Which smallish "multipurpose" crawler

[Dogi]

Hi,

I need a "dual purpose" RC car, and have thought that a crawler would fit the bill. Here's what is should be good for:

- Used by 4 year old "not too careful" kid, so it's going to be crashed into everything, all the time, full speed. So max speed has to be adjustable or at least "low enough", so that the car won't instantly break.

- Has to be small enough for indoor use in a modestly sized apartment, so I think about 1/18 size would be ok.

- Will be used outdoors also. Our yard is mostly (pretty much unattended) grass / weeds, but here comes a challenge: We have ongoing construction site, and will have for few more years to come. The house is being built in a middle of a vast rocky spruce / pine forest. And I mean rocky like I cannot climb some rocks Kid will hang out there, and this RC's main purpose is to offer him something to do.

- Car will be used in snow, slush and rain.

- There's no way to charge the car (at the construction site), so possibility to change battery out there would be nice. Also, if the car comes with so-so run time, it would be nice to be able to upgrade the battery to a bigger (longer lasting) one. As long as someone who's understanding of electronics is quite minimal can do it.

- Possibility to upgrade / fix it later would be a good bonus. If spares could be found from Europe..

- Budget isn't too good. SHMBO said under 100, but I could live with 200 (extra/upgraded batteries included). Prices are pretty much the same, if not higher, here (UK/Ger) in € compared to what they are in $ in US, so these price limits are just guidelines. Naturally the lower the better.

I do have ECX Temper Gen 2 in mind, but please, give me your recommendations!

Thanks!

[ToCrawl]

In Europe you could get them easily from the Netherlands
https://www.rcferngesteuerteautos.de/index.php?cPath=25

Pro:
- comparatively cheap including the option for spare parts
- spare parts are available, if you crashed something. They deliver quiet fast.
- most of them have an end point adjustment on their controllers to reduce the speed for kids

Con:
- with open diffs they don't realy crawl
- since you are looking for something smallish: most of them come in 1:10 size. But I doubt you'll find smaller models with the option for spares.
- the aluminium spare parts have little quality and high tolerances. Their is no real aftermarket.

In any case some compromises have to be made.

I started with one of them as a father son project, but found luck at Axials RR10 for such a project.

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[Voodoobrew]

4 year Olds want to bash not crawl in my experience. Traxxas are tough, capable, and usualy have a training mode for less speed.

The gen 2 also seems decent though.

Maybe the LA Trax teton.

The batteries just pop out so buy a few.

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[ToCrawl]

Originally Posted by Voodoobrew

4 year Olds want to bash not crawl in my experience. Traxxas are tough, capable, and usualy have a training mode for less speed.

The gen 2 also seems decent though.

Maybe the LA Trax teton.

The batteries just pop out so buy a few.

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I agree: with 4 years there might be little tranqulity for crawling. At mine there is with 7 mostly 0 or 1, either full speed or nothing. That is why you need spares

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[Dogi]

I went ahead and bough ECX Temper G2.. because my kid just want's to bash, and full speed driving would have been impossible, indoors, with faster car (taking SWMBO's precious furniture into account).

He's been really exited about the car, but even though the max speed has been limited to about 50%, the car already broke down. I wasn't looking, but he most likely hit something "full speed", because the skid plate cracked.

I took a photo and tried to attach it to this post, but without IT thumbs did not know how to. Here's a picture from a webstore selling these cars.

Front right corner of the skid plate completely broke off.

I took a quick look around Internet, but came up with nothing.. does anyone make metal skid plates for these things?

So, as you told me, ordering spares now.. and some tools to attach them with ;)