P500 Extreme cold weather modifications

[FlyingPot8oh]

So, tonight we had the first proper snowfall this year (small amounts had already fallen, late and slight). It's a bit backward, we've already seen -29f, but very little snow. I've just been out in the neighborhood, and forecast amounts of snow have, IMO, been exceeded.

Anyway, although I have the soft full doors for my P-500, I've yet to mount them. Garage space, wot. But there's another problem: My windshield is missing the side weather seals.
In the late night, I decided to drive about the neighborhood, a steep and sparsely populated space. Normally I would not drive on public roads, but snow was heavy and traffic was absent.
I was absolutely coated with snowdust inside the cab. Never more than 25 mph, I was subjected to snow-dust forming from the front wheels, the new snow sneaking in from the side of the windshield, and what's especially annoying, steam rushing up from the engine, where the seat belt latches are, as the Pioneer hit new snow on the ground.

I should say that I have a hard top, soft back, and a hard-coat Honda windscreen, I don't know why, but that windscreen doesn't have the stock weather stripping that mates it to the ROPS tube. It has an aftermarket wiper, but it's too small, and mounted incorrectly.

I've heard testimony that the heat coming through the engine via the space made by the seat belt mount is good enough... but good enough for what?

Even if it's cold, I think I need a strong positive cab air-flow. steamy air from the engine is... er, steamy. I need clear windows, and clear glasses.

I recently saw a website extolling a soft gasket that fits on the bottom of the P-500 door in order to keep out sand. I bet it'd work for fine, dry snow. I forget where I saw it.
I can think of some solutions, but they require permanent modification. I'm reticent.

I bet the SSS skid plate would help a lot regarding steam from the engine. It would help so many ways. Ugh, alas, I'm not a man of means.

There is finally an aftermarket heater for the P-500 that claims good performance. I'm intrigued. They make bold claims regarding heating performance, but I can't see their air flow stats.

Heat is nice, but if it makes fog, I cant drive.

Wow, what a ramble. Sorry. Maybe I should have delayed my comments so that I could make a more salient point, but conditions are changing so fast just now, I felt I had to get something written down.

No... wait...

I was preoccupied by the recent snow, I totally forgot to make my original point!

Extreme cold. I don't mean "wind chill" or "feels like." Who has dealt with a truly cold-soaked P-500? It's the same engine as the Foreman, and those have been run at crazy cold temps as a matter of course in Alaska. plug-in coolant and oil heaters for cars are common here, the equivalent for ATVs has pretty much been oil-sump heaters.

Have you had to deal with a cold soaked P-500? What did you do to get it started? Why did you need it to start?


There, now I'm back n track... um... but somehow even more verbose.

Sorry

 

[Smitty335]

So, tonight we had the first proper snowfall this year (small amounts had already fallen, late and slight). It's a bit backward, we've already seen -29f, but very little snow. I've just been out in the neighborhood, and forecast amounts of snow have, IMO, been exceeded.

Anyway, although I have the soft full doors for my P-500, I've yet to mount them. Garage space, wot. But there's another problem: My windshield is missing the side weather seals.
In the late night, I decided to drive about the neighborhood, a steep and sparsely populated space. Normally I would not drive on public roads, but snow was heavy and traffic was absent.
I was absolutely coated with snowdust inside the cab. Never more than 25 mph, I was subjected to snow-dust forming from the front wheels, the new snow sneaking in from the side of the windshield, and what's especially annoying, steam rushing up from the engine, where the seat belt latches are, as the Pioneer hit new snow on the ground.

I should say that I have a hard top, soft back, and a hard-coat Honda windscreen, I don't know why, but that windscreen doesn't have the stock weather stripping that mates it to the ROPS tube. It has an aftermarket wiper, but it's too small, and mounted incorrectly.

I've heard testimony that the heat coming through the engine via the space made by the seat belt mount is good enough... but good enough for what?

Even if it's cold, I think I need a strong positive cab air-flow. steamy air from the engine is... er, steamy. I need clear windows, and clear glasses.

I recently saw a website extolling a soft gasket that fits on the bottom of the P-500 door in order to keep out sand. I bet it'd work for fine, dry snow. I forget where I saw it.
I can think of some solutions, but they require permanent modification. I'm reticent.

I bet the SSS skid plate would help a lot regarding steam from the engine. It would help so many ways. Ugh, alas, I'm not a man of means.

There is finally an aftermarket heater for the P-500 that claims good performance. I'm intrigued. They make bold claims regarding heating performance, but I can't see their air flow stats.

Heat is nice, but if it makes fog, I cant drive.

Wow, what a ramble. Sorry. Maybe I should have delayed my comments so that I could make a more salient point, but conditions are changing so fast just now, I felt I had to get something written down.

No... wait...

I was preoccupied by the recent snow, I totally forgot to make my original point!

