1/14th Rig. Ugly duckling?

[Gazzalene 171]

We all know the fav`s in the rig line up BUT what would you leave on the bench? And reasons

[Tamiyabigstuff 831]

Has to be the AROCS 3363 - the looks do nothing to make me want to add it to my collection.

Don't know why T bothered with it when they could have picked something much better looking.

How about a nice retro truck like a Scammell or Antar tank transporter ?

[Mad Ax 9310]

That's a tricky question, as most of them are reasonable replicas of real-world trucks (the King/Grand, Knight and Globe being rather convincing generics).  So if you think a truck is ugly, it's most likely because you think the 1:1 version is ugly.  Or, possibly, because you feel Tamiya's interpretation isn't as good as it could be - for example the tyres (and arches) look way too big on some Euro trucks, if you're looking for true scale.

Since we're talking about looks first, I'll say my least favourite is the Freightliner Cascadia Evo, closely followed by the Knight Hauler.  I don't especially dislike either, I guess I just don't like that bulbous aerodynamic look.  Although, curiously, I think the Ford Aeromax is OK.

In terms of joy to drive - the Grand Hauler is way down the list for me.  It's just too long.  I don't know if the same applies to the other larger rigs like the Cascadia.  The turning circle on Tamiya rigs (without mods) is very poor.  With mods, it's just poor.  If you're trying to reverse-park a trailer on a tight, technical layout set out in a small British civic centre or church hall, it's a pain.  I like to drive my trucks, so for me, making them as short as possible gives the most enjoyment.  I've seen people fit Grand Hauler rails to their Globe Liners - they end up with a huge empty space between the cab and the axles.  Each to their own, if they enjoy it then that's fine, but I don't see the point and I think it looks silly.

That said, I do own a Grand Hauler - the longer frame rails were the perfect length for fitting a heavy tipper bed, once I'd cut the sleeper cab off.  All the fancy custom parts will be going on my Globe Liner when I finally get around to rebuilding it.

[Gazzalene 171]

2 hours ago, Tamiyabigstuff said:

Has to be the AROCS 3363 - the looks do nothing to make me want to add it to my collection.

Don't know why T bothered with it when they could have picked something much better looking.

How about a nice retro truck like a Scammell or Antar tank transporter ?

Never thought of them 2, either would be great.

[tim.senecal 487]

Actually, i can't say.   I really don't find the Globe Liner appealing, it is not a very common truck on US roads, but all the other Tamiya US trucks are a derivative of the King Hauler, or the now defunct Aeromax.  I have no idea what any of the euro trucks are, so they kind of are just a shoulder shrug from me.  I wish Tamiya did a few different US trucks, Mack or Freightliner.   I am glad that "SmallScaleModelCollection" does exist on shapeways.  if it weren't for him, i would not have my K100.

as a kid, i built all of the 1/25 AMT semi-trucks i could get my hands on.  It would be nice if Tamiya had that level of diversity.

[Carmine A 2046]

On 7/7/2022 at 7:55 AM, Mad Ax said:

In terms of joy to drive - the Grand Hauler is way down the list for me.  It's just too long.  I don't know if the same applies to the other larger rigs like the Cascadia.  The turning circle on Tamiya rigs (without mods) is very poor. 

Stay tuned! I've nearly perfected a mod for ridiculous sharp steering on long Chassis Trucks!! (I'm waiting until I know it's repeatable by all of you, with low cost parts)