Is the RC future more choice?

[MrWolfIsInnocent]

Just wondering how many other members think we need more options than rollers rtr?
I would love to see kits, definitely, I really enjoy building, hence I have a lot of crawlers, tamiya are ok, but I don’t want 23 tt02 chassis about. I want more choices in components. We all know most stock electronic options are.. errr…. Not that great across the board. We also know that loads of us experiment with changing arms, shocks etc while pretty much having to replace electrics.

I’d like to see a kit that doesn’t include electronics, shocks, wheels and tyres etc, then a kit with a roller. And even a ready to run with a clear body.

But am I alone in wanting more options, and if it was likely profitable, surely a company would have tried it?

Are others wanting similar? And if so, what other options would you like to see available?

 

[Rolannd]

I'm in the same boat as you. I just jumped back in after 20 years and really wanted the kit and some flexibility since the motor/esc have many options there. I'm an old school tamiya fanboy but I could never see me launching them the same that I am doing the arrma.

I'm with you on the kit w/o electronics, shocks (I used to just want stock but see the benefit of upgrading). I could live with stock wheels/tires since they get used up pretty fast. Clear body too since I miss the crafting side of it, but it is rather cheap to get clear bodies still.

I'm drooling over the Kraton roller though... there is a lot of flexibility there and I'm sure I'll end up breaking it too...

 

[Diem Turner]

I come from the RC of the 80s where kits was pretty much all that existed (with maybe a handful of RTR models). I'd love for the ones that already to exist to come in kit form like they used to so I can assemble it myself (I enjoy the process). Say for $100 less than the RTR or roller. I think I'd still like it to include things like shocks, but I can see the reasoning behind omitting the wheels/tires. Hobao does this on their VTE2 slider which I think is nice. I'd love to see that for $100 less in kit form.

But I suspect that with today's instant gratification culture that permeates everything, I don't really see companies backing away from their RTR model. I think people like us are a minority (not that minorities shouldn't be catered to but it all comes down to revenue). Furthermore, being able to bundle their vehicles with electronics increases their profit margin and probably induces more people who have no experience with RC to purchase them as it's as easy as unbox, charge and go.

I also think there's a general inability for many to recognize the benefits and sense of accomplishment of doing it yourself, learning new skills (painting bodies, etc.) and how this makes each and every car you build a personal affair. People don't want to be bothered with the minutia, they just want the immediate. Delayed gratification is a skill that has been unlearned by the last couple of generations.

 

[Adiabatic]

I prefer kits, but RTRs and to a lesser extent rollers are more widely marketable (people who want RTRs are unlikely to buy kits, the relatively small number of serious enthusiasts who want kits will grudgingly buy RTRs) so that's what we get. Outside of organised racing, this is how the industry has trended for at least 20 years.

 

[Diem Turner]

I prefer kits, but RTRs and to a lesser extent rollers are more widely marketable (people who want RTRs are unlikely to buy kits, the relatively small number of serious enthusiasts who want kits will grudgingly buy RTRs) so that's what we get. Outside of organised racing, this is how the industry has trended for at least 20 years.

I guess we could get the best of both worlds by purchasing RTR, disassembling it down to the last screw and then putting it back together the way we want. That's a twofer...maybe even a threefer, depending on how you count it.

 

[Rolannd]

I guess we could get the best of both worlds by purchasing RTR, disassembling it down to the last screw and then putting it back together the way we want. That's a twofer...maybe even a threefer, depending on how you count it.

Well put there Diem, let's undo what the production floor did and do it right (they put my rear shocks on backwards)!

I was hesitant dropping the $$$ on a 3S RTR since I wanted to put it together. Working on it makes me more willing to send it though!

 

[N.Mango]

Kits!









​

I come from the RC of the 80s where kits was pretty much all that existed (with maybe a handful of RTR models). I'd love for the ones that already to exist to come in kit form like they used to so I can assemble it myself (I enjoy the process). Say for $100 less than the RTR or roller. I think I'd still like it to include things like shocks, but I can see the reasoning behind omitting the wheels/tires. Hobao does this on their VTE2 slider which I think is nice. I'd love to see that for $100 less in kit form.

But I suspect that with today's instant gratification culture that permeates everything, I don't really see companies backing away from their RTR model. I think people like us are a minority (not that minorities shouldn't be catered to but it all comes down to revenue). Furthermore, being able to bundle their vehicles with electronics increases their profit margin and probably induces more people who have no experience with RC to purchase them as it's as easy as unbox, charge and go.

I also think there's a general inability for many to recognize the benefits and sense of accomplishment of doing it yourself, learning new skills (painting bodies, etc.) and how this makes each and every car you build a personal affair. People don't want to be bothered with the minutia, they just want the immediate. Delayed gratification is a skill that has been unlearned by the last couple of generations.

 

[CrashBoom]

I would like to see more Tekno-like kits. I'll fork over the right amount of cash for a well-engineered kit that doesn't require a rocket scientist to assemble, they've nailed that.

