rlaarlo Archives

Rlaarlo DSK: Setup, Build Tips, Results

by Craig | May 19, 2026 | How-To, RC Off-Road, Rlaarlo

Two videos in, the Rlaarlo DSK has earned its place on the RC-TNT shelf. Building it taught me more than I expected, and not all of those lessons fit inside a YouTube cut. Here’s the stuff I’d want to know before starting again.

Kit, RTR or Roller? Choose Carefully

Three flavours exist: kit, RTR and roller. If you want to build, get the kit. It costs the same as the RTR but ships with a higher grade of hardware throughout: more alloy, more carbon fibre, nicer fasteners. You also walk away knowing the car intimately, which matters more than you’d think when something breaks and you need to diagnose it fast. RTR and roller are the right call if you’d rather drive than build, but you’ll be giving up some of the better hardware to do it. Explore the range and grab yours here.

One caveat for bashers: the kit’s carbon fibre rear shock tower is a racing weight-saver, but it’s potentially less impact-resistant than the alloy tower on the RTR. If your driving involves heavy landings, that’s worth factoring in (thanks to @Hutch_Davenport for raising this).

The Sneaky Extras Most People Miss

Many 1/8 kits don’t include tires and sometimes not a body shell either. The DSK kit does both. This is a help if you’ve ever priced 1/8 buggy tires or shells separately. Worth knowing before you write off the kit on price.

Diff Oil to Start With

Front and centre get 7,000 weight. Rear gets 3,000 weight. These are Rlaarlo’s defaults and they felt right for general off-road work. Pencil the weight on the outside of each diff housing as you fill them. Helps during the build if you pack up between assembly and installation!

Rlaarlo DSK Diff Parts

Rlaarlo DSK Diff Assy

Rlaarlo DSK Diff Apart

Rlaarlo DSK Diff Together

Rlaarlo DSK Diff Housings

Rlaarlo DSK Diff Pencilled

Rlaarlo DSK Middle Diff

Why You’ll Want Sealed Bearings

Almost every bearing in the DSK ships sealed, but there are a few shielded ones to be found. The distinction matters: shielded means a thin metal cover over the ball race, while sealed means a rubber lip that actually keeps grit and moisture out. For a clean race surface, shielded is fine, preferable even (less rolling resistance). For anywhere with dust, you’re inviting trouble. The four inner hub bearings are 15x21x4mm, and here are the sealed ones I fitted. Do this before your first run. Your future self will be thankful!

The 76mm Front Motor Trap

Here’s the one that caught me out. Up front, there’s only 76mm of clearance between the alloy motor mount and the steering bell crank, which is a moving part. Maximum motor length up front therefore: 74mm. A surprising number of popular 1/8 motors are 78mm long. Mine was. That single dimensional reality is why this review turned into two videos rather than one.

Rlaarlo DSK 4078 Too Long

Rlaarlo DSK 4078 Touches Steering

Rlaarlo DSK 3974 Fits Easily

Rlaarlo DSK with 3974 Front

Rear Motor Mounting: Different Story Entirely

Swap to the rear motor configuration and the available length opens up dramatically. You’ll need to remove one of the two rear braces to make room. Once that’s done, you have close to 100mm of usable length, which is more than any 1/8 motor will ever need. The manual eventually mentions the 76mm front limit, but if you’re like me, you’ll find it buried on a later page, well after you’ve completed assembly!

One tip from Rlaarlo themselves: when switching to the rear motor layout, rotate the centre diff 180° and reverse the motor direction. For the 160A sensored ESC, use the S10 program card to do this. For the 180A sensorless ESC, just swap any two of the motor wires.

Pinion Maths if You Swap the Motor

Stick with Rlaarlo’s upgrade-spec 4278-2050KV motor on the 17T pinion and 6S, and you’re in the intended spec. Stray from that, and you need to think. Higher KV pushes more wheel speed per pinion tooth, which also pushes more stress through the drivetrain. The solution is to drop pinion teeth proportionally to keep wheel speed and longevity in balance. Part 1 had me running a 2500KV motor with an 11T pinion (the only Mod 1 pinion I had on hand – it fit because th emotor was a 39XX size). This put me about 14% slower at the wheels than the intended setup. Not a disaster and still very useable, but 14T would probably be a good all-round use for 4S with such a motor.

The Servo Horn Hole That Matters

Inner hole. Use the inner hole on the servo horn, not the outer. You get less throw, more torque, and faster response. Lock-to-lock travel on this car doesn’t need the extra throw of the outer hole, and using it just makes your servo work harder for no good reason. Not all horns are equal, so test your full throw can be achieved with that inner hole, and you’re good.

Tire Gluing: The Step Most People Skip

Stock tires on the DSK don’t come pre-glued. Before you reach for the CA, wet the tire bead with clean water. Skip that step and your tires will start peeling off after the first run. I learned this at the pump track when one nearly departed mid-jump. Proper tire glue with a needle applicator is cleaner than regular super glue but they’re chemically the same; surface prep is what matters most.

Another commenter’s tip: Loctite 480 is a rubberised CA (black in colour) that gives you more working time before it sets and holds better than standard CA, especially on alloy wheels. Not cheap, but worth investigating if you want a more reliable bond (thanks @steveblackbird).

Two Grub Screws to Watch

Those rear hinge pin grub screws both worked themselves out during the pump track session. I ran them in a fair way, but you want to go all the way until they stop turning, then back them off a shade. I think these grub screws could be an extra 2mm longer and you’d have a more reliable retention mechanism for those hinge pins. Mine keep backing out.

