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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,901 Likes: 146
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,901 Likes: 146 |
I hope Stealth didn't go out of business! Their webpage was last updated in 2012.
This was their story and it sounded like they had a great beginning!
=========== Stealth's History
In 2003, the owners of American Outdoor Products (AOP) Wayne Thurmon & Gary Bias, made the decision to sell electric utility vehicles. Due to the demand for a quiet hunting vehicle, the owners researched the availability of electric hunting vehicles and found only foreign made products. Shortly thereafter, AOP began retailing some of the foreign made products.
Almost immediately, AOP began experiencing significant problems with the foreign products. In fact every unit sold experienced a major problem and two experienced serious fire damage. By late 2003, AOP discontinued selling some of the vehicles. However, they continued to have a high demand for electric hunting vehicles.
In 2004, the AOP owners developed the design for what would ultimately become the Stealth all electric vehicle. With their strong mechanical & manufacturing backgrounds, the AOP owners were able to construct the first 50 units with components purchased “off the shelf.” These first 50 vehicles were sold in 2004 and were marketed to local hunters.
In 2005, various improvements were made to the product and sales improved to approximately 80 units.
By 2006, the base vehicle had under gone several upgrades and many improvements and sales increased to 100 vehicles for the year. 2 of these units were sold to Dr. Robert Robinson and William Krutzer of Monroe, Louisiana. Dr. Robinson and William Krutzer were so impressed with the quality and performance of their purchase(s), by late 2007 they entered into discussions with the AOP owners for the purpose of expanding the manufacturing and marketing of Stealth vehicles.
In October of 2007, Stealth Manufacturing LLC. was charted and Dr. Robinson, William Krutzer, Wayne Thurmon, Gary Bias, and Bill Phillips shared the ownership. The original business plan called for the production and sale of 120 vehicles as a “proof of concept” exercise. If the concept proved viable, the business plan was outlined to allow additional capital to be acquired in order to expand production and marketing.
In December of 2007, Stealth Manufacturing LLC commenced operations in a 6,900 square foot vacant potato warehouse. Soon after opening, it became apparent sales would far exceed the 120 vehicles proof of concept exercise.
In February of 2008, a suitable building was located and Stealth’s personnel and assets moved into the current plant site located in West Monroe, Louisiana.
In April of 2008, the first Stealth product produced at the West Monroe facility rolled off the production line.
From April of 2008, thru December of 2008, Stealth Manufacturing LLC produced and sold approximately 600 vehicles, established 70 plus dealers and distributors in 28 states. Product improvements also continued; including a complete redesign of the vehicle’s front wheel drive system, rear suspension, and drive shaft. In addition, Stealth Manufacturing LLC initiated proprietary manufacturing of the vehicle’s suspension components, as well as design and production of a completely new aluminum frame.
In June of 2008, Stealth Manufacturing LLC entered into a television program sponsorship agreement with Primos Hunting Product regarding the highly rated, nationally televised hunting program “Truth about Whitetails.”
In February of 2009, Stealth Manufacturing LLC introduced the XR, extended range line. These vehicles established the “gold standard” for performance, range, and reliability. The 4x4 XR has an advertised range of 45 miles on a single charge and 55 miles per charge for the 4x2 XR. During testing, both models consistently outperformed the advertised ranges; the 4x4 XR traveled in ranges in excess of 50 miles per charge and the 4x2 XR traveled in excess of 60 miles per charge. Also during this timeframe, Stealth Manufacturing LLC introduced their Industrial Electric Utility Vehicle, also known as the “Izzy.” The Izzy was developed exclusively towards the industrial customer whose unmatched demand for a dependable, maintenance-free site transportation vehicle had previously gone unfulfilled. The first 50 vehicles were delivered in March of 2009 to the Bollinger Ship Yards along the Gulf Coast.
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 186
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 186 |
Just copied this from their website...
On February 22, 2013, Stealth Manufacturing LLC closed it's doors, leaving thousands of units in the field with no factory support. Stealth 4x4 acquired the inventory that was left in the Austell, GA manufacturing warehouse to provide parts support.
In July 2017, the intellectual property of Stealth Manufacturing was acquired paving the way to once again build the best electric 4x4 and 4x2 utility vehicles on the market.
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,796 Likes: 71
Hall of Fame 2014
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Hall of Fame 2014
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,796 Likes: 71 |
Check out the Huntve lineup: thanks canyoncreek....I see from your link that Huntve has exactly what I want 4 seater electric UTV but I have ran across some terrible reviews on Huntve products darn....well maybe they have improved....I will further study Huntve
Fishing has never been about the fish....
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,058 Likes: 278
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,058 Likes: 278 |
Many years ago I went atv shopping. A local Yamaha dealer told me that it didn’t matter what kind I bought as long as it was made in Japan. I wound up buying a couple of Yamahasand kept them until they got stolen. They were great. I replaced them with Honda’s mainly due to price. No problem with the Honda’s but really don’t care for the electric shift. It works just fine but is kinda odd. I also bought a shipping container to store them. When I open the shipping container in the summer it is dang sure hot inside. I am under no illusions that the steel shipping container will slow a thief down very much.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,726 Likes: 285
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,726 Likes: 285 |
Our 5 German shepherds have us feeling pretty safe. When they pile out the door in the dark barking up a storm, hopefully its just coyotes trying to steal the deer carcass they have been gnawing on. Took my last doe on Sunday afternoon and now need to wait until muzzleloader season.
