Advice on buying a golf cart

I'm OP: I guess I was being too subtle or obscure when I said our bikes are getting too old. WE'RE getting too old / decrepit for bicycles so ebikes won't work for us.

For all of you who love to, and are able to hike and ride bicycles I say Good for You. It's not good for us.

WTP-GC wrote:
Even at $2000, you're not likely to get a cart that doesn't require some work. But on the other hand, you should easily be able to find a cart in the $3000 range that is turn-key.

I've been looking at FB Marketplace and craigslist. Craig's doesn't have as many as FB. The sellers are claiming $1000 or less but need batteries; $1500 'runs well' with 2 year-old batteries.

I didn't know there was an AC motor option.

joebedford wrote:
Anyway I know very little about carts. Don't want gas. Some are 36V and some 48V. Is it reasonable to assume that I could refurbish a 15 year-old cart I bought for $1000 for less than a newer one that costs $2000. Dunno.

Any advice?

Kinda like buying a used car. Everything depends on condition. Be sure you know what a new set of batteries will cost.

joebedford wrote:


I didn't know there was an AC motor option.

Link to source: https://www.distributorcentral.com/w/ezgo/p/history

From those humble beginnings, E-Z-GO has become a world leader in transportation and a leading global manufacturer of golf cars, utility vehicles and personal transportation vehicles. From our headquarters in Augusta, we build tens of thousands of vehicles each year, many of which feature game-changing technology and innovations to improve vehicle efficiency and enhance the user experience like no other vehicle can. As but one example, our exclusive AC Drive, found in the E-Z-GO RXV golf-car platform, uses an alternating-current motor and electrical powertrain to deliver unparalleled hill-climbing power and vehicle performance with unmatched energy efficiency, with industry-leading features like a parking brake that automatically engages whenever the vehicle stops.

Check your local golf cart shop in the yellow pages. Though used, mine even came with a warranty.

If bikes are out, then I would check for a local or reasonably local golf cart store. If you are buying from an individual, I would plan on replacing the batteries pretty soon unless they have paperwork showing the batteries are newer.
You might even try talking with the folks at larger golf courses in your area and see where they send their old carts. They may have a contact you reach out to about getting a used course model. I would be going electric if it were me.

joebedford wrote:
It's a bit of a stretch to fit this into an RVing category, yet golf carts are an essential part of RV park life for many people.

DW wants a cart. We've used bicycles to get around in parks ever since we started RVing. We're still doing that but our bicycles must be getting older cos it's getting harder to do.

Anyway I know very little about carts. Don't want gas. Some are 36V and some 48V. Is it reasonable to assume that I could refurbish a 15 year-old cart I bought for $1000 for less than a newer one that costs $2000. Dunno.

Any advice?

If you know little about golf carts and riding a bike is getting harder I would suggest getting the newest cart you can. Do you really want to chance it with a cart that someone "who knows very little about golf carts" fixed up?

In the Myrtle Beach area dealers sell “refurbished” golf carts for $4-$5K.
Repainted, new upholstery, new batteries, new windshield with warranty
All 48volts, ie: 6-8volt batteries
Many campgrounds do not allow carts with gas motors.

zcookiemonstar wrote:
If you know little about golf carts and riding a bike is getting harder I would suggest getting the newest cart you can. Do you really want to chance it with a cart that someone "who knows very little about golf carts" fixed up?

While it is getting difficult to swing my leg over the saddle of my bike, I still learn fast. I can refurb a golf cart but I don't want to buy something that has a 'gotcha' that can't be repaired. I'm sure some models have worse reputations than others.

If you buy a used cart, and it happens to have Trojan batteries (they used to have the majority of the market for all fleet golf carts), there's a quick and easy way to determine how old they are.

Take a look a the terminal on one of mine:



Right next to the threaded terminal, there's a lead "stump" next to it, with a letter and a number stamped into it.

The letter corresponds to the month:

A - January
B - February
C - March
D - April
E - May
F - June
G - July
H - August
I - September
J - October
K - November
L - December

The digit represent the last digit of the year.

So in my case, my batteries are dated October, 2018. Other brands of batteries often have a date sticker on them.

If you want to see what's involved in swapping out the batteries yourself, I put together a video here: https://youtu.be/DurCRznI97I

They are heavy, but it's a pretty straight forward job otherwise. Happy shopping!

OP: This is what we just bought for $1900. 2006 EZGO 36V. Pristine condition and brand new 6 6V batteries. Bought it from a guy in the park that I know. He's throwing in a rear seat that I will refurb over the summer. Otherwise, no work needed.