Extreme cold. I don't mean "wind chill" or "feels like." Who has dealt with a truly cold-soaked P-500? It's the same engine as the Foreman, and those have been run at crazy cold temps as a matter of course in Alaska. plug-in coolant and oil heaters for cars are common here, the equivalent for ATVs has pretty much been oil-sump heaters.

Have you had to deal with a cold soaked P-500? What did you do to get it started? Why did you need it to start?


There, now I'm back n track... um... but somehow even more verbose.

Sorry

Wish you many frosted mugs!

 

[500oneer]

So, tonight we had the first proper snowfall this year (small amounts had already fallen, late and slight). It's a bit backward, we've already seen -29f, but very little snow. I've just been out in the neighborhood, and forecast amounts of snow have, IMO, been exceeded.

Anyway, although I have the soft full doors for my P-500, I've yet to mount them. Garage space, wot. But there's another problem: My windshield is missing the side weather seals.
In the late night, I decided to drive about the neighborhood, a steep and sparsely populated space. Normally I would not drive on public roads, but snow was heavy and traffic was absent.
I was absolutely coated with snowdust inside the cab. Never more than 25 mph, I was subjected to snow-dust forming from the front wheels, the new snow sneaking in from the side of the windshield, and what's especially annoying, steam rushing up from the engine, where the seat belt latches are, as the Pioneer hit new snow on the ground.

I should say that I have a hard top, soft back, and a hard-coat Honda windscreen, I don't know why, but that windscreen doesn't have the stock weather stripping that mates it to the ROPS tube. It has an aftermarket wiper, but it's too small, and mounted incorrectly.

I've heard testimony that the heat coming through the engine via the space made by the seat belt mount is good enough... but good enough for what?

Even if it's cold, I think I need a strong positive cab air-flow. steamy air from the engine is... er, steamy. I need clear windows, and clear glasses.

I recently saw a website extolling a soft gasket that fits on the bottom of the P-500 door in order to keep out sand. I bet it'd work for fine, dry snow. I forget where I saw it.
I can think of some solutions, but they require permanent modification. I'm reticent.

I bet the SSS skid plate would help a lot regarding steam from the engine. It would help so many ways. Ugh, alas, I'm not a man of means.

There is finally an aftermarket heater for the P-500 that claims good performance. I'm intrigued. They make bold claims regarding heating performance, but I can't see their air flow stats.

Heat is nice, but if it makes fog, I cant drive.

Wow, what a ramble. Sorry. Maybe I should have delayed my comments so that I could make a more salient point, but conditions are changing so fast just now, I felt I had to get something written down.

No... wait...

I was preoccupied by the recent snow, I totally forgot to make my original point!

Extreme cold. I don't mean "wind chill" or "feels like." Who has dealt with a truly cold-soaked P-500? It's the same engine as the Foreman, and those have been run at crazy cold temps as a matter of course in Alaska. plug-in coolant and oil heaters for cars are common here, the equivalent for ATVs has pretty much been oil-sump heaters.

Have you had to deal with a cold soaked P-500? What did you do to get it started? Why did you need it to start?


There, now I'm back n track... um... but somehow even more verbose.

Sorry

Try some pipe insulation or pool noodels around your windshield and doors. They are cheap and come in different sizes. You will need some duct tape too at the top hinges of the windshield and near the hood . Air and snow can come through the 4x4 lever and other holes in the front as well.

 

[NitroxDiver]

If you install a heater kit make sure it has a remote thermostat for the engine or your only going to get heat when the thermostat is open and that’s not very often on a p5 in cold weather.

 

[The Green Goat]

If you install a heater kit make sure it has a remote thermostat for the engine or your only going to get heat when the thermostat is open and that’s not very often on a p5 in cold weather.

Got any recommendations on a heater kit? I'd like to put one on the 520 when I get it.

 

[trigger]

and what's especially annoying, steam rushing up from the engine, where the seat belt latches are, as the Pioneer hit new snow on the ground.

Air and snow can come through the 4x4 lever and other holes in the front as well.

There's an inexpensive fix for both of those issues. 😏

 

[Mudder]

There's an inexpensive fix for both of those issues. 😏

And it will last the life of the machine. And no wet moldy mess like the automotive fabric type barriers.

 

[906UP]

https://amazon.com/gp/product/B087938WV5/?tag=sxsweb24-20

I used this to replace a lost seal on the side of the windshield when I lost one on a trip, it was the same as what came with the windshield originally

 

[906UP]

almost forgot, I started the P5 at -25f just to see if it'd start......it did, almost immediately. We really don't use the atvs/sxs's in the winter though, too much snow unless you have tracks.

 

[NitroxDiver]

Got any recommendations on a heater kit? I'd like to put one on the 520 when I get it.

Don’t have any recommendations on a kit . Built my heater using AquaHot, a remote thermostat and a heater bypass valve. by the time I was all finished I could have just bought one of the kits for about the same amount of money. I’m sure someone will chime in with a kit.

