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The Twingo Lord

Driving in the snow, thoughts?

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What are your thoughts about driving in the snow, I’m thinking of getting a konghead for the snow, is that a good idea? I live in Minnesota, so it’s snow like half the year. Also, my dad doesn’t want me to break it in the snow and be sad and then beg for money, anyway I can convince him it’s okay? Thanks in advance!

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I lived in Duluth/Superior for 4 years, and the twin cities for 10. Ran RC cars in the snow all the time. It's a blast! 4WD and big tires are your friends. The Clod is particularly suited for the snow because of the tub chassis; it keeps the electronics high and dry. Konghead might work, but you should think about waterproof electronics if you go that route. You're usually good up to 3 or 4 inches, after that most cars get stuck.

Just avoid salted driveways/sidewalks, the salt is murder on screws and axles. And let everything dry thoroughly after you're done (I usually let cars sit in the sink or bathtub overnight to dry out).

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Konghead is great in the snow - the 6 tyres worth of contact patch help it float on top of thick snow rather than sink in and get stuck like many others. Waterproof electrics are indeed a good idea, especially the rear servo which tends to get quite snowy. Rubber-sealed bearings are good too. If you build it as water-resistant as possible, you can shower the salt off it after running, leave it to dry in front of a radiator, and everything should stay shiny. Mine has!

As for convincing Dad, YouTube has plenty of videos of Kongheads running very nicely in the snow. Maybe show him some of those?

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Snow running is great, I look forward to it every year.  With modern electronics and servos being mostly waterproof you should have no problem.  Just bring the vehicle inside when done do it can thaw out.  I run mostly Clods in the snow and have never had a problem, even with non-waterproof electronics.

As markbt73 said, avoid salt if you can.  I built a TT02R a couple of winters ago and just wanted to test it out on the street so made a few passes up and back.  Didn't mess with it again until the summer of that year and noticed the shock shafts, majority of screws, etc were already pretty corroded.  Was a bummer and didnt even think about it at the time.  Avoid salt at all costs if you can.

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Driving in the snow is great fun. I would re assure your dad that chances of breaking in the snow is not much higher than in regular conditions. As long as you have waterproof electronics. One thing I think your dad would be more upset about is a wet muddy car being brought into the house. Do you have a utility sink or shop sink to rinse off the muck in? that would probably resolve any problems. Another thing to add is that an air compressor with the blow nozzle is very useful to take the car outdoors and blow off. 

Basically after running in water or snow you need to clean the car off and let it dry well. Once the water has mostly left spray a small coating of wd40 on the metal parts to stop rust.

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What is this ...s...sn...snow of which you speak?
(I'm in Aus btw).

Run your car in whatever you like, just be prepared to clean it and maybe give it a light service later.

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Just do what I do when the horrible white stuff makes an appearance! Put your rc back on the shelf or cupboard (were ever you keep it) then put the kettle have a cup of tea/coffee and forget about it until the horrible stuff melts away and summer appears👍

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2 hours ago, moffman said:

Just do what I do when the horrible white stuff makes an appearance! Put your rc back on the shelf or cupboard (were ever you keep it) then put the kettle have a cup of tea/coffee and forget about it until the horrible stuff melts away and summer appears👍

Snow is so much fun, especially in the UK as we get so little of it. Sledges out I say!! :D And RC cars might be fun, but so are the real thing too:

 

 

 

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I used to run my Sand Rover in the snow and best of all my Hotshot.

I just used to put the receiver in a bag to protect it.

Happy days.

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