RCCrawler Forums

PinchFlat · 04-07-2008, 07:23 PM

A History of Reign Products

In August of 2003, Brett (Kaetwo) and I (PinchFlat) discovered a link to a radio controlled rock crawling site called www.mudcow.com. Even though the Mud Cow looked cool as hell, our first impression was, why? How can a monster truck crawling over rocks be fun? Where’s the competition that we where so use to with on and off-road racing?

Well, being the R/C enthusiast that we are; we decided to find out the mystery that is rock crawling. After we did a great deal of research about RC crawlers on the web, and spent a lot of money, we built and finished our first crawlers. The Furless Yeti and The Dust Guppy. At this time we decided to create Utah Radio Controlled Rock Crawlers, UTRCRC as you may know it. Shortly after that we hosted our first UTRCRC Rock Crawling Competition.

In those day most people were modifying chassis that were originally built for Monster Truck racing, not rock crawling, and the demand for a competition specific RC crawler chassis became apparent to us. Kaetwo and I got together and started testing what was to become the first, competition specific, radio controlled rock crawler chassis, the v2.

The 1st crawler specific chassis made - The UTRCRC v2 Competition Chassis

During our experience in competing with our RC crawlers we have found certain criteria to be beneficial towards creating a competition specific RC crawler. We are able to isolate key requirements for what a competitive RC crawler should be designed around. We then set out to design and build a competition specific RC crawler. This chassis was the UTRCRC v2. The v2 proved to be an excellent competitor. In creating it we touched upon a few standards essential for a great competition RC crawler. These ideas soon became the standard of all competition RC crawlers, then and now. After the v2 we continued to improve upon our designs. Around this time Keatwo decided to ease off on the chassis production due to demands from school, work, and a new baby on the way I took over all UTRCRC products duties my self. Kaetwo however, was still a UTRCRC presents at that time and became the official factory driver/product tester. So how could I improve upon the already awesome v2 design? Well I did with the vPrime Competition Crawling chassis.

The UTRCRC vPrime Competition Chassis

The UTRCRC vPrime Chassis still shared the basic proven elements with it's older brother the v2, but also improved on a few of the important key factors. The vPrime had a lower center of gravity with a higher CG, I optimized the articulation and it was considerably lighter weight than the v2. Soon after the release of the vPrime the popularity of 2.2 sized crawlers was growing. So I answered the call and tweaked the vPrime a little and created the vPrime 2.2.

The UTRCRC vPrime 2.2 Competition Chassis

The UTRCRC vPrime 2.2 was designed to accept a smaller wheelbase and tire of the 2.2 class crawlers. It had all the advantages of it’s big brother and quickly was taking top spots in the 2.2 competitions. It performed so well in fact that Kaetwo and I got tired of winning all the comps and stopped competing with our personal vPrime 2.2s and set our sights on the growing popularity of the 2.2 Tamiya TLT/Pede based crawler. So with months of trial and error along came the Jefferson.

Well the TLT/Pede based crawler proved to be quite different than all our previous Clod Buster based Crawlers. So Kaetwo and I set our and building separate TLT 2.2s and tested, built, more testing, more building and testing. I finally combined all of our knowledge and created the UTRCRC Jefferson.

The UTRCRC Jefferson Competition 2.2 TLT/Pede Chassis

With the UTRCRC Jefferson anyone could assemble and compete in the growing 2.2 competition realm. The Jefferson utilized TLT kit parts and off the shelf RC parts in order for someone to get up and running fast, with little knowledge and effort. It was the ultimate starter competition 2.2 crawler that could take its driver as far as he wished to go. Speaking of the Jefferson, Kaetwo is quoted to say: “Matt, this is the best crawler period, I have ever owned.” So… what was next for UTRCRC Products division? Well… Nothing.

Yes… UTRCRC Products was no longer. Don’t go “all emotional” on me now, just be patient and let me explain.

Kaetwo decided, in the not to distant past, that he wanted to design a new chassis, a 2.2 TLT/Pede based crawler that was more of a scale/trail rig than an actual competition only crawler. He revisited the old school and designed a chassis that was based on the original v2 and incorporated it all into a slick and simple 2.2 TLT/Pede chassis. He came up with the very popular Type Design, K2-3S and shortly after the K2-3L. The K2-3x is a super versatile chassis suited for anything you throw at it. It’s Delrin skid plate, simple design, easy to build and customize, come together to make the perfect all-purpose crawler. A do all - be all chassis.

