Starting a New Business Rc Rock Crawling Portable

[thenova70ss]

Guys im looking in to start a new business a portable Rc rock crawling business i have a 16x9 trailer im gone to build a course on out of foam and plaster and cover it in truck bed liner that way it will not be heavy and easy to pull with my truck.

I seen on acouple threads on how guys are building them indoors and it got me to thinking i could build it on a trailer and take it to are 54 acre flea market that stays packed in the summer rent out crawlers for people to play with and make some money. I have 3 1.9 crawlers that will work really good and even have some crawlers for sale that way if some one really like is i can make money and sale some crawlers too.

with this trailer being portable i could all so do Birthday partys and other events like car shows and that kind of stuff.

What do you guys think will it work?

[EeePee]

If history teaches a person, the answer is no.

Good luck with it.

[JatoTheRipper]

No. I don't see enough demand nor do I see people paying enough for each run to make it worth your while.

[johnnyh66]

Depends what your time is worth and how much money you need to make from it.
If you are retired and it's either this or walking in circles around the flea market all day anyway... might as well get paid to be there.
If you are trying to support a family on this endeavor, should probably find a steady 40 hr a week gig.

[GTSLOW]

I'm gonna say no. That would be with something more exciting than a foam course covered in rhynoliner...

[thenova70ss]

Ok i have a 40 hour week job and make very good money im just looking for somthing to do on the weekends that is fun and make a little money. Most the time i will be at the flea market with my wife ever weekend any ways so i was looking at somthing that i could make some money with. All so im a very well known 1/8 Buggy racer and i know lots about rc and have been in the rc business for all most 15 years.

I have a Business license and lots of hook ups in the Rc business and can get crawlers very cheap and i know how to set them up to keep them from braking all so i was gone to buld the course some what easy so not to brake any crawler.

We see around 3000 people a weekend at this flea market and i seen a guy last summer make a couple 1000 each weekend with a cheap air up jump house for kids he was getting $5 for 10 min i was looking at doing the same with the crawlers $5 for 10 min and run 3-4 trucks at a time thats $15-20 every 10 min.

[cyberhog05]

I say give it a go. If it doesn't work out you have a portable coarse. I would seek out a line-x dealer and make sure the applicator knows what he's doing. Most bedliners are sprayed between 150-165 degrees @ 2500psi it can mess things up. It takes some skill to spray and keep the features you build/carve in your coarse. And it's gets heavy if applied to thick. Line-x is also paintable.

[drabina]

I would have to say that it would be a great thing to promote rc crawling. There are tons of kids that never had any rc cars or had toy grade cars that broke after first run. Whenever me and my kids go out to a park with our rc cars, there is always a lot of interest.

Making money? Don't know but I do see your point about crazy charges at the fairs (fishing rubber ducks with a rod for $5 a kid). Birthday parties? Probably not because you would have to be able to run 10+ trucks at the same time. Somehow I do not see how it would be fun for 3 kids to run cars and 7 kids just sit and watch.

[djjiz]

Do you like yard art?
Do you like paying people to haul away said yard art?

If you answered yes than go for it!

[wings_of_fire]

I say do it!

That is a good idea with money generating potential and I see entrepreneural spirit in you.

[thenova70ss]

Just talked to a guy that runs a portable slot car track 1/24 cars its an oval track her runs 4 cars at a time and runs mock races of 5 min most laps wins he stays booked up all most all summer is what he told me doing trade shows on the weekends and he said he makes anywear from couple $100 to a couple $1000 in one weekend. i told him what i was doing and he asked me how much i would have invested in this and i told him less then $2000 and he told me i was crazy if i did not give it a try.

[thenova70ss]

Originally Posted by cyberhog05

I say give it a go. If it doesn't work out you have a portable coarse. I would seek out a line-x dealer and make sure the applicator knows what he's doing. Most bedliners are sprayed between 150-165 degrees @ 2500psi it can mess things up. It takes some skill to spray and keep the features you build/carve in your coarse. And it's gets heavy if applied to thick. Line-x is also paintable.

