Buying, Carrying and Using a Cricket Golf Cart

Back in September 2015, I published a blog article titled "Should we take our own golf cart?".  At that time, I knew that I wanted a cart small enough to fit in the back of a pickup truck and still be able to put up the tailgate.  We ended up with two possibilities: a Kangacruz or a Cricket.

Both the Kangacruz and the Cricket are lengthwise collapsible, so they will (barely) fit in the back of a pickup truck with a raised gate.  They both have published carrying capacities of around 600 pounds, travel at about the same speeds and have about the same battery life.

The Kangacruz Aspire SS

Kangacruz Aspire SS (from their web site)

Of the two, I became convinced that I wanted the upcoming Kangacruz Aspire SS.  The SS was to have a longer battery life and, more important to me, an increased carrying capacity of about 650 pounds.  It also had a few more bells and whistles than the Cricket; things like turn signals, a better suspension, and bigger wheels.

The problem with the Kangacruz was their ongoing promises that the SS model was "coming soon".  Initially, it was to be available in early and we were told that it would be ready on time.  Then they said it was delayed to the summer because some parts were on backorder.  That changed to late fall, and so on.  I corresponded with them by e-mail and they were very nice, but had nothing that they could sell me.

When it came time for the Tampa RV Show in early 2017, they told me that they planned to actually have one at the show.  I noted that their booth at the show seemed to be inside of an expo hall and asked them if we'd be able to drive it.  Their answer was "no", it would not be available to test drive; just available to look at.

On the 18th of January, the opening day of the Show, we went to the Kangacruz booth early and looked at the prototype of the new SS.  And even though we were one of the first ones to visit them, we were told that we would have to pay them over $4000 now and that shipment "might be in March or April".  Not only were they kicking the can again, they had reduced the recommended weight back to 600 pounds from their earlier online listing of specifications.

At that point, we decided that we didn't want to put our faith in Kangacruz because 1) they had been promising shipments for about 18 months and still wouldn't provide a firm delivery date, 2) the weight limit matched the more popular Crickets, and 3) they are located in Canada, which worried us in case it might ever need service.

The Cricket SX-3

The Cricket SX-3 cart weighs about 305 pounds, collapses to about 58" in length, and seems to be the most popular collapsible golf cart we could find anywhere.  In the months leading up to the 2017 Tampa RV Show,  we were told by a local Florida Cricket dealer that they would not be shown at the show as they had in some previous years.

To our surprise, we saw the outdoor Cricket display at the Show shortly after we had walked away from the Kangacruz booth.  The sales people willingly handed us a key to one and told us to take it for a spin, on our own, away from their area.  We did and were impressed that such a small cart did such a great job.

The seats on the Cricket are just wide enough to fit two adults.  It's tight, but not uncomfortable.  The back seat folds down to make a bed that can be used to haul anything from groceries to camping chairs. It's top speed is about 8-10 miles per hour.

One of the things I never liked about the Crickets was that the steering wheel was in the center of the  cart.  With the new 2017 version, that has been changed and the wheel is thankfully more towards the left-hand side.  Their later models also feature LED headlights, which is either good or bad depending on your opinion of extremely bright lights on such a small cart.

Options included a top frame that has a vinyl cover at the top that is tied to the frame, a long rear-view mirror, and a plexiglass windshield.  There's also a cart cover (only used if top frame isn't in place) and a rainproof slip-cover that fits over the entire cart (top frame included, with windows on the front and side).

Our Cricket, bought at the 2017 Tampa RV Show

We liked it a lot, and decided to buy it with the standard (no-top) cover, top frame, mirror and windshield.  We also got a pair of aluminum ramps so we could load it into our pickup truck.  The ramps were about $200.  The total price, which had to be paid using cash or check, was in the neighborhood of $4300.  We got to pick our color (candy apple red) on the spot and after about a half hour of some top assembly and instructions, were able to drive it away into the fairgrounds and use it during the Show.

The Cricket sales people were very nice at the Tampa Show.  They apparently were getting about 10 of them every day of the show and were selling them all.  If you think you may want to get one at the show, I recommend that you get there on Wednesday (opening day) so that you can pick your colors and options  - and drive it home.  You'll also be able to use in inside of the show each day - a real bonus.

