RTV Cab Enclosure

Kanook

Kanook

Active member
HI all,
I find it interesting that numerous contributors to this forum feel that the enclosed cab on the RTV is confining and poses a restriction to frequent entry/exit activity while performing chores. I have the Curtiss enclosure on mine (2004 RTV900) and to be honest I don't find the cab to be a hindrance. The doors are large and easy to operate and if one so desired, they can be easily removed by simply opening the door and lifting it off the hinge. The cab does not increase the height or width of the machine any more that a unit equipped with the plastic roof and the windshield opens out from the bottom and allows a nice breeze while scooting down the road and both doors have sliding windows. I also find that pushing back snow in the howling wind is not a test of endurance with the enclosure installed and the heater helping out.

An enclosure equipped with work lights, windshield wipers, heater etc ain't cheap so I can understand not having one if your operating situation doesn't deem it necessary.

Just curious what other owners with and without an enclosed unit on their machines feel.:myopinion:
 
I feel it is overkill for my intended use of the machine. There are times when I'd like to have one, like plowing snow in the winter but then in the summer I want the air so I'd have to remove it. I also use my RTV for hunting so in cold weather I think there would be an icing problem on all the windows from starting and stopping so many times, I may hunt an area for 20-30 minutes then jump on my buggy and drive a mile or so and repeat, the temp cycling in the cab would present a problem in my opinion. I also don't care for the idea of adding that much weight up high, seems like it would make the machine feel more tippy. If the doors are easily removable that would cure one of my dislikes about them.


It's entirely possible that a cab is an item that if I ever purchased I would wonder how I ever did without it but for the time being the downsides I see outweigh the benefit for me.
 
No cab for me, thanks...

While there are times that a cab would be nice, for the most part it would be more trouble than value to me. When I am snow plowing, I am still frequently getting in and out (my Curtis blade needs me to set the angle by hand). Moreover, my plowing is typically part of other outdoor work I am doing.

When it is cold (we are talking -20 to -45 or so, whether F or C), I am suited up for the conditions. It would be too hot to have a heated cab and be wearing my outdoor gear and too cold to be comfortable in the cab and needing to get out frequently.

I am more than comfortable wearing appropriate gear for the conditions and cannot see how a cab would improve my enjoyment of my machine. At least it works well for me with just a windscreen and a roof.
 
I like mine with an open cab. If it is that nasty out that I want a cab I will use my pickup or my backhoe with a cab. I do add side shields on my skid loader for the winter as I use it for bringing wood to the boiler and hauling round bales when it is nasty out. The only advantage of a cab would be to keep the occasional branch from slapping me while hauling wood. But then I would probably break the glass where I take mine at times as well.
 
I like the open air. This has been one of the worst summers I ever remember with temps near 100 and high humidity most of the season. but here we are in Fall and temps still well above normal and rain -- well there is none. And the Winter was just as extreme for our area with days and nights below freezing. Then a really wet spring. So I figure we should be set for perfect weather this time around. and Why I don't want a cab- $$ ,window breakage, air movement,I run pvc pipe thru the cab to the bumper and out the back when I carry it, and without the doors on ,it would serve no purpose better than my shrink wrap plastic when it gets cold. So I will just keep my money and suffer a little here and there. Now if I won the lottery would I buy one ?? No, probably not as long as the plastic will take the nip out of the extreme cold (for down here) . Bordercollie
 
I seem to be getting drowned out by a chorus of 'dump that cab..you wimp'. I'm startin' to feel guilty about trying to keep warm in the winter and maybe should get out there and rip those doors off the RTV before someone spots them firmly attached to my RTV and decides to spray paint "SISSY" in JD green or Kioti red all over my cozy little 'bota...:dancing:
 

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Kanook, if I was just sitting in my machine pushing the snow for hours at a time, I could appreciate the cab. It just does not work in my context. So I won't be adding any derogatory graffiti to your 'bota. (I have a heated cab on my Case 580C and have never complained about it.)
 
We have 2 RTV900's where I work, and the hard cabs are mandatory. There's no way we could use our Kubotas without them. We run 24/7, 365 days. It just rains too much here. In the summer we need the shade from the roof, but we take the doors off from about May til October.
When we took delivery of our first one, the cab wasn't on it yet. It was January, and as soon as the novelty wore off (in about a week) nobody wanted to drive it. 40 degrees might not sound cold, but at full speed the damp wind chill feels like 40 below.
We also have the heaters and wipers. Another must for this neck of the woods. I also put dome lights in.

The first unit has the cab with the soft doors and back window. With the second one, we learned our lesson and got the steel doors and hard back window. The soft doors/windows are a pain in the butt. They're not durable, they discolor, don't clean easily, and using the zippers to open the side windows just doesn't work for us.
I put a hard back window in, but I'm still looking for a pair of steel doors without going to Kubota. $1500 might be a tough sell to my boss. He doesn't drive it.
 
Kanook, If I lived above the Mason Dixon , I will probably have a different opinion. Your RTV is safe from me and the Kioti. I just live on a cattle farm and would lose that heat because of the constant door opening. We have gates every where and they must be opened and closed every time through them.With no doors no heat . I have been known to warm my hands with the clean blowing exhaust from the RTV . Thanks for a thoughtful gathering of opinions. Bordercollie
 
Bordercollie, last I checked I am slightly north of the Mason Dixon line and cab enclosure will still not work for me. But I do confess to warming my hands on the clean blowing exhaust sometimes.... And I am outside 365 days a year too--from 75F (about as warm as it typically gets in these parts) to -45F. I have concluded that I would benefit from windshield wipers, however. :-)
 
Kanook, I'm with you, being a Canadian, we look at winter differently than those down South.

I had the same setup as you have, cab wise, and loved it so much I traded it for an 11. The extra comfort summer and winter is great, it has air as well as the heater as you know. And my primary use is in winter to plow a little snow.

But this topic is like the coast valve. Strong opinions both ways for all the right reasons. Get the one your happy with and be glad it's a KUBOTA RTV.
 
Nothing but respect to Kanook and Spudhauler for enjoying their heated and a/c'd cabs! And congrats to Whatscookin' for joining the warm (or cool, as the case may be) and comfortable RTV set. In the end, it's what the cab is sitting on that makes the difference, and I don't hear any disagreements around that. And agree with Spudhauler--good reasons for both options. Even up here in Canada.
 
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