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,796 Likes: 71
Hall of Fame 2014
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Hall of Fame 2014
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,796 Likes: 71 |
Fishing has never been about the fish....
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381 Likes: 46
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381 Likes: 46 |
Zep
Unfortunately I spent the money and tried that exact seat first. The kids hated it. It was too tall and too narrow. It also made me uncomfortable because their heads stuck up higher than the roof. We tried the old jeep seat next and never looked back.
If you were closer I would give you that black seat.
Last edited by wbuffetjr; 11/28/18 04:13 PM.
Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,315 Likes: 300
Moderator
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Moderator
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,315 Likes: 300 |
Mark, my Mule 4010 will seat 5 with the rear bench flipped down. I've got a pair of Mules, and love them. The old one's 8 yo, and still runs like a top. I should probably check the oil at some point.
AL
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,796 Likes: 71
Hall of Fame 2014
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Hall of Fame 2014
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,796 Likes: 71 |
Al do they make any electric models?
Fishing has never been about the fish....
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,315 Likes: 300
Moderator
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Moderator
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,315 Likes: 300 |
Mark, they don't, but Mule's are like AMC Pacers. They don't make enough horsepower to be real noisy.
We've looked at electric buggies on and off for years, but we just couldn't pull the trigger on one. Battery life would be my biggest question. If you do go that route, I might take a close look at the chargers that come with the buggy. A good charger will save you money in the long run. Lester's used to be the standard, but I'm not sure that's the case anymore.
AL
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,948 Likes: 9
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,948 Likes: 9 |
But I have to say either that I am hard on equipment or it has it's weakness because it seems to run me a thousand or two each and every year for repairs and or upkeep.
Its not just you. My dad is always having to repair our Ranger. Belts,axles, transmissions, etc.
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,906 Likes: 110
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,906 Likes: 110 |
I bought a used Honda Big Red (only it’s green). I had a really used Ranger before that. My experience with Honda motorcycles had me thinking the utv would be pretty reliable. It’s been very solid. I like shaft drive on stuff vs belts. The three speed transmission seems fine,although it isn’t exactly smooth shifting. Runs fast enough for me, I don’t think the older Honda’s have as high a top speed as the Rsngers. I have the rear facing seat up in the bed. I keep it folded shut 90% of the time, unless the grandkids are around. The only real complaint I have is changing the oil. They make it impossible to get to the oil filter. Also, my Ranger had better storage than the Honda. But my Honda runs a lot cooler. The ranger was cooking everyone up front in the summer.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 997 Likes: 57
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 997 Likes: 57 |
I am following this thread as I to am in the market for another UTV.
We have a 2012 Kawasaki 4010 Transmule at the farm which is perfect for that size property but it will absolutely jar your eye teeth out.
Next month we are closing on another piece of property and I have been looking at the Polaris 900 series and the Kawasaki Mule Pro FXT’s. The realtor we are using had us in a 900 and the ride was awesome. The down side is I am reading across numerous BB’s that people are having reliability problems with Polaris. Also spec’d out the way I want it it is over $32k. I really want to go with Kawasaki as my Transmule has been bullet proof and I like my dealer.
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 130
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 130 |
The family has a 2015 JD Gator with the Cherry engine. It is the longest one they offer. Seats 2 or 3 up front and 3 in the back which also folds down and behind all of that is a dump bed. It is a very good machine but with the Cherry Engine (gasoline) and the CVT type transmission, it is very loud. The intake is mounted down low but that has not been an issue. The CVT / belt type transmissions are ideal for keeping the engines on these UTV's in their power band but they sure cause/require the engines to rev up unnecessarily high especially at low speed travel. Not to bash a CVT because they are advantageous in many situations but if a quiet ride is important and electric is not an option then I would think something with a clutch and gear type transmission would allow engine rpms to be kept to a minimum. As far as an electric UTV goes, I have zero experience but I could only imagine the battery plant would not be cheap to replace and could make for a very heavy vehicle.
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 136
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 136 |
When I bought my pond property in 2012 I started looking for a gas golf cart with a dump bed, believed that was all I needed. I stumbled onto a deal on a 2011 Kawasaki Mule 4010 trans, one of the most useful tools I own. These are work vehicles that are governed at 25 MPH, not made for speed but I rarely run it wide open. The "trans" feature lets it go from a single seater to a double seater in just a minute or two. The seats will comfortably seat 4 adults and probably 6 skinny people but I don't know that many skinny people to test that theory. My favorite feature is it has no doors and it's low enuffto slide right in and not have to climb up into it. Anyone looking for a working UTV should give them a look, handy as a pocket on a shirt!
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