Cricket post-buy review

Now that we've had it a while, we still love our Cricket.  However, there are some things that are definitely worth noting:

• They told us at the show that it should carry more than 600 pounds.  We were concerned because you sometimes may want to take four "larger" adults.  We tried it out and it seems capable, but it can "bend up" (picture an upside down "V") with all of the weight.  It does a lot better if you put the two heaviest people in the front seat.
• One of the biggest reasons we wanted a Cricket was because it could collapse to fit in the bed of our truck.  However - and this is important - you can't collapse it unless you remove the frame for the top; the top won't collapse.  So, if you want to collapse it, you have to remove the  entire top and store it (it's pretty large), or break the top frame down into pieces by removing 8 bolts, 8 nuts, and 16 washers.  Not good at all if you plan to take your cart in and out of your truck/SUV a lot.   In the long run, I decided to remove my truck topper so that we could fit the un-collapsed cart in our truck while traveling.  We will have to remove the vinyl top, windshield and rear footrest each time, but that's a lot better than removing or dismantling the entire frame.
• The charging cord isn't long. To charge it at night without an extension cord, I had to park it about two feet from my coach and use a plug in the basement area.  One morning, I went out, turned the key and drove off - cutting the still-plugged-in charging cord.  I quickly replaced it with a cord bought at Home Depot, and bought a magnetic reminder strip to put on the steering wheel whenever it's plugged in.
• Those LED lights are bright.  Man are they bright.  Especially at night.  

We have driven the Cricket in loose sand, through bumpy grass fields, on concrete, asphalt, and over tree stumps in the campground and have never had a problem.

Choosing and Installing Satellite TV

The two main satellite TV options for RVers are Directv and Dish Network.  Both offer tons of programming and are easily comparable to cable TV in a S&B (sticks & bricks) home.  They offer a variety of programming packages, digital video recorders (DVRs), and on-demand movies.

I could take a day to create charts showing the differences between the two, but they are minimal.  If you look up comparison charts with Google, don't pay much attention to the ones on the sites for Directv or Dish.  They are biased and actually distort their competitor's features by saying that something isn't offered when it IS offered, but may not be included in the most basic package(s).

When I started looking at the possibility of installing satellite TV in my motorhome, I was overwhelmed by all of the information available on web sites, Facebook, magazine articles and in books.  Even talking to RVers about their own satellite systems, I learned a lot about things to look for when it came time to buy my own. In this article, I'm going to discuss things, obviously from my point of view, "in a nutshell".  Condensing a lot of research into a small space is a good thing.

The number of channels and availability of packages, like the one for NFL games, is the biggest "plus" for Directv.  For Dish Network, it's their pricing - including a "pay as you go" plan for RVers.

Both DTV and DN want to cater to RVers, but they've got quite a way to go.  The links in the first sentence of this post will take you to their sites for "travelers".   They are minimal sites, and will give you minimal information.

Directv

Directv sells a system called a Genie, which is a fancy satellite receiver and a DVR combined in a unit like the one you get from a cable TV company. You can put a Genie in your house then get one or more "mini -Genie's" to put in different rooms of your house, again just like you would put different cable TV boxes in different rooms.

However, for reasons that must be locked up in the basement of the Pentagon, Directv doesn't want to install Genie's or mini-Genie's in RVs.  Instead, they want you to buy other "mobile" receivers from several third-party companies like Winegard and KVH Industries.  They provide links to the company's sites on their "traveler's" site.  The issue with some of the receivers not only is that the number of tuners is more limited (number of different shows you can watch or record at the same time), but that you may have to attach a separate hard disk drive so that you can record TV shows.

For antennas (satellite dishes), Directv offers several.  Many of the ones they have for travelers are called  "carryouts" or "tracvisions".  They also offer the typical antenna that sits on a tripod, but the  most talked about ones are the carryouts. [Although there are several different types of portable antennas, I'll refer to them all as carryouts for brevity.]

The great thing about the carryouts is that they're very easy to use:   you just connect one to a receiver and it automatically searches for and finds the necessary satellite(s).  You don't have to do anything other than ensure that there is unobstructed sky in the right place.  The downside is that most of them can only provide one receiver with HD programming (the rest get standard definition).  Still, if you don't want the hassle of setting up your own tripod antenna (ensuring that it's level, setting the  azimuth, setting the elevation and then fine-tuning it), the carryouts are a great option.