My Rlaarlo DSK Setup Sheet

Below is my full Pivot Ball version setup from the test build, sized for medium track, low traction, bumpy surface. Each setting follows in its own section so you can see the reasoning rather than just the numbers.

Camber: 2° (and Why You Can’t Have 1.5°)

Two degrees of negative camber up front, using 1.5mm + 1.5mm spacers. That’s the minimum the kit geometry allows. So, if you were hoping to dial in the 1.5° often recommended for 1/8 buggies, the DSK won’t let you. Not a deal-breaker by any means, but worth knowing before you go searching for camber gauges.

Caster: Minimum and Happy

This only counts if you’re using C-hubs instead of pivot balls: I set twenty degrees of caster (4mm spacers), which is also the minimum the DSK offers. More caster gives high-speed stability; less gives sharper steering response. As a basher, I went for steering response. The good news is the adjustment uses small tabs on the towers rather than requiring full disassembly, so changing your mind later is easy.

Front Kick-Up: A Sensible 1°

Half a degree on the FF position, plus another half degree on the FR position, totalling 1° of kick-up. That sits in the sensible-neutral zone for off-road and is a good starting point. Crank it up later if you’re catching the front on rough terrain.

Rear Toe-In: 2° and Stable

I set two degrees in the back, which is the minimum the DSK allows. Options run out to 4° if you want more rear grip and straight-line stability at the cost of some agility. Stock geometry felt right for the surfaces I drive on and it still pulled like a train on my brief speed run!

Rear Anti-Squat: 3° via 2mm Spacers

Three degrees in the RF position, set using the 2mm spacers. Anti-squat controls how the rear suspension behaves under throttle: more anti-squat means the chassis stays flatter as you accelerate. Three degrees is a sensible middle ground that doesn’t commit you to any particular driving style.

Shock Setup

I went with the default of 550 weight oil up front, 600 in the rear. Soft springs all round (the kit includes both soft and hard sets). Starting preload was 1mm front, 2mm rear, with the goal of arms sitting roughly horizontal at rest. By Part 2 I’d wound preload up significantly to compensate for an oversized 6S 6,000mAh battery. A smaller capacity pack would be more appropriate for actual track use. Go with hard springs if you’ll be on tarmac most of the time.

The Electronics Mystery

Rlaarlo supplied their upgrade motor (4278-2050KV sensored) for my review, but I had a sensor fault. Sensor cable plugged in, the motor would get hot and produce no torque. Unplugged, it ran perfectly. Several viewers suggested the motor wires might be in the wrong order (A-B-C). They were correct based on what I showed in the video, but unfortunately I had already swapped them as part of my troubleshooting. So, that wasn’t the issue either.

Unless there’s a break in the cable I can’t see, the likely culprit is the encoder inside the motor rather than the ESC or anything mechanical, since the drivetrain itself is good. My video Part 2 ran sensorless on 6S with no practical drawback. Sensored matters most from a dead stop; once you’re rolling, you won’t feel the difference unless you’re running track laps and working on PB times.

Speed: 93kph Measured, More Projected

On MJX Tarmac road wheels (103mm diameter) with the 4278-2050KV motor, a 17T pinion and 6S, I measured 93 km/h (57.8 mph). Smaller wheels than stock means smaller readings, so the projected figures with proper DSK rubber are 106.5 km/h on the large-pin RTR tires (118mm) and 103.8 km/h on the mini-pin kit tires (115mm). Projections assume identical motor, voltage and pinion, which is fair for the conditions tested.

The Weight Question

Buggy mass without battery is 3.6 kg. That’s solid for a 1/8 of this build quality, sitting on the heavier end of competition spec. Add a sensibly-sized 4,000mAh 6S pack and you’re looking at roughly 4.2 kg race-ready, or 4.6 kg with the oversized 6,000mAh brick I was testing.

Pivot Ball vs C-Hub: Your Call

The kit ships with Pivot Ball Suspension (PBS) steering, which delivers precise, linear response and is the right pick for track or high-speed work. Rlaarlo also offers a C-Hub Steering Block conversion as an optional kit, no drilling required. C-hubs trade some steering linearity for more structural rigidity through impacts, making them the better pick for heavy bashing. I ran PBS throughout with no complaints. Worth knowing the option exists if you find yourself crashing hard regularly.

What I’d Change About the Rlaarlo DSK

The list is short, which speaks well of the car. Sealed hub bearings as standard would help anyone driving in dust. Adding a pinion shroud would protect the gear mesh from debris without much engineering effort. On that same note, keep your motor and battery wires well clear of the exposed gear area; I use wire looms to secure everything, and it’s a habit born from an expensive lesson on another car (several commenters also appreciated this approach).

My long battery strap snapped on first tightening, so a more robust strap (or just a spare in the box) would be welcome. Bashing-friendly tire options aren’t currently shipped with the kit for this car and they’re not yet available from Rlaarlo for sale, so aftermarket is your only path if you want to do anything other than race. I do expect these will become available soon but can’t confirm it!

Rlaarlo DSK A-Arms

Rlaarlo DSK A-Arms Assembled

Rlaarlo DSK A-Arm & Axle

Rlaarlo DSK Axles

Final Word

After all the building, fixing and driving, my take on the Rlaarlo DSK is this: it’s a serious 1/8 buggy, full stop. The build quality matches established names in the class, which is genuinely impressive for a company that hasn’t turned five yet. Treat it as a racing platform that happens to bash well, not the other way around, and you’ll have a great time. If you’ve been on the fence about the kit version, build it. The hardware is worth it, and you’ll know the car better for the experience.

