MTboy

I ordered a MRC on sunday after chatting with a local guy about the crawling seen. I thought it would be cool to hang with others that are interested in this hobby, since living in Montana they are few and far between. I owned a WK about a year ago when having my knee rebuilt but ended up selling since I didn't enjoy it at the time do to being layed up.

After reading a ton of threads I decided while waiting for it to show and having the day off to start building a small course to practice on in my yard. Figure this will help me understand alot more of what it is and what it takes to be some one in this side of the RC world.

So I started by finding rocks in the yard and digging some holes..lol After running out of rocks I drove down to a local gravel pit and started filling the truck up.. Now this is my first time and I don't even have the truck yet but thought I did good and wanted to see what you guys thought.

Alpha Male

My Feedback: (11)

I'm not familiar with that mini, but I guess it is 1:18, right? Either way, it looks like you are off to a good start, but at this point you will get bored within 30 minutes. You might consider looking at videos or pictures of crawler courses to get ideas for what you can do while you wait for the truck to arrive. Shoot, you can mound up dirt and put a layer of concrete over it to create 'rocks' and stick real rocks in a strategic places while it is wet. You can find branches and make 'log' climbs and bridges or drag in cut up tree trunks and make stump obstacles. I have a friend who used chicken wire wrapped around empty bottles, cans and boxes with concrete on the exterior for a mobile 'mountain'.

If I was not renting, I would do that myself!

Jason

jenius8477

My Feedback: (1)

Sounds like a good idea. i am living with the parentals and needed a moble mountain lol

MTboy

Yeah I hear you on the 30 min. but like you I rent and also live in Montana so we will have crappy weather here soon. Notice the crappy fence that needs to be replaced in the pic..lol Landlord is a slumlord but it's cheap and we are only here long enough to save for a house. Was going to buy a month ago but decided to wait and see how things pan out over the next few months. When we do move/buy we always look for a place that I can have an area of the yard plus has to have a shop for my RC's. Was going to build a track for my 1/10-1/18 trucks but lately have been really into crawling so will have to wait and see what happens.
The good news about this is my wife was not mad since she was working and had no clue I did it..lol Also since it's a rental and my slumlord don't do crap for us or fix anything I can just leave the mess when I move...lmao.. That will fix him..
My truck should be here friday and that gives me two days to find bigger rocks to add to it aswell..
One thing that really hooked me to this was that we actually have a few crawler clubs here. Thats a big plus since for the last 3-4 years of being addicted to this hobby it's just me. So it will make it nice and alot easier to earn enjoy as I go..

Alpha Male

My Feedback: (11)

I completely understand where you are coming from. This addiction that outsiders don't understand is a better fix when shared with people who are in the same boat. That's why our friends are social misfits like us!

whipnet

Cool man, looks like a good start.
I built to little rock garden and trail in my backyard as well.
http://www.rccoh.com/rc.rock.crawling/rock.garden.html

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Alpha Male

My Feedback: (11)

Cool! Another Houston guy!!! [sm=thumbs_up.gif] We need to all get together at Spring Creek and crawl. [&:] This weekend is shot for me, but maybe next weekend we can hook up on Sunday afternoon and have at least four or five crawlers on the 'rocks'.

whipnet

GREAT! Let me know when you guys go up there, I'll join, the next few weekend short of Halloween look great for me.

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MTboy

Wife thought it would be a good idea if I moved the rock course up by the house next to the porch. So after work yseterday I started to pack the rocks across the yard. Took me 3 house to move them and set it back up but at the end it was worth it. Now it will be more pretected from the weather sitting under the eve. Plus it's a bigger spot so I will need to get more rocks and add to it.
Today after work I will get some pics with my MRC since it will be here today..

Johnny Crawler

I must be a rock addict or R/C crawler addict like you guys....I did the same thing...made a small rock garden inside...get pics when I can...next is outdoors...:

andybenton

haha, we made a pile of 4 wheeler rims and jeep parts with some old tires and cinderblocks in my garage one time, it was tough actually, then i broke my drive shaft on a bicycle haha, sad face

MTboy

Got home from work to find my MRC.. Hooked it up and ran outside to do it's first run.. Great little truck. Rocked my pile of rocks..lol Either my rocks are to slick or the tires suck and are to stiff. Other then that this truck is a blast and a great first crawler I feel.
But then it started to rain so I used the boxes it came in and beer cans after drinking them to glue together and make a course inside..lmao.. Turned out to be a hard course after 10 beers and ugly as hell..
Today I will be going and getting more rocks for the garden and get some pics of me rocking the rocks..