Dish Network

Dish Network is similar to Directv in the way they want to distribute receivers.  Their best receiver is called a Hopper, and the smaller ones that go in secondary rooms of your house are called Joeys.  Like Directv's mini-Genie, a Joey can be wireless and "talks" to the Hopper, so that all of the main functions like recording and tuning are handled by the Hopper.   Both the Genie and the Hopper, with their mini-Genie's and Joeys, allow you to watch recorded shows in any room or to start watching something in one room, pause it, and continue watching in another room.

Just like DTV, Dish Network doesn't want to sell you a Hopper for your RV (same secret, same room in the Pentagon).  Instead, they have other receivers like their 211Z or "Wally's" that they'd like you to put in your coach.

Dish Network has several antennas to choose from, including the standard tripod mounted dish and the portable automatic dishes that you just put on the ground and let them do the work.  For Dish Network, these automatic dishes are usually called "Tailgaters", "Pathways", "Roadtrips", or "Playmakers".   With these portable dishes, you can get more HD than you can from Directv, but they only work with certain receivers.

Getting help

Confused yet?  I am.  It's a mess to figure out.

The best way to navigate the satellite dish options for you is to call a local satellite installation store.  Ask if they've done installations in RVs before.  If they haven't, hang up and call another one.  The bigger the city, the better chance you have of finding someone who can  help you.

Directv or Dish Network?

In my case, I chose Dish Network.  I did this because I didn't feel the need for the NFL package and I liked their pricing structure.  Although they have a pay-as-you-go plan (you can turn off the service for full-month periods if you want), I plan to use mine year 'round and liked their Top 200 package.

Another reason for choosing Dish Network was that I repeatedly saw on Facebook posts that Dish  users had an easier time than Directv users when they called their provider to change their local stations.   You'll hear about this a lot.  When you establish service, you will be assigned your local stations (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, etc.) based on your service zip code.  If you take your RV out of that area, whether it's another county or across the country, you probably won't get those "local" channels.  If you travel from your home zip code in Florida to Beverly Hills, California and want to see their local stations (for news, weather, or just network shows in that time zone), you need to call your provider (Directv or Dish) and tell them that you're in zip code 90210 instead of 32812.  From everything I've read but not personally experienced yet, Dish Network is much faster and easier to call and get this done. [Update:  Dish Network is easy to call and set up local channels wherever we go.  I call them all the time - even for a one-night stop.  It takes about 5-10 minutes (tops) and isn't hard to do.  You can also go to mydish.com/chat and do it with your computer OR do it from your phone with the MyDish app.]

I also didn't want the typical receivers that they push for RVs.  I wanted the Hopper and a couple of Joeys.  Since I intend to use the entire setup in my house when we're not in the RV, I plan to move the receivers from the RV to the house (and vice versa) whenever we want.  I like the Hopper because it can "hop" over the commercials for some shows, has three tuners, and includes a feature called Primetime America that automatically records all prime-time network shows every night of the week and lets you go back and view them within eight days.

RV satellite antennas

RV satellite antennas are usually located on the roof of the RV.  For Directv, the best option is a Traveler antenna called the SWM-3.  For Dish Network, it's the Traveler SK-1000.  Inside your coach is a little controller box that you simply turn on and let the antenna do the work:  it raises and automatically finds and locks onto the correct satellites.  When you are about to leave your campsite, you press the button again and it lowers.

The problem with rooftop antennas is that you may sometimes park under trees.  Trees are the worst enemy of the satellite dish:  no clear view of the sky = no signal = no football game.  For this reason, it's best to have some sort of external antenna as a backup.  If you have enough cable, you can often put the antenna somewhere on your campsite that's away from the rig - but that still has a clear view in the direction of the satellites.  You can choose to get one of the carryouts/tailgaters, with their limitations but ease of setup, or get a "real" satellite dish mounted on a tripod that has few limitations but is more difficult to setup and align.

