Playing a new course: diesel-powered four-wheel drive utility vehicle swings Club Car into new markets

Diesel Progress North American Edition, Oct, 2004 by Dawn M. Geske

Club Car has always been synonymous with all things golf, from its extensive line of golf cars and turf vehicles to its headquarters in Augusta, GA., home to the Masters tournament. Yet the latest introduction from Club Car, the Carryall 294 4x4 utility vehicle, breaks away from this tradition, expanding the company into the construction, ag, landscape, recreational and rental markets.

"We're more than just golf," said Phil Tralies, Club Car president and CEO. "We don't want to lose sight of golf cars because that's important to us but we want a presence outside the golf market."

While the Carryall 4x4 is not the first utility vehicle (UTV) introduced by Club Car, it is the first to feature a diesel power option and fully automatic four-wheel drive. "We're a company of significant size," said Tralies. "We have more to bring to the party with all the other brands and we've leveraged our other brand relationships to build the Carryall 294."

Under the umbrella of parent company Ingersoll-Rand, Club Car--which had always had vehicles powered by gasoline or electric drive systems--worked in cooperation with Bobcat Co., a high-volume user of diesel engines, to engineer the UTV'S diesel platform. The vehicle's aluminum chassis was fitted with a 719 cc, three-cylinder, liquid-cooled Kubota D-722 engine rated 20 hp at 3600 rpm.

The engine package included a Copar radiator and modifications included lowering the oil pan and using the engine case from a different Kubota engine model. These changes, Club Car said, were in an effort to keep the seats at the same height as its gasoline option, which is powered by a 614 cc, V-twin, OHM air-cooled Honda GX620 engine rated 20 hp at 3600 rpm. Both engines are outfitted with Donaldson air cleaners.

The core feature of the UTV is its IntelliTrak drive system, jointly developed by Club Car and Team Industries, a design engineering, R&D, testing, manufacturing and assembly company in Bagley, Minn. The IntelliTrak system features a gully encased, continuously variable transmission (CVT) that provides automatic on-demand four-wheel drive, differential lock engagement and high to low range travel. According to Club Car, the system constantly senses driving conditions and automatically transfers power to the wheels when and where traction is needed. This, the company said, allows the driver to traverse rough terrain and/or inclines without having to shift gears, stop or lock the differentials. The system is fitted with Hilliard differentials in front, four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes with Wilwood brake calipers and Team front and rear axle packages.

Additional components include double A-arm front and double swing-arm rear suspensions and the option of Carlisle all-terrain or Titan AT489 mud tires on the rear wheels.

Designing the IntelliTrak system was part of the UTV's two-year development, intended to echo the company's "drive it once and you'll know" philosophy for the vehicle. "We didn't want to be a 'me too' company," said Tralies. "We wanted to leverage what we do best. This comes out loud and clear when you drive it."

With travel speeds up to 25 mph, the Carryall 4x4 features rack and pinion steering and an all aluminum tubular frame, welded by Club Car. The rear bed box has a standard 800 lb. capacity with a high capacity option rated to 1050 lb. The bed can also be equipped with a dump feature, operational with a single Danaher industrial actuator rated up to 1500 lb. under pressure or tension.

Bucket seats, certified POPS bar and front bush guard are standard on the UTV, which also includes an electronic fuel gauge, hourmeter, low oil warning and coolant high temperature indicators. Seats lift to expose the engine and battery compartment.

Club Car manufactures the Carryall 294 4x4 at its Augusta manufacturing facility. The 320,000 sq.ft. plant operates under a "produce to order, demand flow technology" principle and is staffed to produce up to 400 units a day including Bobcat's 2200 utility vehicle. The Carryall 4x4 is supplied through Club Car's dealer network as well as Bobcat distributors to penetrate the construction and rental markets.

www.clubcar.com