Explore the range and grab yours here.

Rlaarlo DSK Box Art

Rlaarlo DSK Box Liner

Rlaarlo DSK Mid-Build

Rlaarlo DSK Manual

See the Build for Yourself: Part 1

The full build process, first drive impressions, and a few moments of real surprise at how this thing went together. Worth watching for the build alone, even if you’ve already decided.

The Full-Power Test: Part 2

The 6S rebuild, the speed run, the pump track session, and a closer look at the electronics fault. Everything I couldn’t predict when I started.

A note on affiliate links & review product/s: I was provided with this car by the manufacturer for review purposes. The link to Rlaarlo’s store in the above article is an affiliate link, which means I may be paid a small commission if you choose to click on it to make a purchase. As always, I make every effort to ensure that no review is impacted by this: I still report on bugs and issues encountered during product testing, and my fixes or solutions if found. Thank you for reading and happy RC-ing!

Craig Veness

RC-TNT

Craig has been into radio control since the 90s and into RC crawling since about 2010, when a Losi MRC started the obsession! Now it's all rocks this and crawl that and upgrade all the things! ...You know how it is, right? Welcome home 🙂

Rlaarlo MK-07 v2: They Just Keep Getting Better

by Craig | Apr 24, 2026 | RC Crawlers, Rlaarlo, Uncategorized

Before we get into the Rlaarlo MK-07 v2, I want to take a step back. This car doesn’t exist in isolation. It’s the latest chapter in a story that’s been unfolding for four years now, and I think understanding that story makes this car a lot more interesting. Allow me to rewind to mid-2022, because that’s where all of this started…

Four Years of Rlaarlo: A Quick Look Back

June 2022. Rlaarlo sent cars to a wide range of influencers simultaneously, including this little channel, which at the time had about a tenth of the subscribers it does today. Their approach was bold: flood the influencer space at once and make their name impossible to ignore. Did it attract criticism? Of course. But the strategy worked, and more importantly, the cars kept getting better. From the 1/14-scale XDKJ-006 buggy in June 2022, through the AM-X12T(C), the AK-917 GT car, the AM-D12 desert truck, and the ROG1 brushless truggy, Rlaarlo built a track record of listening when issues were raised and acting on them quickly.

Not every car was perfect out of the box. The AK-917 had an antenna bundling issue that caused intermittent signal loss on the track. Reported, acknowledged, fixed in customer units. The AM-X12T(C) had a pinion pressed too hard against the motor mount, generating heat. One repair video later, it was a different car. That willingness to iterate is a big part of why I kept taking their calls. You can find my full Rlaarlo playlist here and all my Rlaarlo articles here.

The Crawlers That Set the Bar

March 2025. Rlaarlo sent the JK-07 Pro to around five influencers worldwide. A 1/7-scale long-wheelbase crawler with remotely actuated lockers, selectable RWD, 4WD and FWD, high and low range, working wipers, a working steering wheel, a full light kit, a functioning awning, and a set of folding camp chairs. It remains one of my all-time favourite RC crawlers from any manufacturer. If you want the full story on that one, the article is here.

Three months later came the TK07: a 1/7-scale Nissan Patrol tribute, shorter wheelbase, slightly fewer frills, and every bit as enjoyable on the trail. By the time the Rlaarlo MK-07 v2 arrived, Rlaarlo had already produced two outstanding crawlers in this scale. Expectations were high.

Rlaarlo JK07 Pro

Rlaarlo TK07 & JK07

Rlaarlo TK07 Rapids Crossing

Rlaarlo MK-07 v2: Refinement, Not Revolution

This is Rlaarlo’s fourth 1/7-scale crawler. Refinement rather than revolution is the right way to describe it, and at this stage of the game, that’s completely appropriate. When you’ve already built the JK-07 Pro and TK07, you don’t need to reinvent anything. You just need to tighten things up. The MK-07 v2 sits in an interesting size bracket: smaller than the SCX6, bigger than Cross RC’s 1/8-scale offerings, and it has a quality about it that makes it feel both compact and substantial at the same time.

I took it to the gorge and ran it properly. The full breakdown is in the video below. Here, I want to share some close-up detail photos that the camera doesn’t quite do justice to on its own.

The Running Gear

The links are stainless steel and they’re thick. Not the spindly stuff you sometimes find at this price point. Drive shafts are carbon steel. The axle housings are two-piece plastic, and the quality of the moulding is noticeably good: solid, well-fitted, and confidence-inspiring in hand. The portal boxes are stock plastic but well executed, and Rlaarlo keeps a very complete parts catalogue for the MK-07 if you want to go further.

Speaking of which: I’d specifically recommend the brass outer portal housings as a starting-point upgrade. They add weight low and forward, which this car uses well. The full parts list is here.

Rlaarlo MK07v2 ESC & Servo top

Rlaarlo MK07v2 Front Axle

Rlaarlo MK07v2 Rear Axle

Wheels, Tyres, and a Note on Looks

The wheels are 2.6-inch beadlocks and the stock Hyrax style tires do the job on the trail. Honestly, though, they don’t look particularly scale to my eye. That’s a personal preference, and it’s easily sorted. There’s a small but growing aftermarket for metal beadlock replacements in this size: Amazon and AliExpress both have options. I’ve ordered a set with a 64mm inner diameter, to pair with slightly more scale-looking tires at a smaller outer diameter. Looking forward to seeing that combination in the field.

The interior is clean and tidy. Not as feature-packed as the JK-07 Pro, but appropriate for a car at this price point and size. Have a look at the photos below.

