BrokenRecord

I just purchased a 4.6 trophy truggy on monday and I would like to share my short 2 day experience with it to possibly help other people in the future from purchasing this unit.

While breaking in the motor on monday night the truggy stopped responding to the controller. The first time was at very low speed so it just drove slowly onto some grass on tank #3). The second time was on tank #5 where it was at roughly 50% throttle at which point it stopped responding to my input's and broke through a neighbors lattice and under their deck. Checking the HPI website that night I noticed they had a "notice" about the batteries included and the battery holder on the receiver being bad (note: they have these listed only twice, and on different models than mine).

I called HPI and they said they would send out a new receiver battery holder next week as they are doing inventory. ok.

Tuesday I pick up a 7-cell battery pack for the car so I can go drive it around that evening without waiting 1-2 weeks. I am stilling breaking it in so we take it to a small gravel pit where I just drive back and forth. I bring it back to my car to fill it up with some fuel when it stalls out, no biggy right? Wrong. The pull cord melted off. I find the pull cord nearby (since I was just driving around lightly) and see that the plastic tube had melted which then cut the cord in half. Awesome. My friend who is into RC's helps out and we manage to rig my stock pull start with a different handle in about 2 hours (joy's of re coiling the spring).

So with a Frankenstein pull cord and a fuel tank @ 11pm I decide I am not going to give up. I take it to a big well lit parking lot with the purpose of burning off the fuel in the tank. All is going well for about 4 minutes when I see the front-left wheel shoot off. Sigh. I chase the tire down and set it under the rc and let it idle, I then take the next 20 minutes searching and actually find the hex hub and nut. I piece it back together, tighten everything possible, and set off the burn off the last 1/4 of the tank. Not even a minute later of easy driving I see the wheel shoot off again. Rage mode has been enabled at this point. I let the truggy run some more and search for the pieces but to no avail, I stand there in the cold dark with a flashlight cursing under my breath.

I called HPI this morning and they added a new pull starter/hub/nut to the order, but again it wont ship out until next week.

I am now on day 3 of my ownership of this truggy and it has had more down time than up time at this point. I know a few people say that once I work out the kinks it will be great, but honestly, I didn't buy my first RC Truggy to replace every part out of the box. I figured I could get at least 5 straight tanks of easy pavement driving without any issues arising, but apparently that isn't HPI's style anymore. I am thoroughly disgusted at how this has turned into a money pit in just 2 days to the point I want to clean it up and sell it.

This was not a great introduction into the RC world and I fear it may of tainted my budding passion for the hobby. It's like buying a brand new car and then having to replace the timing belt on it the next day, it just shouldn't happen.

SyCo_VeNoM

well this is the electric section
and also sad to say that truggy is very poor performer, and known to have a lot of weaknesses
The guys that owned the electric one that posted here last I heard most gave up(they all quit posting here though), and sold it after pumping hundreds of dollars into it.

Currently HPI's only decent offerings that don't suck
The Savage's )X, XL, and flux), D8 based RC's, the wheely king, and I heard the Bullets are pretty good. Outside those HPI's been pretty much selling pure junk

Foxy

Moving this thread to truggies by the way...

I'm sorry to say, but yeh, that car is a real lemon. I have a friend whose experience was actually worse than yours and it all happened right before my very eyes on the three occasions that he tried to 'bash' (lol) it.

It's no help now, but I'd have told you that if you'd asked me any time in the last year or so... Get it fixed, get it on ebay, buy a better car. The trophy can be sorted with a little investment, if you're prepared to do it, but out of the box it's just very poor. I wish I could tell you something that helps, but that's one of those 'doh, I bought the wrong RC' moments, most of us have had one or two. What can I tell ya, when you want to get a real truggy, hit me up, I'll link you something to fit any budget. You've been unlucky here, that car is not in any way shape or form representative of what a 1/8th truggy has to offer, you did the right thing choosing this class, just got the wrong car.

SyCo_VeNoM

2 of my more recent ones were HPI RC's sadly Brama 10b, and the recon neither of which should have been sold they were so poorly made(and no where near their price tag)


as for options could buy a Jammin X1 CRT roller off ebay for prolly around $100 or so, and put the engine, and electronics(maybe even the wheels) on that then sell the trophy roller after you get the parts for near that

BrokenRecord

Thank you for moving the thread into the proper location, I must of had a brain fart when I decided to write this up! sorry .

Right now I am somewhat dedicated to try and at least have some fun with the truggy before winter hits (rather soon). I went out and purchased a new pull starter as a spare and a traxxas 17mm hub conversion to hopefully stop the cart from getting confused and wanting to be a trike. I believe this will be my first and last nitro RC and I will switch over to the electric scene with my next purchase (possibly over winter). Hopefully HPI learn their lesson on build quality as they have lost a future customer as my other friends were about to purchase some cars, but based on my experiences they have decided to look elsewhere.

Thank you all for the suggestions, hopefully I can sit down in a month or two and pick up an electric unit for some in-door fun!

BrokenRecord

Just wanted to give a quick update on this:

I went to install the new hex hubs for tonight when I find out that they don't fit. They are 17mm which is what HPI says is needed, but the axle has an extra little width where the pin goes through. Interesting [:@]. I take the car down to the local HShop and they don't have anything in stock that will fit, wow HPI, just wow. I am now in the process of trying to get a refund from the website I bought it from (greathobbies) because this is absolutely ridiculous. 5 tanks have been through this truggy, 3 of them have been idling and the other 2 were half tanks before it broke.. I doubt I will pick up another RC any time soon just from this experience but it's just too depressing to even think of picking up a different one.

Cheers,

Haddi Taha

I really feel for you man . But don't give up on RC altogether, there are many great cars/trucks/buggies/truggies ect available that will give you more time driving than wrenching. I once had a similar experience, I think you should just sell it and get a new one. I have seen many crap come out of hpi before and I don't think I can ever by one of there cars, I don't know why half of their were even released. For the future, make sure you do lots of research before spending your hard earnt cash on stuff like these. I did tonnes of research before buying my thunder tiger mt4 and to be honest, if it wasn't for the research and asking about I would've of ended up with a lemon. Hope it all works out for you soon