Getting Started

Contents

Overview

Running and maintaining radio-controlled (RC) vehicles is a thrilling and deep hobby. It’s a hobby where you get out what you put into it. At Fearless RC we primarily deal in 1/5 scale gas vehicles, although we do carry some electric vehicles as well as a few smaller scale vehicles. If you’re here you may have seen some of the vehicles we carry in action (if you haven’t, check out some videos on YouTube, then come back). There’s a few things you should know before you buy your first vehicle.

Basics

Most of the vehicles we carry are fifth (1/5) scale. That just means that they’re 5 times smaller than the real thing. RC vehicles come in all different scales. RC vehicles use a radio system with two radios. The controller, called the transmitter (Tx), sends control signals to the receiver (Rx) which is installed on the vehicle. The signals will typically manipulate the servos, small motors that move various parts of the vehicle’s control systems.

This isn’t a “get it and forget it” kind of hobby. Owning an RC vehicle takes a good deal of understanding and a Do-It-Yourself spirit. Everyone breaks something eventually. Whether for repairs or upgrades, it’s important that you’re prepared to work on your vehicle when necessary. If you don’t feel comfortable working on these sorts of vehicles, find a friend or a local hobby store that will. Barring that, there are a lot of videos and other resources online that can guide you on learning to work on your vehicles.

Gas Vehicles

Gas vehicles, most of what we carry, typically have small engines that run on a mixture of regular gasoline and 2-stroke oil. These are the same sorts of engines you might see on landscaping equipment such as weed whackers. Gas vehicles can run for a long time on a single tank of gas. When compared to electric vehicles, gas vehicles are louder and put out exhaust fumes unlike electric vehicles.

The engine and the pipe are two parts that can drastically change the way a gas vehicle performs. Some gas engines need to be broken-in before you run them for the first time. The break-in process typically requires you to idle the engine for a short time, ensuring that the factory-machined components settle correctly. Engines are generally rated on their displacement in cubic centimeters (cc). An engine with a greater displacement will usually put out more power than one with lower displacement.

Electric Vehicles

Rather than a mechanical, fuel-powered engine, electric vehicles run on a battery and use an electric motor. An electronic speed control (ESC) sits between the battery and the motor to regulate the amount of power the motor receives. Compared to gas vehicles, electronic vehicles tend to be quieter and don’t put out any fumes, but have shorter run times. Many people running electric vehicles will have several batteries on hand so they can swap between them when one runs out.

The chemistry, amperage, and voltage are the properties of the battery that most affect the way an electric vehicles performs. Nickel-metal Hydride (NiMH) and Lithium-Polymer (LiPo) are the two most common types of battery for RC vehicles. LiPo batteries tend to have higher voltage than NiMH, but require more care in handling. The battery voltage will determine the maximum speed of the vehicle. Higher voltage means more speed. The battery amperage will determine how long the battery lasts on a charge. It’s very important to make sure the ESC can handle the chemistry and voltage of a battery before plugging it into your RC vehicle. Note: Due to shipping regulations, we can’t ship LiPo batteries. It’s best to find a local hobby store or distributor to source them.

Vehicle Setup

When purchasing a vehicle, it’s important to be aware of the vehicle setup. Vehicles will come either Ready-to-Run (RTR), Almost-Ready-to-Run (ARR), or as a rolling chassis (roller). RTR vehicles come with everything in the package other than fuel. Some light assembly may be required, such as putting on the wheels, but nothing major. ARR vehicles will come mostly assembled, but may need additional parts, such as a battery, to be completed. Rollers are barebones platforms that require multiple parts to complete. Rollers are ideal if you plan to customize your vehicle, because you save money by not buying the parts you don’t intend to use.

Vehicle Platforms

When looking to purchase your first vehicle, it’s important to be somewhat familiar with the different vehicle platforms. The platform is like the skeleton of the vehicle. Different vehicles on the same platform will share many of the same parts and upgrade parts designed for a platform will often work for most vehicles on that platform. There are dozens of different RC vehicle platforms at all different scales, but most of our inventory is for 5 main platforms: Baja, LT/SLT, F5, and Primal Dragster.