In my case, our coach originally had a Directv SWM-3 on the roof from the factory.  I wanted Dish Network, so I had to have a conversion kit installed to essentially convert it to a SK-1000.  I also wanted to be able to receive HD on all receivers in the coach, so I needed to get a tripod-mounted  dish instead of a tailgater.   Another bump in the road happened when I was told that the external dishes won't work with the newest version of the Hopper, the Hopper 3.  Instead, it works with the previous version, the Hopper Sling. So that's what I got.  The Hopper Sling is a well-proven receiver, so I'm not bothered by this in the least bit.

Setting up and aligning an external tripod-mounted antenna

When my installer was out and saw I wanted the external dish on a tripod, he told me that it wasn't worth it and that I would likely have to call a professional installer to set it up and aim it for me whenever I needed it.  I told him that I have spoken with many RVers who do it all the time and they tell me that, with practice, it only takes them about five minutes to do it.  He shook his head and said "Did they have a Hopper?  Hopper's are very sensitive.".    I ignored what he said and asked him to walk me through it when we set up the tripod and antenna.

The first thing you have to do is make sure that you have clear sky to the satellite.  Dish Network uses satellites at 110, 119 and (I think, will verify later)  129 degrees.   I downloaded an app called Satellite Finder Pro on my phone.  You hold the phone up to the sky and look at the sky through the camera.  When you do, it overlays a green arc on the screen and shows the location of the satellites by position (110, 119, etc).  If you see those numbers on the screen with clear sky behind them, you've got a place to aim.

After he set up the antenna, I said that I had read that it's very important to ensure that the tripod is level because that can severely affect the elevation.  He said that this was true, but "all you really need to do is eyeball it" and make sure it looks level.  I just nodded because I wanted to see where this would lead.  I asked about using the new digital satellite signal finder I had bought on Amazon.  "Those things are worthless.  Don't bother." was his response.  Okay.  I'm just observing; let's see how it goes.

Inside, we called up the receiver's satellite finder screen by going to Settings->Diagnostics.  Using menus, he selected 119 because it's the satellite in the middle of the other two.

Next, he tells me to ALWAYS set the azimuth (left and right) to 135 degrees.  I asked if this was true even if I was in a different state.  He repeated "Always!".  He then took out his compass, pointed in the direction of 135 degrees, and rotated the dish to that position. [Note: I'm in Orlando, and since we  finished I went home and looked it up, I see that the azimuth should be at 244 degrees.  I don't so much remember the details about his aiming the dish, but it is supposed to be 244 degrees in Orlando.] As he was doing this, he asked me how I would align the dish's azimuth to 135 degrees if he hadn't shown me.  I looked at the arm extending away from the dish told him that I would make sure that the arm (holding the LNB's on the  end) "pointed" towards 135 degrees.  He said "Nope.  The signal enters the dish at an angle, so you turn the dish so that the seam at the back of the dish [on the clamp that attaches the antenna to the tripod] aligns with 135 degrees."  Okay, never would have thought of that. [See the bottom of this article for updated pointing info.]

The next thing to do is to set the elevation (up and down).  For this,  you look up (use an app or the Internet) the proper elevation for your current zip code [See below].  Behind the dish is a clamp with elevation markings.  He loosened a bolt and adjusted the elevation until it was at 38 degrees.  Once that was completed, we headed inside the coach.

At the main receiver, we went back to the satellite information display.  On the screen, there's a "meter" that shows signal strength. At the moment, it read zero.  Now it becomes a two-person job, so I get out the walkie-talkies and hand him one.  He said that he would go outside and move the dish a little bit left and right.  I would call him when I saw the signal strength change.  By making a few minor  adjustments, we had the signal strength up to 71 in about four minutes and we were done!

Given everything that we did, I think that it'll take me longer to set up the dish (assemble it to the tripod and connect cables)  than it will to align it with my wife's help on the radio.  It doesn't look bad at all.  Five minutes sounds about right. At least I hope so.

[Update:  I've set it up several times now and, believe me, practice makes perfect.  The easiest way to do it is to follow these steps:

1.  Find a place in the sky that has a clear view to the satellites (110, 119 and 129).  You can use the SatFinder app on your phone to do this.
2.  Set up your tripod and make sure it's level.  I got a compass from Amazon for $13 that has a bubble level in it.
3.  Go to dishpointer.com.  Enter your location and find "Dish 1000.2 (110, 119, 129) in the pull-down list.  
4.  All of your peak values (Azimuth, Elevation and Skew will come up for your current location)
5.  Set the dish (loosen some nuts and adjust - markings are on the dish and stand) for the correct Elevation and Skew.
6.  Using the compass, point the dish in the direction of the Azimuth.
7.  With someone inside looking at the setup/diagnostics screen on the TV, fine tune your Azimuth (left and right) on the dish until you get the best picture.  Wait several seconds between each movement and listen for audio.  If you get the audio, chances are high that you'll have the video too.
8.  Tighten the "azimuth" nuts on the dish.
9.  You're done.  Once you do this a few times, it should get easier and faster.]

