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JNSD1

First Tamiya Truck: Grand Hauler - Advice welcomed!

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2 minutes ago, matman said:

HAha i saw the Nails , but the next vid was BOB from Hobbyconceps-LLC on Youtube . 

Great step by step vids on how to programe DX6e and more Transmitter setup's .  

There is a Turnigy-i6 setup , that LOOK's  like  your flysky radio ? , Bob gets that going with everthing . So that may

help ?.  He also does light dash setups , look great . You may spend sometime watching the vid's :lol:

Like i have ...  If you have not all ready :D. . 

Yeah have seen some of Bob's videos, he's very good. I think the fundamental issue is that if you want to do this stuff properly, you have to REALLY understand radio mixing and how it all works. I've been a "car/buggy" guy my whole life, never a "plane" guy so I never needed to learn anything about more than 3 channels. But this has definitely been a steep learning curve.

There's not much easy information out there for people to understand. I finally got my answer on OpenRC Forum from one of (I think) the programmers.  So I have now learned how to program the switches to do what I want. I also plan to outline it on here when it's done and actually upload the OpenTX file so that if anyone wants it they can just download it and make their life easier.

Admittedly it's been fun (frustrating at times to say the least) but fun. I've enjoyed the technical programming side and the electronics. At this stage in the modelling career need new challenges. 

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This is very helpful, he does awesome videos. Much respect.

 

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It's been a BIG learning curve and i have not got a radio yet , i will be getting a DX6e on monday and other Tamiya 

truck goodies . I'm a car/buggy guy as well . But love the truck builds , as i now have two , Grandhauler & cascadia .

Plus 3D printing parts and things for it add's to the fun . That has given me the motivation to get things done

as well .  Great build JNSD1 . Wonder it the build will ever end ? As there is so much that can be done and added to :lol: .

 

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29 minutes ago, matman said:

It's been a BIG learning curve and i have not got a radio yet , i will be getting a DX6e on monday and other Tamiya 

truck goodies . I'm a car/buggy guy as well . But love the truck builds , as i now have two , Grandhauler & cascadia .

Plus 3D printing parts and things for it add's to the fun . That has given me the motivation to get things done

as well .  Great build JNSD1 . Wonder it the build will ever end ? As there is so much that can be done and added to :lol: .

 

Oh it'll definitely end, just waiting on parts is the killer. Have the fibre optic dash lights coming from the UK which will take a while. But most of it will be done this weekend, then it'll just be me waiting on parts. Also unsure if I'll do the hood ornament, second fuel tanks and servo 5th wheel. COVID has ruined shipping times and my motivation for overseas purchaes is definitely low. Seems the UK has so much stuff for trucks! Sadly us Aussies are still on a island when it comes to Tamiya.

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i really like lighting things up, as of late i've been using electronic relay swithces (armed with the TX & RX) and just light it all up at once, it's enlightening and so easier to do.

now for smoke stacks that'll be a challange, have one placed in a dremeled out gas container to hide the puff contraption, it's just spliting (a wye) and tubes up each exhaust stack and getting a proper flow to exit.

you keep truckn' on JNSD1 you have only provided me with "Get mine done already!" :o.....................................................:lol:

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15 minutes ago, ACCEL said:

i really like lighting things up, as of late i've been using electronic relay swithces (armed with the TX & RX) and just light it all up at once, it's enlightening and so easier to do.

now for smoke stacks that'll be a challange, have one placed in a dremeled out gas container to hide the puff contraption, it's just spliting (a wye) and tubes up each exhaust stack and getting a proper flow to exit.

you keep truckn' on JNSD1 you have only provided me with "Get mine done already!" :o.....................................................:lol:

Admittedly I think that using an electronic switch and spare channel for most of the lights would be far easier. The MFU is a PITA. I love the vibration unit and the engine sounds that increase with revs, but most of the other stuff... meh! The smoke unit I was looking at is the Henlong Tank one V6. https://www.ebay.com.au/i/392312746636?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-139619-5960-0&mkcid=2&itemid=392312746636&targetid=917960895034&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9071333&poi=&campaignid=9772796526&mkgroupid=100117147616&rlsatarget=aud-786643581046:pla-917960895034&abcId=578876&merchantid=7364522&gclid=CjwKCAjwkun1BRAIEiwA2mJRWe9uo0SOTIzxn_FmBmtRqBjQpx7Ocr13BUi4iP3sJjF1EugUJs06pRoCIuoQAvD_BwE

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i purchased that one and then two of the smaller ones they use for tail pipes for Drifter's & TC'S. there's one thing i've learned about RC"s you can read into everything until your head explodes, so i try anything just to see if it works or not, i can usaully use it for some other project.