The Reign Products K2-3L Scale/Trail Chassis

The Reign Products K2-3S Scale/Trail Chassis

In the mean time… I, myself, was looking to start on the new and improved Jefferson chassis. I tried just adding a super slick Delrin skid plate to the Jefferson but it needed more. Then someone came up with what is now called a torsion stick chassis for the TLT/Pede 2.2 rig.

So to find out what all this torsion stick hubbub was all about, I built 2 of them, one for me and one for my pal Special Ed. My TS (Torsion Stick) design was a bit more complex than the basic aluminum “L” bar bolted to TLT axles. I incorporated flex plates in order to help combat the TS’s inherent weakness, lack of articulation. I added some adjustable bracing and I called it the Shiv. Ed and I put it through its paces and tried a variety of material for the flex plates and it still wasn’t what I was looking for in a competition crawler. With killer break-over, the TS was a ledge monster but, it was a one-trick-pony and that’s all. So I went back to the Jefferson.

What could I do to make the new Jefferson climb ledges like a TS, but still retain all of the awesome performance it already possessed? Well the answer was, give the Jefferson a tummy tuck, and the J2-TT was born. It performed great, So great in fact that I took 6th overall at the 2006 USRCCA RC Crawler Nationals 2.2 Class. This was with the prototype and it was the first time it was run. It is a winner!

The Reign Products J2-TT Competition Chassis

Ok, as I promised, I will answer what happened to UTRCRC Products. As you read at the beginning of this article UTRCRC started out as a club for RC crawler nuts to get together and compete and of course, show off their latest rigs and innovations. UTRCRC Products just happened. Kaetwo and I ran the club and subsequently started selling chassis. It was just kind of a natural flow at the time. So with both our new chassis the K2-3x and the J2-TT we decided to break off from the UTRCRC name and form Reign Products. UTRCRC is now just the club and Reign Products is now the newly formed company that brings you “The World’s Best Competition & Scale/Trail Radio Control Rock Crawlers”.

The future of Reign Products? Well we plan on producing more great products for all you crawler fanatics out there, mostly because we are as much fanatics as you guys are, maybe even more. We are proud to have been here from the beginning and plan on riding this wave into the future, Insomuch as we have two great products on the horizon for you guys. The K2-5 & the Widemouth (working name).

The K2-5 is a refined version of the greatly popular K2-3x chassis.

The Reign Products K2-5 Scale/Trail Chassis

The "Widemouth" is the next step in competition chassis.

The Reign Products "Widemouth" Competition Chassis

Look for both of these chassis soon.

-PinchFlat, A.K.A. Matt Davis

jason · 04-07-2008, 07:34 PM

Very cool writeup!

OG's for sure, member numbers 365 & 366, out of the now almost 18,000 on the site. Those 3 digit member numbers are pretty sweet.

SPECIAL ED · 04-07-2008, 07:40 PM

Oh how it has come so far in the last few years.. Great bio of Reign R/C Pinch.

EeePee · 04-07-2008, 07:51 PM

Awesome, Matt. You should know I've always been a big fan. I had the Jefferson and loved it. Learned how to crawl 2.2 tires with it. I had a J2-TT and used it to great effect competing. Brett knows I've had many K2-3's.

I remember when you guys posted up pictures of the V2 chassis. Back then it was compared to the Gecko and the Clodzilla chassis. I was like, "What the eff is this thing all low! That ain't gonna work!"

Pitchy in the beginning, pulled it off Dog!

PinchFlat · 04-07-2008, 08:19 PM

Thanks guys... I really appreciate the comments.

Rockcrawler · 04-07-2008, 08:32 PM

Yep, I remember when I use to see both of your rigs all slammed.

But they would climb some verts.

Still got some pics of mine in 04 or 05...cant remember that far back.

MOCRAWLER · 04-07-2008, 08:45 PM

I actually bought my first crawler from Kaetwo on ebay. He told me to come and check out this site. Thousands of dollars later my wife still hates him.

PinchFlat · 04-07-2008, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockcrawler

Yep, I remember when I use to see both of your rigs all slammed.

But they would climb some verts.

Still got some pics of mine in 04 or 05...cant remember that far back.

Oh that is SWEET!

xirtic · 04-07-2008, 08:55 PM

Just ran my 2nd Comp using the J2-TT (Narrow).....Won 1st place at the indoor comp with 21 competitors. Thanks for the great design.

braceysdad · 04-07-2008, 08:58 PM

I declare this as Reign history month...