Your Questions

I hope this has helped to answer some of the questions you might have about selecting a company and setting up your antennas.  Sorry there are no pictures.  I'll try to come back here and add some photos later.

If you have questions, check out the direct links above and some of these:

• Technical information about Dish Network installations in RVs (unusual configurations).  See Tom's RVSeniorMoments blog.  Tom is very knowledgeable and has help a lot of RVers.
• IRV2.com's Technology Forum.  Ask questions ye shall receive answers.
• David Bott publishes lots of good videos for RVers (and has a good blog!).  Here's his video where he discusses "RV Satellite TV: Making a Choice".
• Dishpointer.com is a great place to find out where you should be pointing your antenna.  Put in your location and it gives you everything you need.  Thanks to Charlie Martin for the reference.

Choosing an RV-specific GPS

A lot of people on Facebook ask what RV-specific GPS unit they should buy.  Since many RVs can only travel on roads where they'll "fit", it makes sense to have a GPS that will guide you along routes where the bridges aren't so low that they'll rip the top off or the turns so sharp that your long RV just can't make them.

I begin many of my articles by saying how much research I've done to reach my conclusions.  I just don't like the idea that readers might think that I just grabbed the first thing that came along.  In the case of GPS units, I've had various brands over the course of many years - just not for RVs.  When it came time to look at RV GPS units, I began the long process of scouring more than 20 RV-related Facebook groups, reading posts on IRV2.com, and asking a lot of fellow RVers what they use.

As part of my research, I ordered (or downloaded) and tried Garmin's RV 760, the Good Sam version of the Rand McNally RV 7730 (the 7735), CoPilot for RV, Waze, Google Navigation, and others.  I also read detailed reviews of them, as well as the RV-specific model made by Magellan.  On the first pass, I ended up returning both the Garmin and the Rand McNally because features were missing that I wanted to use - or they existed but were difficult to use.

If you look at the responses received on Facebook every time someone asks about RV-specific GPS units, you'll quickly see that users overwhelmingly recommend Garmin, followed by Rand McNally and then CoPilot.  Magellan is rarely mentioned.  Google Navigation isn't RV-specific, and neither is Waze.

Quite a few people say that they don't have much faith in RV GPS units because they've been led down roads that their RV should never have taken.  I get that.  But from what I can gather, this is rare.  I'd rather have an RV-specific GPS direct me on safe routes for RVs 95% of the time than not have one and take my chances.

Another consideration is that there is value in keeping with the mainstream.  In other words, sometimes it's best to get what everyone else is using because you know that there is a large community of support - not to mention that there must be something good about it because everyone is using it.  Comes full circle, doesn't it?  Thinking along these lines, I immediately throw out anything that's not RV specific (like Google Navigation and Waze) and anything that, from the hundreds of responses I've read, isn't used by most people (relatively speaking).  So, that pushed out Magellan.

Given all of this, I was left with three reasonable choices that required serious consideration:  Garmin, Rand McNally, and the CoPilot app.

Apps are great because they are easily updated and can go on most of your devices.  CoPilot is a good app because it has a nice interface and provides easy to understand voice turn-by-turn directions.  They have several different versions, one of which is called CoPilot for RVs.  It costs about $45, so it's much cheaper than standalone GPS units.

CoPilot for RV

CoPilot for RV allows you to enter your RVs specs (height, length, weight) so that you'll be properly routed.  However, there's a serious flaw in their app because it only lets you input a maximum weight of 26000 pounds.  Most large motorhomes weigh much more than this; mine weighs about 46000 pounds.  Therefore, the weight option is worthless.  I called them about this and was told that I should consider buying their version for truckers, which has higher weight limits.  However, the truck version doesn't have certain features for RVers - like campgrounds.  And, it also costs about three times as much. [Update:  I've heard that Apple's App store has a March 2017 update that fixes the weight limit issue by allowing any more thousands of pounds.  As of this writing, the Android (Google) Play Store's latest version is March 2016 and still has the weight limitation.]

