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Old 02-13-2018, 05:57 PM   #1
tdc
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Default sand crawler!

not to be confused with the star wars sandcrawler.

i live in an area of the oregon coast with a ton of sand dunes and wide open sandy plains. we (me, my brother, and our rc buddies) have some go fast rcs that are a ton of fun out in the sand, but recently i was thinking it would be neat/novel to have a crawler or maybe low slung monster truck as a recovery vehicle with like a forklift or something on the front to go out and flip our sand toys back on their wheels and keep us from having to leave the shady sidelines.

i'm still kinda new to the whole rc thing and thought it might be a good idea to get some opinions on what to base this build off of. i'm hoping to do it on the cheap, so something common that i could pick up used would be cool. originally i was thinking of grabbing a used scx10 or something and putting wide axles with monster truck sized wheels under it, but i thought i might ask what the masses who've been at this longer than me thought.

thanks for any input!
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Old 02-13-2018, 06:17 PM   #2
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Default Re: sand crawler!

My first thought was to mount a big wedge or ramp on the front of something heavy and hope you could flip a car over by ramming into it. Aside from that, the lifting mechanism would probably be more trouble than it's worth.

Either way, there's a good chance this creation will end up looking like it came out of robot wars or battle bots
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Old 02-13-2018, 06:31 PM   #3
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Default Re: sand crawler!

I would think you could build a lift mechanism along the lines of the front blade on the Kyosho Blizzard.
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Old 02-13-2018, 06:56 PM   #4
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Default Re: sand crawler!

i've also seen a crawler or two outfitted with a functional snow plow on here, i think. it shouldn't be too awful hard to make something work for the lift part, i can use a 3rd channel to run a couple torquey servos and employ some leverage to roll a car back over onto it's wheels. i think?
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Old 02-13-2018, 07:39 PM   #5
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Default Re: sand crawler!

You could put tracks on it too, to keep it from sinking when you are flipping your go fasts. I have a set of predator tracks I could sell you, and if you get an ar60 based rig I have the fitting kit for those as well.

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Old 02-13-2018, 07:40 PM   #6
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Default Re: sand crawler!

Also, for the forklift mechanism, how about a pulley system hooked up to a servo winch? 3d printing might be the way to do the forklift part.

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Old 02-13-2018, 07:47 PM   #7
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Default Re: sand crawler!

I think the predator tracks would be a great start for something like that. I have family on Cape Cod and tried some paddle tires on my Bomber in the dunes down there. They worked ok as long as the trail wasnt too loose sand. I bet the predator tracks would be even better. There are a couple snowplow setups I have seen on SCX10 and even the blizards that you could make work or redesign to work.
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Old 02-13-2018, 08:28 PM   #8
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Default Re: sand crawler!

i have a 3d printer and am not terrible at fusion 360, i'm pretty sure i could probably make whatever parts i couldn't source.

i had thought about tracks, but the ones i've seen are pretty narrow and i'm worried they'd still get dug in with our loose sand. i'm almost thinking monster truck sized wheels and tires with super soft or no foams might be the best way to go, but i'm kinda just thinking out loud at this point. i'll have to look into tracks more!

i like the servo winch idea, too!

thanks for the input, guys
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Old 02-13-2018, 08:36 PM   #9
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Default Re: sand crawler!

i just need to build a unimog forklift!



... only on tracks, or bigger tires
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Old 02-13-2018, 10:16 PM   #10
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Default Re: sand crawler!

The predator tracks are at least as wide as 2.2 Hyraxs, but the contact patch is about 3-4x bigger, plus you can get paddle tracks for them. Large monster truck tires might work too, but with super soft foams you're going to need a more powerful servo than with predators.

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Old 02-14-2018, 04:36 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tdc View Post
i just need to build a unimog forklift!



... only on tracks, or bigger tires

YES! Great idea - the Unitrac:

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Old 02-14-2018, 08:20 AM   #12
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Default Re: sand crawler!

I am thinking an "A" frame fastened to front or rear bumper of your recovery vehicle, with a winch to raise and lower it, might work. Put a short stub, perpendicular to the "A" frame on end and use it to hook onto a lower link or other body part, of the disabled vehicle, and pull it back over on its wheels.
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Old 02-14-2018, 10:14 AM   #13
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Default Re: sand crawler!

