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Carmine A

(BACK to work 2024!) ENTERING the BIG Money Pit Club - Grand Hauler!!

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Hi!ย  Some of you know that I've been at this Hobby since 1983, and have done quite a lot of Tamiya Kits....ย 

Well, thanks to a giant Life Changing Event - I get to finally start on the Big Rigs!!!! ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜ย  Just bought my first, the Grand Hauler.ย ย spacer.png

spacer.pngย Seems like more parts than any TWO kits I've ever built. Including the Avante! This is going to be FUN!!ย  I already bought a BUCKET LOAD of options and Hopups. Hope you'll join me! ๐Ÿ˜‰ย ย 

It only took me 27 Years to get here!!! ๐Ÿ˜œ

spacer.pngย My massive 24lb. Maine Coon, Gizmo, decided that a 1/3 of the Box was more than enough room for him! ๐Ÿ˜œ๐Ÿฑ

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Excellent choice of kit - it will look awesome when completed.

Any more pics of the cat ?

One of my cats is around 13lbs - I thought she was big !

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18 minutes ago, Tamiyabigstuff said:

Excellent choice of kit - it will look awesome when completed.

Any more pics of the cat ?

One of my cats is around 13lbs - I thought she was big !

Thank you so much! I sure hope it will.ย 

The Cat?? Here he is, eating next to my 1/10th Scale Landfreeder!! ๐Ÿ˜ฒย spacer.png

spacer.pngย Believe it or not, this MONSTER rarely SHEDS!! Gentle Giant.

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STUFF!!!! ๐Ÿ˜

Just some of the fun stuff waiting to go into this long awaited Build!!ย spacer.pngย The CURE for the MILES of Wiring coming up! ๐Ÿ˜ฒ

spacer.pngย I HOPE you can read all that when expanded.ย spacer.png

And of COURSE........ย spacer.png Who I really believe is hardwired to my Camera! Every time it comes out - so does HE!! ๐Ÿ˜œย 

Much more than this on the way! Please stay tuned. This won't be a quick Build.

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great another grand hauler build to followย 

my daft cat does the same she only has to see a box and she's in she even got in a easterย egg box the other day

ย 

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7 minutes ago, topforcein said:

Great another grand hauler build to followย 

My daft cat does the same she only has to see a box and she's in she even got in a easterย egg box the other day

YAY!! My first follower. Hopefully, we all learn something from this.ย 

I've STUDIED these very carefully for at least 20 years. Putting it into practice is another thing entirely... But I'm armed with almost too much information - and a lot of help from the awesome People here!! ๐Ÿ‘Š

I think I'll be OK. And I'm hoping that I can even show some People something new!

Oh yeah.... and if he fits - he SITS!! Even if he doesn't fit sometimes. ๐Ÿ˜œ

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Welcome to the Big Rig club Brother ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป Lucky you managed to find a Grand Hauler I havenโ€™t seen one for sale over thisย neck of the woods for a long time.

There is a mod somewhere on YouTube to give them a better turning circle by trimming a bit out of the brackets holding the axle on and using cranked tie rod ends.


Our cat Pumpkin also like boxes but can be found hanging out in pot plants too..

ย 

29E22126-43AE-49EF-B5CC-EF2E377C7E71.md.

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really great to see you finally got one of these, very glad everything has worked out for you after such a long time waiting :)ย 

these look suchย amazing kits, so I am watching with interest and envy! ;)

Enjoy it!!!!

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3 hours ago, jonboy1 said:

really great to see you finally got one of these, very glad everything has worked out for you after such a long time waiting :)ย 

these look suchย amazing kits, so I am watching with interest and envy! ;)

Enjoy it!!!!

Mate, thank you!! My feet still haven't touched the ground yet. It's sinking in....ย 

I've waited a lot longer than we've been dirt poor to have a Big Rig. 27 years! If I told you the total cost with add-ons and Accessories, your Ancestors would pass out!! ๐Ÿ˜œย  This represents so much more than just another Kit.... I can't put it in words just yet. It's euphoric.ย 

Good things come to GOOD People, Jon...... Give me about a Month to prove that. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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@Re-Buggedย - I'm over the Moon, Mate!!! ๐Ÿ˜ Glad to be in the "Club".ย  Right, I've heard from two other sources, the same thing about the Steering. That's one of the areas that will be getting a lot of attention.ย 

I could just do it the quick way - fit my 35kg Servo and BEND the Front End into Steering farther!!! ๐Ÿ˜œ๐Ÿ˜…๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜ย  Seriously though, great Tip, and I do want maximum Steering.ย 

And even though this is only an 8mph machine, I'm going to try to get as much Tamiya charming SLOP out of the Suspension as possible. Starting with RC4WD Steel Front Axle and tight, solid Front hubs.

