Question: The Missus has me looking at the E-Z-Go Lithium battery powered models.
Do their chargers just plug into a standard 110 plug?
We figure that we can take to places where the Spyder isn't welcome... and the Spyder to places where the carts aren't welcome!

[The Gritz Carlton]

I own an E-Z-Go gas...wouldn't go any other route. We own our retirement home in PCB on Lower Lagoon and the entire area is golf cart friendly. I used it in business for property inspections with the intent of retirement fun. I have friends there that have electric and they wish they'd gone gas. Oil change not much more than a lawnmower...once a year. Has a 10 gallon tank and there's gas stations everywhere. I've actually pumped the gas out to refresh it more than having to add to it. Unlimited range...no expensive batteries...and they will fly!! Mine runs 24MPH. Get the up-size engine option and the factory lift kit. GAS...wouldn't look back.

[Bob Denman]

I know that the Gassers are quite a bit cheaper...
I just wasn't sure if they were allowed in as many places, as the electric ones were...