MTboy

Here's a few pics of my drunk garbage crawling comp...lol

whipnet

Welcome to the relaxing side of RC.

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MTboy

.... lol....
My wife likes this truck so much she brought home some things for me after her trip to the LHS getting her paint stuff..lol
A set of Losi 1.9 three piece Aluminum Beadlocks.. Freaking sick and shocked she did for $120.
2-sets of 1.9 mini rock claw, blue compound tires..
1- Front or rear Locker (steal)..

All I asked her to pick up was some Male deans for the ESC.. I ended up finishing my mod by just cutting the batt trey and making my 3 link shelfs from a body. Also installed my Futaba 3PM RX and put some Mini T springs on the rear with spacers. Not sure if I like the springs in the rear. The new Beadlocks have weights in them and man did it add some weight.. Not sure how that will be but excited to test. Wonder if I should take the rear weights out. What do you guys think? Has anyone ran without foam? I run on pretty smooth rocks and wonder if that would work better or if you should always have foam in..

First pick is of stock truck with mods.. Other two are with new beadlocks and tires..

Alpha Male

My Feedback: (11)

Duh! When you said 'MRC' I didn't realize it was the Losi truck. I thought it was some truck I had never heard of, but I had one of those for a while...losts of fun. [sm=thumbs_up.gif]

MTboy

I'm loving it!!! So far I'm unbeaten on my course too... Added some more rocks. Only 4 but big ones and the biggest I had to drive off road to a hill under it and roll to my bed of the truck..lol I'll get better pics of the course and my truck soon.

MTboy

Reconfigured the course today after finding 7 more big rocks. Took 3 hours to do but has paid off. At first I thought some spots would be to much but the MRC proved me wrong.
Let me know what you think..

Zim-uh-tosa

Looked like you had a little waterfall or steps that you could have used? What was that in the middle of all those bushes??

I run on river rock when i go to Linda Vista near my house. Those things are slicker that owl turdz. looks like you have some of the same slick round/oval rocks mixed in. Looking good with all the bigger rocks mixed in. Nice!

Z

MTboy

Thanks Z, those big rocks make a huge difference in my course. Altho lifting them to my truck is very hard to do..lol Hope to find lots more big jagged rocks this week to add. Find it fun to hunt for rocks and then after finding them figuring out a way to get them home.
Yeah the round river rocks suck but there's so many a mile away from my house that it makes it to easy not to get some.. Maybe I can find some tires that will get some good bit on them.

MTboy

Found more today.. I didn't go as big but they are nice jagged rocks.
I don't think my wife knew that my rock garden would keep growing..lol

whipnet

If you take just one from each neighbor on the block, nobody notices. LOL
I have rocks from several states in mine.

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Zim-uh-tosa

Lol...I was wondering if all MTBot's neighbors are all missing a few rocks from their yards? I was going to build a waterfall with dry creek in the backyard for the missus. I will incorporate an integrated trail for my FJ40 to play on. That's a give-in. My neighbors might all be missing a few rocks as well...I found that Craigslist is a pretty good way to find rocks too. I put an ad out for specific sizes and got a few emails telling me where they are and to come get them. At least they are willing donors!![sm=greedy.gif]

Z

MTboy

Nope!! I make sure to leave a round crappy rock in place of the one I take. Plus I do it at night with my ninja suit on and we all know how sneeky ninja's are..

Once we move I will be doing a nice landscaped rock garden. But most of these rocks will stay for my slumlord to clean up..[>:]

MTboy

Picked up a few more rocks so thought I needed to redo my course. Moving every rock out so I could start over was a task.. Ended up taking 4 hours to do since I would try a rock and decide that I could do something better, adding to moving several rocks more then a few time each. Still have somethings to figure out as I drive it. But will wait for the adjustments..
What you think?