I'm attempting to seal both Rear Diffs with a thin bead of RTV Silicone, and filling the Diffs with 20 MILLION weight Diff Oil!!! ๐Ÿ˜ฒ๐Ÿ˜ณ๐Ÿ˜ย  That should keep it from freewheeling one Wheelset on uneven Roads. That thick because the Diffs are so small. I should still be able to turn properly. I've always been against LOCKING Diffs, unless there's really no choice. ๐Ÿ˜‰ย 

ย 

I am REALLY impressed with your beautiful Paint Work! ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‘‹๐Ÿ‘‹๐Ÿ‘‹๐Ÿ‘‹๐Ÿ‘‹ย  I'm glad mine is only going to be two colours!!ย 

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18 hours ago, Carmine A said:

Mate, thank you!! My feet still haven't touched the ground yet. It's sinking in....ย 

I've waited a lot longer than we've been dirt poor to have a Big Rig. 27 years! If I told you the total cost with add-ons and Accessories, your Ancestors would pass out!! ๐Ÿ˜œย  This represents so much more than just another Kit.... I can't put it in words just yet. It's euphoric.ย 

Good things come to GOOD People, Jon...... Give me about a Month to prove that. ๐Ÿ˜‰

I think you've already proved it mate :)ย 

Keep the updates coming!

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Here's an Update for you!! ๐Ÿ˜‰

I've been hearing, incorrectly, for YEARS that the best way to slow down these Rigs.... Is to use a 60 or 80 Turn Motor.....ย 

Sorry, but I respectfully say BULL!! ๐Ÿ˜ฒย 

My Father, besides an Air Force Pilot, was and Electronics Engineer. A friend of mine, John Holmes, is the Owner of Holmes Hobbies, a respected Name in Crawler and Racing Motor Technology and Sales.ย 

Those two, and several others through the Years, have all told me that MOST of the RC Community has been WRONG about the idea that Higher Turn Motors make MORE Torque... It actually LESS Torque, but a Lower Top Speed - which is the ONLY Legitimate Fact about High Turn Motors. And they do it at the expense of higher Heat and shorter Armature Life, when pulling heavy loads.

The People who swear by their 80T Motors CAN'T see right in front of them, a side-by-side Comparison of an 80T vs. 20T Motor...ย  Completely escapes them that the 20T SHREDS most of the Rubber off of the Tyres BECAUSE OF HIGH TORQUE, but the 80T was BARELY able to spin the Wheels from a Start!ย 

SO..... What to do? An intelligent solution (NOT mine), explained in several Holmes Hobbies Videos, is the Simple Adage...

"Volt Up, Power Up - Gear DOWN"!!ย 

It basically means that you want More Power and MORE Torque, from a LOWER Turn Motor - but make a substantial Reduction in Gearing! ๐Ÿ˜‰ย ย 

Here's how I'm approaching that....ย spacer.pngย Breaking up the single, LONG Driveshaft with two Shorter, Stronger Universal Driveshafts... With a 3:1 Gear Reduction Unit between the Transmission and Rear Diff!! ๐Ÿ˜Šย spacer.pngย a very simple and Rugged Unit, only contains 2 Gears....ย spacer.pngย AND true to most things like this Madeย in China - not the tiniest bit of Lube was added!!! ๐Ÿ˜–ย  Simple enough, 4 Screws, opened the Case - added Grease - closed and used Threadlock on ALL Screws. ESPECIALLY on Semi Trucks - that vibrate constantly!!ย 

...... Your Lesson for the Day. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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34 minutes ago, topforcein said:

if this is any good to you i orderd these the other day for my grand haulers steering dont know if they are a direct fit or if i will have to modify anythingย 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M3-Offset-Long-Plastic-ROD-END-20-Ends-Suspension-Steering-RC4WD-Rodend-Z-S0400/132510844384

