ORCRC Project: Courier Trail Rig

[rbgerrish]

Hi,

Happy with my Bulu for competitions and Touareg for Cross Country, I felt the need, once again, for a capable yet scale trail rig for general bashing. Sacrificed were a few trucks to make this one. Please enjoy the build up pics and poser glamour shots!

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/1.jpg The chassis is built from steel strap, cut up and welded back together.


http://www.orcrc.com/outings/PDRM3727.jpg Here the finished rails are set on the axles to get an idea of the chassis width and wheelbase.

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/PDRM3728.jpg The Stampede tranny is bolted between the rails.

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/PDRM3729.jpg Zip disk cases make a great tool to set desired ground clearance!

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/PDRM3733.jpg Skip ahead a bit: The truck is mostly assembled. Front and Rear suspension are in. (4 link in the front, 3 link in the rear) Kydex shock towers and front battery plate.

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/PDRM3737.jpg Tube work begins.

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/PDRM3742.jpg

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/PDRM3745.jpg I then took the whole truck apart for painting.

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/PDRM3747.jpg I used Krylon Semi-Gloss black. It's a nice chassis color, and if it gets scratched I can just touch it up! Painting the axles made them look great- no more of that Tamiya plastic-shine.

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/PDRM3750.jpg Reassembled with rear winch installed. I then added a crap load of detail elements, including a Bruder unimog snorkle, Bruder Unimog sirens, Savage front bumper, Fire extinguisher, (2) Associated junk boxes (receiver boxes), rolled up screen, Tamiya semi antenna, cut-in-half Geolandar spare with cut wheel and beadlock ring, Tamiya Jerry can, lots of stickers, windshield wipers, rear-view mirrors and a driver. Here's the 98% finished product:

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/PDRM3776.jpg

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/PDRM3770.jpg

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/PDRM3760.jpg

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/PDRM3773.jpg

More pics to come! Thanks for looking! Oh, and be sure to check out the NEW, official ORCRC Website! http://www.orcrc.com

Ryan

[Magic]

looks really really sweet, do you need my address or do you remember it? great work.

[LIKES2CRAWL]

If Ford Couriers came like this from the factory I would have atleast 2. :mrgreen: Nice build-up.

[Brandon]

Awesome work, very detailed and clean!

[lunardaisy]

I love it, did you weld the cross members in? When will we get to see it in action? :D

Awesome, Cya

[pinkfloydman]

great work as usual

[badger]

Damn rbgerrish, another awsome looking rig man!

You make it look WAY to easy to build these scale rigs!

[Rock*Hound*Clod]

OK now that TOPS ALL SCALES!!!!, well woulda been hella cool if if it had leafs but still KICK BUTT!!!! Lovin the mini EXO too;)

[rc4x4nut]

That rig is awesome. Now pack it up and send it my way...lol.

[SlinkySam]

Sweet job again Ryan. Someday I wanna grow up and be just like you. Not yet, but someday.

Keep the pics coming. I love to see the realism of your creations.

-Sam

[rbgerrish]

Thanks for the kind words folks!

-There are welded in cross braces- 2 under the battery tray, 1 in the rear, and a support tube across the rear rock skids. Look for action pics soon!

-I thought about a leafer, but 1) I already had one, and 2) I've seen lots of RC frame-railed leafers. I wanted a more capable trail rig, and based on real world wheeling (at least in the toyota circles up here) 4 links are just better. Plus they work better in RC...

Be sure to check out ORCRC.COM in the future for more cool trucks!

rYAn

[braceysdad]

Let me know when its going on ebay. Nice rig

[crunk crawlin]

that thing is insane what did u use to make the main chassis

[rbgerrish]

Thanks!

Not sure this one will go to ebay, unless I decide to get out of RC and into "Choose your own Adventure" book collecting. :p

Chassis is made from 3/16 ( I think? Dont remember) weld steel strip, available at your local home depot, napa auto, or metal supplier...

Ryan

[RXcrawler]

All I have to say is WOW!

