Do you run your buggies or trucks enough?

[Super ally]

I have 8 Tamiya buggies and the Lunchbox since i got back into the hobby a few years ago but i dont run them as much as i would like to.This is down to finding a good place to run them and being busy with having 3 children to keep happy at weekends.Do any of you have this problem and wish you used them more.

[GToddC5]

I just got sucked back into the hobby this past Christmas with a re-re Blackfoot to relive my youth. Some how that turned into over 40 models as of this writing (several are still preorders and backordered). I'm at the point that it will likely take me years to build the new kits and rebuild the vintage models. I don't know of any good local place to run them, and am seriously considering building a track on my side yard to eliminate that excuse . For now, my large driveway serves the purpose of testing and messing around. I had a crazy thought just this morning, to totally cancel my cable service. I would still have internet through 5G cellphone. If I don't have a TV to watch, then it will force me to spend more idle time on the hobby!

[MadInventor]

1 hour ago, Super ally said:

I have 8 Tamiya buggies and the Lunchbox since i got back into the hobby a few years ago but i dont run them as much as i would like to.This is down to finding a good place to run them and being busy with having 3 children to keep happy at weekends.Do any of you have this problem and wish you used them more.

Yes, and Yes. I have quite a few runners that are not in need of repair, so I know I'm not using them enough

[sosidge]

I've always found "bashing" rather dull. You run a car up and down the street, or over a couple of jumps in the park, and after 15 minutes the battery is dead and I'm bored.

There are only two things that have kept my attention when it comes to running RC cars.

1. Racing - you'll get more running done in a single race meeting than many Tamiya purchases will do in their whole lifetime.

2. Crawling - everything is at a slower pace, you can spend an hour finding interesting routes, and get a good walk at the same time.

Also, you mention your children - why not try and get them involved? Neither of my children are particularly interested in RC but they've both had a go at racing and crawling in the past.

[Frog Jumper]

2 hours ago, Super ally said:

I have 8 Tamiya buggies and the Lunchbox since i got back into the hobby a few years ago but i dont run them as much as i would like to.This is down to finding a good place to run them and being busy with having 3 children to keep happy at weekends.Do any of you have this problem and wish you used them more.

Describes my life to a tee…

[Super ally]

33 minutes ago, Frog Jumper said:

Describes my life to a tee…

Good to know im not alone.

[Super ally]

1 hour ago, sosidge said:

I've always found "bashing" rather dull. You run a car up and down the street, or over a couple of jumps in the park, and after 15 minutes the battery is dead and I'm bored.

There are only two things that have kept my attention when it comes to running RC cars.

1. Racing - you'll get more running done in a single race meeting than many Tamiya purchases will do in their whole lifetime.

2. Crawling - everything is at a slower pace, you can spend an hour finding interesting routes, and get a good walk at the same time.

Also, you mention your children - why not try and get them involved? Neither of my children are particularly interested in RC but they've both had a go at racing and crawling in the past.

My children are not interested they prefer watching youtube videos on their phones.

[Super ally]

2 hours ago, GToddC5 said:

I just got sucked back into the hobby this past Christmas with a re-re Blackfoot to relive my youth. Some how that turned into over 40 models as of this writing (several are still preorders and backordered). I'm at the point that it will likely take me years to build the new kits and rebuild the vintage models. I don't know of any good local place to run them, and am seriously considering building a track on my side yard to eliminate that excuse . For now, my large driveway serves the purpose of testing and messing around. I had a crazy thought just this morning, to totally cancel my cable service. I would still have internet through 5G cellphone. If I don't have a TV to watch, then it will force me to spend more idle time on the hobby!

I had the blackfoot back in 80s still have it but its not running.Would like to get the re re but need to run what i already have more before getting another.

[Willy iine]

I have a few cars in my collection, but I don't really find the need to drive them.   I mean I drive every car I build, but they have as much value to me as displays as well, so..  I don't force myself to.  

