Defrost for UTV without heater?

[BRTreedogs]

Guess if and when I buy a sxs it won't be a pioneer.

 

[MuleyFever]

Cover mine at night now after a frustrating week of a frosted windshield every morning.

 

[Dioni A]

Guess if and when I buy a sxs it won't be a pioneer.

It's not a big deal to use an aftermarket one of you have the right windshield. These things are a parts compatibility nightmare if your mixing brands for cab components though.

 

[Tmac]

Have you used any of these? They look have pretty marginal reviews on the ones I've seen. If you have any experience please recommend a specific model/ brand

Not yet, going to try one. For under $30 I figure it’s worth the gamble.

 

[Customweld]

Unless you have the Honda factory cab enclosure, you draft enough to keep defrosted. I’ve had mine at -13 and didn’t have any problem keeping the windshield clear. They generate a ton of heat in the cab.

 

[Dioni A]

Guess if and when I buy a sxs it won't be a pioneer.

It's not a big deal to use an aftermarket one of you have the right windshield. These things are a parts compatibility nightmare if your mixing brands for cab components though

Not sure on the electrical system on a sxs or if this is enough btu.
But I wonder how something like this would work.
View attachment 631765

This is kinda the route I'm most likely to go. Hoping someone has a simpler solution though. I'm looking at mounting this one to the roof pointed at the windshield with some ducting. It's an American made heavy duty version of what you sent.

 

[Customweld]

Guess if and when I buy a sxs it won't be a pioneer.

They are great mechanically, but 10 years behind Polaris and Can Am in cab design.

 

[Dioni A]

Unless you have the Honda factory cab enclosure, you draft enough to keep defrosted. I’ve had mine at -13 and didn’t have any problem keeping the windshield clear. They generate a ton of heat in the cab.

Honda soft upper doors, tusk aluminum roof that I insulated, kolpin glass windshield and I double insulated the engine compartment.
Insulating the engine compartment will hurt me in the winter but make it much nicer in the summer.

 

[Dioni A]

They are great mechanically, but 10 years behind Polaris and Can Am in cab design.

My in-laws have 6 of them on their ranch. 5-10,000 miles a year and they never break down. The Polaris and can-am are nicer in every category but they can't touch the reliability.

 

[Customweld]

Honda soft upper doors, tusk aluminum roof that I insulated, kolpin glass windshield and I double insulated the engine compartment.
Insulating the engine compartment will hurt me in the winter but make it much nicer in the summer.

I always take my seat insulation off in the winter. I’ve got the Honda soft doors, Honda mid panel and roof and the 891 utv windshield. The windshield and factory roof is damn near impossible to seal . I’ve got pipe insulation stuffed in there but it’s not 100 percent. The windshield is a nice piece, but doesn’t match the curves at the bottom very well. The Honda Pioneer page on FB has a ton of good info and quite a few guys that custom build accessories.

 

[Silveroddo]

I'm not familiar with the Hondas, but a local guy has been doing this, just sucking heat from the firewall areas is my understanding.

Polaris Rzr cab heater / cooler

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[HuntHarder]

I have the seismic windshield. It has little vents built in that you direct the incoming air up. Seems to do fine for defrosting. Mind you, I live in Az and most of my trips are day trips. I have covered my windshield at night with towels to prevent ice on it in the am.

 

[Dioni A]

I'm not familiar with the Hondas, but a local guy has been doing this, just sucking heat from the firewall areas is my understanding.

Polaris Rzr cab heater / cooler

Polaris Rzr cab heater / cooler for Rzr XP 1000 models, Rzr Turbo models, Rzr Trail models, Rzr 900 models and Rzr S models, side by side heater, UTV cab heater. Less than 10 min install time and a fraction of the cost.

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That's kind of cool. I've seen people do something similar on the Hondas but nothing that clean. I doubt it would work well on the windshield but that might be a good way to get some extra heat in the cab.

 

[Jbehredt]

I have to ask. What is the point of a windshield if you open it or take it off when it’s cold in the morning? That’s the entire reason I even have one. Carry a shower squeegee to clear it frequently if you don’t want a heater. Better yet, put the heater/defrost in. You won’t regret it when you really need it.

33 degrees feels nearly as cold as 32 degrees to me. As well as 34 and even 35. I can keep it closed at those temperatures . Or even when it rains.

 

[Steve O]

I picked up a 520 this fall. Planning to fiddle with this issue this winter.

Amazon has a bunch of the 12v jobs.




Also plan to RainX inside and out, keep a spray can of window defroster in the bed, and maybe figure out a lightweight cover to bungee on.

I did not have any issues with the windows fogging underway in any conditions this fall but dealt with lots of condensation and frost first thing in the morning.

 

[Tmac]

I picked up a 520 this fall. Planning to fiddle with this issue this winter.

Amazon has a bunch of the 12v jobs.

View attachment 631987


Also plan to RainX inside and out, keep a spray can of window defroster in the bed, and maybe figure out a lightweight cover to bungee on.

I did not have any issues with the windows fogging underway in any conditions this fall but dealt with lots of condensation and frost first thing in the morning.

Very similar to what I ordered.

 

[Dioni A]

And for reference I plan on using this quite a bit while I'm lion hunting -10 wouldn't be unreasonable to expect.

Very similar to what I ordered.
View attachment 631988

Have you used this yet? Does it work well?

 

[WeiserBucks]

And for reference I plan on using this quite a bit while I'm lion hunting -10 wouldn't be unreasonable to expect.

Coming from my lion hunting experience in very cold weather, DO NOT take any machine farther than you can walk back in negative temperatures. Lion hunting and broke down/stuck machines are the closest I've ever been to dying from exposure.

 

[Tmac]

And for reference I plan on using this quite a bit while I'm lion hunting -10 wouldn't be unreasonable to expect.

Have you used this yet? Does it work well?

Just used it as a test, not riding. It does not put out much volume, not surprising as it does not draw much current, but it should knock down some of the inside frost/moisture. Pretty sure one will need to hand hold it initially and point it to get things moving.

Will probably put in one that works with the radiator hose in a year or two. Those have two defrost and two leg vents. But it’s around $400-500. Since we did not hunt SE MT in Nov, I held off on the $$$ unit and tried this one.

 

[swavescatter]

I use a spray bottle filled with de-icer. Have to hit it a couple of times as it frosts over but eventually it stays clear.

You can also run the golf cart Mr Heaters.