Is a stadium truck what we want?

[BuggyDad]

4 hours ago, simalarion said:

BearHawk = Its a simple matter off weight ratio

Just very light in the front with the motor out back? Sounds a bit like the DT-03... 

[Kpowell911]

19 hours ago, RC_FunLand said:

 If you see 2/3 of their cars, you’ve seen the essence of their entire lineup.

Errr, havent you just described Tamiya??

[Cephas]

I have a stadium blitzer, which I believe is the same chassis as a Blitzer Beetle.

picked it up second hand and it’s a bit rough, but it’s a basher I have been tinkering with. 
here are some pictures hope it helps your decision 😀

[Cephas]

Under the body

[El Gecko]

6 hours ago, Mad Ax said:

I really like how mine drives.

If you're going with conventional truggy or stadium truck tyres (as opposed to monster truck tyres) then the rolling radius isn't much greater than a 2.2 buggy tyre.  Plus the wider wheels already give you more stability.  I'd just throw on the wide wheels and run it  

I really liked how my DT02 drove with stadium truck wheels, but unfortunately for brushed motors I found that the bigger wheels were too heavy as well, especially if they had foams inside. Probably fine with brushless, but it would be nice if there was a larger spur gear for the DT so we could run smaller pinions if we chose.

[simalarion]

1 hour ago, BuggyDad said:

Just very light in the front with the motor out back? Sounds a bit like the DT-03... 

”BearHawk = Its a simple matter off weight ratio”

Just a joke atempt on the name off this RC Buggy with a Monthy Reff..

Its A Hawk, No wait its a Bear, no wait its BearHawk!!

[BuggyDad]

48 minutes ago, simalarion said:

”BearHawk = Its a simple matter off weight ratio”

Just a joke atempt on the name off this RC Buggy with a Monthy Reff..

Its A Hawk, No wait its a Bear, no wait its BearHawk!!

Ah ha! D'Oh, I missed the reference! 

[BuggyDad]

2 hours ago, Cephas said:

Under the body

I really like the Stadium Blitzer. If I get a Beetle to turn into a Falcon I might get that she'll as well to run as an alternative. It really evokes the period I think. Love the shock tower bracing on yours. That's right up my alley. Here's my DT-03, using similar principles and even the same Hornet suspension brackets:

 

However, this thread has taken a wild turn. Blitzers being the answer to one thing (my other possible next project), but not I don't think to my OP, for which I think if the answer is a stadium truck it's a modern 4wd one. 

[Cephas]

I read your DT03 build thread with great interest, made me put one on my need to get list 😂.

my brother has just built one to take to the Tamiya Junkies meet on Saturday 

[BuggyDad]

31 minutes ago, Cephas said:

I read your DT03 build thread

That's commitment! 😜

32 minutes ago, Cephas said:

my brother has just built one to take to the Tamiya Junkies meet on Saturday 

What are these Tamiya Junkies meets all about? I might pop along one of these days. 

[Cephas]

Tamiya junkies is an informal meet, 1/10 only. Not strictly Tamiya, people bring Kyosho etc, they have an indoor track in case it rains and two large outdoor ones.

It’s not racing it’s just for fun and socialising with like minded individuals, I have said to myself that I would go for ages and last month was the first time and it was the most fun my brother I have had in ages. I decided recently after a ****ty couple of years, to stop putting things off and just do it, especially things I enjoy 😀

[BuggyDad]

5 hours ago, Cephas said:

Tamiya junkies is an informal meet, 1/10 only. Not strictly Tamiya, people bring Kyosho etc, they have an indoor track in case it rains and two large outdoor ones.

It’s not racing it’s just for fun and socialising with like minded individuals, I have said to myself that I would go for ages and last month was the first time and it was the most fun my brother I have had in ages. I decided recently after a ****ty couple of years, to stop putting things off and just do it, especially things I enjoy 😀

Good on ya. It sounds really fun. I'm often a doable distance for a day trip from there, just not usually at weekends. One of these days I will come along. I'd love to do something sociable rc related, just not ready for racing. 

[RC_FunLand]

On 4/18/2023 at 12:34 PM, Kpowell911 said:

Errr, havent you just described Tamiya??

Well, in some ways, yes. Though Tamiya has proved that they aren’t afraid to test the waters; their “unique” chassis’s are well, unique!! There’s character in in the design.

[BuggyDad]

On 4/23/2023 at 11:56 AM, Kpowell911 said:

Stampedes are fantastic!!

 

On 4/23/2023 at 10:12 PM, Sogogi said:

I honestly consider getting one again after down sizing..… my first rc and had lots of good memories.. (2wd one)

I wonder whether a Stampede kit would be a good answer. I mean it doesn't have any character really but it's a kit basher in the right format and folk seem to like it. It's popped up twice recently here and got a bit of love. I suspect it's robust, being Traxxas. And more than most kits I think my son could really own the build process. 