[moonbuggy]

as usual you build amazing tlt's, and at least you didn't paint it OD. BTW what is with the roof/siren lights

[rbgerrish]

Yeah, this ones not OD. I wanted something shiny. :)

You dont like the Sirens? I couldnt decide whether or not to put them on, but I think I like them. They are from a Bruder Unimog toy. They were on the FJ40. I suppose I should post a pic of her:

http://www.gerrish.net/PDRM2875.JPG

I also borrowed the snorkle from the FJ, and I might take the lights if I decide to make them work..

Ryan

[JakeTheAlligatorMan]

From the original teaser Pic I thought it was a 1:1 rig. :lol:

http://www.gerrish.net/teaser1.jpg

That thing just looks like a blast. Can't wait to see it in action.

[CustomCrawler]

Sweet!!!

[bigred]

DANG!!! you build awsome rigs,when ever i see a thread with you name on it i know its gonna have a sick biuld up in it.....

[Plays_with_Toys]

I can't really say anything that hasn't been said already about your work. So I'll just say peanut butter, because no one else has. Awesome work. I love the cage, and wish I could weld... or fabricate for that matter so I could bust something out like that.

[rbgerrish]

Thanks again! As soon as the rain halts I'll take her out for some action shots. I just built a (non functional) roller fairlead for the rear winch, and installed real steel winch cable. Looks cool!

RYan

[mike]

wow, i wish i had that. :)

[ManiacMagoo]

That is truley awesome but steel winch cable? That's so 80ish come on get it together and run synthetic :flipoff: .

[Artstu]

wow i need to make somthin like that :mrgreen:

[BENDER]

Amazing work, as usual!!

I like the spare Geolander in the bed, very cool looking.

[rckjeep]

I'm speechless again Ryan. Very simple and yet so detailed. I dig it, as I do all your trail rigs.

[rbgerrish]

Thanks! Synthetic winch line would be sweet. I'll switch to it after I break this stuff!

[Frkan]

i love it

[Jeepjunky]

Awesome, Totally Awesome!!!!!!!

[moonbuggy]

You dont like the Sirens? I couldnt decide whether or not to put them on, but I think I like them. They are from a Bruder Unimog toy. They were on the FJ40. I suppose I should post a pic of her:

http://www.gerrish.net/PDRM2875.JPG

I also borrowed the snorkle from the FJ, and I might take the lights if I decide to make them work..

Ryan
I remebered the sirens from the fj but it also has other stuff mounted up behind 'em. On the courier they just look like they are stuck on, because nothing else is mounted on their level or around them. Don't get me wrong the truck still looks amazing, I just think the sirens stand out a little too much

[moonbuggy]

BTW what does that rig tip the scales at?

[Zapper2003]

I see you welded the frame rails, did you also weld the exo or just braze it? Did you use tubing or solid rod? Sweet shizzle dude, makes me wish i didn't sell off my pede to buy an RS4 rally! (but i think it'd be possible to do nitro with the same setup!

[rbgerrish]

Sorry my FJ pic isnt working up to there- my old RC website is down.

- All the exo-tube stuff is MIG welded. I used to braze, but I've fallen in love with this welder and how strong the joints are. It's all 3/16 steel brakeline. A lot of my little welds look like boogers, but I'll get better someday. Brazing is definately prettier..

[Zapper2003]

We've got a mig here. Does it work well and not burn through the thin tube? I can weld sheetmetal with ours, but its tough. Actually i have welded sheet metal with a stick before, THAT was tough!

[rbgerrish]

-------------------
Update 7/11/05!

I got the truck all ready to run. Installed the Super Rooster and 4 channel receiver. The winch has the Scale steel cable installed, and the roller fairlead is on. (although it doesnt roll) Here are a couple more pics, some of which were requests:

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/c1.jpg The Bed rack.

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/c2.jpg

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/c3.jpg The Fairlead.

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/c4.jpg the link mounts, using that little TLT pieces screwed to the plastic servo plate.

http://www.orcrc.com/outings/c5.jpg RTR with receiver box, new winch cable, Super Rooster, velcro battery hold-down and Side lexan skid plates.

