[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by gratefulparrot

Thanks for posting this. I'm not yet a TV, but when I get there, I want to enjoy myself. I'm trying to get away from the heavy highway and inpatient drivers. I want to leisurely travel through enjoying all the sights and sound. 50 mile trip on a charge, seems like I can go anywhere.

I do have one question. Are there charging stations anywhere. Meaning, if I do find myself needing a charge, can I charge someplace and have a beer?

Nope.

There is a service that you contract with and they will come and jump you if you need it and you hopefully have a beer with you.

The "claims" on battery ranges are fine, until you come up short. Batteries get old and the charge does not last. But, there are plenty of battery lovers in TV.

[Challenger]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Nope.

There is a service that you contract with and they will come and jump you if you need it and you hopefully have a beer with you.

The "claims" on battery ranges are fine, until you come up short. Batteries get old and the charge does not last. But, there are plenty of battery lovers in TV.

When I see a cart abandoned along one of the paths, I quite often stop to see if it is gas or electric. More than 80percent of the instances that I see involve Electric carts.

In talking to several cart dealers when coming to TV they told me that used electric carts lost value much more quickly than gas and were more difficult to resell.

No ax to grind --just info . Would be interested to hear a rebutal from anyone with facts.

[Dancing Queen]

Both new gas and electric we have owned hurt my back so, my sweetie is the only one to use the latest electric 4 seater Star, I prefer my Honda personally.
So I agree with others here, see how far you go in a car, and rent various brands, and types of carts to see if it is really for you, don't just buy one because you see so many, or it looks really cool.
Oh and make sure you take them out in the rain that is another experience in, and of itself including leaks, fogging, no lightning protection like in a car,read POA information on that, etc., and don't forget to get seat belts installed if you purchase one if it does not come with them, as most folks who are fatalities are ejected from the carts on roundabouts, or accidents like the one this week, sadly. Please be careful while enjoying your wonderful new life in TV.

[philnpat]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

If you plan on traveling everywhere by cart, you may want to consider gas.
I find them noisy and smelly, but lots of people seem to love them.
I looked at one recently at Villages Golf Carts to see if they have improved the gas smell.
The salesman said "Oh, don't worry about it, it only affects the people behind you".

Everyone has their favorite make and type of golf cart.
My favorite type is electric -- no noise, no smell.
We purchased our golf cart at Columbia Par Car on CR 441.
We've had a CPC since 2007 with no problems, and only one new battery.
The range is amazing, some say 60 miles.
All I know is our CPC seems to run forever on a battery charge, we've never come close to running out.

You've replaced only one battery in 8 years and still get 60 miles per charge? Or was it one set of batteries?What's your secret? (inquiring minds want to know)

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

If you plan on traveling everywhere by cart, you may want to consider gas.
I find them noisy and smelly, but lots of people seem to love them.
I looked at one recently at Villages Golf Carts to see if they have improved the gas smell.
The salesman said "Oh, don't worry about it, it only affects the people behind you".

Everyone has their favorite make and type of golf cart.
My favorite type is electric -- no noise, no smell.
We purchased our golf cart at Columbia Par Car on CR 441.
We've had a CPC since 2007 with no problems, and only one new battery.
The range is amazing, some say 60 miles.
All I know is our CPC seems to run forever on a battery charge, we've never come close to running out.

I understand the hot summer heat is what really does a number on cart batteries and don't you spend all those days up in Canada? Could make a big difference..

[Fraugoofy]

Gas is the only way for me. Gets me as far as I need to go on less than a tank of gas. No plug ins, no worries!

[JoMar]

Originally Posted by Challenger

When I see a cart abandoned along one of the paths, I quite often stop to see if it is gas or electric. More than 80percent of the instances that I see involve Electric carts.

In talking to several cart dealers when coming to TV they told me that used electric carts lost value much more quickly than gas and were more difficult to resell.

No ax to grind --just info . Would be interested to hear a rebutal from anyone with facts.

