Which kit crawler?

[Tinbum]

Hi all! I have a RC4WD Gelande 2 and a Cross RC MC6 truck. Both are nicely scale and perform well. Trouble is I see a challenging incline or traverse and think "I wonder if....".
Long story short, I'm tired of watching them rolling down rocks knocking lumps off along the way!

I want a crawler in kit form as I enjoy the build and maintenance as much as running them, so am looking to see what would fit the bill. The G2 and MC6 both have overhangs at the front which affects the initial climb height, as well as high COG's, so looking around I've seen the Gmade R1 and Axial Wraith which seem to fit the bill and are in the right area budget wise. Am I missing some obvious contenders here?

Thanks

[jokersinsanity]

Yea a custom build lol take 1/4" square steel, bend to how u need them and cut down the middle and u have custom frame rails then just order the parts YOU! want lol

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[1fox2go]

A Custom build would be sweet, but not everyone is capable of doing so. OP is asking for a KIT

I have an SCX10 II kit, Wraith kit, and a bomber kit on the way. After seeing what comes in the Bomber Kit...I have to say the wraith spawn kit is sub par. You only really get aluminum LOWER links, CVD front axles, and aluminum shock bodies. I should have done my research fully and go the bomber kit instead of the wraith spawn kit. That said I still enjoy the wraith and with multiple crawlers, can build each one differently

At least the SCX10 II kit has full aluminum upper and lower links, aluminum steering links, metal transmission gears, aluminum shock bodies, HD Diff gears, CVD axles.

There is also the Trail Finder 2 kit. Which be warned, is more of a scaler truck build than a dedicated crawler. Thats not to be said that it cant crawl well and compete. It can but will require a lot of tuning and perhaps added cost in additional parts.

I would recommend the following:

IF you want a semi scale, somewhat realistic crawler that looks like it could be something driven on the street but still perform really really well. SCX10 II kit

IF you want something that looks more like a dedicated Rock Crawler--Wraith Spawn kit--Just be warned its included upgrades are not as many as the SCX10 II or the Bomber

IF you want something that looks like it is more at home at the King of the Hammers Event, RR10 Bomber--That said you can build that rig to be a dedicated crawler just fine.

Other option would be an Ascender vehicle, I have no experience with them but they seem very close in performance to an SCX platform.

From your post it sounds like an SCX 10 ( or similar vehicle) is what you are shopping for---Keep in mind overall size and wheel base. SCX10 is "smaller" with a shorter wheel base than the Wraith and the Bomber

[Inspector86]

TRX4 kit is hard to beat.

[Stollenritter]

Have a look at the TRX4 Bronco (not sure if there is a Bronco kit). I like the short overhangs on the Bronco.

[Tinbum]

Thanks all. Is the performance dfference from the Gelande to the scx10 that big? I know its the go to scale crawler, but is it up there for more extreme clmbs?

[1fox2go]

The aftermarket and parts interchangeability for the Axial platforms to me are huge selling points. You can convert an scx10 chassis into a mega/mud truck. Or add wraith (AR60 axles) for a wider stance/foot print

I have not seen a Gelande in person or researched it much so I cant say how it performs compared to an SCX10

When you say climbs are you referring to hill climbs?

[Peteyur]

Honestly I would just buy what looks good and go from there. Part of the fun is trying all kinds of things and life is too short. So try as many as you possibly can. They’re all pretty good kits that are mentioned above. You won’t go wrong with any of them.

[Col_Sanders]

The Wraith is a 2.2 rig. It is old and outdated and they take a fair amount of work and $$ to get up to par. The Bomber kit is a much better option if 2.2 is what you want. I have never owned a GMade truck, but I know a few people who have had the R1 and they did not have much positive to say about it.

For 1.9 sized rigs, I'd either go with the TRX-4 kit or the SCX10 II BUILDERS kit. The builders kit is bare bones, so you will need to buy tires, wheels, electronics, body, etc but this is good because you get what you want the first time. You aren't buying a bunch of stuff you aren't going to use (most stock tires, wheels, etc get replaced pretty quick). The TRX-4 kit comes with almost everything you need except a body. The TRX-4 is a higher quality truck with many more features. Some like the gadgets, some don't. If you don't think you would want the added weight and complexity of the lockers and two speed, you can ditch those parts as you build or you can get the TRX-4 Sport. The TRX-4 Sport is a great deal but it is not a kit.

[TheLetterJ]

@Tinbum : did you buy a kit yet? If not, I'll throw another in the mix: Gmade GS02 BOM. I thought real hard about buying my son a TRX4 as his next crawler, but for one, those things are like @$$holes around here (everybody has one) and the BOM just had more features I liked (sure, many features are "borrowed" from other models) rolled into one package. I voted with my $$$, so he's getting a BOM for Christmas. A set of SCX10.2 brass knuckles and rear axle (for the underdrive) should have the BOM hanging with the best of them (1.9 scale crawlers.)