The Ultimate UTV Gift Guide
The Goodies No UTV is Complete Without
by Jason Giacchino
We can’t deny it; today’s UTVs come directly from the factory absolutely loaded with goodies. However, like most things in life, if you have a little extra dough there’s always room for improvement.
Being the “easily obsessed” types, we’ve dropped a lot more coin on aftermarket accessories than we would like to admit and, for that matter, more than we could ever tell our spouses without talk of lawyers and divorce papers. What we’re trying to say is we know a thing or two about what works and what is akin to flushing your cash down the toilet. Here are things we would consider buying if we had your money (or buying ourselves, if the wife’s not looking):
#5) Front Storage
Whether a rack or a plastic cargo box, the hood of your UTV is a perfect opportunity to increase storage capacity without giving up any comfort! This is a must-do modification for hunters, farmers and ranchers, but quite frankly, we aren’t aware of too many recreation riders who can’t use some additional storage. Versatile, easy to install and designed to accommodate a variety of items, some models even come with an integrated front brush guard.
#4) Floor Mats
Sure they aren’t glamorous, but let’s be honest, UTV riding often includes trips outside of the machine followed by re-entering the cockpit with some heavily mudded boots. Just like in your car, rubber floor mats are designed to fit the contours of your UTV’s floor for a custom feel. Our favorite picks are resistant to UV and ozone, won’t crack due to temperature extremes and are scuff-resistant. Perhaps most beneficial, they are easy to remove and clean. Ribs for scraping dirt and debris off shoes and raised borders around the edge of the mat to contain water and debris are other attractive features. Anti-slip bottom ensures a nice stable surface for operator and passenger alike.
#3) Center Console
You’ve got the space might as well use it right? The center console space of your UTV is perfect for beverages and for organizing readily used gear like your GPS. Storage compartments with lids, cup holders and a GPS holder slots are the perfect way to stay organized on the cheap. Made from durable, rotational-molded plastic with mounting hardware designed to mate to existing floor holes, we buy em, we use em, we love em.
#2) Lighting
In our experience, there are two types of UTV operators: those who ride at night and those who ride at night with adequate illumination. Nothing adds to the lumens count like a nice aftermarket light bar. Not only does it give your UTV a custom look, hinged, tiltable mounting construction allows the light bar to be quickly rotated forward for low-clearance situations. Most models are compatible with or without OEM plastic roofs and our favorite units include the lights and wire harness in the kit.
#1) Enclosure
Compared to our ATV brethren, UTVs are much more shielded from the elements. However, as anyone who has experienced winter’s chill, summer’s mosquitoes, or fall’s endless rain in the cockpit can attest, there’s still room for improvement! Typically constructed of rugged, leather-grain vinyl, including a clear acrylic windshield and roll-up zippered doors, there isn’t much not to like about a UTV enclosure system. We picked up a 600-denier polyester that is both UV and weather-resistant and has a durable water repellent finish in useful camo motif for under 0. We had plans of using it only during the foul winter months, but found that we haven’t been able to justify removing it a full year later.
Any other great ideas? Shout off in the Forums:
http://forums.atvconnection.com/general-ruv-utv-discussion/341264-utv-gift-guide.html#post3079553