On the good side, CoPilot allows you to download full maps to your device.  This is a big plus compared to standard phone-based navigation apps because you don't need to have a cellular signal to navigate and continually update your maps.  Your phone's GPS works directly with CoPilot and you can always navigate.  You can download map updates as long as you own the app.

Garmin and Rand McNally

The Garmin 760 and Rand McNally 7735 both had similar features.  If you want to waste your time, go ahead and search the Internet to find some of the comparisons.  You're wasting your time because they both handle RV navigation, have lots of Points of Interest (POI's - things like campgrounds, fuel stops, attractions, etc.), and are well supported with lifetime maps.  I'm about to tell you their main differences...

Some of the biggest differences between the two were that the Rand McNally had more campgrounds in its database, while the Garmin had more overall features (like backup camera add-ons and other things).  The Garmin is more expensive, but you don't have to pay extra for live traffic updates (like the fee charged by RM).  The Garmin, in my opinion, has a better display layout and brighter display.  And the Garmin can accept voice commands.

After reading everything I could and testing them out, I became convinced that Garmin was the way to go.  So many RVers can't be wrong, can they?

One of the key things I've learned about shopping for RV technical toys is to wait and not buy them until just before you need them.  If you just bought your RV and aren't "taking off" for several months, wait until a month before you leave because tech updates happen all the time.  It can be frustrating to buy something only to find out that the latest and greatest version is coming out two months after you bought it.   I wasn't striking out on our full-time journey until May 2017, so I decided to hold off on the GPS purchase until April (now).  And I was glad I did.

Garmin RV 770 LMT-S

In April 2017, Garmin introduced it's new RV 770 LMS-S GPS unit, the successor to the 760.  It's almost identical to the 760, but it includes Foursquare and Tripadvisor information, weighs less, and has a better screen with a higher resolution. [Note:  See Garmin's comparison chart of differences between the 770 and the 760]  I decided to order the 770.

So far, I've been very happy with the 770.  Admittedly, we haven't had chance to use it on our cross-country trip yet, but I can see that it's fast and is loaded with features that I like.  The display is easy to read, lane guidance is great, the voice is clear and easy to understand, and it's easy to lookup POI's.  I also preloaded a couple of trips into the Trip Planner.  Very nice in that you can just call up a predefined route and get going.  The Voice Command feature lets me interact with the device while driving and is easy to use.

I really like the integration with the phone.  I can use Voice Command to dial any number in my contacts and the 770's speakers and microphone will let me talk while driving.  When you select POI's (like a campground), you can even elect to call them using this feature.

As Garmin recommended, I loaded their SmartLink app to my phone and connected it to the 770 using Bluetooth.  Once you have done this, the 770 gets live traffic information.  We were driving from North Carolina to Florida on Interstate 26 when I saw a sign on the side of the road that said that the Interstate had all lanes blocked about 60 miles ahead.  I was wondering if the 770 would "know" about the blockage and, similar to Waze, would re-route us.  About 20 miles from the incident, a tone came on and the 770's female voice said something like "I-26 is closed.  Rerouting.  Please take exit 159 ahead."  Exit 159 was about 6 miles ahead of us.  We followed directions and it took us right to I-95 with about a 10-minute loss in time.  Nice!

Garmin and Waze

Note that Garmin, like most navigation programs, is not "social".  That is, you don't interact with others on the road.  That's where Waze shines.  Waze uses real-time reports of accidents, slowdowns, police sightings, and road hazards to warn you before you encounter them.  It's the only navigation program that does this.  Since it's social and real-time, expect that Waze is going to have the latest and greatest information about what's ahead.  Sometimes, you'll want to avoid things that Waze points out well before any GPS traffic program, like Garmin's, will know about it.

Conclusion

The setup that works the best is to use three things:  SmartLink running on your phone, the 770 handling RV navigation, and another phone (maybe even the one running SmartLink) running Waze.  You'll have total awareness of everything around you, what's coming up, and be reasonably assured that you won't be going under a bridge that's too low for your rig.