Tamiya Mercedes-Benz Actros – 3363 6×4 GigaSpace
SPECS:
Scale: 1/14
Length: 538mm
Width: 195mm
Height: 305mm
Drive: 6×4, 3-Axle
Transmission: 3-Speed Electronic Shift
Power: 540 Brushed Motor
REQUIRED TO COMPLETE:
ESC
Radio/Receiver (analog 4-channel dual-stick controller, if planning on installing multi function unit)
2-Servos (non-digital if planning on installing multi function unit)
NiMH 6-cell Battery Pack & Charger
Paint
Glue
Phillips Head Screw Driver
Knife
Scissors
Pliers (not necessary but helpful at times)
PACKAGING
The box is surprisingly large and packed full of goodies. As usual, Tamiya did a great job packaging everything neatly inside a beautiful box heavy with stunning artwork.
INSIDE THE BOX
This kit has many parts and lots of hardware. Even though the plastic parts are on labelled parts trees, it still got a bit confusing finding the part needed for the step your on. I found the parts tree reference in the back of the manual handy. I used this reference many times to see what the needed patrs tree looked like, making it quicker to locate. Here are some images of the included parts trees.
The included hardware is separated into several labelled bags. Following the manual, one bag is opened at a time. When a new bag is needed, the manual’s side bar lets you know when to open the next bag. This makes it really easy to locate screws and hardware. Each step of the manual also has a screw and hardware diagram in scale size. This allows the builder to match up all the screws for each step.
There are also a couple pages in the rear of the manual, with scale pictures, that label all the hardware included with the kit. This is great to have, though I found the references at each step to be enough for me to successfully locate the appropriate hardware for each step of the build. Below are some pictures of the included hardware.
Thread lock, grease, two appropriately sized allen wrenches, hex wrench, flat wrench, tiny phillips head screw driver, and E-clip tool are all included with the kit.
THE BUILD
I must start this section by saying, there is a lot to do to build this truck. It seemed like a cross between building an RC truck and building a highly detailed model kit. Not only is there a lot of assembly, but there’s a lot of painting as well. With that being said, I enjoyed every second of it! The instructions a truly easy to follow.
It’s a nice kit to build and all the parts fit together perfectly. Because this truck comes in different versions, there were a few holes that needed to be drilled into the plastic body. The holes for the chrome light bars need to be drilled, but the instructions list the correct size drill bit and the plastic parts being drilled have markings where the holes go. This means no measuring and lining up holes. Just drill the hole where the mark is.
Here are some photos of each step of the build.
I decided to use different servos than what are pictured in the first step. I ended up going with a Savox steering servo and a Losi servo for the three speed transmission. I left the pictures in the review so you could see the servo saver style servo horns. The one with the adjustable arm is for the transmission. The settings and linkage lengths in the manual were spot on.
The frame consists of two C-channel side rails and multiple cross members.
The six friction dampened shocks use a rubber O-ring as the dampener, and the two front shocks have a little spring inside to help support the weight of the cab.
Functioning leaf springs sit at all four corners of this rig with two up front and two in the rear. The rear leaf springs pivot, providing preload for both rear axles.
Inside each axle are two brass bushings and two sealed ball bearings. The ball bearings are used to support the differentials while the bushings are used to support the outer ends of the axles.
There are a total of two gear differentials, one in each of the rear axles. These all metal differentials have cast metal casings and gears. Brass shims are used to separate the gears from the casing halves. The gears were well greased and all screws got thread lock applied.
It was fun building the three speed transmission. I was eager to shift through the gears while the truck was moving forward. This miniature transmission resembles a real double shaft transmission. There are three forks, which slide on the shifter shaft, that are used to move the different gears into position. A single servo is used to slide the shift forks into three different positions, enabling the truck to shift through all three gears while on the go. A plastic case houses the entire transmission assembly, which is mounted below the cab of the truck.
The 540 brushed motor is mounted directly to the gear box. The motor mount is adjustable, making gear changes easy.
Tamiya offers an optional multi function unit, which operates the optional lights, sound, and vibration box. One of the extra fuel tanks on the side of the truck opens up into a little compartment. This is where the multi function control unit operators panel would mount, if used. I don’t have a multi function unit, so I can use this area to store other things, like scale accessories.
Now that the chassis is assembled, it’s time to start painting the body. I’ll also need to dissemble some of the chassis’ scale components and paint them as well.
Before painting, I needed to cut all the body parts off the parts trees and wash them with liquid dish soap. I then rinsed them with hot water. This removes the oils left on the plastics from the manufacturing process.
Because I used a lacquer based paint, I also primed the parts with a plastic adhesion promoter found at the local auto parts store.
I carefully coated all the parts with a base coat using a small jamb gun and airbrush. After letting the base coat flash, I sprayed the parts with several coats of urethane clear.
Even though the body has been painted, there is still much work to be done. Using Testors and Model Master enamel paints, I detailed the cab and other accessories, like the fuel tanks.
The Actros comes with an excellent little interior. The dash is highly detailed and the seats also look good. I chose black and tan as the interior colors, because they went well with the color of the cab. There are many great looking decals to be applied to the dash, including gauges, buttons, logos, vents, and trim.
Paint needed to be removed from any surface glue would be applied to. The front fenders were glued to the cab, and the steps were then glued to the fenders.
