• Jack-it Night: April 2024 RS Meeting Hey Guest: Wed. April 3rd is the next Rising Sun meeting, and you won't want to miss it. We're doing our annual offroad recovery equipment demonstration and trail skills training aka "Jack It Night." Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. (early) Click here for all the details.

RC Crawlers

Cruisertrash

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
1,953
Location
Denver
Alright, looks like I got some homework to do checking into all this stuff.

@MonPetiteShoe definitely a lack of classic Cruiser bodies for RC crawlers, except the 40/45 seems to be gaining steam in the 1:16 & 1:18 sizes.

@DomOfTheDead @nakman whats the limiting factor in performance for the TrailFinder platform? Crappy leaf springs? Driveshafts? I’ll probably bring my own electronics to the party.

I’ll say I’m not afraid to go ham on the thing. My WPL chassis has ended up cut, glued, pieces removed, pieces added, different mounting bolts & studs added. I’m sure I’d have to do that to just about any RC truck to get things the way I want them.
 

DomOfTheDead

Event Coordinator
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Jun 2, 2019
Messages
879
Location
lakewood
Alright, looks like I got some homework to do checking into all this stuff.

@MonPetiteShoe definitely a lack of classic Cruiser bodies for RC crawlers, except the 40/45 seems to be gaining steam in the 1:16 & 1:18 sizes.

@DomOfTheDead @nakman whats the limiting factor in performance for the TrailFinder platform? Crappy leaf springs? Driveshafts? I’ll probably bring my own electronics to the party.

I’ll say I’m not afraid to go ham on the thing. My WPL chassis has ended up cut, glued, pieces removed, pieces added, different mounting bolts & studs added. I’m sure I’d have to do that to just about any RC truck to get things the way I want them.
The hard body trucks are cool looking but raise the COG a lot and are more vulnerable to damage if rolled. The leaf springs are just crappy, made cheaply and they do offer a 3 link conversion but it adds cost. The axles are metal but use a split case design that susceptible to water and debris getting inside.
 

Cruisertrash

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
1,953
Location
Denver
The hard body trucks are cool looking but raise the COG a lot and are more vulnerable to damage if rolled. The leaf springs are just crappy, made cheaply and they do offer a 3 link conversion but it adds cost. The axles are metal but use a split case design that susceptible to water and debris getting inside.
The WPL has split axle housings and surprisingly I’ve never gotten a drop of water or dirt inside. I was surprised. I have ideas for using 4” long Tomica leaf springs and modifying the frame rails to accept them. Again, it would be a DIY oriented thing.

But I hear you on going another route too. Just need to ponder it for a week as usual.
 

MonPetiteShoe

Cruise Moab Committee
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Oct 7, 2020
Messages
424
Location
Aurora
There's a company called MFab who make 3D printed kits with SLA. They've got an FJ60 and an FJ55. There's significantly more DIY, and they run to the tune of $225-$300. There are a lot of versions mounted to 1/10 scale Traxxas RCs.
If you're going to be at the Jack-it-night meeting, I can bring the Redcat and you can whip it around. Ain't no thang.
 

Cruisertrash

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
1,953
Location
Denver
There's a company called MFab who make 3D printed kits with SLA. They've got an FJ60 and an FJ55. There's significantly more DIY, and they run to the tune of $225-$300. There are a lot of versions mounted to 1/10 scale Traxxas RCs.
If you're going to be at the Jack-it-night meeting, I can bring the Redcat and you can whip it around. Ain't no thang.
I’ve eyeballed the MFab stuff. Once you add the cost of the platform and the body, plus electronics, that gets expensive though. I’d love to test your mini whip at jack it! I’ll bring my little WPL if you want to try out the mini platform. As long as the obstacles are scaled appropriately it does really well.
 

MonPetiteShoe

Cruise Moab Committee
Cruise Moab Committee
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Oct 7, 2020
Messages
424
Location
Aurora
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Cruisertrash

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
1,953
Location
Denver
I think I finally found a guy who can design and 3D print FJ60 bodies for the 1:14 scale WPL C-24 (80s Toyota pickup) chassis. I brought up a group buy and he's into the idea. I think with the FJ60 body on that chassis it may end being more like 1:16 fwiw. Bigger than the 1:24 scale toys, and not as cumbersome to transport as the 1:8 & 1:10 scale monsters.

So ... would anybody have interest in getting in on that?


As a reminder the C-24 is about $75 ready to run: assembled truck, transmitter, electronics, batteries. And it does alright out of the box. There's also a kit version that you build yourself with a few upgraded parts for about $130, including electronics and batteries. Outside of that there's an aftermarket for upgrades and it's all cheap. $15 for a transfer case, for example. They're easy to build into very capable crawlers for about $200-300 total (not including a 3D printed body). For me it was a great way to get into the hobby without spending $1500 - which is the price I got quoted at a dedicated RC Crawler store as the bare minimum required to get anything "decent". The WPL is also really portable and easy to stash away in a box when you're going camping.

If you're interested let me know below!
 

timmbuck2

RS Club TLCA Delegate
Cruise Moab Committee
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Oct 5, 2005
Messages
4,285
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Denver
I would be interested... Always wanted to get into this
 

Corbet

RS Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
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Oct 24, 2006
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7,929
Location
Durango, Colorado
Screenshot 2024-02-29 at 5.36.09 PM.png
 

Yarn Cruiser

Cruise Moab Committee
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Jun 15, 2020
Messages
318
@Corbet the real trick is just getting your wife into the hobby. My class 2, 46' power wagon, competition rig. It's been a couple years since @DomOfTheDead and I have competed, I think that might change this year. Maybe we will set up a rising sun competition. This lady always earned me compliments when we showed up. Until we got out on the course. I play to win. 🤣😉
Dom did a very good job of building her up and painting her for me.
 

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DomOfTheDead

Event Coordinator
Cruise Moab Committee
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Jun 2, 2019
Messages
879
Location
lakewood
Anyone interested in setting up an RC course at the ColoYota Expo?
That would be a fun idea. Stay The Trail has a good portable 1/ 24 scale course that has the whole needed set up for an event like that, including multiple RC trucks, batteries and chargers. They might be a good option if they will.be there as a vendor already. Another option could be reaching out to the guy the runs The Crawlspace and see of he would like to set up a course and/or be a vendor
 

VoodooBlue_Vixen

Rising Sun Member
Joined
May 30, 2021
Messages
652
Location
Arvada
That would be a fun idea. Stay The Trail has a good portable 1/ 24 scale course that has the whole needed set up for an event like that, including multiple RC trucks, batteries and chargers. They might be a good option if they will.be there as a vendor already. Another option could be reaching out to the guy the runs The Crawlspace and see of he would like to set up a course and/or be a vendor
Stay the Trail has been invited as a non profit. They attended last year.

The Crawl Space is on my list, but I don't know the owner. Do you know his name?!
 

DomOfTheDead

Event Coordinator
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Jun 2, 2019
Messages
879
Location
lakewood
Stay the Trail has been invited as a non profit. They attended last year.

The Crawl Space is on my list, but I don't know the owner. Do you know his name?!
Jon, I think. Not sure. Changed ownership a year or two ago and I haven't had much contact with the new owner.
 
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