Rlaarlo MK07v2 Falls

Rlaarlo MK07v2 45deg FR Bush

Rlaarlo MK07v2 Interior f

Rlaarlo MK07v2 Interior r

Brushless System and Electronics

The brushless motor and ESC combination in the MK-07 v2 is strong for a crawler of this scale. The VIRCAS (Bluetooth ESC app) integration is the same system used across Rlaarlo’s larger crawlers, and it gives you real control over the setup. More on that in a moment.

The radio system is the DumboRC unit Rlaarlo uses across their range. It’s been reliable in my experience and the feel of it has improved over the years since those first 2022 models.

The Servo: One Issue, One Easy Fix

Here’s the thing worth knowing before you buy. The servo is a standard-size 40kg unit rated at 7.4V. In testing, running at the stock 7V BEC output from the ESC, it got too hot to touch after a while. Steering fade crept in. On a crawler this size, that’s not acceptable.

The fix is simple. Open the VIRCAS app, connect to the ESC via Bluetooth, and drop the BEC voltage from 7V to 6V. That one-volt reduction brought the servo from dangerously hot down to just warm, and the fade stopped completely. You lose a small amount of torque, but a servo running consistently at 6V is far more useful than one that quits from heat after 15 minutes. I reported this to Rlaarlo. They acknowledged it promptly and confirmed they’d be adjusting the factory BEC setting going forward. Check yours: go into VIRCAS and confirm the BEC is set to 6V, not 7V.

On the Trail

This is where it counts, and the Rlaarlo MK-07 v2 delivers. The combination of portal axles, stainless links, and the selectable drive modes (RWD, 4WD, FWD, with remotely actuated lockers) gives you a lot of tools to work with on challenging terrain. The drag brake holds the car confidently on descents. Low-speed modulation is smooth thanks to the FOC (Field Oriented Control) system. It’s a genuinely capable crawler.

Size-wise, it handles tight lines better than the long-wheelbase JK-07 Pro. It’s not as nimble as the shorter TK07, but it holds its own. This is a car you can run hard without babying, and that confidence matters on the trail.

Rlaarlo MK07v2 45deg FR Top-Down

Rlaarlo MK07v2 Radio side

Rlaarlo MK07v2 Radio top

Where to Get Yours

The Rlaarlo MK-07 v2 is available direct from Rlaarlo. The brushless version is the one to get.

Buy the Rlaarlo MK-07 v2

Also consider the JK-07 Pro if you want the flagship, or the TK07 if the shorter wheelbase appeals. The MK-07 manual is here if you want to read ahead.

What’s Coming From Rlaarlo

I can’t say much here. Embargoes are in place, and I must respect that. What I can tell you: Rlaarlo’s very first kit build is currently on my workbench, and it is genuinely impressive. The quality rivals kit builds from much more established names. I cannot wait to share it.

Beyond that, if you’ve been following their socials (Facebook | Instagram), you’ll already have a sense of what’s brewing. 2026 is shaping up to be their biggest year yet. More on all of that when I’m allowed to talk about it.

The Verdict

The Rlaarlo MK-07 v2 is a very good crawler. It’s not quite the jaw-dropping moment the JK-07 Pro was, but that’s an almost impossible bar to clear twice. What it is: a refined, capable, well-built machine that rewards a small amount of setup time (sort that BEC voltage) with a lot of fun on the trail. Four years in, Rlaarlo are still pushing forward. I’m a huge fan, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

More power to you, Rlaarlo. Thanks for reading, and I’ll catch you out there.

A note on affiliate links: we were provided with this car by the manufacturer for review purposes. The Amazon and AsiaTees links in the above article are affiliate links, which means we may be paid a small commission if you choose to click on them to make a purchase. As always, we make effort to ensure that no review is impacted by this – we still report on bugs and issues encountered during product testing, and our fixes or solutions if found. Thank you for reading and happy RC-ing!

Craig Veness

RC-TNT

Rlaarlo JK07 Pro: the Search is Over!

by Craig | Mar 15, 2025 | RC Crawlers, RC Reviews, Rlaarlo

Dessert First: My Conclusion

A cheeky spoiler first: the new Rlaarlo JK07 Pro has quickly become one of my all-time favourite RC vehicles.

Now, I want you to appreciate what a momentous feat this is. I’ve been into RC since the 1980s and currently have a shipping container to hold my models. There’s a total of 7.5m (26ft.) of shelving, with 6 levels, to store my 1/10 and larger models, side-by-side. I have many, many RC cars as part of my RC-TNT ‘library’ of models for content creation.

Okay, so once more, the Rlaarlo JK07 Pro is one of my all-time favourite RC vehicles. Now you may see what a big deal this is!

The Search for Scale

This is not a review of the Rlaarlo JK07 Pro. (I do have a video for that, if you’re interested – it’s at the end of this article). But no, today, I am inspired to tell you a bit of a story. It’s still ultimately about the new 1/7 scale beauty from the pointy green R, but it’s quite personal and very much a recalling of times past and dreams unfulfilled – until now. But I get ahead of myself.

I have Rlaarlo to thank for inspiring me to share this with you. I also must thank them for sending me one of their rare ‘Pro’ versions of their epic new trail truck. So, grab a coffee, find a comfy seat, and please enjoy my tale of…

The Search for True Scale!

