Review: Team Associated Rival MT Monster Truck

The monster truck scene has been in a bit of a lull lately, but Team Associated is hoping to change all that with the release of their new E-MT, the Rival. This truck is based on their Monster GT, the nitro-powered cousin that was a great success back in the era when monster trucks flourished. The Rival is big, definitely colorful and includes many of the beefed up components the MGT sported back in the day. Time to take her out and see if the Rival has what it takes to, ummm, rival the A-Team’s venerable MGT.

AT A GLANCE
MADE BY: Team Associated
MADE FOR: Everyone
WHAT’S IT COST: $549.99
TYPE: 1/8-scale 4WD electric monster truck RTR

FACTS
• Waterproofing has become the big buzz word in RC, so AE outfitted the Rival with a water-resistant ESC and motor. While the receiver isn’t waterproof, it does sit in a well-protected receiver box that does an excellent job of keeping water and debris out.

• The Rival features AE’s XP SC1300-DB brushless ESC and a Reedy 1515-SL 2000Kv motor. Don’t be fooled by how puny the electronics look in there; this system provides a ton of wheel-spinning torque to help get this 13-pound truck going. It does lack some speed but you should be able to cure that by throwing in a pair of 2S LiPos. That should really wake this truck up!

• The included XP3G is a nice, 3-channel, 2.4GHz transmitter. Large knobs are located just behind the unique shark-fin antenna setup. The metal-geared DS1510MG servo seems to have plenty of torque to twist the tires and keep the truck heading in the direction you want to go.

• AE includes a pair of Reedy 7-cell Wolfpack NiMH batteries. Using this setup, the truck is not all that impressive on the top end but does exude a lot of machismo in the torque department. Mash the throttle on any incline and all four of the oversized monster tires will spit earth everywhere. I think my first upgrade is going to be a pair of 2S LiPos…then we’ll see some real power!

• Other than the ESC, brushless motor and battery holder, the Rival is almost a direct descendant of the MGT. The front and rear bulkheads, chassis, shock towers, arms, hubs…almost everything is from that truck. This is not only smart of AE since they didn’t have to create a bunch of new molds, but also great for the manufacturers of aftermarket parts (as I’m sure a lot still have MGT parts available).

• The new rollers look great, too. While not functional, the wide beadlocks will still help protect the bead of the wheel during rocky off-road romps.

PROS
+ The Rival features AE’s XP SC1300-DB brushless ESC and a Reedy 1515-SL 2000Kv motor
+ The Rival also comes equipped with AE’s XP3G 2.4GHz radio system and their stout DS1510MG metal-geared servo
+ To power this monster of mayhem, AE has included a pair of Reedy 7-cell Wolfpack NiMH batteries. For those who want even more power, the XP ESC is also LiPo-ready
+ The aluminum channeled chassis design has been continued from the MGT
+ The durable 3-gear transmission sees active duty again and features both a slipper clutch and fluid-filled center gear diff. The front and rear gearboxes house fluid-filled gear differentials as well
+ Massive 5mm alloy turnbuckles help ensure all four wheels continue to point in the same direction
+ New off-road tires and beadlock-style wheels are standard equipment
+ The Rival uses the same double-up shock setup as the original MGT, putting two shocks at every corner

CONS
– While it does sport a ton of torque, the Rival lacks a little bit in the top-end department
– The Rival stance out of the box is a bit like a stink bug (rear end up in the air). I added a few pre-load spacers to the front shocks to bring it back up to ‘cool’ status

THE DRIVE
Team Associated starts by saying the following about the Rival, “Turn your backyard into your own car-crunching, ramp-flying monster truck arena!” While I do have a backyard, I don’t have a bunch of RC cars I can line up and jump over. Ok, well, I do, but I figured since AE describes the Rival as ‘car-crushing’ and ‘ramp-flying’, I bet I can simulate the same thing without risking all my valuable RC stuff. To conduct the test, I headed to the local mountains and a little trail called Holy Jim. This trail is fun to get to and provides plenty of different terrains to test on; rocks, dirt hills, plenty of jumps and even some water. All of that is kind of like car-crushing and ramp-flying.

My first few minutes of bashing took place just off the trail in a section where the past winter’s mud had dried to form large dirt crevices. This area also had some dirt mounds that would, of course, be used to catch some air. This fun zone gave the suspension on the Rival quite a workout as I blasted through it numerous times. As most bashers know, easing back on the throttle is never an option when pounding through the rough stuff so I was surprised that, even with all the chassis banging and wheel hopping, the Rival made it through with very little drama. This appeared to be a rough and tough area that would, for most MT’s, turn into their final resting place, but the Rival and its seemingly over-engineered eight-shock setup made short work of this area. Jumping was equally effortless, but you do have to be careful with the throttle once all four tires leave the ground. You see, with monster trucks, the tires act as giant gyros that can dramatically affect the truck’s attitude while in the air. Heavy application of either the throttle or brake will send the truck tumbling onto its lid (I should know), so keep this in mind if you put the Rival way up in the air.

Part two of the test took place a bit farther up the trail in a section that climbs up the side of a huge hill. There were a ton of rocks embedded in the dirt, making the trip up and down quite treacherous…for some. This MT on the other hand powered up it with the greatest of ease. Sure, that sounds so cliché, but the Rival has some major mojo behind it. As I mentioned before, the Rival is plenty good in the torque department, using the included twin Reedy 7-cell batteries to push quite a bit of power into the XP brushless system. Couple that with a set of semi-soft, large lug MT tires and you’ve got quite the capable climber. In addition, the A-Team has positioned the batteries near the front of the truck, putting all that extra weight over the nose to help with steep climbs.

The final part of my test was actually not on the list of ‘to-dos’ with this truck. As we were heading back down the mountain we crossed back over a few streams running across the trail. Now I’m not one to purposely run my vehicles in water for really only one reason; water plus dirt equals mud and unless I’m racing in it, I’m not a big fan of cleaning it. However, I did read that this truck was water-resistant and could be driven in (not submerged in) water, so I thought we should test this out. We haven’t had much rain or snow lately so the water level was a bit low but I was ok with that. I blasted the Rival through the stream not once, not twice, but about 15 times. Each time I would zing through, I exited the other side and right into the dirt (equaling mud). So, of course, I had to go back through to get it clean again. And yes, that’s the excuse I’m sticking with. I thankfully didn’t have any issues with shorting out, seized parts or shutdown, so again what AE has done with this truck has just worked. Water protection: check!

Now, I don’t want you to think that this truck review is all kudos. The Rival does have a lot going for it and what it does it does well. It’s a great climber and appears to be quite durable. The batteries are easily accessible and mounted in a position to help it climb. The suspension bits and pieces aren’t fragile and it will traverse most water obstacles. The only real thing the Rival is lacking is speed…for now. It’s a big truck, and this might be a purposeful decision on AE’s part to help first-timers keep the Rival under control. The XP SC1300-DB ESC states it can run on a pair of 2S LiPos, so for those of you looking for some speed, there ya go. I know that will be one of the first upgrades I make!

THE LAST WORD
I was on the design team at Team Associated when the Monster GT was being engineered. Shortly after it hit the shelves we were dropping in big-block, hugely over-powered .28 racing engines, slapping on a set of sticky kicks and going racing! These trucks were extremely fast, handled really well and were an absolute blast to drive. However, I did wonder how much fun an electric version would be. Now I know. I suggest picking one up and finding out for yourself what electric monster truck fun is all about.

LINKS
Hitec hitecrcd.com, 858-748-6948
Reedy reedypower.com, 949-544-7500
Team Associated teamassociated.com, 949-544-7500