Glad to see we're thinking alike. ๐Ÿ˜‰ย  I ordered the Traxxas Rod Ends.... Apples for Oranges, no difference between them. And excellent upgrade to ANY Tamiya Steering - and Suspension Links!! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

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The NEXT great (borrowed) idea!!!๐Ÿ’กThis one from @Mad Ax.ย 

I like the idea of remote Uncoupling 5th Wheel... But as was pointed out in Mad Ax's Thread....ย spacer.png

The solution He came up with, is simple and BRILLIANT! ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ’ฏย spacer.png

Then he fixed a Plate to the top of the Chassis Rails, an underneath...ย spacer.pngย You don't need a powerful Servo to trigger an Uncoupler. This is one of MANY great solutions you can find, simply by leaving your Thread - and visiting the Threads of our Friends here! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ย  You'll find ideas that could either jog your memory - or find something that you wouldn't have thought of in a million years!!! ๐Ÿ˜œ๐Ÿ˜ย 

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Whilst on the subject of awesome Borrowed ideas....

Another great one from the same Thread from @Mad Ax!!ย  This one, if you have a very visible Interior (like I'm planning), will easily cover up the unsightly Motor sticking up between the seats!!ย spacer.pngย Most EVERYONE has at least one of those, and probably a Black one! ๐Ÿ˜‰

spacer.png

THERE YOU GO!! An easy Centre Console - or even the Base to make a more elaborate one.ย 

..... I'm still waiting for critical bits from Commie China! ๐Ÿ˜œ๐Ÿ˜‚ย  MY Build will start in earnest soon! ๐Ÿ˜Š

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Welcome to the 1/14 trucking,ย Carmine!

Grand hauler is an epic bit of kit.

Bearings, slower motor (55t or 80t), sound unit if you are going to fit one, do it now.

Yes the Grandy turns like the USS Missouri, but so does everything over thereย (Even my 1:1 C1500 turns like a bus!) so I am sure you will be used to it. A massive torque servo doesn't really achieve much, 7kgs is more than enough to turn the fronts on the spot. Its not so much the steering angle, as it is the wheelbase that makes it do big turning circles.

Looking forward to the build.

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@berman, Thank you so much!!ย 

No, I have no expectations of anything resembling a tight Turning Circle!! ๐Ÿ˜œ๐Ÿ˜–ย  That's part of the fun of Driving a Big Rig, right? The 35kg Servo was a JOKE. ๐Ÿ˜‚ย  I do intend to use a 20kg Servo for Steering - not because I think it will make ANY difference in how sharp she turns... But for the piece of mind of just a bit of OVERKILL (which I'm notorious for!) As I mentioned above, I'm waiting for a Steel Front Axle and tight Wheel Hubs.ย 

And just to reiterate to everyone.... I KNOW this is a 8-10mph Vehicle, not a Racecar. I just find it a satisfying part of my Hobby, to try to eliminate that "charming Tamiya SLOP"!! ๐Ÿ˜œย  I really find it FUN.ย 

Also talked in great detail about the Motor and Drive. I stopped buying into the OLD High Turn Motor theory, started by who knows WHO about 20 years ago. Although it does reduce Top Speed (with STOCK gearing)....ย 

They do NOT have more Torque! Only slower top speed. It's just been passed along for so long now, that MANY People accept it as fact. It really isn't...ย 

And no old fashioned, overpriced MFC-01 either!! I've seen better, and for $200 LESS than a MFC... I'll have MORE functions and Custom Sounds!! ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ’ฏย  You'll all see as soon as I get it. You should be at least as impressed as I was. It's NONE of the common Sound and Light Units that have been used over the past 20-odd years.ย 

I am so excited about this Project!! I've waited a very long time for it. It's going to end up quite modified, highly detailed and hopefully... pretty cool too. ๐Ÿ˜‰ย  Here's another BIG Hint as to what I'm doing here!! ๐Ÿ˜ย spacer.pngย I'm sure this one will be the dead giveaway.ย 

And once again, I wish to Thank all of you - who have inspired me, and whose Threads in this Section has given me some great ideas!! ๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

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Carmine A, you've got another follower on this thread...me!ย :D....

