Monster jam !!!

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
atom3624

atom3624

Well-Known Member
Messages
8,284
Reaction score
176
Location
Cold, wet, windy St Helens, U.K.
My son has a couple of 'kid's RC' cars, and is generally quite good, even if the antenna gets a hammering sometimes and the local 'friends' are not that careful!!
Decided I'd take advantage of being in the USA for a few weeks and have purchased his September 5th birthday present a little early - just over half the price of UK!!

http://www.rccaraction.com/gravedigger

I selected the Grave Digger, which he really likes. The truck's great, and of course I'll definitely NOT get any hop-ups, as it's only going to be run on half power for the first year :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:rolleyes:
Already received it, and have had it blasting outside the lab up here in thawed out Fairbanks - great fun!!!
They say they can hit 30mph - mmmhhh, perhaps.
They say if you replace the ESC and motor with 'option TRX3350X' and use a 3S LiPo, it'll top 65mph ....... :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D;)
You have to, don't you - got one cheap. $117.50 for the 3350X instead of $155.00 !!
Won't be installed for a while ?????????????????????????????????????? !!
Al.
 
Looks like a really fun truck and it is built on the stampede frame, which takes unbelievable abuse ;-) My nephew has been eyeing one as well.

My son wont go near electric after tasting nitro and hanging around my KM, he says it doesn't sound fast. Plus waiting for a battery charge and my sons face looks like it is going to melt he he
 
It cracks me up that traxxas has been selling the same truck for well over a decade with minimal changes.

The stampede started out with a mechanical esc and bronze bushings. I know the current VXL models come with bearings and hex hardware, but I'm unsure about the brushed versions.
 
This little truck is an absolute BLAST!!
Great fun.
I've been blasting it on the fine gravel outside of the offices where I am for the last few evenings, including doing donuts on the concrete inside - tyre marks to prove it!!
Great fun.
Would I recommend it - YES!!
Could I keep it standard - bronze bushings and all .... well guess what I have in my hands ? :D:D;)
Works fine with the bushings, but it just isn't right!!
Al.
 
Guess what? !!

BEARINGS ARE ALREADY IN!!
I used the teflon sealed ones - apparently meant to seal as well as rubber, but with the (lower) resistance of the metal sealed ones - rubber sealed apparently drag - I've never noticed either!!
It is SO free now!!

My son's going to be MADE UP when (hopefully not if!!) he receives in it September!! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D

I'll definitely put the VXL installation on hold, for a year or so, until he gets used to it, but I am tempted to see how it'll go.
Not certain of the 65mph, but certainly more than 55 I'm sure!!

Great little truck - 1/14 I reckon - NO WAY is it 1/10!!
Al.
 
Awesome.

Also, the truck is definitely 1/10 scale. I've owned 1/5, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16, 1/18, & 1/36.

You can put the VXL in now. It has a learning mode where it only goes half speed. You will get better run time and reliability out of the brushless setup compared to the stock xl5 and 12t brushed motor. The top speed would be similar to the current brushed motor.
 
Errrmmm ??
Top speed of brushed approaches 30mph, with the 'training mode' (50% forward, 50% backward, 100% brakes) setting it back to perhaps 15mph - good enough for Ed.
If I install the 65mph capable BL / LiPo setup, 50% goes down to, erm, >30mph!!!
Trust me, I'd love to and with the bearings in .....

Don't want a fight, HONEST :jerry::jerry::jerry::jerry::badair::censored:, but a real MT must measure about 6 metres, or 6000mm. 1/10 of that is not 415mm !!
It worked out a 1/14.5, not to knock the little truck, 413mm long.

If I put it against my '1/8' Raminator, probably about 1/10, it will be tiny.

It's way bigger than my 1/36 Raminator, bigger than my 1/18 Ram, 1/16 Revo ... but 1/10 it definitely is not other than by 'manufaturer's definition'.

This is the annoying thing about the false scale claims of manufacturers.

The '1/6' FG MT isn't either. 6 x 720mm = 4320mm, equivalent to 14 feet 2 inches - TINY for a real MT !!! It actually works out at 1/8.3 if the real MT is 6 metres long. :offtopic:

One other dislike I have is the body is mounted way too high, which is probably to give the impression of being bigger than it is.
I've lowered mine perhaps 4 rear, 3 front, and it looks MUCH better.

Bottom line is, for an 'entry level' truck, it's great fun and well worth the money.

Al.
 
your son will open it up on his birthday and say..... wow it even comes with damage!!! :lol:

its only may try not to wreck it on him before his birthday ;)
 
Good call.
I'd love to come back over here to visit Digger's Dungeon, but don't think the wife would be too impressed - 'though they do mention there are shopping malls 'nearby' in the blurb ....... in a couple of years, perhaps!!

Got to look 'used' anyway, so no box or anything - wheels will come off, body off, shocks removed, and chassis and body wrapped in clothes to protect them, to put into my suitcase.
It looks 'new/used' and should get in without problem ..... :D:D:D:D:D

I suppose I can easily get a normal box from somewhere to box it up for him nearer the time - I've just got to remember to remove the BL / LiPo installation it'll doubtless have by then :D:D:D:D:D:D

Al.
 
that looks a real nifty truck, good buy there Al! Your son is gonna be chuffed to bits.
i went to see monster jam in november last year at cardiff... first time for me. i've watched it on the tv many times, but nothing can come close to seeing them for real. the thunderous noise, the smell, the punishment those trucks take is unreal. grave digger lost a wheel and hub during the freestyle, they towed it away, almost one hour later it was back as an encore... fantastic. the driver (who i forget now, sorry) really did test that truck out. it's fair to say he was clearly the driver who pushed things to the limit (and beyond sometimes)

anyway, back to topic - i'd be so tempted to fit the brushless set up and as already been said, re-programme the system to lower its speed for the time being. it can go lower than 50% can't they? (sorry, i'm no expert with electrical RC, i've got a brushless system here for an old tamiya monster beetle but not even got around to having it out the box yet)
 
I'm sure some of the members can 'hack' into the programming - Andy? !!
As it stands, it's just the 3rd option, of 50% forward and reverse with 100% brakes once it's handed over in September.
Runs great as is - definitely faster with the bearings in.
Al.
 
Small2Large said:
Awesome.

Also, the truck is definitely 1/10 scale. I've owned 1/5, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16, 1/18, & 1/36.

You can put the VXL in now. It has a learning mode where it only goes half speed. You will get better run time and reliability out of the brushless setup compared to the stock xl5 and 12t brushed motor. The top speed would be similar to the current brushed motor.
Click to expand...

My sincere apologies to you.
Speed is obviously related not just to motor abilities, but moreso to the voltage.
There is no reason why I cannot install the BL and just keep the standard 8.4V battery, and set it at Training for my lad - then when he's not looking, slip in a 3S 50C battery, add 250g Pb at the front and see how fast she can go !!!!!
Al.
 
Colleague over here has 'L' plates when it comes to filming.
Here's a little clip of the truck as you receive it from Traxxas, in sunny Fairbanks, Alaska - a very small amount of snow remaining !!


Al.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top