All About RC Monster Trucks

On 08.27.09, In Articles, By Adrian Santiago

Interested in RC monster trucks, and want to learn more? Thinking of moving up from a small toy to a more serious (and more fun!) remote control truck? Here’s an overview of remote control monster trucks: how they came about, what they’re powered by, and what they can do.

Basically, a remote control monster truck is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a small scale remote control version of the real-life monster truck: that powerful, massive-tire, truck that runs over smaller cars and sloshes through mud like it’s nobody’s business. In toy form.

Of course, before they started making monster truck versions, there was a long period of low power remote control cars. They would drive weakly and clumsily on flat surfaces only. But now that technology has picked up, you can go off-roading with excellent power and speed and agility. That’s what the RC monster truck is about.

With most remote control cars, you get the choice between toy grade and hobby grade. For monster trucks, you can get a toy size truck that looks like a monster truck, but if you’re serious about power the way real monster truckers are, or if you plan on racing and competing, you’ll definitely want to go for a hobby grade truck.

RC monster trucks that are toy grade are all powered by electric motors that run on battery power. But hobby grade comes with more options. You’ll have three fuel choices:

  • Electricity (battery powered)
  • Nitro fuel
  • Gasoline fuel

The fuel engines both have more power than the battery powered truck. This means that they can support a larger truck size (with more weight and bulk). They can also go faster than battery powered trucks. And they can power over obstacles (assuming they have off-road equipped tires) with more force.

Nitro fuel is a blend of nitromethane (hence the name), methanol, and oil. It’s the most commonly used fuel for remote control trucks. Gasoline is becoming a little more popular than it has been, as it allows for even larger RC monster trucks.

For either of the fuel powered trucks, the higher speeds mean more forceful impacts, so it’s important to have a more durable truck body to withstand that impact without damaging the truck.

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What Type Of Fuel Powers RC Monster Trucks?

On 06.04.09, In Articles, By Adrian Santiago

You’ve seen RC monster trucks powering around a track or dirt course. You’ve watched their intense races and high speed collisions. You may want to buy one for yourself, or you may just be curious to learn more about these fun toys that are a huge hobby for so many people. One of the most commonly asked questions is “What powers those trucks?”

Keep in mind that these toys started out being purely electric. After all, they are remote control, hence “RC” in the title, and those controls are generally battery operated hand-held steering controls. So it’s only natural that many of these trucks run on electricity from a battery.

In hobby grade RC monster trucks (larger, faster, and more durable than “toy grade” remote controlled vehicles), battery power is one option. These batteries can only put out so much power, so generally a battery-powered truck cannot be quite as large as those that run on fuel. However, battery electricity is a very clean power source that emits no by-products, making this an easy type of monster truck to maintain, even if it is a little less powerful.

The second type of fuel for an RC monster truck is generally referred to as “nitro.” These run on a blend of oil, methanol, and nitromethane (hence the name). They get a lot more power than the electric trucks, and therefore can come in larger sizes that achieve faster speeds. The nitro truck runs almost exactly like a tiny version of the engine you’d find in a full size truck or car. This means it does have emissions that can build up in the engine, so they require a bit more maintenance and cleaning. The faster speeds also mean more forceful collisions, so nitro powered trucks need to be made sturdier if they are to withstand that impact.

The third type of power, which is probably the least common for RC monster trucks, is actual gasoline, mixed with a small amount of oil. These are comparable to the small motors you find in a “weed whacker” yard tool, and generally are even larger than the nitro trucks.

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What’s The Difference Between Toy and Hobby Grade RC Monster Trucks?

On 05.13.09, In Articles, By Adrian Santiago

If you are in the market for an RC monster truck, the first decision you are going to have to make is which grade or level of truck you are going for. No, not all remote control vehicles are created equal. You will need to decide whether you want a toy-grade radio controlled truck, or a hobby grade truck. There are several differences between the two, and ultimately which you should purchase depends on what you are planning to do with your remote control truck.

Long before the RC monster truck was even something you could buy, remote control cars became popular with kids all over the country. These were generally low power battery operated cars with limited speed, limited durability, and very rudimentary steering (three choices: straight ahead, full to the right, and full to the left). The quality of the battery and some of the steering has certainly improved, but the basic function of these toys has not changed too much over the years. If you are getting a toy monster truck for a child, or anyone who plans to just use it for fun as a toy, then toy-grade is probably a good choice for you. It is far more affordable than hobby grade, so you shouldn’t spend the money on hobby grade unless you really plan to use it.

Hobby grade RC monster trucks are made to do more, all around. They are bigger. They go faster. They have much more sensitive steering. They are often more durable. They come in off-road options so you can drive on more than a floor or flat track. They may come with replacement parts, so you can really work on the engine like with a real car. And they can even be powered by fuel (either a nitro blend, or a gasoline blend). And, of course, they cost more.

If you’re buying an RC monster truck that will just be used by a kid for a toy, you don’t need to spend the money on anything more than toy grade (plenty of toy grade models are pretty impressive in themselves). If you’re looking to get into racing and off-roading, then hobby grade may be worth your money.

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