Four Decades Ago…

I had a blessed childhood. I’m well aware of that. My parents were soil scientists and throughout the 1980s and 90s, they travelled in their Toyota Landcruiser 60 series (and later, 80 series) crisscrossing the many trails of much of the NSW public forested land. They dug small holes, took soil samples, and assembled reports about the state of the land for the NSW Forestry Commission. Some of those reports are still in use and I heard recently they are still today considered the gold standard for this sort of work. Way to go, mum and dad!

I was the eldest of three kids. I’ve always been a tinkerer and have always, always loved things that go. My first word was ‘car’, followed by ‘mum’. That should tell you something! Well, we kids sometimes rode along with our folks on some of their shorter forestry trips. We stayed up the road with our grandparents for the other, longer ones – still had to go to school, after all! But those trips were pretty great.

Grounded

My Dad had installed a small, 12V TV on the center console of the Landcruiser and a 12V VCR underneath it (it played analogue video tapes on the TV, for those of you born this century). We’d bring snacks and some toys and would play near the car, make things from sticks, and generally just be kids between the many stops mum and dad would make.

One thing I always took along with me was a small RC car. But it was a two-wheel drive thing that ran on 4x AA batteries and with the electronics of the late 80s, it wasn’t particularly capable nor efficient on power. But the batteries were rechargeable, and I had two sets, so I often was able to keep the thing running for about half the stops we made.

The Dream

My little RC car had basic suspension, no diff (just an axle with a plastic gear on it, driven by the motor) and weak, 3-position steering. It could handle a little water – it was just a basic AM radio system and there wasn’t much to its electronics – but it was quite limited. Still, I had a blast with that thing. Many fond memories were made, driving up little gravel gullies, across obstacles, down sandy animal trails, and just generally around the place. I played in my own little imaginary world and it was great!

Back then, I didn’t know it, but what I longed for was a more scale experience. I had the imagination, but was limited by electronics of the day. Plastics manufacturing was still new-ish, basic radio technology was sketchy and there was a very small (but rapidly growing) toy and hobby market for RC cars. Despite this, the scene was set.

The Mid 90s

We moved to Coffs Harbour, NSW in December 1988. It was notable because it started raining in early December and didn’t stop raining until mid-late January 1989. Back then, Coffs had a population of around 55,000 people (the greater Coffs area is pushing 180k people now).

There was a Tandy Electronics in town, and I have a vivid memory of my first trip in there with my dad. He needed a new CB radio. I was distracted by their hobby and toys section – there were so many different cars there! And trucks! They stocked a lot of Tamiya and I had no idea about any of it – but I knew right then that I wanted IN!

It Began With Tamiya

It was 1993 and I bought my first hobby-grade car. I hadn’t realized that crawlers were even a thing – and much of the time, they weren’t anyway, as people were cutting and modifying various monster trucks and scale runners like the Clod Hopper and Bruiser, turning them into slow rock machines. So, I started my time in the hobby with a Tamiya Stadium Blitzer.

I had a great time with it, burned through many a NiCAD pack and sets of tires, both on- and off-road sets, until I sold that to my cousin later in the 90s. My brother had a monster truck with two speeds for a time, and that was cool. His first foray onto rocks ended up blowing its plastic transmission. (Oh, how times have changed!)

My First Crawler

If you know me from RC-TNT on YouTube, you may be surprised to learn that it wasn’t until 2011 that I experienced my first real rock crawler. It was a Losi MRC (or Mini Rock Crawler) and I had SUCH a great time with that thing! When I retired it, the car had a 1/10 80 Series Landcrusier body on it with a home-made winch, metal sliders, 1.9” wheels and 4.3” tires. I drove the wheels off that thing – several times, in fact!

In the years following, I dipped into the 1/24 scene (starting with the Losi Trail Trekker in 2013) and into 1/10 and bigger (starting with an old, well-used SCX10 Deadbolt I picked up second hand). A new Vaterra Ascender soon followed, and that puts us in about 2015.

Getting Into Scale

By now, the rot had truly set in. There was no turning back. I was busily building scale obstacle courses at home and meeting people near and far to trail drive with during weekends and even after work, into the night. I could not get enough of RC scale driving and models!

Of course, the problem with meeting other people to drive with is that you see what they’re up to in the hobby. You start to get more and more ideas about what you want to do with your rig/s. And once your mind starts spinning away on these things, there’s only one cure…

More and Bigger Crawlers, Please!

You can no-doubt see where things are heading at this point. By 2017 I had probably 50 lipo batteries and several balance chargers, and various 1/24, 1/18, 1/10 and 1/8 scale machines, some of which I’d built myself and some that were kit builds, and others that were used RTR machines from local buy/sell groups in the hobby.

I have a photo of my Trail Trekker in LC80 guise using its winch up the side of a rock from around 2013. It’s my first photo of a scale crawler showing how I was really trying to capture that feel of a real car. The more realistic, the better. I thought that meant better bodies, better tires and more accessories. To some extent, that was correct. But I was missing something.

Running Gear Matters

Sometime in 2017, Traxxas announced a bold new RC crawler with a previously unheard-of feature: remote locking differentials. In a 1/10 scale crawler. I came across a leaked photo of a shiny grey Defender on oversized tires and looking incredible. My jaw just about hit the floor, along with the rest of me, as I fell off my chair when I saw it! I think I called a couple of friends right then to tell them about it. Guys! Remote lockers! On a 1/10!?

When it was released, I bought one of the first Traxxas TRX4 models available in Australia. Man, I drove that thing for YEARS and its running gear was amazing. But over time, inevitably, I wanted more! More scale! More running gear! And more realism!

