RE: Is reverse gear really needed?
Reverse is a nice feature....but I wouldn't say it totally necessary. It also depends on how far away from you that you drive your rig. When I was driving my Tmaxx every once in awhile I would use the reverse...but more often than not....I was walking to the truck to tip it back over because it landed on it's top.
It depends on your outllok and if you feel that doing a little walking is a big deal or not.
Good luck!
CMO