It?s no secret the Rampage XB-E is a big buggy. Everything
on this thing is big. Removing the buggy from its box revealed
the XB-E is no lightweight either.
The buggy was packaged well and arrived safely to my door. The
rear wing needs to be installed, which is very simple. The XB-E
includes a set of six allen wrenches, a six way socket wrench,
instruction manual, 2.4GHz radio, two 3s LiPO battery packs, and
charger.
The manual includes an exploded view as well as parts reference.
The XB-E chassis is 0.4cm thick and consists of a lower deck
with upper brace. The screws in the XB-E chassis are countersunk.
Left angle
Rear View
Right angle
Left Topless
Angle
Right Topless
Bottom
6" Tire
Top
Wheels, tires, and drive train
The 6? tall medium compound tires are mounted to black
plastic wheels and are able to shred the ground with their big
square knobbies.
The drive train is beefy as well. A steel spur gear drives two
steel center dog bone drive shafts. These drive shafts command
the front and rear differential units. The XB-E has two large
fluid filled differentials.
Inside the differential you will notice only two planetary gears.
This is because they are oversized and don?t leave enough
room for a third. These diffs look like they can hold up to much
abuse.
The rear of the vehicle uses large dog-bone drive shafts while
the front takes advantage of CVD joints. Did I mention everything
on this buggy is huge?
I have a single issue so far. The drive shafts appear to be a
little long. I noticed this when setting camber. Setting the desired
camber squeezes down on the dog-bones and adds unwanted stress
to the suspension components. My only option was to leave the
camber alone and hope it handles well.
Center Drive Shafts
Axle
CVD Joint
Rear 1/3
Differential
Inside Diff
Single Speed Spur Gear
Suspension
The suspension design is similar to that of an 1/8 scale buggy
and offers many adjustments. The lower H-Arm and upper adjustable
link support the hub carrier. The suspension parts are made of
thick plastic.
Sway bars are used in the front and rear to increase stability.
The aluminum adjustable shocks are threaded for quick adjustments
and can be mounted at different angles for different handling
characteristics. The shock towers are of metal construction with
a plastic overlay.
Oil filled shock
Sway Bar
Aluminum Shock
Suspension Link
Adjustable inserts
Rear Suspension
Radio
A 2.4GHz radio system is included with the Rampage XB-E. The
transmitter runs off eight AA batteries and includes functions
such as servo reversing, steering and throttle trims, steering
dual rates, and a bind button.
The receiver is safely enclosed in it's own box with an on/off
switch mounted on top. There is no label on the receiver, so I'm
not sure of the brand. During testing, it worked flawlessly.
The huge steering servo, measuring 2.5" across (NOT including
mounting tabs), is held in place with four screws and is protected
by an adjustable servo saver.
Receiver
2.4GHz Radio
Steering Servo
Chassis Layout
Motor & ESC
ESC
Fan Cooled ESC
Motor Mount
Brushless Motor
Motor , ESC, and battery packs
The Rampage XB-E is equipped with a 150 Amp Hobbywing brushless
electronic speed controller which regulates current to the 980Kv
brushless motor. An electric fan aids in cooling the Hobbywing
ESC and large cooling fins help to keep the motor cool.
Like everything else on this buggy, the motor and ESC are big.
The brushless motor is almost as long as one of the 3s LiPo battery
packs. Speaking of battery packs, the Rampage XB-E includes two
3s 3600mah LiPO battery packs. That makes a total of 22.2volts
with a moderate discharge rating of 25c.
A LiPO balance charger is also included with this RTR combo which
is great news for beginners. Like all RTR kit chargers, it's easy
to get tired of waiting for the batteries to charge. The included
charger will put out a charge current ranging from 0.5A to 0.8A.
That's not much current for charging 3s LiPO packs, which is why
a higher power charger will soon be a good buy. The included charger
does have both 3s and 2s charging capabilities.
Included Tools
3s LiPO Batteries
Battery Charger
Performance & Handling
I'll start by addressing the power capabilities. The Rampage
XB-E has plenty of power! I had to be careful where I tested this
buggy because of it's shredding capabilities. If grass upsets
you, this buggy will excite you. If you haven't figured it out
yet, you guessed it, it tears up the lawn.
The beautiful green grass at public parks were absolutely out
of the question as testing grounds. It didn't take me long to
realize my front lawn probably wasn't the best area for testing
either. I was thinking how cool it was watching the grass fly
into the air and my wife was thinking how busy I was going to
be spreading seed. I may not have gotten to raw dirt, but I could
easily see the tracks in the yard where the XB-E tore up the grass.
I didn't want to go through the normal testing routine with this
buggy because I felt it offered much more than other buggies and
large scale vehicles, which is why I decided to go to the woods
first. With its large scale and 4WD drive train, many options
open up for having fun with this beast. I was able to blast over
rough terrain containing dirt, rocks, fallen limbs, grass, and
thick leaves. I even barreled through thick brush with little
trouble.
