OK, Dave. Let me first say congratulations on getting your feet wet with a first build. The Globeliner is a great truck for a starting unit. Upgrading the tires and rims shouldn’t be a problem. There are a lot of resources available to us, so you’ll have a great many to choose from.
Now to answer some of your questions…
Battery: I’ve used several different types of batteries over the years, including the Venom. Recently had the opportunity to use the Onyx 6-Cell 7.2V, 5000mAh NiMH stick. They’re a great battery as far as I can tell. The ones I’ve used had over an hour’s run time each and plenty of pulling power in my King Hauler. I don't think there would be much difference in the batteries, but I'd suggest checking the price difference, and then check the on-line reviews and weigh the difference of cost vs. reliability.
5th Wheel: For the automatic 5th wheel you don’t need an MFU, you’ll want the 56505 Tamiya Motorized Support Legs. The kit includes the automatic 5th wheel plate and the electronic landing gear for the trailer (does not work with Pole-Trailer).
http://www.tamiyausa.com/items/radio...ort-legs-56505
Pistol Grip Radio: I agree. I’d love to use a pistol grip radio, but I have yet to find one that works beyond 3-channels. There are a couple advertised as 4-channel, but they won’t work with our trucks. At this point we still have to use the stick transmitters. It’s up to your own preference of radio. I’ve always favored the old Futaba Skysport 6, 75mHz. Although I suggest asking around, there are probably better radios out there.
The light kits from RC4WD are supposed to be fantastic. If you’ve found one that you really like, I’d suggest posting info about it on the forum and asking the guys/gals what they suggest. As far as the 5th wheel goes, like I said, just go with the 56505 Tamiya Motorized Support Legs Kit. I think you need this kit in addition to the MFU anyway for the full effect on a truck build. I don’t think the automatic 5th wheel plate is included in the MFU kit.
Outcryer Crawler ESC: I don’t know enough about the unit to really have an opinion, but I’d think it should work for the truck. I’d suggest letting someone else field this question for you.
Upgrading the axles to metal: Yes!! You can definitely upgrade the axles to metal… It’ll cost though. The axles can be upgraded, the transmission housing can be upgraded, the transmission gears can be upgraded… Heck, the wonderful thing about our trucks is that most of it can be upgraded!
BUT, before you start spending a lot of money, the stock parts will be fine to get you started. I’ve used mine for over a decade and still have yet to upgrade. They still work fine to this day.
Starting with a basic truck is easy. Just follow the instructions and use common sense. The Globeliner is a great starter truck and then choose a nice Tamiya trailer for an easy build. Doing it your self will definitely teach you the basics of our hobby and your imagination will get you the rest of the way. The West-Coast logging truck is do-able. Others have built them and they look amazing.
Hope this helps.
Good Luck,
- RCT