 

[Moonstonemike]

Just wondering how many other members think we need more options than rollers rtr?
I would love to see kits, definitely, I really enjoy building, hence I have a lot of crawlers, tamiya are ok, but I don’t want 23 tt02 chassis about. I want more choices in components. We all know most stock electronic options are.. errr…. Not that great across the board. We also know that loads of us experiment with changing arms, shocks etc while pretty much having to replace electrics.

I’d like to see a kit that doesn’t include electronics, shocks, wheels and tyres etc, then a kit with a roller. And even a ready to run with a clear body.

But am I alone in wanting more options, and if it was likely profitable, surely a company would have tried it?

Are others wanting similar? And if so, what other options would you like to see available?

Agreed, but I would take it a step further. No body, tires, electronics, drivetrain, steering components or suspension. But it definitely needs to include a bag of Allen keys.

But seriously, I've never built a kit before but have completely taken apart ever vehicle I've bought

 

[RC-Dude]

Makes little sense for companies to sell rollers. Just too much extra profit in ESC, servo and motor.

Companies go bankrupt because the cost of aquiring a new customer is too high. Every upsell skipped is giving money to other companies. Then those fat motors and ESC just damage differentials and it all reflects back to the car seller.

So many parts are interchangeable with Arrma cars. Traxxas finally got this right with the XRT and XMAXX sharing parts. For them it would make sense to develop a desert racer also using the similar parts with shorter wishbones. It simply creates customer loyalty when you know you can use same spare parts and have the option to customize.

In these times many companies must really go back and look at what used to work really good and eliminate what's not working.

 

[slick2500]

Makes little sense for companies to sell rollers. Just too much extra profit in ESC, servo and motor.

Companies go bankrupt because the cost of aquiring a new customer is too high. Every upsell skipped is giving money to other companies. Then those fat motors and ESC just damage differentials and it all reflects back to the car seller.

So many parts are interchangeable with Arrma cars. Traxxas finally got this with the XRT and XMAXX sharing parts. For them it would make sense to develop a desert racer also using the similar parts. It simply creates customer loyalty when you know you can use same spare parts.

In these times many companies must really go back and look at what used to work really good and eliminate what's not working.

What do you mean Traxxas finally got this with the XRT and XMaxx? Traxxas cars have have had interchangeable parts since the 90's.

But yes I wish more cars came as kits.

 

[RC-Dude]

Took many years for the XMaxx to get a buddy.

6s Arrma cars have many buddies.

 

[slick2500]

Took many years for the XMaxx to get a buddy.

6s Arrma cars have many buddies.

Oh yeah I was wondering when they were going to release something else on the XMaxx platform.

 

[MrTitanium]

I’ll admit that I take more pleasure in building a kit than actually running it. I’d like to get the option to buy a kit as I tear apart a new rollers/RTRs anyways to make sure that it was well assembled (ya… I have trust issues given how these RCs are assembled at the factory).

 

[Diem Turner]

Agreed, but I would take it a step further. No body, tires, electronics, drivetrain, steering components or suspension. But it definitely needs to include a bag of Allen keys.

But seriously, I've never built a kit before but have completely taken apart ever vehicle I've bought

"I bought a new RC car! Well...almost. I got a chassis, two bulkheads, four suspension arms and two allen wrenches. Now I need to buy the rest."

I'm sure those will fly off the shelves like hot cakes.

 

[Moonstonemike]

"I bought a new RC car! Well...almost. I got a chassis, two bulkheads, four suspension arms and two allen wrenches. Now I need to buy the rest."

I'm sure those will fly off the shelves like hot cakes.

Nope, no suspension period... Not even arms. Forgot the bulkheads. Don't want them neither.

 

[Rolannd]

Nope, no suspension period... Not even arms. Forgot the bulkheads. Don't want them neither.

I feel like this is the inflection point on where the design turns into something that isn't a car

 

[razorrc]

If you guys want a kit... then buy a kit. There's a million of them to choose from.

 

[MrWolfIsInnocent]

If you guys want a kit... then buy a kit. There's a million of them to choose from.

But we want the option to buy a kit that’s not a 45year old rehash of what we were doing then, I buy lots of kits for crawlers, I have a few tamiyas, got my eyes on a lorry kit, Mardave, Kamtec etc. basically, when I first got into rc cars, we either designed our own or Tamiya, much less choice back then or Mardave with a small amount of petrol or diesel options.

Although I’d also like roller options on bashers too, I think rc has lost some of the diversity of the past even when the aftermarket parts options have exploded. I suppose it’s just an nostalgic wish, but I’m not alone in this way of thinking.

I also understand that there is a market for rtr, or traxxas would never have survived, but if I can buy a crawler as a kit or rtr, even traxxas offer a crawler kit, why not a basher?

 

[Diem Turner]

I feel like this is the inflection point on where the design turns into something that isn't a car

"I bought this box. It identifies as an RC car."