There are five dedicated members in the team that looks after the extensive grounds of the St Monica Trust’s glorious Westbury Fields retirement village on the outskirts of Bristol. And then there’s ‘Keith’, the Kubota RTV X1110 sourced from Lister Wilder.
The award of a pet name is an indication of the high regard in which the utility vehicle is held at Westbury Fields, which is one of five retirement villages run by the charity across Bristol, Bath and North Somerset. Similar appreciation is enjoyed by the two X1110s that support the crew in the grounds of the Trust’s Cote Lane retirement village overlooking Durdham Down and the one at the Sandford Station at Sandford in North Somerset.
As the Trust’s Gardens Manager Kirsty Frampton puts it: “They are all loved, and because they are loved they are looked after. To be honest, we would be lost without them. The grounds are quite large and we need to get around and to move the materials and machinery we work with. There is so much we would not be able to do without the Kubotas – towing a trailer, water bowser or chipper to name but some.”
The Trust first put its faith in utility vehicles as workhorses all of 20 years ago, but it was only four years ago that it switched to Kubotas. It did so after carefully evaluating two other major brands.
“We looked in particular at ease of use and at the suitability of each vehicle for our particular sites, which have some quite tight areas to get into,” says Kirsty. “The Kubota stood out from the others because we felt it had an overall easier feel to it and a better ride. It was also easier to load and unload from a transport vehicle, and the cost was good.”
The RTV-X1110 achieves its power and versatility from an economical 24.2 HP Kubota 3-cylinder liquid cooled diesel engine coupled with a unique drive train arrangement that allows it to go where other utility vehicles can’t. It also benefits from Kubota’s innovative variable hydrostatic transmission and dynamic engine braking that makes it one of the safest utility vehicles on the market.
With its rapid acceleration and gripping traction, the RTV-X1110 can stop and resume climbing without the need for braking. Features that make it both comfortable and easy to use include deluxe split-bench seats, a digital easy-read instrument panel and under-seat storage. It also very importantly has full roll-over protection designed for easy access to its hydraulic cargo tipping bed.
At the St Monica Trust, the Kubotas even provide a snow clearance facility via an optional plough attachment, a vital tool to have on hand for a business that has to ensure safe access in all weathers for its staff and the residents they care for.
The other plus listed by Kirsty comes in the shape of Lister Wilder’s Area Sales Manager, Ian Davies. “We have worked with Ian for years and really can’t fault him and the advice he gives us,” she says. “Likewise, the servicing support we get from Dell Holliday is excellent.”
The Kubotas have an important role to play in maintaining the standards that have been achieved by the St Monica Trust over its 103-year existence. A not-for-profit organisation, the Trust employs more than 1,200 people dedicated to providing high-quality accommodation and care for older people, including residents funded by social services.