RC Landscaping crawler course

[RunningWithBeers]

Last year we covered a paver patio that the previous owner had mortared together causing pavers to fail when there were frost heaves. During the project I knocked down a paver retaining wall that was also failing My kids 8 and 6 at the time basically kicked it over. While I was building the new wall I told my wife we'd need to give to back fill the wall and had general buy off on using rip rap and started contemplating if I could work in a crawler course. This spring I brought up the idea of a continuation of a rock garden we'd started and making two new small planters for her. She was game with the idea and the next day I was getting supplies.


Here's where the patio was at on March 30th




After getting initial approval here's how it started out





A couple days later I had three yards of fieldstone dropped off I was using a wheel barrow to move the rocks so tried to move the biggest ones I could do on my own the first day and lay things out a bit


This may have been a mistake but I cut railroad ties to fit on either side of the bridge.

[RunningWithBeers]

At this point is was mainly filling in the voids with more large rocks. I let the kids pick out rocks for the flat section at the top of the railroad ties and they were both really excited to get to arrange rocks on their prospective sides of the bridge.





About a week later here's where the progress is at currently






Take it easy
Jay

[Rkilkowski]

good job making it suttle and not an eyesore , good looking

[RunningWithBeers]

Thanks the kids and I have been having fun with it I'm debating picking up a crawler for them as well.



I wish there were more elevation changes but maybe I'll eventually work on another crawler course along our semi dry creek bed at some point. For now I'll enjoy the bigger rocks going around the tree.


Take it easy
Jay

[Axial Rose]

Awesome!

[JatoTheRipper]

That's honestly beautiful! An unsuspecting person would never know this was also a crawler course. Great job!

[Greatscott]

Nice....

CRAP... where in the hell did I put that "LIKE" button?

[rkj__]

Nice work! That looks like it was quite a bit of work actually, but the result looks both visually appealing, and fun!

[B-MOW71]

Great looking course! It blends in well with the surrounding landscape.

Looks like the kids are hooked. I guess we will be seeing pics of a couple new rigs in the future!

[RunningWithBeers]

Thanks folks it's been a lot of rocks to haul but it's mostly done. I still want to make a little railing for the bridge and then possibly work on some signage .5 ton sign falling rocks signs etc.. The signage and detail in smiggin's Folly is great and while this will never be that it does give me some inspiration I love the rules sign he's made for the course.

As for the kids cars yeah I'm debating getting a gen 8 build kit that way I could make mods to the one I bought and move stock parts down to their truck. In general when they take the short course trucks out for 30 to 40 mins of fun with them I need to spend hours repairing the damage dealt. I'm seeing crawling as still being fun to do with them but much more time efficient.


Take it easy
Jay

[RunningWithBeers]

Added some more larger rocks to the harder part of the course the other day and got to try it out just now.
There are kinda of three lines through it. The outside line is the hard line.
The diagonal line starting at the inside going to the outside seems to work pretty well. The inside line is relatively easy.

[olydemon]

Originally Posted by RunningWithBeers

As for the kids cars yeah I'm debating getting a gen 8 build kit that way I could make mods to the one I bought and move stock parts down to their truck. In general when they take the short course trucks out for 30 to 40 mins of fun with them I need to spend hours repairing the damage dealt. I'm seeing crawling as still being fun to do with them but much more time efficient.

Nice work! I have a similar project in converting our front island into a crawler course. Have some photos here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw2JAj_BIt0/


I'm in a similar boat on a 2nd rig for my kid. I just got my TRX4-sport less than a month ago and I'm hooked, and my 12 year old likes it too (along with bashing the slashes with his older brother) . I'm debating picking up another TRX in kit form, or maybe a box stock Gen8. That way we both can drive.

[DukeMinnix]

Nice work. I just finished building two bedroom onto our home, next task is remodel of both upstairs full baths, after which I'm told I'll have permission to start minnix mountain. This makes me very excited to get there.

[RunningWithBeers]

Originally Posted by olydemon

Nice work! I have a similar project in converting our front island into a crawler course. Have some photos here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw2JAj_BIt0/


I'm in a similar boat on a 2nd rig for my kid. I just got my TRX4-sport less than a month ago and I'm hooked, and my 12 year old likes it too (along with bashing the slashes with his older brother) . I'm debating picking up another TRX in kit form, or maybe a box stock Gen8. That way we both can drive.

That's looking like it'll be fun! I've got 4 huge rocks that I can't move on my own so once it's dry for a bit I'll have to get some help moving them. I'm pondering if I can add another bridge or not.




Take it easy
Jay

[Inspector86]

I like the landscaping, wish you would resize the pics per the forum guidelines.

[RunningWithBeers]

Originally Posted by Inspector86

I like the landscaping, wish you would resize the pics per the forum guidelines.

Done deal thanks for the heads up.

[RunningWithBeers]

I bought a 4 pieces of 5/8 inch poplar stock from Lowes to make a railing for the side of the bridge facing the patio. I'm debating if I want to make a railing for the other side or not. Once it stops raining/snowing I want to paint the bridge railing brown I'd like to leave the pallet boards untreated to keep it some what rough looking. My wife in the mean time has added lavender, rosemary, thyme and dill to the herb garden so there should be some decently high vegetation along the front of the course as the plants grow. Picked up a bag of natural cedar mulch for the herbs once we get a dry day to put it down.





To do yet I need to figure out how to make some signage for along the course. I love the smiggin's rule sign so I'll be tempted to try to make something like it I also like the idea of making one way bridge yield signs etc. I still have 4 large rocks That I'll need to get a hand with some weekend it's not raining etc. I think those will go around a whiskey barrel planter with maybe a bridge linking to those fields tones.


Take it easy
Jay

[OSRC]

Very nice, it's a great idea to incorporate it with a garden for the wife. Definitely helps sell the idea! (Mine's out back behind the garage, hidden from view)

Making a course is a ton of fun imo. Lots of work, but very worth it.

[RunningWithBeers]

Originally Posted by OSRC

Very nice, it's a great idea to incorporate it with a garden for the wife. Definitely helps sell the idea! (Mine's out back behind the garage, hidden from view)

Making a course is a ton of fun imo. Lots of work, but very worth it.

Yeah we've been having a lot of fun with it got the finishing touches on a new portion of it this weekend along with several other projects. The redcat is starting to squeak a bit so I think I'll take it apart and try to grease it up a bit to see if that helps or if we've broken something somewhere.

[RCruler]

This is begging for a garden railroad to be running at the same time!