Sponsored By: Pro-Line Racing
From July 12th – 16th Axialfest, a scale and trail truck fans dream event had close to 2000 attendees, an enormous showing that most, check that, all national level racing events would be envious of. While the clear majority of vehicles that took part in this pilgrimage are not all that fast, they more than make up for their pace in terms of realism. Many, many of these vehicles are so very well detailed that when photographed the right way even the most discerning eye would have a difficult time determining if the vehicle was radio controlled of a full-scale rig. Pro-Line has been making high performance tires and bodies for well over 30-years and has racked up a race resume that includes a dozen IFMAR World Titles and too many national championships to count. It seemed only natural that the people at Pro-Line Racing would lend their talents to the scale and trail truck community and release a series of tools accessories that would be so high in demand that enthusiasts would be lining up at hobby shop doors to get upon release.
First, What Is A Scaler or Trail Truck?
Scale and trail trucks are vehicles designed from the ground up to look like, and emulate the performance of a real world 4wd off road truck. Competitions for these vehicles tend to include long trails (as I am sure you have already guessed) with a variety of realistic, and sometimes not so realistic obstacles including bridges, streams, and rock formations. Participating vehicles earn points based on the time it takes to navigate the course and a variety of other factors including successfully navigating through a gate. Some events will even offer points for how well a vehicle is detailed! Points are deducted for unfortunate circumstances like using reverse or a roll over.
What Are Some Of The Most Popular Vehicles?
If you want to hit the trail there are many options to choose from but you first need to ask yourself a few key questions. The most important of these questions is, quite simple, do you want a kit of an RTR? If you want to get to the trail quickly there are ample ready to run 1/10 options like the Axial SCX10 II 2000 Jeep Cherokee, SCX10 Deadbolt, SCX10 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, Traxxas TRX-4, HPI Venture Toyota FJ Cruiser, RC4WD Trail Finder 2 Mojave II, Gmade Komodo Rock Crawler, Gmade Sawback 4LS 4-Link, and Vaterra Ascender 1986 Blazer K-5 just to name a few. If you’d like a larger RTR vehicle there is the Red Cat Racing Clawback 1/5 4WD Electric Rock Crawler and on the smaller side there it the 1/25 scale Pro-Line Ambush. All of these vehicles have a great scale look and many have sweet licensed tires, wheels and bodies. If you are the type who like to turn wrenches and want to build a kit and add your choice of electronics there is the Axial SCX10 II 2000 Jeep Cherokee, Tamiya CC-01 Toyota FJ Cruiser, Tamiya Toyota Hilux High-Lift, Vaterra Ascender 1986 Blazer K-5, Gmade Komodo GS01, and RC4wd Trail Finder 2 “LWB” with Mojave II body. Again, all are great choices and but narrowing the field down to just one is still a daunting task.
Ok, Help Me Pick!
So you’ve decide that you want a kit or an rtr, now what? I’d suggest heading to your local hobby shop or trail course to watch, listen and ask those already in the know their opinions and listen to their suggestions. Take not of what aftermarket accessories they are using to push looks and performance to the next level.
What Types Of Accessories Do You Need?
Need is a relative term here as someone people might be more concerned with performance while others take hours making sure their rig looks showroom floor ready. Many scalers, trail trucks and crawlers have a realistic look, feel and basic design that tends to include a dual ladder frame chassis, licensed tires, rims, and lights, but that just the beginning. There are neat little shovels, gas cans, coolers, jack stands, tow straps, roof racks and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Take Home The Concours Award With Help From Pro-Line
It’s all in the details and no detail, no matter how minute, can be overlooked, if you want to take home concours or best of show type award. That is where our friends at Pro-Line have come to the rescue. Pro-Line currently has several Scale Accessory Assortment Kits that include a variety of realistic looking goodies as well as plenty of other wares sure to make your trail truck the best looking, most realistic vehicle on the trail. Let’s take a closer look at a few…
Scale Accessory – Assortment #1 – (6040-00, $31.41) Scale Accessory – Assortment #2 – (6045-00, $22.06) Pro-Line’s second set of scale accessories includes a few items that a lumberjack might keep in the back of his truck. Scale Accessory – Assortment #4 – (6072-00, $22.06) Scale Accessory – Assortment #5 – (6073-00, $25.95) If you like to turn wrenches you’ll need a few quality tools and these faux items look just like the real thing. There is a Scale Accessory – Assortment #6 – (6074-00, $25.95) Scale Accessory – Assortment #7 – (6075-00, $22.06) Long days in the sun can leave you tired and thirsty as well as low on fuel. For proper hydration, this assortment Scale Accessory – Assortment #8 – (6105-00, $31.41) Scale Accessory – Assortment #9 – (6106-00, $31.41) Do you love to go camping? If so this is the set of accessories for you. To cook some burgers while out on the trail Scale Accessory – Assortment #10 – (6107-00, $30.56) Scale Accessory – Roof Rack – (6046-00, $22.06) Too much stuff to fit in the bed of your pick-up truck or back of your jeep and you still have more that you just can’t Pro-Fit Tire Cover (6313-00, $16.11) Scale Modular Fuel Packs (6311-00, $38.21) Never run out of fuel on the trail and even have enough to spare for your less than fortunate friends Scale Recovery Tow Strap with Duffel Bag (6314-00, $16.96) Here Is What Pro-Line Has To Offer
The first set of scale accessories from Pro-line includes a few classics that are made from tough injection molded plastic and then hand painted for the utmost detail. There is a blue cooler featuring a recognizable PL emblem white lid, a silver/gray winch box with yellow tow strap, a red colored gas can so you’ll never run out of fuel no matter how far you travel from civilization, and a HD winch with white Pro-Line lettering.