If it were me and I was trying to go cheap and easy.. I'd pick up a set of AR60s and some aluminum L channel. Build a real basic chassis with a 15" wheelbase or so. Put everything up front under some sort of cab. Add some cheap Maxx tires with 14mm adapters for wheels and tires. Make it nose heavy as hell and build your flipping mechanism on the rear. Like a mix of these two trucks.
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Old 02-14-2018, 12:07 PM   #14
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Default Re: sand crawler!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Prescott John View Post
I am thinking an "A" frame fastened to front or rear bumper of your recovery vehicle, with a winch to raise and lower it, might work. Put a short stub, perpendicular to the "A" frame on end and use it to hook onto a lower link or other body part, of the disabled vehicle, and pull it back over on its wheels.


this is exactly what i had in mind, use a winch! use it on a pulley system to raise/lower your forks/ramp.

and you totally had me thinking this was a star wars build LOL
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Old 02-14-2018, 06:27 PM   #15
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Default Re: sand crawler!

If you peruse the multi-axle build threads, you'll find some recovery vehicle builds
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Old 02-14-2018, 08:12 PM   #16
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Default Re: sand crawler!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brainstain View Post
If it were me and I was trying to go cheap and easy.. I'd pick up a set of AR60s and some aluminum L channel. Build a real basic chassis with a 15" wheelbase or so. Put everything up front under some sort of cab. Add some cheap Maxx tires with 14mm adapters for wheels and tires. Make it nose heavy as hell and build your flipping mechanism on the rear.
i was thinking about the build last night and this is almost exactly what i was thinking would be the best route. i was thinking aluminum c channel with 3d printed ladder bracing and shock hoops, long wheel base. i have an extra axial skid that came with my scx10ii kit that i could probably use. i think tracks would bust my budget, which is as cheap as possible.

a boom truck with a front mounted A frame might be fun, kinda like this power wagon


but i think it would be hard to actually hook up to and unhook from the flipped vehicle.

i could do a lift mechanism mounted in the middle of the truck, behind the cab, and have the arms extend past the front so that it would be lifting from the middle of the frame rather one end of it, getting a better distribution of weight. kinda like how the front cow catcher wedge thing was mounted on the fury road war rig


it should probably have 4 wheel steering too, right? i mean, why not?

thanks for all the ideas guys! i def like the idea of using servos or winches with ropes and pulleys to make it all work. i think i'm going to start doing some sketching and seeing what i can come up with.
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Old 02-16-2018, 03:11 AM   #17
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Default Re: sand crawler!

I really like the power wagon with its front mounted A-frame, but a forklift truck could be more useful to put a flipped over truck back on its wheels. Hmmm...
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Old 02-16-2018, 07:09 AM   #18
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Default Re: sand crawler!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stollenritter View Post
I really like the power wagon with its front mounted A-frame, but a forklift truck could be more useful to put a flipped over truck back on its wheels. Hmmm...
Exactly, the A-arm would likely work if you were able to hook onto the disabled vehicle easily but I suspect that wouldn't go as planned. The forklift idea would likely be best in that it really would matter. Drive up to the vehicle on its side and raise the forks.
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Old 02-16-2018, 08:53 AM   #19
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Default Re: sand crawler!

So, I like the idea a lot! Id love to see a video of this thing completed and in action. But I have a few ideas for concern that I thought I would share.

Firstly, how much travel does it require to right your Go Fasts?
Meaning, do you have to lift one side 6-9 inches before gravity lends it's hand and puts it on 4 wheels? That seems like a lot of travel for a fork lift RC. This is my OPINION.

Second, will the sand effect my previous guess of 6-9 inches?
Will the angle of the Go Fasts sitting upside down effect righting them?(assuming not every flip upside down lands in the same orientation)

I really hope to encourage your thinking cap and think of what ive stated and see if these are realistic factors to consider. Love the idea of a fun recovery toy! Should be a fun build.

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Old 02-16-2018, 09:07 AM   #20
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Default Re: sand crawler!

Quote:
Originally Posted by calcagno45 View Post
Exactly, the A-arm would likely work if you were able to hook onto the disabled vehicle easily but I suspect that wouldn't go as planned. The forklift idea would likely be best in that it really would matter. Drive up to the vehicle on its side and raise the forks.
To expand on these things mentioned some; the A-Arm winch would be cool. Although the focus has been on hooks(scale/realism) I wonder if a decent strength magnet would work? (Likely one mounted to each vehicle)
Magnetize, lift and retract the winch; magnetic strength being enough to lift the vehicle but not enough to cause issues when trying to retract and detatch. Placing magnets on the go fasts would give you new lift locations, if the unrealistic factor is okay with you.


My vision with the forklift is that it will be hard to get enough travel or lift from the fork's setup to right the Go Fasts. I mentioned my theory of why in a previous post. But, if enough travel is obtainable, then the fork lifts may just work. But, it may be necessary to lift some, drive forward some, lift some, drive forward to achieve a flip; not that this is an issue.

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