Baja

The Baja is by far the most popular fifth scale platform. This is the platform we carry the most parts for and there are tons of aftermarket hop-ups and upgrades available. Baja vehicles include buggies, trucks, and on-road cars. Many Rovan, King Motor, and HPI parts are designed for the Baja platform. This makes it an excellent place to start for your first fifth scale RC vehicle.


LT & SLT

The LT & SLT platforms both share most of the same parts, so we tend to group them together. The LT is a truck platform and the SLT is the buggy version of the platform, which are the two vehicle types you can find on this platform. This platform is the second most popular of the fifth scale platforms behind the Baja. The Rovan LT & SLT, King Motor X2, 30 Degree North DTT, and LOSI 5ive vehicles are all based on this platform and most parts between those vehicles should be interchangeable.

Primal RC Monster Truck

Primal RC has a unique line of fifth scale monster trucks. These include the Raminator, Grave Digger, and Mega Monster Truck. While it shares some minor parts with the Baja platform, such as wheel nuts, many of the parts are unique to the monster truck platform. Stock replacement part are typically from Primal RC while third-party brands offer upgraded parts.

Primal RC Dragster

Primal RC focuses on specialty fifth scale RC vehicles. They have designed their own platform for a drag racer. Although the dragsters do share some parts with the Baja platform, many parts are unique. Therefore, the vast majority of the parts will be from Primal RC directly or a few select third-party manufacturers.

BWS-5B

The BWS-5B is a custom 1/5 scale buggy platform from 30 Degree North. This line is similar to the 1/5 scale Baja buggies, though the parts are not cross-compatible. The BWS-5B platform is built sturdy and performs great. It is available in painted, unpainted styles and even as a roller if you want to customize it even further.

F5 Car

The Rovan (aka Rofun) F5 platform is a 1/5 scale on-road car platform. It has a sleek look and both gas and electric setups exist for the chassis. The Rovan RF5 rally car is also built on this platform. Parts are cross-compatible with the MCD XS5 as well.

T2000

The King Motor 1/5 scale T2000 was a gas truck based on the original King Motor T1000 platform, but with some changes and updates. The T2000 is discontinued now, but parts are still available. Although not all of the parts are cross-compatible, many of them will work for the King Motor 1000 as well as the HPI Baja 5T lines. Browse the parts if you need replacements for any of them.

XLT

The Rovan (aka Rofun) 1/5 Scale XLT platform is a variant of the normal Rovan LT platform with an extended arm setup. The XLT looks and handles a little differently than the normal LT platform. Many of the parts are cross-compatible between them, but not all of them are.

EXT

The Rovan EXT platform (aka the MAX platform) is a 1/5 scale gas Baja buggy variant. This platform has an extended arm setup that changes the way it looks and handles. As a Baja variant, many of the normal Baja parts will work with this platform, but some will not.

Q-Baja

The Rovan (aka Rofun) Q-Baja is another variant of the 1/5 scale gas Baja platform. It has a shortened chassis to give it a snub-nose loose. Many of the parts for the normal Baja platform will fit the Q-Baja, but not all of them will. The same is true going the other way: many of the Q-Baja parts will not fit on the normal Baja platform.

D5

The D5 is a premium 1/5 scale gas buggy from Rovan (aka Rofun). This platform is relatively easy to work on and the vehicles handle and look great! The stock body is silver, but other colors, as well as unpainted bodies, are also available for some cool customization.

Many of the parts for the D5 are cross-compatible with the MCD RR5 Competition buggy. This platform also shares a handful of parts with the F5 platform.

Explorer

King Motor used to make the Explorer line of vehicles including short course trucks and other off-road styles. These 1/8 scales electric vehicles were zippy and durable for their size. The Explorers are discontinued now, but parts are still available. Many of the parts are cross compatible with the HPI Apache line. Browse the parts if you own one and need replacements.

Tyrant

The Tyrant was a 1/10 scale electric monster truck made by King Motor. It has been discontinued, but parts are still available for sale. Many of the parts are cross-compatible with the HPI Savage Flux line. If you have either a King Motor Tyrant or a Savage Flux be sure to browse for replacement parts to keep the truck race-ready.

Get Started

Those are the basics of what we offer here on Fearless RC. Hopefully you found this helpful and you now know enough to make an informed decision on which vehicle to pick up. Of course, if you have questions or need more info feel free to contact us.

Now go find the vehicle that’s right for you so you can brap with the best of them!