Just Like My ‘Real’ Car

A few years later, Boom Racing released the BRX01 (article here) and along with it, a transfer case option that included selectable 4WD/RWD. The car had full-time locked axles, but with overdrive gears in the transfer case, that was a sublime option for an already brilliant scale rig. (You can read about that one here, it’s still one of my favourite trail rigs today).

My full-size 80 series Landcruiser was RWD most of the time, with an open diff. Lock the hubs and you’d have 4WD high and low range. And then, if you wanted, you could install lockers so you could lock the front or the rear diffs, too. But no RC model ever had that level of detail. For some years now, I’ve been patiently waiting for such a thing to become a reality. Here’s where it gets good. Better than good!

Rlaarlo To The Rescue!

This brings us to 2025 and Rlaarlo has, unexpectedly, incredibly, delightfully, come through for we scale afficionados. My dream of the ultimate scale, trail crawler may have actually, finally, been fulfilled! It’s time to talk about the new Rlaarlo JK07 Pro – I have one of just five in the world at time of writing – and I’m SO excited to tell you about it!

There’s a video review and drive demo I’ve made for this car that you can find at the end of the article. It’s very worth watching. But here, I’m going to take you over some of the scale detail and goodies that I couldn’t include in the video, else I’d still be filming it right now. It’s a bit of a list!

Rlaarlo JK07 Pro Features

Ok, ready for this?

1/7 scale long wheelbase;
full working light kit (with working LEDs on the front fenders and bendy mirrors!!);
selectable RWD/4WD/FWD;
high and low speed;
selectable remote locking diffs;
working windscreen wipers (3 speed settings!);
huge brushless motor and servo;
a longer wheelbase AND body than the Axial SCX6 (yes, really!);
a GPS-measured top speed on 4S (yes, 4S!) of 29kph (or 18mph);
working side awning;
working rooftop camper with collapsible ladder;
sand ladders and scale shovel;
a full interior including a steering wheel that turns with the wheels; and,
everything’s waterproof!

The whole thing weighs around 8.4kg (or 18.5lb), it looks fabulous, and the body comes off and goes on without body clips or other tools. It’s hinged and has gorgeous cable routing, and the entire machine is controlled by a DumboRC (Rlaarlo-branded) 10-ch radio transmitter.

I honestly and truly think the Rlaarlo JK07 Pro might be the most complete package of ANY RTR I’ve ever had. Really. If you’ve seen my toy shop of a studio, you’ll know that means of most cars on the market today.

What I Love

The previous section pretty much tells the story there. This is a durable car with very well conceived execution. All the plastics are nice and bendy for good durability. Components are thoughtfully placed. The car runs well and has a wonderfully scale body roll to it. Driving in just RWD and unlocked is a hoot! And I LOVE being able to slowly increase the car’s ability to match increasingly challenging terrain: RWD open diff, 4WD open diff, 4WD front/rear locked. So fun.

The battery tray is huge and fits a 7A 4S and a 10A 3S lipo – both are ideal for a car of this size. (Adapters here, if you buy either of these). Rlaarlo sells suitable batteries and many spare and upgrade parts for the JK07 as well.

The body is beautifully appointed and there’s a complete interior. There are many stickers included with the thing so you can customize it a bit, and the tires and foams are very good. I wouldn’t add more brass to it, I think the car is balanced just nicely out of the box. It’s quiet, power-efficient and just plan fun to drive.

Things Needing Improvement

There aren’t many things on this list, but a few items are in need of attention if you’re going to use this a lot. Firstly, the two rear tow hooks are plastic. They snap very easily if you tip the car on its bottom for cleaning or inspection. I wish these were either metal, hinged, or both. (My Rlaarlo contact has confirmed they’re looking to iterate on this in future). Also, the rear springs are too soft, even with full preload applied. I’d prefer slightly thicker diameter rear springs so the car can ride a bit more stably, especially on corners and steep ascents.

The steering wheel needs a bearing in the shaft so it doesn’t grind around when its servo tries to move it. And lastly, if you’re crawling with it beyond anything mild, the large wheels and mass of the vehicle overwhelm the 45kg brushless servo. I’m going to fit a 70kg brushless unit to mine. Lastly, the manual is a bit vague on features – more on that in a moment.

Wipers & Steering Wheel

These seemingly unrelated things had one factor in common: neither worked properly for me, but for different reasons.

Steering Wheel: the steering wheel was installed too tightly, so instead of rotating with its micro servo, it kinda ground left and right. Loosening the retention screw behind it fixed this. Simply a factory installation issue, no biggie.

Wipers: The wipers have a button on the radio (CH10) but the manual isn’t clear on how this works. A single press makes them wipe once. Holding it down for a few seconds turns them on. Pressing CH10 3x rapidly adjusts the wiping speed. A single press will turn them off.

My Overall Impression

This is not just Rlaarlo’s best car to date. The Rlaarlo JK07 Pro is one of the best RC trail rigs on the market, period. I’m completely serious. For me, at least, the complexity afforded by the various servos and design are such that I can have a true scale adventure with this thing. I can get stuck, get recovered, and even winch myself out if I wanted to install a winch on one of the two spare radio channels (both of which conveniently have a dial). It’s such a great car.

The Rlaarlo JK07 Pro won’t be for everyone. But for those among us who are still kids at heart, dreaming of scale adventure, this flagship model from Rlaarlo may be just the model you’ve been waiting for. I am so, so pleased with it. Oh yes.

Where To Buy

Rlaarlo sells direct from their website.

Also consider the JK07’s predecessor, the shorter-wheelbase Rlaarlo MK07.

