Commonly referred to as ‘the swirl’, dust and sand will easily make its way into your UTV cab when you have open doorways. This can quickly lead to a frustrated and uncomfortable rider, but there are some great ways to keep dust out of your UTV cab. Mud is a completely different story as it is victim to the splashing and movement of the UTV, rather than the wind of the world around it.
To keep all mud and dust out of your UTV cab, you need a fully enclosed space. This isn’t ideal for everyone, so there are also a few different ways to minimize the amount of grime getting in and ruining your ride. Aside from just wearing a buff and goggles, you’ll want to do a bit more to protect your cab from dust.
Dust forms the swirl from airflow that circulates around and through the UTV via the open doorways or windshield area. If you ride a side by side that is fully open, you’ll be the dust’s easiest target, with nothing to protect you.
Even installing a half-windshield can drastically reduce the amount of dust, mud, and sand that gets into your UTV cab. Without that small amount of protection, you leave yourself completely vulnerable to the elements.
As we’ve already mentioned, a simple half windshield can do great things to keep dust out of your UTV cab. The key here is that the windshield adjusts the airflow through the cab in your favor. Keeping dust out of your UTV cab is all about controlling the airflow.
The various levels of dust and mud mitigation will range from a half windshield to a full enclosure. What you choose will depend on a lot of other factors. If you really want that open-air feeling, you may opt for less protection to let the breeze cool you down as sand often includes heat with it.
Half windshield - A half windshield helps direct the flow of air, and therefore dust, up and over the rider. If you want some amount of airflow, but don’t mind a little bit of sand, a half windshield is a great choice.
Full windshield - Full windshields obviously offer more protection to a rider as they will divert all of the air coming at you around the UTV. You lose the breeze, but gain significant protection.
Flip-up windshield - If you want options, a flip-up windshield is perfect for you. You can adjust it throughout the ride depending on the terrain to meet your wants at the moment.
Rear windshield - A rear windshield works to change the pattern of airflow and can either trap the dust inside the cab, or push it out to the sides. This all depends on the combination with the front windshield you choose, so if you want a rear windshield, pay attention to this.