New here, started reading through but haven’t found what I’m looking for.
I’m ordering a 23 Gem e4 tomorrow for next Spring.
Trying to figure out if the 6.5kw motor is needed or not. Our campground is almost all flat with just one hill. I’m not sure the grade but it has a good incline. Here is a picture.
With how expensive these are, I don’t want to regret not going bigger but also want to save where I can if it is overkill.
It’s for my wife and 2 kids who are 9 and 12. Even outside our campground it’s all flat on the majority of the roads we would be using it on.
My build that I have so far is
Orange Rust
16" diamond
Panoramic roof
Rear window
Rubber mats
Agm batteries
Grey/black premium seats
Radio with 2 speakers
5kW works fine for most applications and I don’t think you’ll have problems with that hill. however after trying the 6.5kW it’s a nice improvement,
I would check pricing, how much are they charging you for the 6.5kW upgrade? if they charge you the cost of the brand new 6.5kW it’s always better to get the 5kW and then upgrade it after delivery so you can sell the 5kW and recoup some $
Also if I were you I would save the money in the distance AGMs distance package and the radio and install lithium + aftermarket radio
In regards to the motor, it’s a $644 upgrade. Is it worth that? Again, I’m willing to pay the money if there is value there, just don’t want to do it and have no benefit.
Regarding the batteries, I’m only going AGM, not AGM distance. I have been reading a lot about the lithium upgrades but we are talking several thousand dollars I think close to $3k to upgrade and for what I’m using it for, I don’t think the benefits will warrant the cost.
Regarding the radio. So the dealer is knocking $250 off that option to add it. They wanted a 25% deposit to order it. I wasn’t willing to do that… I offered $500. Their concern because I wasn’t ordering the upgraded seats (at the time) or radio that if I backed out, it didn’t have the options many want and would take longer to sell. So they offered $250 off the radio upgrade if I add it and the seats. We decided to go with the premium seats anyways so now the radio and with speakers is about $500. Not worth my time for that to do my own and they agreed to a $500 deposit with those 2 options.
I’ve done full audio installs so know how to do it but again, for $500, I’ll pass.
So AGM is a $971 upgrade. So we would be talking $2k price difference and then sourcing the batteries and I believe an updated controller for charging etc?
Seems like you did the math already, lol 90% of the people that buy a gem will keep spending money to tinker it.
Lights, speed limit removal, etc etc
That’s why my suggestion was to save money in batteries towards a lithium.
If they would sell me a gem Without any batteries I would take it.
Also a 6.5kW new is like $1300.
It will perform better than 5kW specially going up hill
no need to replace controller or charger, the standard 1kW charger can be reprogrammed to lithium.