No rebuttal but as in all things, most failures are user issues. You should plug them in every night and if you go away for a couple months use a battery minder and you should get good service. A good electric cart has a volt meter and you will know when you are getting to the critical voltage. The carts just don't stop, as the batteries get old your meter will give you an indication of declining range. If the cart dies it's because the user wasn't paying attention and most likely didn't charge. It isn't rocket science, as with most things, most are user errors.

[JoMar]

Originally Posted by Fraugoofy

Gas is the only way for me. Gets me as far as I need to go on less than a tank of gas. No plug ins, no worries!

Electric is the only way for me. Gets me as far as need to go without running to a gas station. No fumes, no noise, no fouled carburetor, no spark plugs, no gas filters or air filters, no leaking seals, no oil dripping on my garage floor, no worries......sorry, couldn't resist the urge....smile.

[Fraugoofy]

This is why The Villages is so great! Everyone is happy: gas or electric! If these are our only concerns, seriously, our lives are wonderful!

[jrdonn]

if you don't golf and live in the newer section (south of 466a) you really don't need a golf cart. When we need to got to Target or Lowes etc. It is too far for a golf cart. We drive our car 99% of the time. If you do get one gas is nice, you don't have to plug in, add water to the batteries, replace batteries or worry about making it home before needing a charge. With gas, if you get low on gas you just pull into a gas station. In hindsight I wish i'd saved 12k and not bought one.

[philnpat]

Originally Posted by JoMar

Electric is the only way for me. Gets me as far as need to go without running to a gas station. No fumes, no noise, no fouled carburetor, no spark plugs, no gas filters or air filters, no leaking seals, no oil dripping on my garage floor, no worries......sorry, couldn't resist the urge....smile.

Gas is the only way for me. No need to plug in every night, no need to top off batteries with water, no battery acid dripping on my garage floor...
Sorry, I couldn't resist it either.
Actually I do like them both but have chosen to drive a gas cart.

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by JoMar

Electric is the only way for me. Gets me as far as need to go without running to a gas station. No fumes, no noise, no fouled carburetor, no spark plugs, no gas filters or air filters, no leaking seals, no oil dripping on my garage floor, no worries......sorry, couldn't resist the urge....smile.

How about all that dripping battery acid on the driveway, garage floor, cart paths??

[JoMar]

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

How about all that dripping battery acid on the driveway, garage floor, cart paths??

Haven't seen a drop on my garage or driveway......and not sure that isn't oil on the cart paths.....but, that's why you have gas and I don't....we both believe in what we have and that keeps all the suppliers in business....not a bad thing.

[tuccillo]

The gas station is on the way to places we are going and we only fill up about every 200+ miles. We get 50 miles to the gallon. I haven't noticed any fumes. It is a bit noisier than electric but doesn't bother us. It is fuel injected so no carburetor. The spark plug needs to be replaced once a year and only takes a few minutes. The fuel filter is replaced every 4 years and the air filter is replaced once per year and only takes a few minutes. It doesn't leak oil but even if it did, oil is much better than battery acid, which will eat through concrete. Essentially, we put gas in it about once per month and there is about 20 minutes of maintenance once per year.

Originally Posted by JoMar

Electric is the only way for me. Gets me as far as need to go without running to a gas station. No fumes, no noise, no fouled carburetor, no spark plugs, no gas filters or air filters, no leaking seals, no oil dripping on my garage floor, no worries......sorry, couldn't resist the urge....smile.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by philnpat

You've replaced only one battery in 8 years and still get 60 miles per charge? Or was it one set of batteries?What's your secret? (inquiring minds want to know)

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

I understand the hot summer heat is what really does a number on cart batteries and don't you spend all those days up in Canada? Could make a big difference..

Yes, we've only replaced the batteries once since we bought the Columbia Par Car in 2007.
I'm not really sure why we've had only one battery replacement in eight years.
We have our Par Car plugged in for six months during the summer heat when we are away from TV.
Our Homewatch Company occasionally takes the cart for a drive.
Perhaps we are not typical. I apologize if my posts were misleading in any way.