The power is evident when slamming the throttle. Anything that
starts out under the XB-E, ends up on top of or behind it. There
is some strange sense of accomplishment and empowerment when driving
the XB-E. ?I am Man, I tear up lawn.? It's large size
is great for overcoming larger obstacles and the 4WD is great
for getting through the tough stuff.
The 1/5 scale size of the Rampage XB-E gives it the illusion
of going slower than it really is. 38 mph seems more like 30 mph
from a distance. There is no mystical reason for this illusion,
plain and simple, it's BIG! 38 mph is nothing to sneeze at for
a vehicle of this size. Just don't run into your leg.
I finally brought the XB-E to the local outdoor track. The water
supply was still turned off from the winter months so the track
was dry. This caused the XB-E to behave in a loose manner. I personally
don't mind this because I tend to set my vehicles up a little
loose anyway.
The XB-E had no trouble maneuvering around the tight corners
with its sharp turning radius. The XB-E feels secure and planted
which takes the worry out of rolling over. Exiting the corners
was eventful. The dry hard packed surface made the XB-E struggle
for traction. Most corners were taken at 1/4 throttle and gradually
increased to full during the exit phase.
Because of it's size, the XB-E seldom saw full throttle inputs
while on the 1/8 scale track. With that being said, you can see
in the video it still got around the track quickly. Due to its
weight, it?s necessary to steer sooner to account for the
added momentum.
Jumps went well as long as you hit them straight on. A vehicle
of this size has less forgiveness than an 1/8 or 1/10 scale buggy.
When I noticed the XB-E in an awkward midair frontal flip, I applied
full brake to save the suspension components from damage. Stressing
a single A-arm due to an uneven landing will eventually break
these large suspension components. I found it safer to land flat
on the roof than on just one wheel.
Hitting the jumps straight on produced desirable results. The
nose tends to hang slightly and some throttle input pulls the
nose up level in most cases.
The XB-E is easy to drive and offers many pleasing driving characteristics.
I would say that overall, the XB-E is stable, responsive, and
predictable.
VIDEOS
See the Rampage XB-E
in the Woods!
See the Rampage XB-E
on the Track!
The Rampage XB-E is definitely fun and easy to drive. Because
of its size and 4 wheel drive system, there's not many places
the XB-E won't go. Below are a few items I decided to rate separately
to summarize my experience with the Rampage XB-E.
Acceleration:
Great
Turning Radius:
Great
Top Speed:
38 MPH
Stability:
Great
Traction:
Hard surface= Good
Grass= Great (the Shredder)
Loose dirt= Great
Hard packed dirt= Moderate
Adjustability:
Good
Run Time:
Good (Depending on my driving style, it ranged from 8-12 minutes)
RATING SYSTEM KEY: Poor, Moderate, Good, Great
RedCat Racing 23
West Watkins Street
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Four things.
First of all, Radio Control Zone is gonna be pissed. I didn't see any attribution of that little chunk of generic metal to them.
Secondly, 8-12 minutes per charge? I get that out of my 1/10 nitros. Come back when it will match the 45 minute runtimes of the gasoline version, Redcat!
Thirdly, electric 1/5th scale? WTF? Have the hippies taken over the RC industry or something?
Finally, at least they include lipos. Good god this thing would be awful on nickel batteries...
I'm thankful there are so many types of rc vehicles out there as well as all the different rc manufacturers. Some people prefer planes, some prefer cars, some prefer gas, nitro, and electric. That doesn't mean something is wrong with them because they prefer one over the other. It also doesn't mean because some 1/8 scale racers prefer nitro that there's something wrong with the other fuel sources. I'm glad those hobbyists with noise restrictions in their communities are still able to have fun running electric powered vehicles. Those with chemical sensitivities are also able to enjoy this hobby with the advances made in electrics. Just because I would rather drive a "full scale" monster truck it doesn't mean I need to snuff my nose up at the scaled down versions. Many of us are able to enjoy "all" aspects of RC and would probably get bored with just one choice. I thank you all for reading my reviews and hope you continue to enjoy this great hobby. Matt
Its an RTR car, which means since they are providing the batteries they are going to cheap out on them. ANd honestly? (2) 3S 25c 3000mah batteries? Yes, those are definitely cheap. A car this large should probably be running twin 4S batteries, or perhaps even twin 5S batteries with a low KV motor to keep the amp draw down.
But you've obviously never driven a 8th scale or larger electric vehicle with a good power system. When you watch an 11lb 8th scale truggy powered by a MMM/2200kv setup and good batteries simply flip onto its lid like paper in the wind you realise just how much power is actually on tap compared to nitro or gas. The acceleration is mind bending.
The comments, observations and conclusions made in this review are solely with respect to the particular item the editor reviewed and may not apply generally to similar products by the manufacturer. We cannot be responsible for any manufacturer defects in workmanship or other deficiencies in products like the one featured in the review.
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