MOCRAWLER · 04-07-2008, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by braceysdad

I declare this as Black Reign history month...

BitHed · 04-07-2008, 09:52 PM

...aaahhh

And there is the Widemouth

NOICE...

kaetwo · 04-07-2008, 10:07 PM

I still think crawling is a fad..... :-)

Just Zach · 04-07-2008, 10:48 PM

Congrats guys on the section

That was a good history lesson.

roborg5000 · 04-08-2008, 08:12 AM

Cant wait to see The Widemouth tonight Cory !

Stormin2u · 04-08-2008, 09:06 AM

Thanks for the history of Reign Products very interesting, for many of us FNGs we don't realize the history of Crawling.

Grizzly4x4 · 04-08-2008, 01:13 PM

Pinchy and Kaetwo, tru OG's.............bitches

Viva Reign RC!! Glad to see you guys with your own section, I hope you guys continue to mold RC crawling the way you have in the past.

RockSurfer · 04-08-2008, 01:16 PM

Yes it has come along way, I rember the first utrcrc comp I think we had like 6 people and now in the 50's or more at each comp. the rc crawling tech has sure made it far and fun. I rember the V2 prime, the furless yeti, the dust Guppy. Good times.

kaetwo · 04-08-2008, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grizzly4x4

Pinchy and Kaetwo, tru OG's.............bitches

And a new sig. is born......

This post made me dig into the crawling archives. I'll have to post pics in this section of various comps......

FrankyRizzo · 04-08-2008, 02:08 PM

I have always been a big fan of Reign/UTRCRC's stuff. Hell an Ebay link to their site sucked me into this money pit.... I mean wonderful hobby.

Keep up the great work!

Do you think that you will ever have that operation to separate the two of you?

