One of the most popular pieces of outdoor power equipment these days is the utility vehicle. From hunters to handymen, everyone seems to be using them.
Why? The current crop of utility vehicles is practical, powerful and versatile-a far cry from their "golf cart with an attitude" predecessors. So what should you look for in a utility vehicle?
"Take the time to really figure out how you will use a utility vehicle and what type of terrain you will encounter," advises Jerry Sandy, product manager for Husqvarna's HUV utility vehicle line. "Decide up front what accessories and features are required for the types of tasks you plan to accomplish."
Home & Garden-For jobs like brush clearing or hauling supplies to the garden, says Sandy, a compact utility vehicle may fit the bill. Larger tasks such as clearing snow, on the other hand, require a more powerful unit, four-wheel drive and accessories such as a snowplow attachment, tire chains and a cab enclosure.
Property Management-For farmers, ranchers and timber owners, key factors include engine durability, payload capacity and traction for rough terrain. A smooth suspension maximizes comfort when traveling extended distances. Accessories such as windshields, heaters, electric winches and trailer hitches are also important.
Hunting & Fishing-Outdoorsmen will want a utility vehicle that functions well in remote areas, so consider features such as certified rollover protection, four-wheel drive and locking differentials. A wide wheelbase and low center of gravity provide stability in rough conditions, and accessory items such as winches, hood racks, heavy-duty bumpers, and aggressive tires can be helpful.
Pickup truck haulers are the more sturdy, practical alternative to sport utility vehicles, and many people are now making the switch. They are certainly a growing market, but a number of obstacles stand in the way of sales. Rising gas prices and environmental pressure influence many people's decisions of whether or not to buy, as well as the current dominance of sport utility vehicles on the market. Can they oust the competition and find their place in an over-crowded marketplace, or will they fall by the wayside as practicality gives way to political correctness?
Uses
Pickup truck haulers have a variety of uses, and in fact the phrase can mean a number of things. The hauler can be separate, like a trailer, or even an add-on at the back to hold motorbikes. Mostly, though, pickup truck haulers are elongated pickups, designed to carry much larger items and cope with a heavier workload. Apart from motorbikes, jet skis, powered parachutes, canoes, snowmobiles, rafts, and balloons can be transported to their destinations, and they are frequently used as mobile skips and organic waste disposal units. They are getting larger and more versatile by the year, and are so reaching broader markets and appealing to a wider range of users.
History
The humble pickup truck has been around since 1925, when Henry Ford introduced the "Ford Model T Runabout with Pickup Body". Selling at $281, they quickly established a new market in motor vehicles, which was seized upon by the general public. Farmers found them particularly useful, but during the Great Depression banks would not lend money for luxuries such as cars, but they would for utilitarian vehicles such as pickups. This changed when a farmer sent a letter to Henry Ford asking, "Why don't you build people like me a vehicle in which I can take my family to church on Sunday, and my pigs to town on Monday?"; and so the utility vehicle was born, and it has gone from strength to strength since. Nowadays they can be used to move far more than pigs or people, but with their increased size has come an increased consumption of fuel, with damaging consequences.
Fuel Consumption
The larger the vehicle, the more fuel it consumes, and the greater the effect on the environment. sport utility vehicles have received widespread criticism over the last few years from environmental pressure groups, and rising gas prices have shaken the market considerably. Polls in the summer of 2006 suggested that most people wanted to move away from utility vehicles and into the smaller car or hybrid sector. Nonetheless, the opposite appears to be happening, with sales of utility vehicles rising while car sales fall. Pickup truck haulers are definitely at the higher-consumption end of the market, but they fill a niche that cannot be otherwise filled by cars or smaller vehicles. If you need to move large items, then you need a large vehicle. Period.
The Future
Pickup truck haulers have a large role in the utilitarian market today, and will no doubt continue to do so in the future. The main criticism of sport utility vehicles is that they are are very often used by those who don't actually need them, such as couples or small families. So the question to ask yourself is: do I really need a pickup truck hauler? I cover this topic and the different varieties of haulers in my webpage, so I won't go into it here, but at the end of the day only you can answer that question, based on your career and lifestyle. One thing is for certain, though: pickup truck haulers are here to stay, and the time is right for them to overtake the competition and move into the fast lane.
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