I’m still plugging away at upgrading, modifying and making my GEM my own. I’ve done a 4" lift, added a locking truck box to the back instead of the plastic thing that comes with em, car tires, lithium and the list goes on.
Last week I was out mowing some neighborhood lawns and it dawned on me, why on earth am I not using the GEM to shuttle me around so I don’t have to walk all my lawn mowing gear around?
The weed wacker and all its accoutrement fits great in the truck box in the back, but the lawn mower needed a solution. My back told me I wasn’t going to be picking it up any higher than a few inches, so I needed to cobble soemthing together.
I had one of those flat generator, package type trays I bought at a garage sale eons ago that was hitch mount. I think I paid $10 for which is a steal. I then grabbed another one of these golf cart hitch receivers. I have used two of these so far on my GEM and they work great as a starting point. You generally need to cut the width down and of course make your own mounting holes.
My front one is bolted to the subframe just below the motor. I also used a hitch tighenter to remove some of the slop and rattle when driving.
It turned out great and I was able to knock it all out in an afternoon.
If I need to carry bikes I can slide in my bike hitch instead of the package tray.
I welded a bike rack onto the platform this weekend on a whim. I didn’t want to have to swap hitch accessories all the time.
Here is a pic of her with the Sunday load. Mower and a weed wacker fit up front perfectly and I can throw bikes up there when I need to on the weekdays.
I still have some panel gaps to adjust and need to paint the trunk but she is coming along.
The rear doesn’t really have a good place to mount it very low without mounting it directly to the suspension. I wanted it low so I wouldn’t have to lift the lawn mower up.
I did put a hitch in the rear, but it is mounted high and attached directly to the aluminum frame. I use it for the truck box.
Maybe if I am feeling sassy I’ll cobble together a snow plow this winter and the front hitch will be an easy way to mount it.
Rear hitch takes away the little traction there is. I’ve been thinking of a front mount plow or blower. The weight on the front might make it work. Needs to be wider than the Gem track though. I have 100yards of straight sidewalk down hill. The wind blows in my face no matter which way I go.
I wonder what the make for a wide snow thrower in low power. Just enough for a few inches of snow.
