Desert off-road racing started in the 1960s and since then there are a lot of fans and racers that root for it. Various vehicles are used in off-road racing and one of them is Truggy. Since the 1960s when desert off-road racing started, it has only expanded in all these 30 years. Some organizations created a class structure that included different types of vehicles that were particularly made for racing and competitions. By the time these classes evolved and very unique and custom-built vehicles got included in them.
What is a Truggy?
Truggy is a kind of racing truck that is made by combining two different types of off-road racing vehicles. It is one of the finest and high-performing vehicles in truck racing. Its name is also a combination of both the vehicles in which the ‘Tru’ comes from stadium trucks and the ‘Ggy’ comes from the buggy.
The very first truggy truck was built to perform in a racing competition known as the SCORE and BITD off-road desert racing series. This competition took place in different places including Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, and Mexico. One other reason that caused the construction of Truggy, was the demand of truck owners to have larger and wider wheels that can have a better grip on off-road terrain.
The most distinctive and significant feature of a truggy is its large and wide wheels that are made similar to large truck wheels. It is made contrary to any standard 4WD truck that has a narrow wheel which is also comparatively smaller than a Truggy. A truggy’s structure can be explained by considering a truck owner who has evolved his buggy by having its wheels replaced with larger wheels and a comparatively larger body.Besides the four-wheel variant, some vendors also make two-wheel versions of truggies. This variant isn’t as fast as the 4WD type, but many drivers prefer them because they are a big challenging to control (and are, hence, more fun). There are also people who choose to purchase truggies in both variants.The biggest benefit of investing in a Truggy? It’s processing power and ease of use. The vehicle is perfect for beginners as it’s easy to maneuver. You might not get the speed of a buggy, but you’d love the control you have over this RC vehicle. They’re also great for “bashing,” which means you can run them on large outdoor tracks and on grounds with pits and bumps without problems.
Truggy’s History
Open Buggy got included in the class in the 1990s and it was one of the fastest vehicles. This vehicle came with a rear engine and independently assembled rear transaxle suspension. The wheelbase of Open Buggy was shorter as compared to other racing cars. It became one of the best and high-performing vehicles among all of the others.
In most of the upgraded versions of open Buggy, they used the same rear engine and transaxle architecture. The transaxle was not as strong as it was supposed to be. However, their being lightweight was a good reason to have them carried in all the upgraded versions. These vehicles performed the best with extreme wheel strength and overall amazing custom-built body.
Later the Buggy got mixed with a stadium truck and a new Truggy was made. Its body is perfectly adapted to be racing at a high-speed on desert roads with harsh conditions. When it comes to RC truggies they are perfectly made for racing on off-road races with a remote control transmitter that works with batteries and radio transmission.
The RC trucks’ suspension has come a long way since the early stock systems present on the initial truggies. Modern truggies boast travel allowances 10x of a standard RC vehicle. It’s worth mentioning that these vehicles are different from monster trucks – they flip less when you attempt to make high speed turns and are much faster than their monster cousins. The latter are suitable for people who want to drive in the grass or woods.
The Mint 400, Baja 500 and Baja 1000 are some of the renowned racing series that feature truggies. The vehicles are often manufactured from scratch and boast low gearing plus long-road suspension. If you want to race in the desert, this is the best RC money could buy. However, it’s important not to confuse them with rock crawlers.
Characteristics of Truggies
Scale sizes
Different types of RC Truggies are designed with a ratio of scale relating to the car. For example, if a Truggy is made with a size scale of 1/10 the car it’s depicting, then it’s one-tenth the size of the car it is looking like.
Chassis
A chassis is a framework made for load-bearing and structurally supporting the whole Truggy and its construction. There are various customizable chassis available that you can attach to your RC truggies.
Classes of RC Truggy Races
1/8th RC Nitro Truggy Race
The Nitro-Truggy division race has a scale size of 1/8th and is for moderate and advanced racers. This racing class is aiming to race 4wd nitro-powered Truggy. There are a few rules for this truck race. The chassis of the truck should be like any off-road Truggy or like a four-wheel-drive nitro-truck. However, the allowed motor type is RTR pull start or any roto start engine.
Another rule is that the tires of the truggies must be made of rubber or else it can be any other wheel that is specifically designed for 1/8 Truggy style racing trucks. The body of the truck eligible in the racing is any regular ⅛ nitro-truck or truggy’s body. However, the minimum weight is set to 4000 grams because a weight lower than that is unsafe for racing purposes. There’s a set maximum weight as well and that is 13lbs.
1/8th RC Electric-Truggy Race
Since electric trucks are faster than nitro-trucks, that’s why it’s suitable for advanced level or expert racers. The chassis of the truck should be like any 4wd truck with a scale size of 1/8th. The rules set for the 1/8th electric Truggy race are almost like the nitro-truck one.
However, there’s a change in the chassis requirement and it has to be an electric-converted chassis to be a part of the electric Truggy Race. The motor of electric-Truggy should be brushless because that’s the fastest one. Tires can be the same as nitro-Truggy trucks. The maximum and minimum weight of the Truggy is set with the same value as in the nitro-Truggy race.
4 Best TruggiesFor RC Racing
1. HAIBOXING RC Cars Hailstorm, 1:18 Scale 4WD High Speed
This Rc car of the brand HAIBOXING is available in black color. The materials used are plastic and metal. It weighs 2.47 pounds and the dimensions of this car are 10.31 x 8.35 x 5.79 inches. The new 2020 upgraded version has more stability and is drop-resistant because of the high-quality metal drive shafts, upgraded 4WD chassis design, front and rear gear differentials. This RC car has a maximum speed of 38 km/hr which makes it faster than other race cars.
2. Team Associated 80937 RC8T3.1 Off Road Truggy Team Kit
This off-road Truggy weighs 8.31 pounds. It is of the brand associated electrics. This off-road Truggy now has improved durability because of the upgrade in race specs, a more strengthened front upper suspension arm, and gearbox. This RC car has dimensions20.13 x 9.88 x 6.5 inches. It is easier to drive and the new features have made it’s jumping and landing even better.
3. Team Associated 20175 Reflex 14B Ready to Run Electric Buggy
This Team Associated Buggy is available in brown color and weighs 3.72 pounds. The dimensions of this buggy are 12.88 x 16.88 x 5.5 inches. It is made up of TPR. it consists of three sealed differentials. The buggy is already constructed and does not require any effort to assemble the parts. It is ready to run the package on a small scale.
4. Vkar Racing 1/10 4WD Brushless Off-Road Truggy Bison RTR 51201 RC Car
This racing car by Vkar is an off-road Truggy is a perfect RC car for children aged above 11 years. It comes with a brushless motor which is the fastest available. The remote control of this RC truck gi works with 2.4 frequency and uses a 3500mAh 11.1-volt battery. The vehicle requires 5 to 6 hours of charging time, however, the racing time is 20 minutes. It comes with a very superior chassis design which bears all the load and has a very durable construction.
Conclusion
If you are aiming for off-road racing and you are deciding the best vehicle for it, then a Truggy is the perfect choice because of its strong and durable construction along with wide wheels to have a better grip. Sure, there are other RC cars available in the market, but this one’s for the big boys looking to enjoy off-roading with their toy vehicle.