AnimalHippie's Trx-4 Adventure

[AnimalHippie]

A little update for you guys. The cage is working out great! Really think the extra weight helped my rig. So far it's had a few good tumbles down the rocks and the cage is holding strong. Just some scraped paint. I picked up a couple sheets of styrine and made a tool box for the back.

Also took a piece of white string line and dyed it in coffee/grounds for a day. That worked out great and made the string the color of rope for a great scale accessory.

I picked up a set of GPM rear shock towers due to the stock Trx ones not fitting the look and I wanted to lean my shocks forward a bit. They went on with ease and definitely for the look I'm going for. Each tower only weighs 1gram more then the stock tower.




I also spent a little time installing some taillights. My DIY pen cap light buckets and lenses.



I also reattached my rear rock lights in their new location. Under the battery tray and out of harm's way.





Went for a fun run with a buddy out on the Santos Tiny Truck Trail two Sundays ago. Was a great time! The trucks did great!



Leaning the rear shocks forward and outboarding them a few mm really made a difference.

A couple days later I was chilling in the garage and I noticed some of our Florida famous pete moss tangled up behind the rear wheel. So I removed the wheel and the hex to find this

I was quite unhappy about it, but what can you do. I asked around on here for some suggestions on replacements. A good friend pointed me to the SSD Trx-4 aluminum hexes. For $13 I picked them up on Amazon. Great buy for sure! It took 3 of the SSD hexes to match the weight of one stock hex. So far I like them. They went on nice and tight and the wheel seems to not have as much play with them on it.


I'm currently waiting on a fuel cell, axe and shovel that my buddy is 3d printing for me. I'm also planning on buying and installing a Axial EXO buggy rear radiator on the cage. Not sure what else I plan to do to it yet. I know I'd like to get OD gears, a high clearance trans skid and maybe build some high clearance links. One day I'll get it "finished" LMAO! Thanks for checking it out. Next update will be some pics from crawling in North Carolina on our Christmas vacation to Asheville. We leave in 4 days!!! Super Stoked!!!!

[AnimalHippie]

Just realized that I hadn't done an update on here since before Christmas.

Asheville, NC was amazing! We loved it there. Beautiful mountains, awesome weather and nice people. We stayed in a beautiful cabin that was about 1/3 of the way up a mountain. No neighbors it was great!


Here's my girls standing in the driveway in of the cabin. The little orange spot behind them is the cabin. You can see the top of the mountain against the skyline. We loved it there!


There was so much awesome crawling within 100feet of the cabin.


This was a stone stair set leading into the woods from the cabin.


I didn't get to do a bunch of crawling, but what crawling I did do was a blast! Very wet and slippery with a 25* angle already due to being on the mountain. Crawling was pretty interesting. Here's a few pics!




Also shot a bit of video as well.


More updates to come soon. I have added a few things since our trip. Can't wait to get back up in the mountains!

[AnimalHippie]

Some more updates on my rig. Now that the cage and tool box are done I still felt like it needed a little something more back there. So I had a good buddy 3d print me a few scale goodies.


Once I got them all cleaned up and painted. It was time to mount them on the back. The fuel cell I mounted to the top of my battery cover with some E6000. Mounting the radiator was a little bit more work. Using a few pieces of scrap plastic for mounts and some E6000. It went right into place nice and secure.

With it all mounted where I wanted it. I felt like it was still missing something. Radiator hoses and fuel lines! Took me a day or two to figure out how I wanted to do it and what materials I wanted to use. I found some small 2-cycle fuel line and some black 18ga wire. Perfect! With a little bit of work and time waiting for the adhesive to dry. I had it done!


Also added a few scale stickers that I made on the wife's vinyl cutter.


I'm very happy with the way it's looking now. Will probably add a few more scale stickers to the tool box. I still would like to add a scale optima battery, axe and shovel and maybe some kind of interior. I'm really disliking seeing all the wires through the windows and when night crawling seeing the rock lights and ESC light flashing aswell.

With my rig set up the way it is now. I'm loving this thing even more. It's an amazing performer! The weight is balanced and my rig is very predictable and stable. Can't wait to get back out on the rocks! Here's a few pics! Hope you guys enjoy!!!

