RE: rookie needs help buying a rc truck!
I'm not familiar with Redcats, nor have Iused one personally. I have seen them at a local store, but that's as far as my experience goes. RealisticallyI think they are fine considering the price. I've heard things from users here and from other forums about durability concerns. Basically for some of the vehicles you need to take a few steps to address some potential problem areas such as those stated in "nitrosportsandrunner's" post.
My personal opinions regarding Redcat, Exceed, HSP is that they offer quite a bit for the cost. I'm not sure how Ifeel about the electronics but, again, I have no personal experience with their products and that's what warranty's are for. Check into warranty coverage, by the way. The overall durability of the vehicle is probably good, but may not be on par with some other well recognized brands. Parts and upgrade availability may be limited.
I would say if you believe that one of the two cars you were looking at may be right for you then before you pull the trigger; check into parts availability and upgrades. I looked at both of those trucks and it look to me that the Avalanche may be the "heavier" built of the two. Ilike the symmetrical battery postitioning of the Earthquake, however. Compared to the Wheely King you mentioned earlier, these are in a different category. These will be considerably faster and require 2 batteries.