Dale Gribble

My Feedback: (4)

You can spare me the lecture like I am new to the game here. I understand the whole drive > break > fix > drive routine and have done it faithfully and happily for over a decade on 1/10, 1/8 and 1/5 scale. I know how the RC hobby works and have been doing it for a long time. You say that the Rampage and Baja are apples to oranges, but they are both 1/5 scale, they are both intended for off-road use and they both run on gas. We are talking gala to red delicious here. They are different apples, but they are both apples. The tracks near me run the 4x4s with the Bajas in the same class- most do. So they aren't that dissimilar.

My experience is my experience.

My HPI Baja 5T has been flawless relatively speaking. I have replaced one rear shock shaft since owning it for over a year. It is still running its stock electronics (besides Spektrum Receiver I added). If I did break a part, I can find replacements at a local hobby shop. I charge the battery, add gas and go. Repeat. Fix sparingly. I have hours and hours of runtime and enjoyment with this truck.

I have had 15 minutes of total runtime on my Rampage in 1.5 months time. I am experienced and I am tolerant of parts breaking, I get it. However, I need some payback to make it worth my time and money. That payback comes in the form of runtime and fun. Whenever a part breaks, I am a week out from running the truck again because everything is mail order. This next round of mods (V1 arms, mod, titanium turnbuckles) is my last stand. If I can't get an hour or more of runtime without breaking after all I have sunk in, I am 100% unequivocally done with this Rampage.

My HPI 5T has to this point been a superior vehicle and I am inclined to recommend to others to go and buy the HPI Baja platform based on my experience.

Maybe, just maybe I am over the fence in terms of the disappointments with this platform. I hope that I am.