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When will it ever end on how far people will go ?.  See this is why it will never end :P 

I got traliers , 5 wheel servo , tralier leg kit , mfu 01 , tralier lights and i said i would never get . Way to $$$$

for me , Then came Covid19 and lockdown etc . So i got it all . So i can kill time etc , Plus the Cascadia to build and 

another tralier . I will get another MFU and leg kit as well for it . Keeped me busy .  Or i would have gone nutz :lol: .

Just built a super hotshot in the last two day i got as well with the Covid19 stuff :P ..  

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That’s the next thing I have to work out, what trailer! Man they’re expensive. I feel like a low boy looks probably best. Finding a reasonably priced one though!

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it dose say in the mfu instruction not to use any other leds other than that meant for the mfu and you cant even use the tlu-01 one either.

if you look on the lables for the "hop-up" options extra leds it tells you what they can be used for and the same for the tlu-01 leds also

their is nothing cheap when it comes to a 1/14 truck trailer lol:wacko: if you go for a tamiya then either the tanker or the flat bed or pole trailer.... the semi trailer will be ok as it also only a 2 axle jobbie witch most american trailers have but you will find you will need the spoiler to bring the height of the truck up to the trailer but do not go for the euro trailers as they will look massively out of scale( as you have seen the size comparison between my 2 trucks in the pics i put up) but either way it will cost you more than the price of the truck esp if you go for the lights and the motorized legs.

my euro trailer for my merc ended up costing me so far is over £500 gbp's and that includes the trailer kit the paint the lights plus 2 spare wheels/tyres for the tray at the back of the trailer it would have cost around £120 more if i could have got the stickers made for the sides but the one place i found to make them they came out really bad and i refused them .

 the prices for the low boys start just over 500 us dollers  plus shipping and from the one i saw it looks like it dont come with the king pins plus attachments light lense's  plus you may have to motorize the ramps yourself

that one in the video with is nice but i would not like to see the bill for that i think that thing behind the truck cab costs more than a trailer itself:huh:

i would watch some of the u-tube video's as a few of them have these trailers and they can be hard to manouver around esp it they are on a already long chassis grand hauler and then comes the long trailer it would help to put the trailer wheel steering on but again the cost   

when the fibre optics arrive make sure you by the correct glue to secure them  this is what the chap where i got mine from told me to use 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Deluxe-Materials-AD55-Glue-n-Glaze-50ml/223831296980?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649.

it is a money pit with these trucks you never really stop spending like my grand hauler i have not spent any cash on it for a coupe of years until i saw the alloys at a good price then i had to get a set to match the trailer as well like you i want to get a few other things still but until i can find them on sale in the uk with propper postage costs i wont buy them one thing i will def say to get is the metal air horns for the roof as the dahm plastic kits ones will keep brakeing when you dust/clean it  

 

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19 hours ago, JNSD1 said:

Mind blown:

 

 

this pic of the rear side shot of the wheels, Dang thing looks fargin real!

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Found that trailer on like Aliexpress for about $3,500AUD!!!!!! 

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Well more has been done, but I'm at the stage where it all feels very slow and tedious. Always the way when you get to the interior and the finer things like wiring. 

The big test today was seeing if the Cree 5mm LED's or the Nichia NSDW570GS-K1-B-P9-P11 5mm as I was convinced that you would be able to get far better and brighter LED's for the headlights. The Nichia were supposed to pump out 28 lumens! Anyhow, lots of soldering and testing and I tried to capture it on video and photo for all to see and learn. Summary? Tamiya LED's are very good! Good for all of you who would never bother to try anything else, bad for me as it was a huge waste of time!

