Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Jeep-v-UTV

What advantages does a UTV have over a Jeep Wrangler or similar? I looked at getting a UTV in order to get my kids to the school bus in the winter. The county road can get plugged with snow pretty easy. I would need it enclosed and heated and with a winch. Planned on putting tracks on it too. Before the tracks and winch are bought it comes to over $20,000 for a Polaris model. I can get a used Jeep for much less. So, again, what are the advantages of a UTV? What am I missing?

Maybe I am thinking the Jeep will be more capable than it is.

Something like an Argo with tracks will go over deep snow that would leave a 4x4 of any sort stranded..

It really depends how bad the roads get..on hard compacted snow or loose powder snow that is not too deep, a 4x4 with chains, plus a locker of some sort, is pretty capable. This point was really proved when TopGear drove a Toyota Hilux to the North Pole!

Look into the price of a pickup or SUV with a snow plow or snow blower. It would be far cheaper than those track kits and have a lot less problems.
However, since you're on this forum, I assume you're an outdoorsman. In that case, the tracks are the ONLY way to go because after you deliver the kids, awaaaaay you goooo!

Yeah I looked at Argos, but they aren't that popular here so I haven't seen a used one for sale. To get an Argo with everything I need would be over $24,000.

We have 2 miles to go to get to the bus stop. The road plugs up pretty bad at times. I thought of lockers on the pick-up, but I don't see how even with them it can push 50-100 feet of snow that is over its hood uphill. Sorry for not explaining my situation better.

I really would prefer the Argo, but then thought of the UTV with tracks. After seeing the prices I thought of a used jeep with fat tires to try to float over the drifts.

The jeep advantages as I see it would be year round uses and can go on the highway at decent speed. The Argo advantages are it can go over just about everything. I've been in them on hunts to Canada and Alaska. They are quite amazing. A track kit to fit a UTV is between $3000 and $4000 at the local dealer.

Also, I thought of a Snowmobile. The problem with just getting them is they would sit 80-90% of the time and would not offer protection for my young kids while we are getting to the bus stop or while waiting for the bus to arrive.

Is there any advantage to a UTV over the Jeep?

I live in one of the snowiest areas of the US. I own a 1991 Jeep Wrangler. While I understand you don't want to get a snow machine because it won't get a lot of use, that is what I would do. I don't think a Jeep could get through what you are describing ("over your hood") and the UTV with tracks is way to much money IMO.

My vote would be a snow machine and a sled. Lots of people around here in the lower access areas do that. They are fast, and reliable through snow drifts because they ride on top of the snow and not plowing through it.

What do your neighbors or others in that area use when faced with the same issue?

This one's only $15k SNOWCAT Do some searching for used ski hill grooming equipment.

Snow over the hood would stop my Jeep. No doubt.

Am thinking maybe a snowmobile, and build a little shelter down at the road where the school bus comes - so the kiddos can wait out of the weather. Might even be able to rig a propane heater or something in the shelter.

Get yourself one of the bigger utility-type snowmobiles. I've run Polaris and Arctic Cats - fans mostly- for years and make them work most of the time. A friend of mine, a guy more inclined toward liquid-cooled crotch-rocket power, recently got himself a big wide-track e-Tec Ski-Doo which has high and low gears and a very long track. He is very impressed with what the machine can do. Even the later year models of the Polaris 340 Tourings would be very adequate. Get one of the covered sled/buggies to pull behind and/or stick a kid or two on the machine's seat and you would be good. A utility/working snowmachine can be very useful for getting around and doing a lot of chores in snow - and they'll easily pull a lot more than their own weight on broken trails if you so desire to use them in that way.

Any place around you do army surplus vehicles?

If so price up a H�gglunds BV206:



You can get one of those in good running order for about $20,000 here in the UK..

All good ideas. Eventually I'll need room for four young kids. I really like that Hagglunds. We are in a weird situation wind wise here. The people north and south of us on this road don't have the drifting we experience so can get out with their regular vehicles.

The wind can get brutal at times so I would like something enclosed to keep the kids warm. A friend also mentioned the Ski-doo with sled.

I wasn't thinking of the jeep plowing through the snow, but more like it having big tires to help it float over the snow as if it was on loose sand.

I was with a Search & Rescue team a while back that had a thyacal(SP). We could go anywhere in that. Loose, powdery snow was no problem. Something like that could easily hold everyone. Just haven't been able to find one.

The jeep will weigh about 3000 pounds, so I don't know if it will be able to ride on top of the snow. From my experience, skinny tires do better in the snow. I suppose if it was pure powder, than the wider tires might be better. But with wet snow like once it starts melting, skinny tire are better. Regardless, chain it up and it will do better.

I still think a snow machine (or snow mobile as some call them) is your best idea. Build a shelter where you drop the kids off, and you will be set.

Remember, kids like adventure. They may actually like the snow machine without a cab, so maybe you shouldn't worry to much about what may actually not be a problem.

Yep. I have skinny tires on my pick-up and they work great. They also sink in. I have gotten out when having to drive though a few miles of undrifted snow that was about bumper high with them. My only worry is when it gets drifted and is above the bumper.

I may be putting too much thought into this. When the kids weren't in school it didn't worry me when we got snowed in. That is except when my wife was pregnant and the only way to get her to the hospital if she went in labor was to have her walk across the 100 ft long drift to someone on the other side. I was a little nervous at those times I'll admit.

Why not just plow the road?

Thiokol, perhaps.

The county does eventually. Do you think a 3/4 GMC with a 6.0 motor could plow packed snow up hill in the morning before the bus arrives? With the depth I mentioned?

Thanks for the corrected spelling. I new it was wrong, but couldn't get it.

With deep snow, hanging a blower on the front of the truck might work a lot better. The problem with a plow isn't the snow you're pushing today. It's the snow you pushed yesterday. You have to be able to get it out of the road somehow which can be impossible when you've already stacked it 4' high along both sides. Blowers aren't cheap, but still might be cheaper than some of the other options you've considered. The expensive problem is that you'd have to have a self powered one since you wouldn't have a PTO. Here's 1 example for you to chew on. SNOWVAC.

With a blower, you could chew your way to the bus stop, drop off the kids, and chew the other side on the way back. Then you'd have a good wide road open.

Edited to add: I was looking at that website. They say you can drop the blower and use the same brackets for a plow. That would give you the best of both.

There's an ad today in the Twin Falls, Idaho Times-News for an '03 6 wheeled Argo with snow tracks. 25 HP gas engine, little use, very clean. $4500.
208-320-4058

Take a look at www.snotrans.com
They have a bunch of equipment for snow transport

Thats almost a give away!