Choosing the Right RC Car for Your Needs

Playing with RC cars is a rapidly growing global hobbyist activity due to its limitless possibilities for exploration and creativity, and it is every bit of fun one can imagine. Remote cars are designed to be selected, modified, and customized to suit the owner’s needs, and sometimes, navigating the large number of available options can be like drinking through a firehose. RC Nation in Kamloops, BC is the premiere RC car shop that not only provides an incredible array of remote controlled cars but also offers you important information about selecting the right type of RC car for your intentions and interest. Let’s take a look at some considerations that play into your decision to purchase an RC car.

Types of Cars

Want to rock crawl without incurring the cost of a full-scale modified vehicle and the exorbitant repair bills? There’s an RC car for that. Want to race circuit without a $200,000 supercar? There’s an RC car for that. From Monster Trucks to scale re-creations of your favourite classic cars, you’ll find fully remote control replicas of real cars and trucks to fit almost every taste. Stadium trucks, short course trucks, buggies…the options are fantastically endless, so the first question you need to ask yourself is: what do you want to do with your remote controlled car? Identifying your area of interest will help you get started in selecting the right RC car for you.

Surface Type

What surface(s) are you most likely going to be driving on? If you live in an urban location, pavement is plentiful, and since there is only a small amount of rolling resistance with pavement, it is the easiest surface on which to control your RC car. Grass is another popular surface, however, it is one of the more difficult terrains for RC vehicles to navigate since grass causes a lot of friction. Dirt, gravel, sand dunes and race car tracks all are possibilities for great fun with your RC car, so give some thought as to where you will be spending the majority of your recreation time before choosing your remote control car.

Type of Vehicle

Every full-sized vehicle that exists in the real world is available as an RC - and you can invent something even more unique, because of easy and low-cost modifications. So what type of vehicle gets you excited? Are you interested in off-road vehicles that work their way up and over rugged terrain? Then perhaps a “crawler” appeals to you. Does testing the limits of your vehicle, including making high jumps and not worrying too much about where/how it lands ring your bells? Then a “basher” is likely the RC car you want to invest in. Maybe you’re much keener on owning an RC “race car” that you can take to top speed, hug the race track corners and make your opponents eat your dust. Deciding where your interests lie will help you purchase the proper RC car to put a smile on your face.

Motors

RC cars normally have one of two electric motor types, brushed and brushless. Brushed motors are plentiful and less expensive. Since these motors require air cooling, they’re more susceptible to damage from the elements and debris. Brushless motors are the more expensive counterpart and are faster, more efficient and more durable. For just getting started in the hobby, consider a brushed motor as the budget choice; if you’re ready to invest a little more, choose the more durable and much faster brushless motored RC car.

Options

RC Nation Sales & Entertainment in downtown Kamloops has everything the new RC hobbyist needs, and everything the experienced RC hobbyist may want. Come in-store or contact us by phone if you need help selecting an RC vehicle, or, if you know what you’re looking for, check out our shop online to find a wide array of parts and vehicles.