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Partner in Climb
For Edwin Douglass, his Kubota RTV-XG850 Sidekick is more than just a side-by-side to get from A to B. It keeps him connected to the world.
When the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020, Edwin decided that it was time to leave his residence in Lausanne, Switzerland and come home to New Zealand to his family run property, Glen Alton Forrest, in the Clarence River valley.
The property is remote. The Douglass’s are isolated further as a result of the nearby bridge connecting them to the local town falling in the last earthquake, and the lack of reception and wireless internet on the property. The Kubota RTV-XG850 helps keep Edwin and his family connected to the community around him. “My Kubota RTV-XG850 Sidekick has been a game changer. It’s light, easy, narrow and zips around forests – it’s small and can go anywhere,” Edwin said.
Living on an isolated property was a challenge that Edwin faced head on. They had no consistent mobile phone coverage or Wi-Fi and he needed to work from home to manage his team across the other side of the world. The solution was for Edwin to install an internet repeater station on a hill next door to his property. “Every now and then the repeater would cut out in the middle of the night. Occasionally when the system needed a reboot, I had to drive up the hill to repair whatever needed fixing. Navigating the uneven terrain was so much easier with a side-by-side than a heavy four-wheel drive,” Edwin said.
The Sidekick’s fast acceleration and high transport speed has allowed Edwin to navigate the area’s diverse terrain and get to the internet repeater quickly in the middle of the night, especially when he needs to speak to his global team.
“FAST ACCELERATION AND HIGH TRANSPORT SPEED HAS ALLOWED EDWIN TO NAVIGATE THE AREA'S DIVERSE TERRAIN”
“We bought the Kubota RTV-XG850 Sidekick in early 2021. I noticed that my neighbours all had side-by-sides for their properties. It was the community preference to heavier four-wheel drive vehicles, so I thought I’d also give it a go.”
Equipped with a CVT Plus transmission, the rugged, liquid-cooled engine of the Kubota RTV-XG850 provides plenty of torque for a quick and smooth take-off – perfect for the type of terrain in the Clarence River valley.
Watch Edwin’s drive up the mountain in his RTV-XG850 sidekick