See It in Action

I’ve got a detailed video of my experience with the Rlaarlo JK07 Pro below.

Also learn about other Rlaarlo vehicles I’ve examined here: https://rc-tnt.com/rlaarlo/

See my Rlaarlo videos here, on YouTube.

Craig Veness

RC-TNT

A note on affiliate links: we were provided with this car by the manufacturer for review purposes. The Rlaarlo and other seller links in the above article are affiliate links, which means we may be paid a small commission if you choose to click on them to make a purchase. As always, we make effort to ensure that no review is impacted by this – we still report on bugs and issues encountered during product testing, and our fixes or solutions if found. Thank you for reading and happy RC-ing!

Yes! I want in!

Add your email so you don't miss out on:

announcements,
giveaways,
follower-only goodies (such as config cheat sheets and behind-the-scenes content),
industry-insider notice of great new things coming down the pipeline.

You can expect one to two emails per month.

Rlaarlo’s 2022 Speed Run a Flying Success

by Craig | Sep 23, 2022 | RC On Road, Rlaarlo

Sweet Loot

Speed run is a fun event even when it’s just for bragging rights. But how does a cash prize of USD$2000 sound? Perhaps an Anniversary Edition version of Rlaarlo’s best buggy? Or maybe just one of every vehicle in the 2022 catalog? If this grabs your attention, wait until you hear what had to be achieved to secure one of these shiny rewards!

Need for Speed

You may have seen Rlaarlo offering this impressive set of prizes for a little competition on their Facebook page in July 2022. For once, this wasn’t just a ‘Like and Share this post’ to have a chance at a random prize. That’s something we’ve all seen from various groups at this point. Much better than that, it was for a good, old-fashioned speed run contest, with some actual sweat-and-tears friendly competition!

The prizes were enticing. So, what was the catch? RC hobbyists had three weeks to modify their Rlaarlo buggies. The goal was to video-record and measure their vehicle’s fastest speed run pass they could manage.

The conditions for that winning high-speed pass were simple enough:

any of four Rlaarlo or Amoril 1/14 buggies could be used;
entrants could modify the buggy any way they wished, as long as they retained the original body shell and chassis;
they must provide a clear GPS speed measure after the run;
the vehicle must be functional after the run;
it should be wheel-powered only (no EDF for you enterprising rocket scientists!);
the pass must be on flat ground; and,
the pass must be recorded in a single, un-cut video.

Star of the Show

Folks needed a video camera and a GPS unit to measure speed. But the key to this contest was the RC model itself. You could use the Rlaarlo XDKJ-006 1/14 4WD brushless buggy (available here) or one of three other similar Rlaarlo and Amoril models. There are many 1/14 RC buggies available these days and on the whole, they’ve been slowly improving. However, the recently-released Rlaarlo XDKJ-006 grabbed our attention as it looked to have the balance of weight, power and durability. This was a balanced feature set that is so rare in ‘cheaper’ RC models. (See our initial review video and our more detailed article here on rc-tnt.com for more about the buggy).

Notably, the 006 features a carbon fibre tub chassis and a compact 2S/3S brushless power system that makes for a lightweight little rocket. This is impressive on its own and our initial review reflected that. However, what later impressed us even further was its sheer durability. We bashed ours far harder than it should ever have been able to handle. Our Durability Test video should be a testament to the rugged nature of the XDKJ-006. It was unbelievably tough and we gave it a rough day at the skate park!

Competition Time!

And so it was upon this platform that Rlaarlo proposed a little contest of effort and cunning. Who could modify their XDKJ-006 to be the fastest in a straight line? To make it through Round 1 of the speed run, you needed a pass of at least 100kmph/62mph. The fastest would enter Round 2 and then a final round would test the best of the best.

The idea was simple enough – but just how fast could these little machines really go? Those tiny 1/14 wheels mean big gearing and motor speed would be needed for high-speed runs. And that’s to say nothing of limited chassis space and vehicle stability from a short wheelbase. Would 62mph+ passes even be possible?

Round 1: Warming Up

Round 1 was to close on July 29, just one week into the competition. The entries trickled in as the days counted down. First to make a showing were USA, Canadian and Australian entrants, with buggies running from 12V to 24V systems. Three USA contenders hit hard with impressive speeds even at that early stage:

75mph from Eric Woolsey on 4S with a 3200kv motor;
76mph from Radlee Plott on just 2S with a 7800kv motor; and,
94mph from Michael Koebbe with 3S on a 3200kv motor.

Already, things were getting interesting! The first round concluded on July 30 with 25 entrants clearing the 62mph cut-off speed. At this stage there were hobbyists from USA, Canada, Australia, Germany and the UK with seriously impressive speeds logged on camera.

Round 1 leaders were as follows:

tied third place holders Daniel Petrak (AUS, 3S) and Eric Woolsey (USA, 3S) had verified speeds of 87mph (140km/h);
Christopher Barnes (USA, 3S) ran a 95mph (152.9km/h) pass; and,
with a very safe lead was Michael Koebbe with a blistering pass of 121mph (194.7km/h)!

Round 2: Fight!

There were 25 people cleared through to the second round. Rlaarlo announced that only the fastest ten entrants would qualify for the final round. Clearly, competition was going to be close with such a fierce first round!

The second round gave contenders a week to make their attempts and submit their best video. Again, the entries trickled in over the next few days. It was a close thing, even at this stage of competition. The lower 5 entrants were tightly grouped, separated by just a few miles per hour, posting top speeds of between 96mph and 99mph! The top 5 entrants were split over a wider range, from 101mph and up. Anyone could take it at this stage!