In the UK I think you can only get it with the electronics, and I don't really want different radio gear, proprietary stuff generally or a brushed ESC and motor, and I'm a bit against buying what I don't want even if in pure financial terms it's ok. However in the USA the 4wd kit without electronics is not crazy money and it sounds like they're both tough and fun. 

On Traxxas website it lists it without electronics at $99 although I'm not sure that's right, for some reason, at least I can't see any retailers with it at that price 

https://m.traxxas.com/products/models/electric/stampede-4x4-kit

I can see it for $200 though:

https://www.cyclonehobbies.com/p-396-traxxas-stampede-4x4-110-assembly-kit-tra670104.aspx

I have little experience buying from USA but my brother in law will be coming to see us from the states in a few weeks so I could perhaps ask him to bring us one. Certainly if I could do that for $100ish I wouldn't hesitate. 

Or am I barking up the wrong tree on Traxxas electronics? 

 

[Kowalski86]

23 minutes ago, BuggyDad said:

 

I wonder whether a Stampede kit would be a good answer. I mean it doesn't have any character really but it's a kit basher in the right format and folk seem to like it. It's popped up twice recently here and got a bit of love. I suspect it's robust, being Traxxas. And more than most kits I think my son could really own the build process. 

In the UK I think you can only get it with the electronics, and I don't really want different radio gear, proprietary stuff generally or a brushed ESC and motor, and I'm a bit against buying what I don't want even if in pure financial terms it's ok. However in the USA the 4wd kit without electronics is not crazy money and it sounds like they're both tough and fun. 

On Traxxas website it lists it without electronics at $99 although I'm not sure that's right, for some reason, at least I can't see any retailers with it at that price 

https://m.traxxas.com/products/models/electric/stampede-4x4-kit

I can see it for $200 though:

https://www.cyclonehobbies.com/p-396-traxxas-stampede-4x4-110-assembly-kit-tra670104.aspx

I have little experience buying from USA but my brother in law will be coming to see us from the states in a few weeks so I could perhaps ask him to bring us one. Certainly if I could do that for $100ish I wouldn't hesitate. 

Or am I barking up the wrong tree on Traxxas electronics? 

I can't find the $99 kit, but with Traxxas you'll be getting decent plastics, hex hardware, bearings, and oil shocks.

On brushed models I just run adapters to get around the proprietary nonsense, brushless I'd solder. Stock servos are adequate if slow, I've had good luck with Titan motors but I'm careful about gearing and maintenance.

They are fun though, it'll go over grass without bogging down and it'll jump over curbs without scratching up the chassis.

[BuggyDad]

10 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:

I can't find the $99 kit, but with Traxxas you'll be getting decent plastics, hex hardware, bearings, and oil shocks.

On brushed models I just run adapters to get around the proprietary nonsense, brushless I'd solder. Stock servos are adequate if slow, I've had good luck with Titan motors but I'm careful about gearing and maintenance.

They are fun though, it'll go over grass without bogging down and it'll jump over curbs without scratching up the chassis.

It's worth a thought then. On further research the no electronics kit seems out of stock everywhere, in which case the Stampede kit entry point is brushed and with electronics bought in the UK for £300, or a bit less possibly.

That's apparently 12t brushed. I pretty much know where I am with brushless and turns, but a bit clueless with brushed. From what I read 12t brushed sounds roughly akin to a 10.5t brushless setup. Is that in the ballpark? If it is it'd be about right for this. 

It also strikes me that with a simple brushed setup the proprietary nonsense is less of an issue, because no balance wires. So as you say just use an adapter or solder on a Deans.

It should only need basic electronics, so although I don't want more kit (and don't like buying unnecessarily) motor, ESC, servo and radio could be argued as reasonable for £100. Even though £300 sounds expensive I guess I'd be spending nearly that all told with any other option anyway once a few other bits and bobs found their way into the basket. And perhaps there's something to be said for a kids basher having its own radio gear - this way it, alongside the NiMh gear, would be all his and he can run it when I'm not there.

So, it does look like a decent option logically, although I'm not totally sold on it. 

[BuggyDad]

So a shortlist from this fun thread:

Kyosho Outlaw

+ looks a really fun tough truck and that bit more "scale" really adds to it.

- I'd prefer 4wd although it's more because I think he'd get a lot out of building it than want it for its function. The motor-on-axle thing doesn't really do it for me - I had assumed independent suspension although it's maybe not a deal breaker. Would probably prefer a bit more height this time. 

Kyosho Mad Van

+ unrivalled in its awesomeness in every way

- except it's not available in kit form. If it was I'd buy two. 

Blitzer Beetle

+ it's cool. It's Tamiya. It perhaps paves the way for buying a second to convert to a Pseudo-Falcon. 

- not that tough. 2wd as above, feels too similar to what we've done before. Hard shell (remediable in a heartbeat with a stadium blitzer shell). Needs all the Tamiya extras of course. 

