Preface Official Specs Versions Price Short Review Long Review What's Included Manual and Packaging Build Quality and Durability Size Power User Interface and Operation Comparisons Conclusion What I like What I don't like Up Next Notes
Preface
I’ve been off and on excited about RC cars lately. Gearbest sent one that was awesome (until it wasn’t) and they’ve sent a few more that I’ve struggled to get finished reviewing. This is the next installment, a 1:16 truck!
Big edit! I took the truck apart just because I figured why not (it wasn’t working) and after about 15 screws, I discovered the power cable that connects the battery to the main board was simply disconnected. I reconnected that, tested, and everything works now! I put the truck back together and now it’s all working. So if you have a ‘non-working’ truck, check this connection!
Official Specs and Features
Versions
Two body colors of this truck, but they’re the same functionally. There are also two packages: a kit, and a RTR. The RTR is “ready to roll” which is what I have here. The kit is pieces and must be built. The kit says it doesn’t include many of the parts you’ll need, and the RTR is actually currently cheaper, so that’s what I’d recommend.
Price
The RTR version is around $35 at the moment.
Short Review
This is a fun truck, and I’d call it ‘great for kids’ since it’s not very fast. Also it’s nice that the RTR includes everything you need. I don’t like that mine has stopped working, and I can’t figure out why.
Long Review
What’s Included
- WPL C14 1:16 Remote Control Truck
- Receiver
- Battery for rc truck (no battery for receiver)
- Spare parts to snap and screw on
- Charger for the included battery
Package and Manual
Just a highly printed cardboard box! The truck and parts are in a plastic tray.
The parts ship well in this form-fit plastic.
Build Quality and Disassembly
The build quality is on par with a $35 RTR kit. It’s not terrible but there’s a good bit of room for improvement.
This is a nice looking truck. I like the Late-80’s (??) style of the truck, but to be honest I’d love to have a full bed on the tail-end. That said, I understand the look that’s intended.
The red plastic used is a great color, and quite fetching.
The dash and steering wheel are well formed and developed.
On to the disassembly (or assembly, as it were). There are a few parts included that must be snapped or screwed in. These are generally easy to attach, but can sometimes require a little bit of fiddling. I didn’t have to modify anything in order to get it to work, however.
Two hooks go on the front. There are four tow hooks included. Two go on the front, and though I didn’t notice connectors on the rear, I expect two go there. Or there are spares? There are spares of other parts, in any case.
Size
This is a 1:16 Scale size remote control car. The official dimensions are 31 x 14.1 x 14 cm. Not a large vehicle, and I’d call it a great size for kids, or for learners.
Power
The truck is powered by a battery pack of 5 NiCD AA sized cells, for a total voltage of around 6V. These charge via a provided USB connection.
The battery lives in the “toolbox area” of the truck. This little door flips up easily and the two prong male end of the connector is loose inside. This door did seem to be sturdy, but is not water proof.
A larger battery might fit inside the truck. This cavity is fairly spacious.
Traction
The tires on the WPL C14 are very treaded, and moderately squishy. They aren’t extremely voluminous, and I don’t believe this is meant to be a real mud truck, so I’m not sure how much hard-use they’d handle. But for tooling around the house or backyard, these tires are adequate.
There’s a big of faux lugging on the wheel (which could be painted for a much more realistic look), but the wheels are held in place by a single Philips screw.
All the shots below are included to give you an idea of the shock travel.
In the first photo below, the rear wheel is planted on the surface. In the second, the rear wheel is lifted.
User Interface and Operation
Included with the RTR package is a handheld receiver, with a wheel for steering, and a trigger for forward/reverse. It’s an extremely simplistic unit, with just an on/off switch. The wheel travel for turning is also very short – probably 1/8 of a turn on the knob and the wheels are at full lock. I found this to be annoying, and felt like I was banging on the device the whole time I used it.
The receiver is powered by two AA sized cells. I used Eneloops with no problem.
Conclusion
There’s nowhere good to put this above. But I used this truck for a while, and then set it aside. I took it back out to wrap this review, and the truck no longer worked. The cells charge, and the receiver works, but the truck just does not get power. I have trouble shot it a little but …. this makes 2 of 2 remote control cars I’ve reviewed that have broken. Too bad too; I’d love to have a working copy!
EDIT! I disassembled this truck just because, why not, it was broken? And found a cable not connected. Once connected, it all works just fine!
What I like
- Low speeds, great for beginners
- Full RTR package
- Easy to use and barely any assembly required (none to actually use the truck)
What I don’t like
- Mine broke with fairly minimal use, and absolutely no abuse. (I got it fixed later!)
- Speeds are slow and turning is not sharp
- Low quality of the receiver.
Up Next
Tomorrow I expect to have the Maratac AA Titanium, and later this week likely a Nitecore. Next week, I have two handheld throwers!! Woo! Been looking forward to those!
Notes
- This remote control truck was provided by GearBest for review. I was not paid to write this review.
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.wordpress.com. Please visit there for the best experience!
- Whether or not I have a coupon for this car, I do have a bunch of coupons!! Have a look at my spreadsheet for those coupons. Note I’ve upgraded that sheet so that now, you may subscribe and get notifications when the sheet is edited!!