Controversy in the Leaderboard

Video clarity and technical gremlins can hit at unexpected times. They’re challenging and often random in when and how they strike. This is especially the case when you’re pushing the limits with equipment vs physics! At this stage of the contest, Chris Barnes posted several impressive runs but encountered a string of issues from a series of crashes that led to him losing a GPS unit. His list-topping runs were disqualified and the leaderboard was adjusted.

It was generally agreed that Rlaarlo made the best call they could with the available information. Unfortunately, some fallout would be unavoidable as other competitors found themselves bumped off the leaderboard during this controversial exchange. Such problems and decisions are tough for all involved and can lead to high emotion in the midst of competition. Cool heads prevailed with the only reasonable ruling from Rlaarlo in order to maintain a level playing field. The show continued.

We wish Chris Barnes and the other affected competitors the very best for next time. All affected have our sympathy for a rough run this time. Good sportsmanship and supportive voices are what sets clubs and groups apart from others and to date we’ve found the Rlaarlo Facebook group to be generally very positive and supportive. This is something we could all use more of!

Round 2 Speed Run Finalists

With Barnes’ 118mph entry (USA, 4S) disqualified, the top three contenders posted their best runs for Round 2:

- 3rd – Eric Woolsey with 114mph (183.5kmph), on 3S power with a Castle MM X 6S system;
- 2nd – Michael Koebbe with 121mph (194.7kmph), on 3S power with a Castle MM X 8S system; and
- 1st – Connor Matthes with 128mph (206km/h), running on 5S power also with a Castle MM.

Problems in rear-view mirror, the contest continued to its final round…

Hold My Beer!

The first three entries submitted to the final round were from USA contenders:

Radlee Plott (4S, Castle MM X) with 104mph (167.4kmph);
Eric Woolsey (4S, Castle MM X 6S) with 122mph (196.3kmph); and,
Connor Matthes (5S, Castle MM) with an eye-watering 130mph (209.2kmph)!

Later that day, USA entrant Michael Koebbe disrupted second place with a 126mph (202.8kmph) run on 3S power with an XLX2 system.

By August 15, as the final hour closed out the contest, Eric Woolsey retained his third position on the leaderboard. Michael Koebbe upped the ante with his XLX2 system, jumping from 3S to 4S power. He delivered a 130mph pass (209.2kmph), drawing equal with Matthes’ pass from just a few days prior.

Pulling out all stops, Connor Matthes made a final blazing pass on the same 5S-powered MM X 8S system with the winning entry of 131mph, or 210.8kmph! Here’s his video from that final run:

Speed Run Aftermath

Congratulations and support flowed in from many on the groups Facebook page on Matthes’ well-deserved win. Special mention must go to the next place-holders who managed such impressive speeds. This is a buggy that we have tested ourselves with a top speed of 50mph (81kmph) on 3S power in stock form.

The difference between stock 3S speeds and even the ‘slowest’ finalist was huge. David Grima (AUS) made a 94mph pass (151.3kmph) – that’s already nearly twice as fast as stock speed! One entrant made his personal best of 70.2mph immediately after being partially run over by a truck. That was with a damaged wheel! It was still 20mph faster than a stock 006 that hasn’t been run over. Crazy!

Suggestions were floated about maybe putting an expenditure limit on future speed runs to help level the field some more. Others had ideas around event timing with seasons in different hemispheres and competition time-frames. All said, the contest was an entertaining event that brought people’s skill and perseverance into the limelight and good humour was expressed across the page. What a fun way to spend some time tinkering with such an impressive little buggy!

Rlaarlo released a speed run highlights video you can watch on Facebook here.

What’s Next?

Rlaarlo have been building on momentum from this and other fun events hosted over 2022. New models are reportedly in development. (We’re excited about a brushless 1/12 model that’s apparently coming soon. More details on rc-tnt.com as soon as we have them!) Parts availability for current models has been consistent and timely. Future events are in the works, they’ve reported on their Facebook page.

A note on the company as a whole: our XDKJ-006 had a rare electrical issue after some use that was swiftly rectified by Rlaarlo. We’ve been only impressed with dealing with the company, who even prior to our initial review video were accepting of our standard terms that we would not make a draft available to them before publication and that we would publish test outcomes, even if they were unfavorable. It’s this admirable attitude that prompted us to write this speed run contest debrief; the company has been reasonable, fair and simply a pleasure to deal with from our first contact. We’re looking forward to seeing what they do next!

Where to Get One

Rlaarlo’s website is https://rlaarlo.com. The 006 buggy details and purchase page can be found here. Also, Rlaarlo maintains a Facebook group page (here) and an Instagram profile (here).

Lastly, our detailed review article of the XDKJ-006 can be found here on rc-tnt.com and our video series starts with the review. The XDKJ-006 is easy to recommend and we are pleased to so closely follow the company’s journey.

Affiliate Links and Integrity

We were provided with our XDKJ-006 by Rlaarlo at no cost for purposes of review. As always, we maintain the right to publish our test results without influence or edit from the manufacturer. This competition debrief is entirely the work of rc-tnt.com and has had no affiliation or marketing influence from Rlaarlo or its staff, beyond an initial request to consider writing it. We have not received compensation for writing this article. Having such fair treatment from the company, it’s been a pleasure to produce the videos and articles we’ve done so far and we look forward to seeing what Rlaarlo produces next. Oh yes, we are anticipating what future contests may entail, too! This one has been a hoot!

-Craig Veness, rc-tnt.com

Craig Veness

RC-TNT