Blazing Fast R/C: Traxxas Stampede Monster Truck RTR w/XL-5 w/Battery&Charger

When I was a kid, I loved any kind of toy that could be controlled remotely. Considering that was half a century ago, toys have changed a bit. Take a look at the Stampede Monster Truck, and you'll see what I mean. Right off the bat, the size tells you this isn't some wimpy 'crawl around the house' R/C. But when you actually run it, the difference is blazingly obvious. More than a toy, this is a blazing fast ball of speed and special effects. Honestly, the Stampede Monster Truck boasts way too much power to be cooped up in the house. You'd wind up hurting a) somebody. b) something. c) the truck.

The answer is all of the above. It's kind of a clue when there's a control that governs the speed down by 1/2 power! (Think of it as kind of a training mode.) Even at that, this is a lot of R/C truck for children. Maybe too much, unless there's some adult supervision going on. Seriously, with a real-world top speed of 35 miles per hour, this four-wheeled bullet needs to be aimed carefully.

Watch some of the included videos… you'll see some amazing stunts. One of my favorites is the Traxxas Stampede grabbing major air at the skate park. Clears the flat surface completely end to end! You'll see what I mean about the speed, too. At 35 mph, you could actually get a speeding ticket in my neighborhood. Could you imagine… passing a police car with it? Yeah, our area has a speed limit of 25mph. I'd love to see the look on someone's face being passed by a toy.

The RTR is a nice feature as well. Stands for Ready to Race, meaning it comes with everything needed to be fully functional right out of the box. Even more impressive is the fact that the Stampede is designed to be modified. Stock from the box is already cool, but you can change and modify to your heart's content. Want a more powerful motor? Put one in! Need a wheelie bar? Easy! Stronger battery, faster charger… snow skis? You got it! It may take a little searching, and a little work, but it's amazing what you can do to these things.

Some upgrades are more effective than others. For instance, it goes from zero to full speed so fast, a wheelie bar can be very important in controlling those wild take-offs.

In the same vein, while the engine is very powerful, an upgraded engine adds not only more power, but more durability. The Titan 12-turn 550 motor has power to burn, but for a truly long-lasting motor, consider a Velineon 3500 brushless. A small percentage of Traxxas Stampede owners report problems with the stock motor, though the majority have no trouble. While it performs flawlessly in most cases, if you demand a higher level of performance, an engine upgrade should be one of your first mods to go for.

Also, just for the fun factor, you should consider a rapid charger, along with a stronger battery. It's the difference in hours of charging for less than 30 minutes of mind-numbing fun… versus a nearly one-to-one ration of charge-time to runtime. You can have fun with the stock batteries and chargers... but it's a lot more fun when you can run longer, faster, and be ready to go again that much sooner.

Just so you know, nothing is ever perfect, and the Stampede does have an interesting limitation. While several versions are available with water-resistant, and even water-proof electronics, the battery pack is another story. As far as I can determine, there is no such thing as a water-proof battery. So yes, your electronics could survive immersion, but the battery would suffer catastrophic damage. At best, the Stampede can do some splashing and bogging. There's a reason it's hard to find a full-immersion video with the Stampede… it's just not smart. You'll notice most people that run their Stampedes in water skim along the surface, they don't head for the deeper waters.

The Traxxas Stampede Monster Truck has a reputation as the first high-performance monster truck. It's certainly a lot more fun than you'd expect stock out of the box. By all accounts, it still lives up to it's reputation for fun, adventure, and excitement!