The almost completed cab is mounted to the front of the chassis with two screws. These screws go through a hinge and chassis spacer, allowing the cab to tilt forward like the real truck. Tilting the cab forward allows access to the power switch, along with other electronics, which are secured to the chassis under the cab. After the cab is screwed into place, the lower part of the grill is then mounted with two allen screws. Swinging the two outer light buckets forward allows access to these screws.
There is an entire sheet of decals, but the coolest ones were these chrome emblems. To apply them, you first remove the paper backing, apply to the surface, then remove the clear plastic film. The emblems are real chrome and look great. Printed decals are applied over top of some of the emblems to make completed logos.
SHOWROOM
The tires are very realistic and the chrome rims logo great. The gas can and other accessories were hand painted with enamel paint and a small brush.
Steel dog-bone drive shafts deliver power to the massive wheel axles. The front axle has two axle cups and the rear axle has one.
The trailer hitch is activated by lever, found in front of the hitch on the chassis. Pushing this lever forward by hand disengages the spring loaded king pin catch, releasing the trailer.
DRIVING
I started testing the Actros by driving it inside the house a bit, as I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew the tall ABS plastic cab would make the truck top heavy and didn’t want to risk rolling it over on the pavement my first time driving it. I quickly gained confidence in the truck while chasing my dog around the house. I think he enjoyed it as much as I did.
SHIFTING
The three speed transmission is easy to shift using the Hitec Lynx 4S radio. There is a three way switch under the steering wheel that is perfect for this task.
Starting off in first gear, I slid the switch to the center position, which smoothly shifted the truck into second gear. One more click and the truck quickly shifted into third gear.
Each shift offers a quick transition, an increase in speed, and a small clunk. The rotating gears mesh together well and it is a joy to shift through the gears.
Without a load, the truck has more than enough power to just take off in third gear, but it’s much more fun starting off in first and working your way up to third.
The transmission downshifts on the go just as easily as it upshifts, giving a realistic decrease in speed with each downshift.
While in first gear, the Actros is about equivalent to the speed of a rock crawler. I must say this truck is pretty darn fast in third gear. I imagine that would be the highway gear as you don’t want to make any sudden turns going while traveling that fast.
HANDLING
Well, what can I say? The Tamiya Mercedes-Benz Actros handles like I would expect a semi truck to handle. With the highly detailed Mercedes-Benz hard shell truck cab, this truck is too top heavy to be driving like a hot rod. It does go surprisingly fast while in third gear though.
First gear is uneventful. Sharp turns are steady as the truck moves along a bit faster than walking pace. Full left and right turns while holding full throttle can be done with confidence.
Second gear is where I’ll probably end up rolling this beauty over. It’s not quite fast enough to scare you into driving with extreme caution, but it will roll over if the conditions are right. You know, full throttle, sharp left turn, and there happens to be a little pebble in the road. That is the recipe for disaster. Lol.
Third gear commands respect. Third gear, in my opinion, is almost too fast for this truck. On a side note, Tamiya does make a racing version semi truck with a light weight polycarbonate body. That truck, without all the added top weight, would be great for high speed laps and tight cornering. This truck however, is literally, a model on wheels. It is a show piece. It’s happiest when driven slowly, enabling onlookers to enjoy its realism and beauty. That being said, I did drive the truck quite a bit in third gear with success. What can I say, that “on the edge” driving is too fun no matter what the vehicle is.
I can’t speak about how it handles with a trailer attached but when traveling at top speed, hitting the brakes causes the rear end to get a bit loose. It didn’t cause a wreck, but I came close on the driving video. Being gentle on the brakes is the way to go while in third gear.
The truck has a decent turning radius allowing it to maneuver around tight obstacles.
It should go without saying, but this is an on-road vehicle. The tires are on-road and the suspension is on-road. That doesn’t mean the Actros won’t go over cracks in the pavement though. The suspension works well when driven on the type of terrain it’s designed for, on-road. I could see the front end bounce, controllably, while driving down the walkway. Each time the truck hit a crack, the front end would bounce a little. I like the little things like that, so I enjoyed watching it drive, similar to how a real truck would under the same circumstances. Upgrading the shocks to oil filled ones would smoothen out the ride, but I enjoyed it just like it is.
VIDEO
SUMMARY
The Mercedes-Benz Actros – 3363 6×4 GigaSpace semi truck by Tamiya is more than just an RC truck. Not only is it refreshing to build and drive something different, but this truck is absolutely stunning to look at, like a 1/14 scale model you can drive around.
There is no doubt, this truck is top heavy, but it might be boring if it wasn’t. Much of the excitement found in RC is driving the vehicle almost to the point of uncontrollability. With a high center of gravity and fast top speeds, it’s easy to do just that with this truck. First and second gear offer scale realism, while third gear easily creates an exciting driving experience. I must say, rolling this thing over would be much more catastrophic than a typical RC monster truck. With all the hours of work and fine detail painting, this is an RC you can really show off.
I’m working on trying to get a trailer for a future review, so hopefully you’ll see this truck again in the near future. If for some reason we can’t obtain a trailer for review, I may just design and build a trailer of my own. After all, a tractor trailer truck without a trailer is just a tractor.
Here’s a quick one liner summary for you “get to the point” readers out there. It’s a refreshing change for me and I like the Tamiya Mercedes-Benz Actros 3363 Gigaspace a lot, and you just might find you like it too.
Thanks for reading! Let me know in the comments below what you think about RC semi trucks.