[Kpowell911]

Without ‘bragging’ as it’s definitely not meant to come across like that, and there are people with collections that embarrass mine, but I have probably £10k invested into my RC collection. 99% of the time theyre sat on the shelf and with life commitments, Im lucky if I get out twice a month with them. So to answer your question, no I don’t run them enough. I run them nowhere near enough to justify. Im at 12 Tamiya touring cars, 4x Crawlers, 2x Nitro’s, 2x large scales, then 7x bashers. Im torn with keeping them all, selling 75% of them (if i do i use them, I go for the same ones, the X Maxx or the XRT, a TRX4 or a TT02R) and pocketing some much needed cash with the cost of living these days, or simply buying some investment ‘grails’ and shelf them. 
 

But we only get one life hey!

[Wandy]

23 minutes ago, Kpowell911 said:

Without ‘bragging’ as it’s definitely not meant to come across like that, and there are people with collections that embarrass mine, but I have probably £10k invested into my RC collection. 99% of the time theyre sat on the shelf and with life commitments, Im lucky if I get out twice a month with them. So to answer your question, no I don’t run them enough. I run them nowhere near enough to justify. Im at 12 Tamiya touring cars, 4x Crawlers, 2x Nitro’s, 2x large scales, then 7x bashers. Im torn with keeping them all, selling 75% of them (if i do i use them, I go for the same ones, the X Maxx or the XRT, a TRX4 or a TT02R) and pocketing some much needed cash with the cost of living these days, or simply buying some investment ‘grails’ and shelf them. 
 

But we only get one life hey!

 

I'd say a £10K collection is probably the norm on here, to be honest. 

I've got over 100 kits. In theory, about 20 of them are runners, but in reality I know that I will only ever drive about 10 of them.

I accepted long ago that I am in this hobby for the modelling & collecting aspect of it, rather than being a real RC enthusiast.

[Grumpy pants]

I’ve come through the other side now, my youngest is 16, the kids do still take up a lot of our time and all our cash - but they lost interest in thrashing our Tamiya about quite a few years ago.

Not a problem, but I do feel a bit of a prat running any cars on my own in the woods, park, street etc. 

I suspect my cash tied up in Tamiya is now sub 5k and I’m much happier having less projects and less £££ tied up in it. 

[yogi-bear]

nope, I definitely don't run or build enough. I have lots of kits too, 100+ but I have been collecting for a 15 years or so. I initially got into the hobby as a stress relief from work, but find I don't have a lot of time spare to do anything. It doesn't help I don't have proper area to build, but this will change soon as I am slowly building a shed for all my tools etc 

To be honest the drawcard to RC for me is mainly in the collecting, hunting down restoration projects (although I have stopped that as I have plenty to last me well in to retirement!), and also making parts, so not getting to drive them is not biggie for me. 

I am hoping now that I have lost a lot of work for the next few months because of the actors strike, I can get onto some of the projects I have, and finish mu shed!

[Super ally]

2 hours ago, Grumpy pants said:

I’ve come through the other side now, my youngest is 16, the kids do still take up a lot of our time and all our cash - but they lost interest in thrashing our Tamiya about quite a few years ago.

Not a problem, but I do feel a bit of a prat running any cars on my own in the woods, park, street etc. 

I suspect my cash tied up in Tamiya is now sub 5k and I’m much happier having less projects and less £££ tied up in it. 

I know what you mean about running them on your own its better if you have another person to run them with.

[moffman]

I’ve been with this hobby since I was around the age of 13 it took a backseat while my children and mortgages appeared which a few people have mentioned has and is happening to them (in other words real life) but now my kids have long flown the nest and I straight away brought back my rc hobby to the forefront and pensionable age is knocking at life’s door I thought I would be going over the park or the likes with my chosen rc but it just isn’t happening as much as would like for a few reasons number one on that list is a good quiet space where you can be basically left in peace without the odd “Karen” with the resting b face and other individuals bothering you! (Remember this is the uk and if these said individuals see enjoyment happening they make it their mission to stop that enjoyment!) Also I just haven’t got the time I thought I would have had  but I am trying my best to rectify both of those issues I have a friend who has taken a very keen interest in rc cars as a way of getting his younger son off the virtual world of video gaming and it’s very rewarding seeing a young mind taking an interest in the workings and mechanics of a rc buggy

[Elbowloh]

Exactly this. 