 

[snakeriver]

Try some pipe insulation or pool noodels around your windshield and doors. They are cheap and come in different sizes. You will need some duct tape too at the top hinges of the windshield and near the hood . Air and snow can come through the 4x4 lever and other holes in the front as well.

Talk to Trigger, and get his new weather deflectors on is for the shift selector and the other is for the reverse lever. These both work great, and they are not spendy.

 

[snakeriver]

Don’t have any recommendations on a kit . Built my heater using AquaHot, a remote thermostat and a heater bypass valve. by the time I was all finished I could have just bought one of the kits for about the same amount of money. I’m sure someone will chime in with a kit.

I have a heater with a bypass valve set up, this helps keep the cab warm. I also have heated seats in mine and that REALLY helps a lot, especially if you throw a blanket across the passengers lap.

 

[Sourdough]

Tell me/us more about your "heated seats"....

 

[snakeriver]

I purchased a standard 12volt passenger car seat heater kit online, It has right and left hand controls so that each side of the seat can control their temperature. I used my Honda accessory cable as my hook up which allowed them to be key activated to guard against being accidently being left on. I used one of the precut holes in the dash to put the controls in the dash. To put them in the seat base and back I simply pulled the stapes that hold the upholstery in a small area and slid the elements into place, once they were in place I used a staple gun to reattach the upholstery. When we ride my wife places a blanket over her lap when it is cold. You will need to lower the temp on the elements when running down the trial at higher speeds because the will be warmer as the starter works harder. For us they work extremely well, and if I had to choose between my heater and them the heater would loose, but this is just my opinion. Be sure to get Triggers wind deflectors as they really help to keep the air flow down.

 

[trigger]

Bought one of these for plowing the first year I owned the machine, never used it.

Robot or human?

www.walmart.com

 

[oldfortyfive]

Bought one of these for plowing the first year I owned the machine, never used it.

Robot or human?

www.walmart.com

I used one in my old New Yorker with leather seats....worked good.

 

[papermaker]

https://amazon.com/gp/product/B087938WV5/?tag=sxsweb24-20

I used this to replace a lost seal on the side of the windshield when I lost one on a trip, it was the same as what came with the windshield originally

I also lost both side seals around my windsheild. After I replaced them I used gorila glue to keep them in place.

 

[bowhunterbill]

I’d like to jump in. I live in Montana, it’s (damn) cold. I found without a windshield wearing my hunting gear, helmet and face baclava I did OK at 5F, except my feet. Sooner or later the rest of me would get cold too.

I just called Inferno heaters. The guy there was good- and honest. He said if I don’t add a windshield and a cab enclosure (doors, top and behind seats) “don’t bother, you will not be happy”. The heater does not pump out enough heat to overcome the cold air entering the cab.

That raises the bar from $399 (heater) to well over a grand. Doable, but a bit more than thought/ planned.

Is this the case in your experience? A heater without an enclosed cab doesn’t make sense?

Thanks, and stay warm. Hypothermia sucks.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FlyingPot8oh]

Don’t have any recommendations on a kit . Built my heater using AquaHot, a remote thermostat and a heater bypass valve. by the time I was all finished I could have just bought one of the kits for about the same amount of money. I’m sure someone will chime in with a kit.

The Inferno Cab Heater plumbs inline with the radiator return. This promises a fair amount of heat, so long as coolant is running through the radiator. I haven't been able to find much detail about exactly how the system is setup. It looks like a quality piece of equipment, but for the price, I want to know exactly what I'm getting and how it works before I make the purchase. A more convoluted plumbing may be required.
If I recall correctly, the OEM Pioneer 700 heater also had a problem of not producing heat until the engine was fully warmed. I used to sell Hondas. The first year the P-700 came out, I sold a plow and cab setup to a guy who was using it primarily to clear the snow from his Church parking lot. He was very happy with the climate inside the cab.

I think if I'm going to be messing around with this sort of thing much, the inclusion of a coolant thermometer might be worthwhile.

To be fair, for most winter stuff around here a wheeled SxS is about useless. Snowmachines are vastly superior. If I were to add a track system, the only one that I think would work to my satisfaction is nearly as expensive as the SxS itself, and it would be far too wide to fit on most winter trails. If there ever is another Arcticman, however, it may work to get to the most traveled-to venues. Most of my winter use of the P-500 will likely be snow removal. This means that it's unlikely that I'll find it necessary to run the P-500 in what I would consider properly "cold" weather. As a rule of thumb, starting a winter trip at anything much below -20f is probably not a good idea. -20f isn't so bad, but you're likely to encounter colder temps en route, and the weather may change. At about -40, materials start to act strangely, making mechanical equipment less reliable.

 

[FlyingPot8oh]

Try some pipe insulation or pool noodels around your windshield and doors. They are cheap and come in different sizes. You will need some duct tape too at the top hinges of the windshield and near the hood . Air and snow can come through the 4x4 lever and other holes in the front as well.

I hadn't thought about the holes through the front of the cab, under the hood. That's worth consideration. Thanks.