RTV ROPS - beware

[RoyJackson]

It was going less than five mph. It didn’t hit anything but did roll down a hill. It landed right side up and we drove it approx four miles back to the trailer.

Did the driver roll with it, or did he or her bail out?
If they stayed with it, hopefully was using the seat belt

 

[MossyDell]

I've got to join the chorus of the shocked that a ROPS, or even what buyers would assume is a ROPs, would fare so poorly. Multiple rollovers or not.

Now the ROPS on my B2601 looks heavy enough that collapse wouldn't happen. Having written that, I can only hope Kubota figures you may have loaded tires and a weight box in addition to tractor weight.

 

[s219]

Looks like the front passenger side pillar broke right about where there is normally a grab handle welded on. Without more information I wouldn't conclude anything, but offhand, when that breaks you are down to three pillars and the ROPS won't be able to resist loads nearly as well. It folded up just like I'd expect with that particular pillar gone.

 

[s219]

This is what it would have looked like before, seems like it broke near one side of the grab handle.

 

[bdog]

This is where it broke

 

[s219]

This is where it broke

That is unlikely to be the initial/primary failure. That is more likely to be a secondary failure. I can expand on the logic if needed.

 

[s219]

Can you get closeup pictures of the fracture on the upper end of the pillar, both at the roof/gusset and the end of the tube?

 

[Snobdds]

That diamond plate on the roof dosen't look factory.

I'm still trying to understand how you roll at 5mph? Even if a tire fell of a ledge and he over corrected, there isn't enough momentum to roll it. This comming from a seasoned ATV roll over artist in my younger years.

Tires are nice.

 

[bdog]

I will get more pictures later the unit is currently on the trailer in route back to my house. The driver was headed down a very steep slope and the RTV slid sideways and rolled over from what he recalls it rolled once or twice and then threw him out and then continued to roll down to the bottom of the hill. I am not sure how many times it rolled. I think he was maybe a quarter of the way down the hill when the rollover occurred. I have some survey data along this path and I will look at it and see how steep it was I am not sure exactly but it was steep enough that it was sort of scary just to walk down it.

 

[Diggin It]

I'll just say it again ... don't do anything at all to it. Haul it to the dealer and ask a for corporate rep to look at it.

Is that something any state agency might need to see also?

 

[s219]

These things have a surprisingly low center of gravity, but sideways on a steep hill will tempt fate at any speed (even zero) -- so that for sure sounds like a very steep hill. I was once going up a steep hill with my RTV-X1120D, a hill I'd climbed many times. Well this was a warm day after we'd had a 2 week cold snap. The soil was frozen hard down to about 8" depth but the top surface had thawed in the sun and was like grease (unknown to me). I got about 3/4 up the hill and then the surface broke loose and I slid all the way back down, backwards, fighting to keep pointed in the right direction and not get sideways. Scary for sure. When I got to the bottom of the hill, there was about 30' of crumpled up turf/peat packed behind the rear tires, that had been scraped off the hill in ribbons, like using a sod cutter. The skids on the hill were shiny with frozen soil and frost. I am pretty sure I came close to a roll that day.

 

[plowhog]

from what he recalls it rolled once or twice and then threw him out

I'm trying to understand how an unbelted driver can roll several times, staying inside the RTV, and only then come out. Maybe the slow speed or a superhuman "death grip" on the wheel?

 

[riptides]

I'm trying to understand how an unbelted driver can roll several times, staying inside the RTV, and only then come out. Maybe the slow speed or a superhuman "death grip" on the wheel?

One can get caught up in the equipment.

 

[KiotiKowboy]

I'll just say ... those pics don't exactly make me want to rush out and buy a Kubota.

 

[s219]

I'm trying to understand how an unbelted driver can roll several times, staying inside the RTV, and only then come out. Maybe the slow speed or a superhuman "death grip" on the wheel?

No doubt the steering wheel now has a few extra finger grip impressions on the rim! First 1-2 rolls were probably slow, before it turned into an RTV-shaped bowling ball going downhill.

 

[metalbender]

Those fancy TWEELS resist sideways flex, probably caused the slide in the first place.

 

[plastikosmd]

Crazy to think:
You may be safer without seat belt and being clear of that ROPS (as long as u don’t land under it)

not something I would depend on

 

[Diggin It]

Those fancy TWEELS resist sideways flex, probably caused the slide in the first place.

That's a thought. OP mentioned a price, but I can't recall if they were added by the dealer or not. But even if they contributed to the accident, the ROPS should still have fared better.

 

[WilliamBos]

I hadn't seen these on anything but military vehicles. All I know is - I get really tired of airing up the tires on my Cub Cadet!

The Michelin Tweel has been on the market for at least 10 years, quite common on skid steers, zero turn mowers and such.

 

[WilliamBos]

Crazy to think:
You may be safer without seat belt and being clear of that ROPS (as long as u don’t land under it)

not something I would depend on

That is a death sentence - always buckle up with any ROPS equipped vehicle.