First-Impressions: RGT Adventurer V2 R/C Crawler
Much like the 1/10-scale R/C crawler landscape, the 1/24-scale trail truck scene has exploded in recent years. Many of the same players that you'll find in the larger-scale market have branched off with small-scale offerings. In addition to mainstream brands such as Axial, Carisma Scale Adventure, and Element RC, some lesser-known names have created solid options for small-scale crawling.
One such nameplate is RGT and its Adventurer V2 trail truck. Similar to other 1/24-scale R/C crawlers on the market, the Adventurer V2 offers a few modern chassis layout considerations. Since this model isn't one that I was very familiar with, I want to thank the folks at Banggood for the opportunity to review it firsthand.
RGT Adventurer V2 Specs:
- Length: 215mm
- Width: 102mm
- Height: 115mm
- Weight: 250g
- Wheelbase: 120mm
- Gear Ratio: 62：1
- Wheel: 25*18
- Ground-clearance: 28mm
- Price: $89.99
The Body
The RGT Adventurer V2 features a body that's based on the Land Rover Defender. Made from an impressively thick polycarbonate, this body features quite a few added details, including side-view mirrors, an exo-cage, and a rear-mounted spare tire.
All of those details are great, but I was worried about how the added weight, especially weight higher up on the body, would affect handling performance. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to affect performance at all, as I only rolled (or tipped) this rig on one or two occasions.
The Wheels & Tires
Albeit on the smaller-looking side, the tires that have been paired with this rig feature a perfect blend of flexibility and tread-based traction. The tires are incredibly soft and don't appear to use foams. While this had been a concern of mine in year's past, I've grown to appreciate this type of tire setup and feel that it suits the RGT Adventurer V2 beautifully.
The Chassis & Suspension
After a quick overview of this machine, it's easy to get a feel for what we're dealing with. A metal, ladder-frame chassis serves as the foundation for this tiny trail truck, while its four-link suspension and friction shocks help it maneuver and maintain balance over rough and tricky terrain.
Except for one or two models, all of these design features are standard on other 1/24-scale crawlers. What sets the Adventurer V2 apart from the rest is the front-mounted motor, chassis-mounted servo, and divorced transfer case.
You'll rarely find these elements on a vehicle of this size, but RGT has done a good job in bringing some of these modern, 1/10-scale design decisions to a smaller-scale machine. The shocks on the Adventurer V2 are soft, but not quite as soft as, say, the Carisma Scale Adventure MSA-1E. Still, they offer plenty of movement and allow for impressive articulation over a variety of obstacles.
I typically ease my way into outdoor driving with smaller-scale machines, but I wasted no time in getting the Adventurer V2 onto some natural obstacles. After the first pass over a series of rocks, logs, sticks, and dirt, I was thrilled by this tiny truck's performance.
The Radio System
Since you never know what to expect when it comes to smaller-scale R/C car and truck controllers, I was curious to see how the transmitter for the Adventurer V2 stacked up against the competition. While it's smaller than other 1/24-scale R/C crawler transmitters, it's small enough to be comfortable.
If you need to make adjustments to your steering and throttle trim, you can easily tackle that task thanks to the knobs found on the rear panel. You can also adjust the dual-rate for the steering and throttle along with trim, plus adjust the steering direction (normal or reversed) and activate the third-channel on the receiver.
A Quick Outdoor Adventure
As I mentioned earlier, this truck had a baptism by fire. Rather than running it through indoor obstacles to get a feel for its performance, I opted to take it outside and run it across my well-worn outdoor course.
Featuring a blend of obstacles, elevation changes, and tricky lines, I've found this setup to be a great test of any small-scale R/C machine's mettle. After one quick drive through the course, I was shocked by the ease that this rig tackled the terrain arrangement.
If you're a fan of small-scale R/C crawlers and want a model that is incredibly capable without being too expensive, I recommend taking a look at the RGT Adventurer V2 ($89.99).