I have a friend that owns his on body shop that is hooking me up Cheap with the spray in liner he was the one that came up with the ideal of it as a rock course sprayed over the plaster in a lite coat. we testede it and yes it works very good and its not heavy at all and you have a ton of grip.

[okieflyr]

I think it is an opportunity, and who knows it may sustain itself.

I could see marshaling needing to be worked out. I worked at an RC carpet rental track back in the 80's and the general public were very fascinated with crashing the cars (probably 2 in 10). This oval carpet set up was combined with a video arcade near a university campus.

I could see color coding the different skill level sections of the courses to help keep Johnny in a suggested productive area versus others with better skill sets.

Good luck and I hope you can make it work

[jamesthe1v]

Go for it!!
put some rocks on trailer hold in place with a little great stuff foam and have at it.
worst case you end up getting to stand around and crawl all day and end up with a rock garden at home to crawl on if it doesnt work might even be a loss at tax time to offset other more profitable ventures or 40 hr a week with holdings

[ferp420]

I've been tossing around a similar idea only Im also thinking of a whole park as well as a rental buissness I say go for it

[rcmaineiac]

Put a little detail into the course (banners, shrubs, etc.) to make it more interesting and exciting. I think it could work at the location you describe.

[RootBreaker]

people can tell you it will or it wont but they do not live in your area and know the demand there. If you have tons of kids into even cheap RC.. they see this stuff it can bring in a) fun b) them asking you about stuff which could lead you to selling rc cars too...


you cant fail if you do not try - and that isnt fun... and will leave you wondering... and if you have a significant other willing to let you give it a try..


example. 20 years ago i wanted to start a pc repair company. Had name (Mouse Bytes), had people... wanted to go legit on paper ... wife said no...

2009 I got into local sports photography for my kids. took pics and gave to parents. did custom stuff too.. it was fun and great. They were shocked it was free... I looked into it and was ready to start my own side photography sports business... (already have a connection at a venue to be the only one) and guess what..

wife said no....


so once again another thing I wont fail at as I havent even tried... and I am starting to slip away from my photography hobby not caring and wife isnt happy my new $1700 canon 7d mark ii body isnt getting much use.


go for it...


go to my last page and you can work backwards and see how into it I got.. and better at it.. then the dates start drifting....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/riggzie/

[skinnyj]

It all depends on what you consider acceptable as a risk. If it is a nominal dollar investment and your weekend time (that you would be idle anyway) then do it. The worst is that you are out money for the course materials.

[skinnyj]

Originally Posted by RootBreaker

people can tell you it will or it wont but they do not live in your area and know the demand there. If you have tons of kids into even cheap RC.. they see this stuff it can bring in a) fun b) them asking you about stuff which could lead you to selling rc cars too...


you cant fail if you do not try - and that isnt fun... and will leave you wondering... and if you have a significant other willing to let you give it a try..


example. 20 years ago i wanted to start a pc repair company. Had name (Mouse Bytes), had people... wanted to go legit on paper ... wife said no...

2009 I got into local sports photography for my kids. took pics and gave to parents. did custom stuff too.. it was fun and great. They were shocked it was free... I looked into it and was ready to start my own side photography sports business... (already have a connection at a venue to be the only one) and guess what..

wife said no....


so once again another thing I wont fail at as I havent even tried... and I am starting to slip away from my photography hobby not caring and wife isnt happy my new $1700 canon 7d mark ii body isnt getting much use.


go for it...


go to my last page and you can work backwards and see how into it I got.. and better at it.. then the dates start drifting....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/riggzie/

When I was a kid, my father got laid off from the company he had been an engineer with for 20 years. My mother told him he should work for himself as a consultant. My father, being a conservative type, resisted. Finally, he caved and became an independent consultant. In a twist of irony, one of his clients was the company that let him go. He was billing them twice as much as they were originally paying him.

The moral of the story, to use a trite old saying, is: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[EeePee]

I just approved two posts in here.