[aqualungs]

Wow that looks great!


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[B-MOW71]

Rig is looking good!

I like the 3D printed pieces you added. That is exactly what the rear cage needed! Great job on adding the hoses and wires too!

[AnimalHippie]

Originally Posted by aqualungs

Wow that looks great!


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Thank you sir!!! Glad you like it. I know I sure do!!

Originally Posted by B-MOW71

Rig is looking good!

I like the 3D printed pieces you added. That is exactly what the rear cage needed! Great job on adding the hoses and wires too!

Thanks brother! I think so too! Couple more finishing touches and it'll be exactly what I'm after looks wise. Going to try to get another video out soon. Really need to get a new servo. The one that is in it is getting pretty weak. I'm thinking about that V3 that HH has out now. Just gotta sell some stuff to get the funds.

[Topher Builds]

Man that cage looks good on there and out in the wild! Glad to hear you’re happy with the way it’s performing. You’ve certainly done the leg work to get it there.

I’ve heard Asheville is real cool, a couple of good friends just moved back there. Need to get out there and see them soon and looks like I should bring a truck.

[AnimalHippie]

Originally Posted by Topher Builds

Man that cage looks good on there and out in the wild! Glad to hear you’re happy with the way it’s performing. You’ve certainly done the leg work to get it there.

I’ve heard Asheville is real cool, a couple of good friends just moved back there. Need to get out there and see them soon and looks like I should bring a truck.

Thank you brother! I'm very happy with it. I'm not much of a comp guy but it kinda makes me wanna go run in one and see what I can do. If I could just find the time to do it.

Asheville is really cool. Allot of great food and awesome breweries. We would like to move up that way somewhere in the next 5-10 years. Probably not in Asheville tho. Definitely bring a rig with you. There was so much awesome crawling to be done there. Wish I had gotten to do more.

[mud bogger]

Looking good man.

[odomandr]

Yeah those 3d accessories came out great

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[AnimalHippie]

Originally Posted by mud bogger

Looking good man.

Thank you brother! It's been a work in progress. Finally getting it closer to done lmao! the word "done" on a RC project is kinda a joke to me.

Originally Posted by odomandr

Yeah those 3d accessories came out great

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Thanks brother! I like how they turned out. Needs just a little more I think. Just trying to find the right files for a battery, shovel and ax.



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[AnimalHippie]

Wow, really can't believe it's been almost a year since my last update! Sorry about that guys. It's been crazy!

So since my last update I've added a few things, removed some and did some tuning. First off I installed some GPM front shock towers



I really like the look and construction of these and they match the set on the rear. Also I added a set of GPM aluminum lower link mounts on the front axle to eliminate the slop in the stock plastics and get my rig ready for the real servo that was about to go in.



I have always wanted a strong reliable servo. So after way too much time doing research. I decided to pick up a HH SHV500V3.



Couldn't be happier with my choice. Even though I wouldn't mind it being a little quieter. I only really notice it when I'm doing videos.

When I got on Team Locked Up. The incentives and a good friend donating his gift card to me allowed me to get some parts. I've always wanted to have a servo winch on my rig. So I went ahead and ordered the V2 from LockedUp. Along with the LockedUp RC FI heavy locker. Since I only have 6 channels on my RX. I removed the front micro servo and locking differential. Then installed the FI Locker. I did notice a positive difference in performance from the added axle weight. Then installed the winch.

I ran a piece of 3/16" brake line through to the front bumper for the winch line. Programmed the Flysky and it was good to go! I have a video on each of those parts on the editing table that should be posted soon.

To be continued........

[AnimalHippie]

Took the ol Trx out for a crawl with some buddies a couple days ago. What a great time!!!


We were out there for 5hrs having a blast.

Everyone got home with nothing broke and I got enough footage to post 2 videos.

I was extremely impressed with the performance of that FR4. All stock other then tires and followed me almost anywhere I went. Think he had the driver mod installed too LoL!




Will be posting video soon.