I should however state for the record that the Cree LED's are far better and brighter as headlights/spotlights and you can clearly see that in the video. The colour is a bit more yellow than the Tamiya and Nichia, but when you mount them back into the headlight casings the Tamiya almost look better... Almost.

After all this messing around I've decided to keep the Tamiya as the main headlights and put the crees as Fog Lamps when I mount the extra lights (when I hunt down 5mm chrome housings). THe Nichia are nice, but I think it's because they're wide not focused (hence the 70 deg on the packaging).

Below is them out o the housings. Nichia on the left and the wide beam. Cree on the right and the clear spotlight winner.

 

Below I have the Cree 5mm LED ont he left hand side Vs the stock Tamiya MFU-03 5mm LED on the right. Depends on what look you want. The more yellow is the Cree. It's more of a beam and brighter.

Finally I tried the Nichia on the left and the Tamiya on the right. Pretty close you wouldn't bother. 

 

Cree on left, Tamiya on right.

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Nichia on left, Tamiya on right.

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Decided to go a deep red interior. Primed them, hit them with matt black then Italian Red (all Tamiya rattle cans). Pretty happy with the colour. Then decided that I have to do a roof and have interior lighting (dome light) so made some styrene inserts and sprayed red as well. Will have to get a 5mm or 3mm LED and dip it in either multiple translucent red paint or something else to dim it. If I had it as a straight 5mm white LED in the roof it would make the interior far to bright. It almost got me thinking to make the roof red felt and really take it up a notch. Just can't justify any more right now. You never know though. This is the issue/joy of trucks I am learning, they are SO MUCH more ready to modify than anything else.

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not knowing the first thing about leds but the cree bulb is way brighter and and looks a diff shape to the other led's that prob why the beam is better.

does it flicker when you first turn the light on like the tamiya ones does

i like what you have done with the roof cant wait to see how it looks i have been thing on doing more with my interior over the past year but that is as far it it as got:lol:

apart from the fibre optics

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9 hours ago, topforcein said:

not knowing the first thing about leds but the cree bulb is way brighter and and looks a diff shape to the other led's that prob why the beam is better.

does it flicker when you first turn the light on like the tamiya ones does

i like what you have done with the roof cant wait to see how it looks i have been thing on doing more with my interior over the past year but that is as far it it as got:lol:

apart from the fibre optics

Yep they all flicker and then get solid like full size LED's. It's been interesting to see the differences int he lights. I think the Japanese Nichia would. be the best if the beam width wasn't 70 degrees. I might get some more, but I'm definitely running out of steam for it all.

I need to get to the big jobs first. On the main list is:

  • Scale chequer plate or stainless plate with small holes in it for the rear of the truck. Critical for the look of it.
  • Front hood ornament. While it's going to cost an arm and a leg I feel like it's important for the overall effect.
  • Tyre stickers
  • Second fuel tank - this one might never happen as I don't know how Yamato changed the exhaust stacks to not go down so low... If I can pull it off though it looks sooooo good.
  • Mirror antennas
  • Extra LED's in the headlights and possibly the front bumper bar
  • Fibre optics in the interior dash (they're on their way but it will take a lot of work to make the interior look awesome)

Yamato-Grand-Hauler3.jpg

Yamato-Grand-Hauler7.jpg

Yamato-Grand-Hauler.jpg

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unless its my eyes but them tanks look like they are sitting lower than they should be or in that last pic they look like they are sitting on the surface and not attached but in the first pic they are attached to the chassis  below is how you could use the stacks

_mg_ 2474_20160719204057552.jpg

sign.jpg?v=1462697994262

if you look at the paint finish it as got orange peel also and it is all over 

and the rear tank is a diff one to the kit  you wont fit 2 of the same grand hauler tanks on the chassis unless you chop them.

i had to chop the tanks that came in the mfu kit to fit on mine

sign.jpg?v=1462697994262

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, topforcein said:

unless its my eyes but them tanks look like they are sitting lower than they should be or in that last pic they look like they are sitting on the surface and not attached but in the first pic they are attached to the chassis  below is how you could use the stacks

if you look at the paint finish it as got orange peel also and it is all over 

and the rear tank is a diff one to the kit  you wont fit 2 of the same grand hauler tanks on the chassis unless you chop them.

i had to chop the tanks that came in the mfu kit to fit on mine

 

 

 

I've never seen that truck from them! Totally different version to the exhausts I have pictured.

