new crawler in baton rouge

[urbanassault]

Hi, I'm new to crawling.I'm in baton rouge and I'm wondering if anyone knows where to crawl.I'm thinking of building a rock garden but until thenI'm trying to find some where to play.

[urbanassault]

Ok so I've been inspired by Shelljeep to build my own rock garden. I have permission to use a decent plot of land to basically go all out with a rock garden and off road 1/10 - 1/8 scale race track. Only problem I'm the only person funding it..sigh anyway started asking around about buying fill dirt to and I started looking for rocks. Some free and some like flag stone I'll end up buying.

After looking around while driving I started noticing broken curbs just lying on the side of the street that have been there for years..lol good old Baton Rouge city parish.. so I grabbed a few. I figure it was more of a public service as there were in most cases laying on side the street..semi in the lane or just thrown in on the side half burred in dirt and grass.

I also found a pile of stones that city used to fill the side of canals with but this pile has been sitting for years .. literally .. and just my luck that when I actually get into crawling the city is doing work by a few feet away from the pile now so there probably going to start them out in the next week or so would be my guess. but here is a pic.


A few feet away from that I saw these, but this is very big broken sections of concrete that will most likely be hauled off soon to.. These pieces are to hard for me to move by myself.


I drive a Honda Del Sol so I was not able to take much but if I had to guess i took between 300-500 pounds of stones to go along with the concrete I picked up so far. I had it in the trunk, the passenger floor and seat..lol I'll take a picture of the spot where there going sunday. I think I'm going down to Destrahan to race the SC10 4x4 tomorrow.

[urbanassault]

After seeing ShellJeep Rock garden I decided to make one of my own. There isn't really any where to crawl around Baton rouge.

I found a pile of stones the great city of Baton Rouge cast aside. So I figured I start with a few rocks from there. Unluckly this is a few yards from where there doing some construction so threre probably going to start hauling them off soon.


While there I was looking around and when I turned and saw there in the distance. These are huge slabs of broken pavement. I'm not exactly sure how I could use a few pieces just yet but there huge. I'm not even sure I can even move them.


I moved about 500 pounds of stone Friday. I also picked up a few pieces of concrete curb that I saw have been sitting randomly thrown in the grass half covered in dirt.. Got to love the lack of repair of the great Louisiana roadways..lol

I'll probably try to gather more today. Then I'll start looking at buying some flag stone and river rocks or something in a week or too.

[shelljeep]

Umm, I'm all about doing whatever to save coin but are you sure you're not taking something your city fathers put there for erosion control?
Not judging, just sayin'...
Worst case scenario, if someone tells you no, after the construction dies down, you can go crawl there.

[urbanassault]

Nah..lol there's a canal about 50 yards or more from there. That's what's left from the erosion control. I use to cross the canal on a 4 Wheeler when I was 18, I just made 30 lol and that construction was just getting completed then..

I would take them if that was the case I'll post pictures of what I got so far though..long watt to go.

[slim1983]

what is the best out of the box rock crawler thinking about getting into it?

[urbanassault]

Nah,lol its not..I wouldn't have taken them. There is a canal about 50 yards away maybe more but the street is only about 8feet. these stones were used for erosion, they were placed around the pillars for an overpass. This is what's left I'll about to date myself. I used cross this canal on a Yamaha warrior when it was being constructed, when I was 18, I just made 30.. And those rocks have been piled since then..lol when I went to grab the rocks the canal has widen so much that a 4x4 would have a hard time making it across if it's even possible. Mother nature is amazing. An 18 teen Wheeler could literally get lost in it after a weekend of hard rain..

[urbanassault]

My post won't show up...ugh.nah shell there not I've tried to explain ugh.buy it won't show up..I wouldn't do that.

[urbanassault]

Originally Posted by slim1983

what is the best out of the box rock crawler thinking about getting into it?

I don't have enough experience yet with crawlers. I'm sure someone like shelljeep could answer better.

From my research the losi comp crawler and experience so far is amazing out the box. Cheaply I was debating the venom creeper from ck crawlers it's $143 and it comes with the stage 2 upgrade suspension. Then about $40 more on the drive shaft upgrade and it should be really good and cost $180.. I bought my comp crawler for $189 new, so you have options. Axial crawlers are good and have a lot of support. I hear all benefit from some tweaking out of the box. The losi seems to take a little less.. That's just from what I read.

On a side note, my losi was chassis number 14## which I think still had the crap CV's and other flaws so if you order from a place that cycles inventory you will likely get a later build with all the sold parts.

[urbanassault]

A few pics, I'm using cinder blocks to fill in space and trying cover them with natural stone. There are a few pieces on concrete in there too. Much more to come.








This it's the space I have, rock garden going in the very back, off road practice track in the front.

[urbanassault]

I'll fix the pictures tonight when I get home ugh.

[urbanassault]

Here is Web link to the album the crawler stuff is at the bottom.
https://picasaweb.google.com/1036064...Lv4ob3ij7_wgwE

[shelljeep]

This forum is giving you some hell isn't it? LOL
I think that new members may have to get their posts looked at and approved by mods for a short while, maybe that's why the delay in showing up?
I saw the pics, looks like a huge space, amd a great start for the build, keep it going. Would be nice to have another good crawl spot in the area.

[shelljeep]

Originally Posted by slim1983

what is the best out of the box rock crawler thinking about getting into it?

The Losi NightCrawler is great if you want something ready to run out of the box w/o you needing to assemble it and source/research components.
It's far better than the RTR Venom or Axial AX10 cars.
Now, a better way is to buy a used rig out of the classifieds on here. You can get into a nice rig for under half what it would cost to build it. You need to study up and figure out what you want first, so you will be able to know what you are looking at.

In order to see the classifieds, you need 30 tech related posts and 30 days of membership, or pony up $20 and buy a star. That $20 is the best bang for the buck I ever got in RC. Faster searches, giveaways, and more knowledge here than you can hold.

[BigBoy]

The rocks and concrete you posted pics of are under bridges and on hill sides and they are left there for erosion control.....I wouldn't say don't take them but don't get caught taking them.

[urbanassault]

Lol, I'm going to have to go out there and post a video.. It looks that way..lol I not a genius but I did go to college for mechanical engineering before the math started kicking my butt. I understand erosion control.. I'm not trying to be a smart ass I just don't want people getting this opinion I'm some that just does things..

[urbanassault]

Wow I just looked at the picture and your right it does look that way..lol I can see why you would think there under the bridge.. There's actually about 20+ feet between the pile and the off ramp and there are evenly and precisely place stones under it..sorry if I came across wrong on the other post.but I see what you two did now

[17dean]

There is a spot off of HWY61 going toward St. Martinville that is a dump off for rocks and concrete slabs broken up. May take a ride down that way just to see if we can go there one day and stack up on them rocks for your spot!

[urbanassault]

[urbanassault]

Any one have a lead on rocks and or dirt in baton rouge.