There is a well detailed high lift jack in red, pry bar with yellow handle, a yellow handled pointed digging shovel and yellow handled splitting maul axe. As expected, each is made from injection-molded plastic and hand painted for great detail.
Are you a fan of pick-up trucks and want the scaled down version of your full-size rig to have all the bells and whistles of its big brother? They you’ll really want to take a look at this offering. The Off Roaders Truck Tool Box measures 6 ¼” wide x 1 5/8” wide at the lid and is 1” deep at the center well. It is hinged for easy opening and closing and contains two removable highly detailed spare axles.
gray portable welder with dials and the PL logo on the side, a blue 24V Impact gun with socket. Yellow handled sledge hammer and a tool tray that works with the tool box from Assortment 5 (see above).
When the daylight runs out many scalers and trail trucks use large, bright light bars with powered by dry cell batteries to continue the fun through the night. Scale Assortment #6 from Pro-Line includes a pair of simulated dry cell batteries with a yellow top and black and red power terminals along with the hardware that allows you to configure either a dual or single battery system. Also included in this assortment is a well detailed replica of a 3000K power inverter.
includes a blue water cooler, red fuel can to keep the tank full, and a trench shovel. To put out any camp fires or flames under the hood this assortment also comes with a replica red fire extinguisher with all-purpose silver/gray mounting bracket.
Still looking for that something special to standout on the trail? Assortment #8 has a few items that will be welcomed additions to nearly any rig. There is a red with silver race style fuel cell, blue “Mr. Big Shot” nitro bottle with mounting bracket and PL emblem, a pair of fuel pumps, silver fuel pressure regulator and bulk flexible fuel line in black so you can plumb up your rig your liking.
this assortment includes a black portable gas grill with removable lid and grate, a standard sized propane tank with PL emblem, flexible gas line in black to connect the propane tank to the grill and miniature keg filled with “Green Trail Ale” so no one over the age of 21 goes thirsty.
A long day on the trail can put a great deal of stress and strain on the drivetrain of nearly any vehicle. Scale Accessory Assortment #10 includes some super realistic looking replacement parts that, while not fully functional, look just like full scale replacements. Goodies with this assortment include the same set of axles with 5-lug pattern as found in Assortment #4 (see above), short and long driveshafts with the PL logo, air locker with ring gear along with pinion gear and a miniature portable air compressor.
leave behind? Well, Pro-Line has the perfect solution! This light weight (just 28.5g so it will have minimal impact on performance) Scale Accessory Roof Rack includes a black molded roof rack along with mounting hardware so it can be easily mounted on just about any 1/10 scale body with ease.
Don’t leave your sweet looking spare tire exposed to the elements! The Pro-Fit Tire cover with P-L embroidered logo is designed to ensure a tight fit on BFGoodrich KO2 All-Terrain 1.9” Tires (#10124-14) and Interco Super Swamper 1.9” Tires (#1163-14) as well as a few others. To ensure a snug fit and get those mounted tires into position easily Pro-Line used a Velcro access clasp.
with these Scale Modular Fuel Packs. This set include 2 red fuel cans, 1 blue can that would be used to carry kerosene and 1 white can that would be used for water. To keep these cans safe and secure a dual can mounting rack with hardware and a pair of single mounts for bolting these to your Lexan or hard plastic body come standard.
Never be left behind due to mechanical failure with the Scale Recovery Tow Strap with imprinted Pro-Line logo. It features a metal D-Ring for quick attachments to larger tie-off points and the kinetic strap material allows for softer and more effective tows. Each end has scale metal hooks and abrasion wraps have been sewn around the hooks and D-Ring for longer lasting performance. To prevent the tow strap from getting tangled when not in use a Scale Duffel Bag that can even be kept on your key chain or attached to your rig in included.
Ready For More?
Trail trucks are becoming more and more popular each day and manufacturers are doing their best to keep up with new vehicles and accessories. Pro-Line has been ahead of the curve since day 1 with some of the best, most detailed scale accessories available. And believe it or not, Pro-Line has even more scale accessories than has been detailed above so be sure to click around their website. In addition, they also offer a wide variety of licensed tires (no shocker here), wheels and some of the best and most detailed bodies on the market.
Sponsored By: Pro-Line Racing
