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Snowcat rental / Usage / Costs

Nikson

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Something came up in my discussion with buddies and some other friends on the note of "costs" affiliated w/renting or using a snowcat for various trips in the Cascades.

This is scenario onto which we are trying to put a price tag:

Delivery of a group of people (6-8) with minimal gear (all the necessities) to a snow/winter camp location to a lake for a snow play/ice fishing/various winter recreation.

So basically, how much would it be reasonable to pay PER PERSON, to have someone on a snowcat transport you to a location say 15-20 miles one way for a few days, and than come back and pick you up and get you back to your vehicle (another 15-20 miles).

Anyone doing this? Anyone got any numbers in mind?

p.s. in this example to make things simple, say we are using something like a Thiokol SuperImp 1450 with a rear cab that comfortably seats 8 people with gear on the top rack and sleds if needed. Snowcat transportation costs are not a necessary number to input, due to the fact that everyone stores them at different places and uses different means of transporting them as well.
 

Snowcat Pat

Active member
"So basically, how much would it be reasonable to pay PER PERSON, to have someone on a snowcat transport you to a location say 15-20 miles one way for a few days, and than come back and pick you up and get you back to your vehicle (another 15-20 miles)."


You may be talking about ...outfitting...careful there...

These folks may be able to help you out.

http://www.nw-snowcat-rentals.com/inventory/

-Pat
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
my suggestion would be to rent one if you have the experience to operate it or find a charter operator and split the charter among the crew. when folks ask me how much per person to ride with me I always suggest getting together a group and do a charter.
 

Nikson

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
"So basically, how much would it be reasonable to pay PER PERSON, to have someone on a snowcat transport you to a location say 15-20 miles one way for a few days, and than come back and pick you up and get you back to your vehicle (another 15-20 miles)."


You may be talking about ...outfitting...careful there...

These folks may be able to help you out.

http://www.nw-snowcat-rentals.com/inventory/

-Pat

What I'm talking about is a group of 10 friends, joining funds & buying a cat to ride for our outdoor adventure, thus the "cost" splitting need.

Its understandable that you just take the cost of the cat & split 10-way, but minor problem is that there will always be "a friend of a friend of a friend" who will want to come along for a ride, so in order to prevent any upcoming hairsplitting costs between "the owners", we are trying to figure the cost "per person" per ride so to speak.

Not sure if I'm making sence, but my buddies and I figured that it would be simpler to just figure out a number, and go by it for any future reference.
 

Nikson

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
my suggestion would be to rent one if you have the experience to operate it or find a charter operator and split the charter among the crew. when folks ask me how much per person to ride with me I always suggest getting together a group and do a charter.

Havent really found any places locally that would rent one out, and not everyone is willing to drive a longer distance for it either...

Thus all the questioning... LOL
 

fr73ed

Member
$85 /hour minimum, mobilisation costs from where sno cat is based,then fuel , oil extra,all based on time needed to operate Snocat to and from, may be calculated by Hobbs time . Operator costs extra. Figure $ 30/hr.

Ownership will need to include repair costs which are difficult to predict, insurance which should be an easily priced cost, need to include task training for individuals inexperienced in ops.

Then expect that one or more of the new owners will breakdown "out there ", so add an unknowable value for rescue, mechanic costs, parts ...
 
It's a great question, one that I've thought about as well, but more in the context of "touristy day rides."

For what you're talking about, there ARE places that will rent cats out. Check this one: http://snowcatrental.com/snowcat_rental_003.htm in Morgan, UT. There are probably others - it's a business that makes a certain amount of very good sense.

Rent with driver for $120/hr, or lease for $575/day, $2200/week, $6500/month. At lease rates, the hourly is as high as $24/hr (day) or as low as $9/hr (month). And I'd expect that the renter(s) supply the fuel, and probably have to take some training/safety, and there's a bunch of insurance involved. And then you better hope that his GPS works in a whiteout.... So $120/hr, probably 5-6 hours clock time for the 2 trips? The Snow Taxi - I like it, so long as it's not the Yellow Snow Taxi Company :yum:

We used to do that in the 70s - a guy in town had a 9 man pontoon Tucker, he'd take us into the lake and drop us off. "See 'ya inna week." It was like $35, but only 3.5 miles one way.... Nowadays, if a guy gets snowed in, it'll cost him ~$150 to get picked up and taken out to town.
 

Blackfoot Tucker

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Very interesting and thought provoking question...and I can't offer any real ideas as far as a methodology.

I would however suggest this: Many small aircraft (Pipers, Cessnas, Mooneys, etc) are fractionally owned, whereby a group of people own the aircraft together. How they split up ownership costs and usage costs probably vary with the individual group of folks. You could search the Internet for ideas on that.

I'm "spitballing" here but...

In the case of an aircraft the engine typically has a TBO number (Time Between Overhaul) and you can get a pretty accurate number as far as the overhaul cost. So let's say the TBO is 2,000 hours and the overhaul cost is $30K for the engine. Dividing 30,000 by 2,200 gives an answer of $13.64 an hour.

I'm guessing one pays a certain amount to "buy-in" and a monthly fee (to cover insurance and hangar/tie down charges, and perhaps the anticipated cost of the required annual inspection, too). In addition everyone buys their own fuel and pays an hourly rate reflecting that portion of the cost to overhaul the engine.

I would assume when someone wants out they must either convince all the other owners to buy him out or he must sell his partnership interest.

I have no personal experience in this...just a suggestion. Good Luck!

BTW, I'm really looking forward to your next Sno-Cat project. (Note the Tucker spelling - I'm hoping it's a Tucker!)
 

Nikson

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Very interesting and thought provoking question...and I can't offer any real ideas as far as a methodology.

I would however suggest this: Many small aircraft (Pipers, Cessnas, Mooneys, etc) are fractionally owned, whereby a group of people own the aircraft together. How they split up ownership costs and usage costs probably vary with the individual group of folks. You could search the Internet for ideas on that.

I'm "spitballing" here but...

In the case of an aircraft the engine typically has a TBO number (Time Between Overhaul) and you can get a pretty accurate number as far as the overhaul cost. So let's say the TBO is 2,000 hours and the overhaul cost is $30K for the engine. Dividing 30,000 by 2,200 gives an answer of $13.64 an hour.

I'm guessing one pays a certain amount to "buy-in" and a monthly fee (to cover insurance and hangar/tie down charges, and perhaps the anticipated cost of the required annual inspection, too). In addition everyone buys their own fuel and pays an hourly rate reflecting that portion of the cost to overhaul the engine.

I would assume when someone wants out they must either convince all the other owners to buy him out or he must sell his partnership interest.

I have no personal experience in this...just a suggestion. Good Luck!

BTW, I'm really looking forward to your next Sno-Cat project. (Note the Tucker spelling - I'm hoping it's a Tucker!)

All great suggestions, really appreciate it guys.

I'm not sure on the timing with a next "project" - never know when it will come, all depends when i find another project worthy cat, that I'll fall in love with and want to do something with it... Process was definitely time consuming and fun.

This year is busy with many travels, got a lot of 4x4 trips planned out around Oregon, and than fall - Utah (moab) & Colorado (telluride), with a later one to Baja with the family & a tent trailer... We like to travel & see the world, which converts into being "poor" (not owning anything like a house), but all of our monies just go towards fun projects & travels that we all enjoy.

I'm also looking into buying a lake resort (rather small one) and hoping that I can turn it into a 12mo./year project,rather than just a "summer-only" seasonal thing, thus I'm looking into a good reliable cat purchase at this time.

I'll keep things updated as they come - always love to share & hear great suggestions from everyone here!

Cheers,
 
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