Essex RTV cab

Rick_Taylor · Feb 14, 2005

I thought I'd post a picture of the Essex Mfg cab on my RTV. This is cab s/n 2, their first one out the door. It's very nice, the glass w/s lifts on gas cylinders, the top is padded, and radio and wiper wiring is already in place. The back window slides open both directions. I will post pictures later of the stereo installation. I painted the ugly silver brush guard Kubota grey to match the cab. I'm supposed to get the first set of doors when they are ready. I know I'm ready now!

chief5 · Feb 14, 2005

How much are they charging for it?

JDGREEN4ME · Feb 14, 2005

Looks great! Do they make them for other models?

jinman · Feb 15, 2005

Rick, I was at Essex last week, picking up a roof kit and some additional accessories for a Kawasaki Mule. I asked them about RTV accessories and was told they want folks to go through their Kubota dealers for now. They definitely left me with the impression that they are in a "full-court press" to get the RTV line going, but they would prefer to deal with dealers. What was your impression?

Rick_Taylor · Feb 15, 2005

Yes, Essex has taken the position of selling RTV accessories thru the dealers. This is because Kubota has a reliable dealer network with good service available, at least that's what Dan has seen here in DFW in Zimmerer Kubota. He doesn't have the same nice things to say about motorcycle shops. UTV's seem to be step-children to bike and ATV folks. That's why Essex will sell and install Mule and Rhino parts. I've had a good relationship with Dan for years from back when he did a cab for my Mule 550. I guess I'm the guinea pig. Essex has some very nice aluminum bed side rails. I've been trying to get him to make me one to fit across the front of the bed. I'd like to remove the screen from the back window. I don't focus well when looking through it backing up and it's a pain to clean the outside of the window. Connected to the front of the bed it would just mean lifting the bed to clean the window. No luck so far. Did you notice my Dayton 26x12x12 turf tires and chrome rims? Look great and they seem to have all the traction necessary to climb what hills and creek banks I have. Very kind to the ground also. They're 6 ply and I haven't had a flat, yet. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Essex and Dan Micka are good folks.

Rick_Taylor · Feb 15, 2005

The last price I heard was around $2400 complete with hard doors. I going from memory here. I know it was about $300 cheaper than the Kubota cab. The cab is all steel. The doors are supposed to be made out of a hard rubber like material that shrinks when cooling. They heat it, press in the steel door frame, then let it cool. The problem has been figuring out just how much too big to make the frame, since the material shrinks the steel when it cools. Dan showed me some of it. I think this will be the most bulletproof door material ever used. Last I heard the first batch was to be black. I think I talked him into making them grey to match the cab. I hope so. The black doors were what turned me off the Kubota cab.