Part of the allure of off-roading is overcoming tough obstacles with a mixture of grit, wit, and a tough vehicle that won't quit. With patience, finesse, and the right equipment, you can overcome almost anything and feel a sense of accomplishment. When you're off-roading a scale RC vehicle, the stakes may not be as high, but that doesn't make it any easier or less rewarding.
Recently a dedicated group of RC off-roaders from the FC RC Car Traxxas Mancave YouTube channel found a new location to explore. Their vehicles included a Bronco, Land Rover, and at the high end, a Mercedes-AMG G-Class. A vintage Dodge Power Wagon showed up to join in the fun. And like off-roading clubs everywhere, there were a few Jeeps and Land Cruisers that proved up to the challenge.
Right off the bat, the group runs into challenges. The vehicles must ford a creek and navigate through a swift current with water up to their doors. Then they got up the creek, literally, requiring help from a winch to get up a steep hill. You can feel the tension of the drivers, and the cable, as the SUVs struggle up the watery incline.
The group makes its way through mud thick enough to stop a tank and up slippery inclines. They surmount tree limbs and moss-covered rocks. Occasionally a vehicle gets high-centered or stuck, having to backtrack and find another way around an obstacle. In some scenes, you can hear the water of the creek burbling. For many of us, the sound is soothing. But for a 1:10 scale RC vehicle, it's the sound of a raging river, reminding all that dare that they are one wrong step from certain doom.
What makes this video so satisfying to watch is the camera angles. Most of it is shot at eye level, or at least eye level of the vehicles if you were a 1:10 scale person. It puts you right in the middle of the action. You can't help but hold your breath as each vehicle stretches its suspension to the limit or practically stands on its front bumper as it makes its way down a rocky incline.
