ability to charge your cell phone
or tablet while on the go is a
worthwhile inclusion.
Lights
You may think this would be a
given, but you’d be surprised at
how many equipment manag-
ers’ vehicles don’t have lights.
Installing an auxiliary set to
shine behind your cart is great,
as well, when you have to tow
or pull something out in the
dark.
Doors, windshield and canopy
Depending on where you’re
located, you will be battling dif-
ferent conditions when you’re
called out on the course, from
snow to rain to extreme heat.
And whether that call is to help
retrieve a piece of stuck equip-
ment or to clear the course
during a severe storm, setting
up your vehicle to protect you
from such conditions is a wise
consideration when planning
your ultimate shop cart.
Heater/fan
Something else to think about if
you have a vehicle with a cano-
py or doors is that you will need
to cool it during summer, and,
if you’re in a region that gets
extremely cold, heat it during
winter. Just be mindful as you
are hooking up these accesso-
ries whether your particular
vehicle has the capacity to run
them all.
Vise
Mounting a vise to the bed of
your vehicle will make working
on things so much easier. It’s
40
WWW.GOLFCAROPTIONS.COM
quite often that you get out
in the field and realize having
another set of hands would be
beneficial, and that’s what a vise
can provide. It’s also very useful
when the need to make some
quick irrigation repairs arises.
Jack and jack stand
If there is room, a portable
jack and jack stand to assist
in changing flat tires would be
another great addition to your
vehicle. The important thing
with this tool is to make sure it’s
secure and not rolling around in
the bed of the vehicle.
Hydraulic hose machine
Although this isn’t an item you’d
typically think of for this type of
vehicle, being able to replace a
hydraulic hose in the field can
also help minimize the down-
time of a piece of equipment.
Not having one would mean
taking off the hose, running it to
the shop to build the new hose,
and then running it back out.
That can all be done on-site as
long has you have the fittings
needed for the repair.
To each his own
The list here is certainly not
all-inclusive, as I have seen a
number of different configura-
tions for vehicles such as these,
but these are the most common
options included. In the future,
I could certainly see more items
being incorporated as golf
equipment evolves. Perhaps a
lithium-ion battery will power
your vehicle, which should offer
an added layer of reliability and
quiet operation. Maybe GPS
units will become standard,
allowing you to track where all
of your course’s machines are
from the seat of your vehicle.
That alone would save the drive
time most of us currently en-
dure as we search for a particu-
lar piece of equipment.
Building your own mobile shop
vehicle isn’t something that
requires you to go out and pur-
chase new from an equipment
manufacturer. It’s something
you can build over time, adding
pieces as you go. And whether
you start out with one of your
course’s older fleet vehicles or
are lucky enough to get a new
vehicle, don’t rush into modi-
fications. Add things that are
really going to help you be more
efficient. Having elements on
your cart that just “look cool”
may not be functional or actual-
ly save you any time. Every item
should be there because of how
frequently it gets used.
The Ultimate Utility Vehicle is
certainly something I would rec-
ommend for every operation, as
you never know when or where
you may need to make a repair.
Having the right tools at the
right time to handle those situ-
ations can get your equipment
back up and running much
more quickly, which will keep
maintenance operations moving
as they should. So, take a look
around your facility, and start
deciding what your Ultimate
Utility Vehicle will look like.
https://www.gcmonline.
com/course/shop/news/
building-the-perfect-
beast?utm_source=in-
formz&utm_medium=e-
mail&utm_campaign=general