I am interested in getting started in scale RC.

[JonBailey]

I have some experience in the past with various RC "toys" (tanks, boats, race cars, even a semi truck) as well as an attempt at RC planes that failed miserably years ago. I had some success with an RC sailboat I built and sailed a long time ago on a city pond.

My renewed interest in this hobby now lies with scale commercial trucks. By the way, I was a fleet diesel truck mechanic in the army. I am well-versed in the world of American-built real military vehicles. My grandfather was also a union Operating Engineer hard-hat by trade and that also fuels my passion for "Big American Diesel". My passion is American over the road trucks as well as construction vehicles as cement mixers. I could build a semi truck model, or a dump truck, but that seems all to common.

What I have in mind now as my first project in RC commercial trucking (garden trucking??) is an authentic scale American on-road cement mixer with a classic Kenworth cab and hood.

I don't yet know what scale I should even consider to model the cement mixer in. I have heard about Tamiya, but they don't seem to offer anything in classic Kenworth W900.

I am wondering where and how I should get started. I may have to buy some kit, some aftermarket parts and also "mod" some custom parts. I am not the best model painter in the world and have no welding or machining skills. I am not even aware if there are any kitted scale American cement mixers with a Kenworth W900 day cab included. Here is a worksheet I made of some ideas for an RC truck I have in mind as follows...

Truck Features for Build

 ___ scale
 Kenworth W900 day cab and hood
 precise scale build
 correct Kenworth hood and grille badges
 correct scale vehicle ride height
 rechargeable battery electric power
 detailed cab interior with steering wheel and opening cab doors
 driver figure seated at steering wheel
 custom paint and decals
 this cement mixer is to be for the fictitious "American Concrete Company" in pretended R/C construction
 provisions for loading mixer as a scale cement plant tower
 clean material for pretended concrete as plastic hobby gravel
 realistic scale concrete mixing apparatus mounted on chassis




Truck Functionality

 radio with enough channels for remote operation
 digital-proportioned steering
 precise speed control
 directional control, forward, reverse
 sound effects: including engine revs, starting engine, stopping engine, air brakes, horn, back-up warning bell
 working lights: headlights, running lights, flashers, cab marker lights
 multiple speed transmission
 motor
 speed controller
 folding/moving discharge chute
 rotating concrete barrel with directional and speed control via radio transmitter which barrel can be loaded through the hopper and discharged through the chute with dry pretended concrete
 functional spring suspension
 6x4 drive line with anti-spin differentials, front axle is not driven


Here is a diagram for paint and styling I photo-shopped:

[Prop Shaft]

Tamiya is going to be your best bet. You can get everything your looking for out of a tamiya kit as far as functionality goes. Sounds like there will be alot of scratch building involved to get the body and mixer parts you want. There are people around who will build scratch bodies for customers. Semi Joe comes to mind.

[JonBailey]

Originally Posted by Prop Shaft

Tamiya is going to be your best bet. You can get everything your looking for out of a tamiya kit as far as functionality goes. Sounds like there will be alot of scratch building involved to get the body and mixer parts you want. There are people around who will build scratch bodies for customers. Semi Joe comes to mind.

Perhaps, Joe can build me that custom Kenworth W900 day cab to fit that Tamiya frame as well as the mixer equipment. Can he do paint and decal work?

Is there a link for Semi Joe, please?


What kind of radio, servos, controllers and motors will I need for a mixer truck with "the (functional) works" on board? How many channels?

Does the mixer barrel need its own motor and controller?

Who supplies scale people figures for RC truck cabs?

It seems like Tamiya has not yet offered special-purpose truck bodies (dump, mixer, concrete pump, etc.) in kitted form yet, only tractors with 5th wheels.

[JAMMER]

Hello JonBailey I have a mixer from Bruder truck I took apart to get the cab $ 20.00 US dollars plus shipping and it's yours it has water tank ans chutes. This should give you a good start. Ed

[JonBailey]

Originally Posted by JAMMER

Hello JonBailey I have a mixer from Bruder truck I took apart to get the cab $ 20.00 US dollars plus shipping and it's yours it has water tank ans chutes. This should give you a good start. Ed

I went to the Bruder web site. Those mixers are toy trucks with a crank handle in the water tank. What scale are these toy trucks? Could the mixer unit easily fit a Tamiya chassis? Could the mixing barrel be converted to electric power to turn it?

I may have to set my sights on another type of scale truck than a cement truck.

