ATVing for the ATV Enthusiast
ATVing is not expensive…it doesn’t have to be
We know of many people who wishes to try out ATVing but hesitates because they think that taking up ATV as a hobby is much too pricey. It's true…and then there are ways to cut down the cost dramatically. But you'll have to know what the essentials are and cut out all the things that are simply NOT necessary. If you're going to aim for the Gecko campground in California , then you'll KNOW for a fact that ATVing is expensive. It can be if you want to take your quad for hillshooting in a modified and custom painted ATV.
Let us convince you that ATV riding can be quick, clean, easy and inexpensive. You don't have to dig out $600,000 for stuff you don't need and go ATVing in places that charges exorbitant prices. Here's how to have the same kind of fun without the huge price tags.
First of all, apart from the ATV itself, you'll need to get the ATV around, so, you'll need a pickup truck to do this. If you can fit a ramp into budget, by golly, go ahead. If not, there are ways to get your ATV up the pickup without the ramp – for instance, by backing the pickup to an embankment. If a pickup truck is not your style, you can try a large van...in fact, as far as we can tell, most ATVs will fit nicely (and snugly) within a minivan. Otherwise, you can simply rent a vehicle that comes with a ramp for this. They come pretty cheap, anyway. Why waste money on a vehicle that you only use for transporting the ATV if the budget is tight?
Don't be swayed by all the colors, bells and whistles that come with an ATV. They're there to entice you to spend more. if comfort and technology is important to you, you can save up for one of the more expensive ATV models that's usually in the $7,000 each range. But if all the fanfare is absolutely unimportant to you, you can find a pretty good ATV with nicely done-up features for about $300 each.
Maintenance is an extremely important part of ATVing and most of the ATVs comes with the basic tools that you'll need for routine maintenance. What you'll need to get are a few gas cans for emergency. The more sophisticated ones costs about $35 each while the plastic cans go for $8 or $10 each. Pretty good prices, really.
Don't skimp on the essential gears like helmet, goggles, gloves and boots. They don't cost much! The cheaper ones sure don't last as long (or look half as good as the more expensive ones) but hey, it really won't make a difference to the level of fun you'll have on a trail!
Add a First Aid Kit to your list and you're raring to go. But you'll need something else if you're keen on camping…yes, the tent or a van for sleep. Alternatively, you can rent sleeping bags, sleeping mats, stove, ice chest or tents at great prices.
See, when it comes to ATVing, the bottom line is how much fun you'll have and not how many people will ‘ooh' and ‘aahhh' over how impressive your quad is. Let them ooh and aah over how well you're tackling a corner instead.