 

Only got my first RC last september. Now at 6 cars/buggies (3 currently built), but don't get much time to run them with a 2 year old and a 4 year old. Hoping to get the 4 year old in to RC soon though!

[markbt73]

Oh gods no, I don't run them enough. I don't get enough workbench time either, not by a long shot. But as Billy Joel once sang, "Vienna waits for you" - and so do RC cars. With the possible exception of tires and decals, you can stash these things away for decades until you're ready.

When I retire, I'll build a track out back. And then, it's game on.

[DTSCB]

My Top Force Evo needs new tires... or I'm running "slicks", so that one gets run enough. 

[El Gecko]

On 7/17/2023 at 12:06 PM, sosidge said:

I've always found "bashing" rather dull.

In my case, I don't race so bashing always has a purpose unless I'm out driving around with someone else. Usually I'm doing figure 8s by myself testing suspension tweaks or changes to radio settings or a different motor or gearing or something. Sometimes if it's a good change, I do tend to get caught up and find myself exhausting a pack just having fun (but to answer the original question of the thread, no I don't do RC stuff nearly as often as I'd like, however even a little bit every now and then is good enough for me!)

[Pizza Frog]

It's the middle of winter where I live so RC cars are on the backburner until spring.  Everything outside is soggy and it's always raining.  

 

[bRIBEGuy]

I wish I had the time and opportunity to run my cars, yes.

Luckily for me, I also get a large amount of enjoyment (arguably more...) out of building kits, planning projects, re-organizing the cars I have on display, and just generally "tinkering" when I'm not able to get behind the wheel.

[Kurukurukuri]

On 7/18/2023 at 6:42 AM, Elbowloh said:

Exactly this. 

 

Only got my first RC last september. Now at 6 cars/buggies (3 currently built), but don't get much time to run them with a 2 year old and a 4 year old. Hoping to get the 4 year old in to RC soon though!

I am in the exact same life stage as you. Currently tuning up a comical frog to take out with my two girls - 7 and 4. Running a grasshopper and hornet, but have a cc02 land cruiser and now 5 kits waiting to be built.

I've been lucky in that the 7 year old wants her own grasshopper! I let them bash with me and be involved in the build process (to an extent) and think this has helped. Good luck buddy, as they get bigger they get to be the competition.

[87lc2]

Nobody will ever run their RCs as much as they want to    To be honest I don't "bash" or "fun run" nearly as much as I'd like to, but I get plenty of racing in - at least 2 weekends a month.  Then there's crawling which is a nice change of pace.  Used to go out nearly every Saturday morning with the crawlers, but that has slowed down recently - maybe once or twice a month.  Like anything else in life my RC interests go in waves, just not into the crawlers at the moment. 

Contrary to what most have said, when I had my daughter my RC time went through the roof!  I am more into real cars and used to drag race nearly every weekend, but once my daughter came I had to be home more so I turned to RC.  It's a much easier, cleaner, and cheaper hobby so I think I'll stick with it   Really hoping she takes an interest so she can go to races and get involved, but we'll see what happens.  She turns 3 in a few weeks and already loves the SMT10 I gave her.  Luckily we have a decent size property so I can just let her go with it without too much worry.  She's slowly getting the hang of it.  Actually went through an entire 2s pack yesterday without rolling it, hitting anything, or needing me help.  Not bad for a 3 year old. 

[Jason1145]

On 7/18/2023 at 12:51 AM, Super ally said:

I know what you mean about running them on your own its better if you have another person to run them with.

This has always resulted in head on crashes… they act like magnets! (Bad drivers don’t help)