Here's a little test video- it's maiden voyage:

http://www.orcrc.com/videos/couriertest.wmv

Thanks!

[bigred]

looks very real,great job the chassis

[firestorm450]

what shocks are you running? and what oil weight, and spring rate please.

[Frkan]

sweet vid!!
it moves very realisticly

[toyofast]

Freakin' A Ryan!!! That thing looks so real. I have my special tranny and axles sitting here, now I know what I need to do with them, copy you :-P

[Madkoifish]

LOL boogerwelds.
that thing is nuts. I recently saw that body while shopping for a charger and thought it would make a sweet scale rig, and here it is XD

[rbgerrish]

The shocks are 3" threaded aluminum duratrax shocks from like the Duratrax MT or something. I dont quite remember. :) It runs heavier neon yellow (stock duratrax) springs in the front, and softer red losi springs in the rear. I'll be putting 40wt oil in them when I get some...

The plans are to shoot a big video of it's first serious off road adventure, where it transforms from 'clean-poser-queen' to 'beat-muddy-fool'...

thanks,
ryan

[Texrok]

Where did you get the driver for your truck? I have been looking for a driver and haven't found anything I like. I've search toys 'R' us, Wal-mart, etc, and haven't found crap. Thanks.

[JasonInAugusta]

Ryan,

Yet ANOTHER killer scaler.

Nice work!

[rbgerrish]

The driver is this guy:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDA81&P=7

Not exactly a full driver, but a full driver wouldnt fit! I've used that parma guy in a couple different vehicles.

[tltnewb]

that truck is exactly wut im biulding can u plz help me by giving me the specs to the chassis like lengh meterial etc im only 13 and not alot of ppl r helping me so any help[ would be great :lol:

[rckjeep]

Kid you have to figure this stuff out. It's built with 1/2" x 1/8" steel strap it's as long as it needs to be and it's roughly 2" wide inside the frame rails.

[tltnewb]

o alright thanks for the help but one more dum Q.wut is a good ground clearence for a rock crawler

[Frkan]

if you are building a scale crawler the ground clearance should be at the level of the bottom of the body when you posistion the wheels where you want them

[tltnewb]

ok thanks cuz im biulding a chassis exactl;y like yours but my dad told me to fone metalstores and ask for brass flatstock so we can braze it but wen ever i call the ppl hang up on mee
i even called a brass /metalstore and the guy was like nope and hung up its pissgins me off but yah love the truck makes me jelios thanksggg

[mike5721947]

yep, im looking at building something similar (proline 2004 chevrolet silverado 2500HD body for the MGT) it should look good.

nice truck, it should influence many youngsters to build custom trucks. (omg, i jsut said youngsters, damn im getting old.)


edit: would you mind if i build a truck very similar to yours? (that body is just so neat, i was looking at buying an older pickup a year ago to do a daily driver/ trail rig.) very few older pickup bodies out there.

[AdamF]

Where'd the pics go? :neutral: :|

[toyofast]

Where'd the pics go? :neutral: :|


The pics are stored on the ORCRC.com website and the website went way over monthly bandwidth in July...damn videos :) Tomorrow things should be back up and running. Ryan has access to the RCRockGear.com site for hosting things too, although he has just about shut it down too. Bandwith ***** that he is :flipoff:

[4u2nv]

The Pics still aren't showing up.

[rbgerrish]

Just got this guy powder-coated! I'm going to rebuild it with some new meats and try to make it pretty again. I might even sell it! Stay tuned!

[Brandon]

Nice to see one of my favorite scale trucks come back to life! 8)

[Unimoger]

Nice to see one of my favorite scale trucks come back to life! 8)


2nd that, it was the inspiration for my orange courier.

[44newman]

Cool
Like the way the body comes off, and the exo stays.

[Colby]

Cool
Like the way the body comes off, and the exo stays.

How the heck did you manage to bring this thread out of the dead..?

[kalin96]

How the heck did you manage to bring this thread out of the dead..?


Maybe he used the search button:shock:


:lmao:

[rbgerrish]

TTT! LOLZ!

C'mon, it'll only come back every 5 years. ;)