Knoghead

+ who doesn't want to build a 6x6? Looks a hoot to drive

- is this the kind of driving he wants or rather something I'm interested in experiencing? Perhaps too much complexity going on there for a 9 year old. 

TT-02, truck wheels, whatever body

+ tough enough, good value, 4wd, Tamiya, that bit of non-standard making it ours. Some spares crossover with other cars I have. I fancy sticking a Stadium Blitzer shell on it. 

- presumably nowhere near as tough as the Traxxas. Even with truck wheels it might be one that still wants for height over grass, and with stock arms I think the body will have to sit high and be very cut out. Feels like more of a dad project than a boy project, for some reason. 

Traxxas Stampede

+ tough, sounds like a suitable build experience, should be fun to drive and a good compromise between speedy performance and monster truckiness

- have to buy with electronics, and they're proprietary. The evil Traxxas corporation. And it's got that generic characterless toy truck aesthetic.

I think the Traxxas is ahead by a nose at the moment, largely because its downsides are all dad downsides, none boy downsides. But I'm not there yet. Still searching for ideas. What say you? What am I missing? 

[Badcrumble]

I think a Konghead would be great for a 9 year old and the build is more about repetition than complexity.

However, I'm just going to put this out there.

https://tamico.de/Tamiya-Rock-Socker-CR-01-Kit-58592

It behaves like a monster truck on 3S 

[Grumpy pants]

The Konghead is an awesome choice, I really enjoyed mine and I regret selling it.

Really intriguing and enjoyable to own. 

[BuggyDad]

1 hour ago, Badcrumble said:

I think a Konghead would be great for a 9 year old and the build is more about repetition than complexity.

However, I'm just going to put this out there.

https://tamico.de/Tamiya-Rock-Socker-CR-01-Kit-58592

It behaves like a monster truck on 3S 

Ah yes you did mention that before. So the thing that diverted me away from it was I kind of had it down as a crawler, or at least as being a bit too similar to the crawlers we already have (Element Enduro), being solid axle and ladder chassis and what I'd seen of it was it being run as a crawler. And I think where we're headed is more at a faster more stable stadium truck end of the big wheeled scale rather than the tall and bouncy slower car crushing monster end. 

I reckon our crawlers would be pretty weird to drive if they had faster motors and gearing, what with being relatively tall and narrow, plus there's the torque twist and lots of unspring mass. Or maybe I'm wrong - I haven't tried. Or is the Rock Socker a bit different rather than a straight up Crawler?

Equally though, I have no experience of solid axle monster trucks. I'm not sure I have a clear view as to what the difference is mechanically between a crawler and a monster truck, except higher speed, harder shocks, monster wheels/tyres, now I come to think about it. 

[alvinlwh]

.

[Badcrumble]

As you already have a (proper) crawler, the CR-01 probably won't be right for you. It is geared quite low and that is the ultimate limiting factor for the speed. It is fast enough for me (that photo can't give you the impression of the speed) and that was just stock gearing, a silver can and 3S but nothing else I have runs over a Sport Tuned or LiPo. It is a shame that Axial aren't producing the SMT10 kit any more. I'll try not to derail your thread any longer, there's one in the Monster Trucks, etc sub-forum if you fancy a diversion.

Of your list, I really like the Outlaw  (I have an FTX Outlaw, don't get one of those - mine hasn't broken but that seems the exception rather than the rule) and if you want to keep it Tamiya, the Konghead (if I didn't have a WW2 and several Dual Hunters, I'd have got one). 

[Gebbly]

1 hour ago, BuggyDad said:

I kind of had it down as a crawler

Konghead definitely isnt a crawler. There are lots of great videos showing it whizzing around. I like those by Matteo and Pete Wylie. I think Pete said his stock had a top speed of 11mph and switching it to brushless and mods was around 20mph. Petes video also shows it smashing through snow, puddles and thick mud. The 6WD and 4 wheel steering helped there.

[BuggyDad]

7 minutes ago, Badcrumble said:

I'll try not to derail your thread any longer

I don't think this thread can be derailed - it never knew what rails it was on! 

[Ziddan]

Nissan Titan? Looks relatively similar to a Stadium Blitzer but on a DT02 chassi.

Saw this reddit post this morning, it has a comparison pic:

Maybe slapping a truck shell on a Thundershot chassi?

They have good ground clearance, turning radius, are pretty solid except for the front bit but that can be strengthened by cutting some sheet metal or buying a stronger part.

Its also a very fun build.

I put a Beetle shell and sand blaster tires on my most recent Thundershot chassi so now its a Thunder Scorcher (just test fitted that Midnight Beetle sheel, its getting its own which is going to be sorta Mad Max'd).
(if you do a beetle shell then be sure to go for one with two front shocks, the monoshock would have clearance issues if the front isnt cut down a lot.)