I still have to have a Kenworth W900 cab with interior and driver figure, no exceptions. A tractor might be more doable because of the availability of off-the-shelf parts or kits. But then I need a semi trailer in scale. Maybe a cattle trailer with scale cow figures inside? Electronic mooing sound effects? RC operated landing gear?

I am getting the impression right off the bat that the kit and parts market for the serious scale RC on-road/construction trucker is limited in selection.

Before I start to put money into any project, I have to have a master plan first.

I need to compile a parts inventory: everything must fit like a glove once the correct mods are made to some parts whenever applicable.
I need to find the proper starter kit.
I need to find a qualified paid model painter. I am no master painter myself. I have a mechanical aptitude, but not cosmetic skills for vehicles as paint.
I need a plan for acquiring any needed custom parts and/or commissioning a guy to do such fabrications.
I need a master budget plan too: a cost outlay assessment for the truck of my dreams.

There is no hurry for me to build my truck. It could be a project spanning a year or more.

I feel I have the aptitude to assemble the truck plus install radio electronics and get her up and running once all the parts are in order and all the special paint/decal work is done.

I don't think scale-model commercial trucking has seriously caught on in America yet. I am a Kenworth man and a classic American vehicle man. I may have to send a wish list off to Santa Claus next Christmas. I love classic Kenworth looks and classic Kenworth style. Euro style is not my bag.

In practice, I would like as many off-the-shelf parts/kits as possible to build a nice scale truck to my liking. I still may have to contract an expert craftsman to do some custom work.

[Cossett]

Hi JonBailey,
The bruder cement mixes are !/16 and tamiya trucks are 1/14 scale
There are cenemt mixes that have been converted to rc if you search google and you will find several that have been done on tamiya truck chassis's
Also Contact Tamiya Cowboy on here as he has some great KW / Pete builds on here along with some other great builders
Just shoot them a PM and see what they say

Cheers Tracy

[JonBailey]

Originally Posted by Cossett

Hi JonBailey,
The bruder cement mixes are !/16 and tamiya trucks are 1/14 scale
There are cenemt mixes that have been converted to rc if you search google and you will find several that have been done on tamiya truck chassis's
Also Contact Tamiya Cowboy on here as he has some great KW / Pete builds on here along with some other great builders
Just shoot them a PM and see what they say

Cheers Tracy

Thanks, Mr. Cosset.

I am just now exploring the potential of this hobby, the principle question being: what can realistically be done, model-wise, how far can I take this hobby "and run with it" without being a master machinist by trade?


PS: As far as searching Google goes, I found this web site.

[JonBailey]

......hoping it would be my One Stop Know-how Shop for the world of scale RC trucks.

[Rakthi]

Here is a link to a thread on a German forum of a guy who converts a Bruder cement mixer into a working RC truck using Tamiya. You just need to change the cab from a Scania to your Kenwood.

If you register you can see the pictures in the thread. If you do not register you can only see the thumbnails.

http://www.modelltruck.net/showthrea...a-Betonmischer

[JonBailey]

Originally Posted by Rakthi

Here is a link to a thread on a German forum of a guy who converts a Bruder cement mixer into a working RC truck using Tamiya. You just need to change the cab from a Scania to your Kenwood.

If you register you can see the pictures in the thread. If you do not register you can only see the thumbnails.

http://www.modelltruck.net/showthrea...a-Betonmischer

Kenworth. The trouble is I need to find or have custom-made a Kenworth cab to fit nicely.

Besides, I only speak English, not German.
I emailed Cowboy personally and I will wait to see what he thinks.

Thanks for your help all the same, Mr. R.

I did find this nice Mack cab Tamiya based mixer on YouTube with a trick working Bruder cement barrel that was doctored with custom electronics. I just need that sweet KW cab and some tech tips on making such a build.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9Wr7cnqn6A

I am now convinced RC cement mixers can be built without a "rocket science degree".

Is there a good book on scale RC truck/construction/garden truck building and operating for the serious discriminating hobbyist that could be recommended for reading?

[JonBailey]

By the way, I just emailed Tamiya and sent them this message:

"I have a new product suggestion. I wish to see Kenworth W900 scale model R/C trucks among your near-future offerings including a fully-functional R/C cement mixer based upon a Kenworth W900 chassis/cab truck. Some Kenworth W900 tractors and dump trucks would also be nice with day cabs offered as well as sleeper cabs. Kenworth is a popular American make for commercial trucks."

[janderson]

Use google chrome, it will auto translate sites for you.