So glad you finally have a rig and you are entering a new phase in the hobby with positive stuff happening for you.ย These rigs are so much fun and in a completely different way to other RC offerings. Most interesting build I've ever done for sure and mine gets driven as often as I can. You will just love it! Matter of fact, sounds likeย you already doย B)....

I look forward to your updates and will enjoy living vicariously through your exciting kit building experience! Bring it on!

Kind regards

Kurt

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Completely up to you.

The lower turn motors isn't specifically just for torque, I put a GPS unit on my Knight Hauler with the silver can and at full throttle in 3rd, it did 20kph.

Like you mentioned earlier, there is a lot of play in the steering, and any steering input at 20kph will result in your heart being in you mouth. The biggest reasonย I changed out the motors in my trucks is because I nearly put my KH on its side trying to drive it in 3rd, very little steering input and the trailer was on two wheels trying to pull the tractor unit over. It wasn't an option to drive so fast. A 55t drops the speed in half, my trucks now do 10kph.ย 

I had an RC4WD 55t motor in my KH, the box trailer is one of the heaviest trailers Tamiya makes, (and remember guys pull 20+kg loads with these), and I changed it out for a Tekin 55t, huge difference in torque, from the silvercan, to the RC4wd, to the Tekin. A lot of guys also go with a gear reduction as well. I am now going to change all mine to 80t motors... why? Because even with a 55t the speed isn't scale for a truck, also because when I drive on a layout, I would never take it out of first gear, and reverse is also too fast.

ย 

ย 

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Isn't it that a higher turn motor is slower in speed but is a stronger motor for pulling loads. It would be like putting a gear reduction unit in but just changing the motor instead of installing the gear reduction. Cheap mans gear reduction. That'sย the way I have always looked at it. If you do high turn motor and gear reduction you will have a very strong, pulling vehicle. (Pulling around grand kids)

Low turn motor is aย "HOT"ย motor (FAST) and a high turn motor is a "COLD" motor. (SLOW) Say if youย ย were to hold the tires with your hand with a lowย turn motor, pull the trigger, you would be able to stop wheels from turning (weaker but hotter), nowย do the same with a high turn motor and it would be harder to hold back the wheels (stronger but cold). That is my thinking on it.

High turn motor = Slower and stronger

Low turn motor = Faster and weaker

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For people who know real cars.ย  ย An analogy:ย  ย  ย  ย  ย Low turn motor = small block engine, quick off the line. (more torque, "Spunky") power dies off quickerย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย because it reaches highย rpmย  quicker.

ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย High turn motor = big block engine, slower off the line, (less torque, "Doggie") but powers up slower to getย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  to the rpm and has aย stronger finish.

They both can be changed in various ways to change things.

This madeย more sense in my head then it does reading it, but I'm posting it any way, it kind of of makes sense? That's it for motor\engine talk.

Nice cat pics. everyone. They do love tight boxes!!

Looking forward to the build.

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4 hours ago, berman said:

.......Because even with a 55t the speed isn't scale for a truck, also because when I drive on a layout, I would never take it out of first gear, and reverse is also too fast.

But this is precisely why Gear Reduction is the way to go!! I've got a Friend with the same setup I'm getting - 30T High Torque Crawler Motor, with a 4:1 Reduction...ย 

Gives him a top speed of 8mph (13kph) in 3rd Gear, and can easily pullย TRIPLE Box Vans with ease and always a cool to the touch Motor and ESC.ย 

Makes Reversing at a Crawl easy as well - even uphill !!ย 

Yes, of course you get the Speed Reduction with a High Turn Motor... But with MUCH thinner Field Wires, you get shorter service life, and in fact, LESS Torque in the critical 0-2mph range, where it's actually more important in Rigs like this.ย 

But the Gear Reduction is the key. It makes the whole setup much more controllable at Crawling Speed.ย 

This is why, in the U.S. anyway, hardly anyone runs more than a 45T Motor in Crawler Competition anymore. We used to go straight for the 70-80T Motors back in the day. We also Burned out Armatures more often than we do now.ย 

But of course I'm not trying to sell anything to you. This is a Hobby! You do what makes you comfortable. I'm just explaining another way...

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Followed to see where you go with this. Also more pictures of cat please, we have two Maine Coons. Lovely cats, if a tad large.

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why not get the tamiya tr tuned motor.

i have them in both my trucksย 

or if not try the tamiya cr tuned motor that i happen to have in my bruiser

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