You can fit two of the actual kit fuel tanks, but that's why you have to move the vertical exhaust stacks up and the first tank forward.

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Ok - I'M BACK!

Have been again SLOWLY progressing, but it's a balancing act of when I get parts, motivation and time! (As we ALL know in this hobby).

Anyhow, the main thing I got was the tyre stickers from my mate who used the thinnest vinyl he had, I'm really happy with them. I made them in Adobe Illustrator myself and then got them done. Adds a LOT to the overall look.

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You can REALLY see the orange peel in the sun in this pic :(:(:(

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Onto the 3mm Chrome LED Bezels that came from eBay. (also got 5mm and they're way too big FYI).

Had to do some modding, used the Dremel (carefully). Had to mod the housing and the truck frame.

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And FINALLY I've actually worked out how Yamato did the double fuel tanks! Can not BELIEVE it took me this long to work it out, I guess these things sometimes just take time and getting used to the truck. 

So when I looked at the photos I can see now that it looks like he's used either metal or plastic channel to attach the tanks to the frame. I never realised until yesterday that one of the reason that the truck looks so badass is because it looks lowered! This process lowers the tanks and allows the extra tank to mount right up to the step so you can fit two in there. It ALSO moves the tanks out wider so it looks tougher!

Now, question is, what do you think he used? If it is metal channel where would I get some!!!???

49954615631_6c8eed1325_c.jpg

 

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the tyre stickers looks great

tbh i would have brought another set of headlights and cut the back of and attched it to the one your using then that way they would look the same just like oem;)

and yes that orange is quite bad ....... is it in the clear coat or the colour coat????

he may have used a piece of box section either plastic or steel/alloy and chopped it to fit the size req. i wounder if it would work with a spare bit of frame rail??

 

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Search on ebay for "aluminium channel" - I get a few hits from metal suppliers dealing via ebay.  I've ordered quite a lot of alu section from ebay since the start of lockdown.  I use a supplier that clearly states the section dimensions so I know exactly what I'm getting.  I'm not sure if you'll have the same on your side of the world but it's worth a shot.

If not, you'll have to find a metal supplier.  I'm pretty sure commercial fabricators in Australia have just as much use for alu channel as we do here in the UK, so there will be suppliers.  Here in the UK I've found a few metal suppliers who are quite happy to supply to the general public.  The closest one to me has a message on their website saying they are open but pre-ordering is advised.  I don't know your metal suppliers will be operating at present but they'll open up again someday.

Alu channel will be used in the construction of all sorts of things (including medical equipment) so I'd very much doubt production has stopped entirely.

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8 hours ago, Mad Ax said:

Search on ebay for "aluminium channel" - I get a few hits from metal suppliers dealing via ebay.  I've ordered quite a lot of alu section from ebay since the start of lockdown.  I use a supplier that clearly states the section dimensions so I know exactly what I'm getting.  I'm not sure if you'll have the same on your side of the world but it's worth a shot.

If not, you'll have to find a metal supplier.  I'm pretty sure commercial fabricators in Australia have just as much use for alu channel as we do here in the UK, so there will be suppliers.  Here in the UK I've found a few metal suppliers who are quite happy to supply to the general public.  The closest one to me has a message on their website saying they are open but pre-ordering is advised.  I don't know your metal suppliers will be operating at present but they'll open up again someday.

Alu channel will be used in the construction of all sorts of things (including medical equipment) so I'd very much doubt production has stopped entirely.

Thanks for the advice Mad Ax, will have a hunt. I now have the second fuel tanks on order so want to progress it all.

Just received my package from Model Lighting Co in the UK and I've had a total brain fart and ordered 2xCB radios and left the fibre optic dash lights out of the order. badword. Had to order them and will have to wait another 4-weeks. GOD DAM.

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I use a trade supplier like Action Aluminium, they can be much cheaper than bunnings and they quite often have an off cut shelf. There is also capral aluminium, both have Melbourne offices.

What size are you after?

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