04-07-2008, 07:23 PM	#1
PinchFlat Say hello to my dactylion Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: On the Boat to Whore Island Posts: 4,470	A History of Reign Products A History of Reign Products In August of 2003, Brett (Kaetwo) and I (PinchFlat) discovered a link to a radio controlled rock crawling site called www.mudcow.com. Even though the Mud Cow looked cool as hell, our first impression was, why? How can a monster truck crawling over rocks be fun? Where’s the competition that we where so use to with on and off-road racing? Well, being the R/C enthusiast that we are; we decided to find out the mystery that is rock crawling. After we did a great deal of research about RC crawlers on the web, and spent a lot of money, we built and finished our first crawlers. The Furless Yeti and The Dust Guppy. At this time we decided to create Utah Radio Controlled Rock Crawlers, UTRCRC as you may know it. Shortly after that we hosted our first UTRCRC Rock Crawling Competition. In those day most people were modifying chassis that were originally built for Monster Truck racing, not rock crawling, and the demand for a competition specific RC crawler chassis became apparent to us. Kaetwo and I got together and started testing what was to become the first, competition specific, radio controlled rock crawler chassis, the v2. The 1st crawler specific chassis made - The UTRCRC v2 Competition Chassis During our experience in competing with our RC crawlers we have found certain criteria to be beneficial towards creating a competition specific RC crawler. We are able to isolate key requirements for what a competitive RC crawler should be designed around. We then set out to design and build a competition specific RC crawler. This chassis was the UTRCRC v2. The v2 proved to be an excellent competitor. In creating it we touched upon a few standards essential for a great competition RC crawler. These ideas soon became the standard of all competition RC crawlers, then and now. After the v2 we continued to improve upon our designs. Around this time Keatwo decided to ease off on the chassis production due to demands from school, work, and a new baby on the way I took over all UTRCRC products duties my self. Kaetwo however, was still a UTRCRC presents at that time and became the official factory driver/product tester. So how could I improve upon the already awesome v2 design? Well I did with the vPrime Competition Crawling chassis. The UTRCRC vPrime Competition Chassis The UTRCRC vPrime Chassis still shared the basic proven elements with it's older brother the v2, but also improved on a few of the important key factors. The vPrime had a lower center of gravity with a higher CG, I optimized the articulation and it was considerably lighter weight than the v2. Soon after the release of the vPrime the popularity of 2.2 sized crawlers was growing. So I answered the call and tweaked the vPrime a little and created the vPrime 2.2. The UTRCRC vPrime 2.2 Competition Chassis The UTRCRC vPrime 2.2 was designed to accept a smaller wheelbase and tire of the 2.2 class crawlers. It had all the advantages of it’s big brother and quickly was taking top spots in the 2.2 competitions. It performed so well in fact that Kaetwo and I got tired of winning all the comps and stopped competing with our personal vPrime 2.2s and set our sights on the growing popularity of the 2.2 Tamiya TLT/Pede based crawler. So with months of trial and error along came the Jefferson. Well the TLT/Pede based crawler proved to be quite different than all our previous Clod Buster based Crawlers. So Kaetwo and I set our and building separate TLT 2.2s and tested, built, more testing, more building and testing. I finally combined all of our knowledge and created the UTRCRC Jefferson. The UTRCRC Jefferson Competition 2.2 TLT/Pede Chassis With the UTRCRC Jefferson anyone could assemble and compete in the growing 2.2 competition realm. The Jefferson utilized TLT kit parts and off the shelf RC parts in order for someone to get up and running fast, with little knowledge and effort. It was the ultimate starter competition 2.2 crawler that could take its driver as far as he wished to go. Speaking of the Jefferson, Kaetwo is quoted to say: “Matt, this is the best crawler period, I have ever owned.” So… what was next for UTRCRC Products division? Well… Nothing. Yes… UTRCRC Products was no longer. Don’t go “all emotional” on me now, just be patient and let me explain. Kaetwo decided, in the not to distant past, that he wanted to design a new chassis, a 2.2 TLT/Pede based crawler that was more of a scale/trail rig than an actual competition only crawler. He revisited the old school and designed a chassis that was based on the original v2 and incorporated it all into a slick and simple 2.2 TLT/Pede chassis. He came up with the very popular Type Design, K2-3S and shortly after the K2-3L. The K2-3x is a super versatile chassis suited for anything you throw at it. It’s Delrin skid plate, simple design, easy to build and customize, come together to make the perfect all-purpose crawler. A do all - be all chassis. The Reign Products K2-3L Scale/Trail Chassis The Reign Products K2-3S Scale/Trail Chassis In the mean time… I, myself, was looking to start on the new and improved Jefferson chassis. I tried just adding a super slick Delrin skid plate to the Jefferson but it needed more. Then someone came up with what is now called a torsion stick chassis for the TLT/Pede 2.2 rig. So to find out what all this torsion stick hubbub was all about, I built 2 of them, one for me and one for my pal Special Ed. My TS (Torsion Stick) design was a bit more complex than the basic aluminum “L” bar bolted to TLT axles. I incorporated flex plates in order to help combat the TS’s inherent weakness, lack of articulation. I added some adjustable bracing and I called it the Shiv. Ed and I put it through its paces and tried a variety of material for the flex plates and it still wasn’t what I was looking for in a competition crawler. With killer break-over, the TS was a ledge monster but, it was a one-trick-pony and that’s all. So I went back to the Jefferson. What could I do to make the new Jefferson climb ledges like a TS, but still retain all of the awesome performance it already possessed? Well the answer was, give the Jefferson a tummy tuck, and the J2-TT was born. It performed great, So great in fact that I took 6th overall at the 2006 USRCCA RC Crawler Nationals 2.2 Class. This was with the prototype and it was the first time it was run. It is a winner! The Reign Products J2-TT Competition Chassis Ok, as I promised, I will answer what happened to UTRCRC Products. As you read at the beginning of this article UTRCRC started out as a club for RC crawler nuts to get together and compete and of course, show off their latest rigs and innovations. UTRCRC Products just happened. Kaetwo and I ran the club and subsequently started selling chassis. It was just kind of a natural flow at the time. So with both our new chassis the K2-3x and the J2-TT we decided to break off from the UTRCRC name and form Reign Products. UTRCRC is now just the club and Reign Products is now the newly formed company that brings you “The World’s Best Competition & Scale/Trail Radio Control Rock Crawlers”. The future of Reign Products? Well we plan on producing more great products for all you crawler fanatics out there, mostly because we are as much fanatics as you guys are, maybe even more. We are proud to have been here from the beginning and plan on riding this wave into the future, Insomuch as we have two great products on the horizon for you guys. The K2-5 & the Widemouth (working name). The K2-5 is a refined version of the greatly popular K2-3x chassis. The Reign Products K2-5 Scale/Trail Chassis The "Widemouth" is the next step in competition chassis. The Reign Products "Widemouth" Competition Chassis Look for both of these chassis soon. -PinchFlat, A.K.A. Matt Davis Last edited by PinchFlat; 01-14-2010 at 09:31 PM.