Posted this one about the LockedUp RC FI Heavy Locker install a week or so ago



I definitely noticed a positive difference after getting it installed. Even with the added weight up high from the servo winch.

So I've been working on something. It's almost finished here's a sneak peak. Some have seen more then others. LoL!

Have a few things to finish before a full reveal. I am absolutely loving how it's coming out tho. Can't wait to get it finished.

Trying to figure out how I want to tint the windows and smoke the headlight and signal lenses. I was thinking about auto window tint for the windows, but don't think that'll work with the concaved lenses. Anyone had success with auto tint? Any suggestions are welcome.

That's it for now will update again soon! Thanks for reading! Have a good day!!!

[Topher Builds]

Justin that looks great! Love thag color and the topper. Excited to see the whole thing.

For window tint, if you used automotive you’d want to heat it for the concave area but I wouldn’t want to do that personally with a lexan body. I use the Tamiya ps smoke for tint which works out well after several very light coats.

[AnimalHippie]

Originally Posted by Topher Builds

Justin that looks great! Love thag color and the topper. Excited to see the whole thing.

For window tint, if you used automotive you’d want to heat it for the concave area but I wouldn’t want to do that personally with a lexan body. I use the Tamiya ps smoke for tint which works out well after several very light coats.

Thank you brother! Just wait till you see it done. It's looking so good! I'm extremely happy with it! My wife picked the paint.

I'm going to use the PS-31 Smoke on the lenses for sure. Picking a can up Monday. Gotta get that done before I can install my light buckets. .Using the auto tint on the windows. If it doesn't work out I'll have the smoke paint to use on them.

Now to figure out how remove some residue the window masks left behind without messing up my paint job

[MaX-D]

Love the paint choice! Is it Spaztix Candy Apple Green?

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[AnimalHippie]

Originally Posted by MaX-D

Love the paint choice! Is it Spaztix Candy Apple Green?

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Thank you! No sir it is not. LoL! That is part of the reveal. Just give me a week or so and you'll get to see.


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[AnimalHippie]

Alright guys it's been a long time coming. Let's just get you up to speed and then we'll get into it.

I picked up a new Nukizer body back in January to replace the amazing CODYBOY one that I've been running before it was unusable. I started getting this body together in the beginning of March and in the second week of March we found out we were going to be having another baby!!!!!! IT'S A BOY!!!! We are so extremely stoked!!! Between working 6 days a week, Helping my very morning/all day sick wife, keeping the kids in line and getting everything ready for the new baby. It took me this long little by little to get my rig put back together.

Sooooo here it is!!!!! New cab, paint refresh on the bumper and cage and some new scale accessories.














Yea that's right! A tye dye t-shirt!!! LoL!!! Wouldn't look like me driving without one!



My youngest daughter says " Daddy, that doesn't look like you. You don't have muscles like that."


By the end of the first battery with the new cab. I had put a couple scratches on the flares and a scratch on the top of the cab.


My youngest 5yrs old asked if she could drive it. So like a good Dad I set a few gates up for her and gave her the remote. She did so good with a little bit of instruction and the throttle turned down to 40%. By the end of her run she was so excited about how good she did. She wasn't paying attention and pulled the trigger on the remote. Now the cab has some custom body work.

It's ok tho. It's a crawler and it was going to happen before too long. Just thought it would take longer then one battery. LoL!!!

Thanks for checking out my build!!! Can give more details if anyone is interested. Just let me know. Hope you have a great day!!! More pics to come and a video before too long. That way you can really see how nice the color change paint is.


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[OnTheTrail]

Originally Posted by AnimalHippie

IT'S A BOY!!!!

Big congratulations! He and your daughter will be out crawling with you in no time!

[indybama]

Still cant believe how beautiful that paint came out! I always end up screwin up at some point lol. My patients is very thin, i wanna see the end results before its time.

Yall aint got but a few more weeks til the lil guy is home do u? 2 more weeks n we find out if we're havin 2 girls, 2 boys, or a boy n a girl. I still say boy n girls lol, but lex is stuck on us havin 2 girls.

Scratches n body damage just gives character daddy lol. Nothin like the look of excitement n accomplishment on a younguns face