04-07-2008, 08:32 PM	#6
Rockcrawler I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Hueytown, Alabama Posts: 6,777	Yep, I remember when I use to see both of your rigs all slammed. But they would climb some verts. Still got some pics of mine in 04 or 05...cant remember that far back. Attached Images

04-07-2008, 07:34 PM	#2
jason R.I.P. Chip Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: The Crawler State Posts: 13,938	Very cool writeup! OG's for sure, member numbers 365 & 366, out of the now almost 18,000 on the site. Those 3 digit member numbers are pretty sweet.

04-07-2008, 07:40 PM	#3
SPECIAL ED RCC Addict Join Date: May 2005 Location: Utah Posts: 1,124	Oh how it has come so far in the last few years.. Great bio of Reign R/C Pinch.

04-07-2008, 07:51 PM	#4
EeePee MODERATOR™ Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 18,928	Awesome, Matt. You should know I've always been a big fan. I had the Jefferson and loved it. Learned how to crawl 2.2 tires with it. I had a J2-TT and used it to great effect competing. Brett knows I've had many K2-3's. I remember when you guys posted up pictures of the V2 chassis. Back then it was compared to the Gecko and the Clodzilla chassis. I was like, "What the eff is this thing all low! That ain't gonna work!" Pitchy in the beginning, pulled it off Dog!

04-07-2008, 08:19 PM	#5
PinchFlat Say hello to my dactylion Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: On the Boat to Whore Island Posts: 4,470	Thanks guys... I really appreciate the comments.

04-07-2008, 08:45 PM	#7
MOCRAWLER I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: The bunker Posts: 3,767	I actually bought my first crawler from Kaetwo on ebay. He told me to come and check out this site. Thousands of dollars later my wife still hates him.

04-07-2008, 08:55 PM	#9
xirtic RCC Addict Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mount Juliet Posts: 1,287	Just ran my 2nd Comp using the J2-TT (Narrow).....Won 1st place at the indoor comp with 21 competitors. Thanks for the great design.

04-07-2008, 08:58 PM	#10
braceysdad Adilynsdad too! Join Date: May 2004 Location: G ville Posts: 8,844	I declare this as Reign history month...

04-07-2008, 09:52 PM	#12
BitHed Quarry Creeper Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Tokyo, Japan Posts: 305	...aaahhh And there is the Widemouth NOICE...

04-07-2008, 10:07 PM	#13
kaetwo I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Whales Posts: 2,939	I still think crawling is a fad..... :-)

04-07-2008, 10:48 PM	#14
Just Zach '08 2.2 National Champ Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UTRCRC Posts: 5,585	Congrats guys on the section That was a good history lesson.

Sponsored Links

04-08-2008, 08:12 AM	#15
roborg5000 support@rc4wd.com Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Lancaster, Ohio Posts: 1,417	Cant wait to see The Widemouth tonight Cory !

04-08-2008, 09:06 AM	#16
Stormin2u I wanna be Dave Join Date: May 2007 Location: Taylors Falls just hanging with the MNRCRC crew. Posts: 7,843	Thanks for the history of Reign Products very interesting, for many of us FNGs we don't realize the history of Crawling.

04-08-2008, 01:13 PM	#17
Grizzly4x4 PapaGriz Yo Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: In the garage building the wife a crawler Posts: 13,137	Pinchy and Kaetwo, tru OG's.............bitches Viva Reign RC!! Glad to see you guys with your own section, I hope you guys continue to mold RC crawling the way you have in the past.

04-08-2008, 01:16 PM	#18
RockSurfer Quarry Creeper Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: salt lake city Posts: 252	Yes it has come along way, I rember the first utrcrc comp I think we had like 6 people and now in the 50's or more at each comp. the rc crawling tech has sure made it far and fun. I rember the V2 prime, the furless yeti, the dust Guppy. Good times.

04-08-2008, 02:08 PM	#20
FrankyRizzo I wanna be Dave Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vegas Posts: 7,172	I have always been a big fan of Reign/UTRCRC's stuff. Hell an Ebay link to their site sucked me into this money pit.... I mean wonderful hobby. Keep up the great work! Do you think that you will ever have that operation to separate the two of you?

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Thread: A History of Reign Products