RC Car Bashing in the Snow

The weather outside is frightful, but your RC playground is still so delightful. The snow and colder temps don’t mean you can no longer enjoy sending it with your RC car. Bashing your RC car in the snow, freezing temps, cold rain, or mud can bring an entirely new, different, and exciting way to enjoy driving. Before you embark on your wintery RC bashing journey, it’s important to know how to properly care for and drive your RC in winter weather to prevent damage and avoid a rough ride.

Why Bash your RC in the Snow?

• Drift city and performance mayhem! Driving an RC in the snow means lower traction. Watch your basher RC drift, slide, and fishtail like a rally car. It’s a cinematic and dynamic driving experience that only snowy conditions can provide.
• Send it! If the snow is fresh and soft, then send it off a huge ramp! The snow cushions the impact, which means you can send your basher off crazy jumps you’d normally be cautious of or even avoid.
• A fun challenge. RC bashing in the snow is a fun challenge and adventure! The snow makes for an unpredictable ride and will put your technical skills to the test.
• Winter vibes. Enjoy the winter vibes and turn that snow into an epic RC spectacle.

Prep & Protection for Snow Bashing

• Waterproofing the electronics is key. Even waterproof electronics! Adding liquid electrical tape or silicone around any exposed solder joints can prevent snow from causing any short circuits, receiver glitches, corrosion, and random power cutouts. It’s also a good idea to apply silicone around the radio receiver, cables, and electrical motor contacts to further prevent water and snow related damage.
• Applying a protective spray like CorrosionX® and WD-40 Specialist® will prevent rust, salt, and unwanted moisture from damaging metal and plastic components on your RC car or truck. It’s also safe to use on electronics! DON’T use regular WD-40, as that attracts dirt and can degrade certain plastics.
• Ensure that the battery tray area is properly sealed up. If not, you run the risk of snow seeping in and quickly melting on the battery. Potentially short circuiting or shutting down your ESC. Water exposure to the battery can also cause rapid corrosion on the plug and balance leads.
• A warm LiPo battery runs much better than a cold one! Storing your LiPo batteries in warmer conditions greatly reduces charging issues and improves run times when you’re bashing your RC in the cold, snowy, or icy winter weather.

RC Driving Tips for Snow and Ice

• Allow your RC car or truck to get acclimated to the colder temperatures outside before you start RC bashing in the snow. Driving your RC immediately in freezing weather can introduce unwanted moisture inside the receiver box, ESC, and motor, which can cause signal glitches and short circuits. It’s recommended to let your RC acclimate for 5-10 minutes in the freezing or cold temps before use.
• When temps are below freezing, ease in with a lower throttle setting as your RC car will need to warm up. Starting at full throttle in cold temps will create stress on the motor as the drivetrain is stiff under these cold conditions. Instantly going 100% full throttle can lead to ESC overcurrent spikes, premature bearing wear, stripped spur gears, twisted arms, and snapped drive pins. It’s recommended you ease into it to let everything loosen gradually.
• Be gentler with your bashing in colder temps and avoid bashing into hard surfaces. Cold plastic is more susceptible to breakage in freezing temperatures.
• Clearing snow off your RC every 3-5 minutes helps prevent any harmful ice buildup around links, hubs, and shafts. Bringing a small brush or towel will work great for this.

RC Maintenance Tips for Winter

• Storage: It’s ideal to keep your RC in a room-temperature and dry environment. Bringing your RC car back inside after bashing in the cold snowy weather can create condensation inside your car. It’s key to let your RC get acclimated to the new environment before usage.
• Cleaning Your RC After a Snowy Session: It’s recommended to clean your RC car after each snowy ride. If you feel there might be snow, ice, or salt inside the body of the RC, feel free to disassemble the car and ensure you can clean everything completely. Using a soft brush (toothbrush, paintbrush, detailing brush, or RC cleaning brush) will remove snow, salt, and ice. A brush will also allow you to get into tight areas that otherwise are hard to reach. After cleaning, don’t forget to dry your RC. A towel or a blow dryer can work well for drying your RC after bashing in the snow. This prevents rust and water damage to RC plastics, metals, and electronics.
• Battery Care: Improper battery care is one the biggest culprits when it comes to RC bashing in colder weather. Keep batteries stored in a warm and dry area when not in use. When a battery is too cold it will deliver less power and can potentially become damaged.
• Motor and Electronics: Cold motors will create higher resistance. Keeping your RC stored in a warm setting will help prevent motor complications and full throttle control.
• Tires: Certain tires will perform better in the snow or in cold conditions. Look at using soft compound tires on the snow and studded tires for icy conditions. After you’re done bashing, make sure to clean and remove any snow, ice, and salt from the tires. Those can be corrosive and damage not only the tire, but any plastic or metal on the RC car.

Bonus Tips

• Bring a portable heat pack. This can keep ESC and receiver cases warm to avoid connection issues or glitches.
• Use lower punch settings on your ESC. This can prevent stressing the drivetrain.
• Equip LED lights. Not only do they look stylish and add flare, but they help improve visibility and reduce snow glare.

Get Out There are Enjoy Your RC Basher All Year!

Don’t let the winter weather keep you from enjoying your RC car. Prepping, caring, and bashing your RC in the snow is easy and can be a thrilling experience. ARRMA RC cars are built tough, designed to last, and made to be sent no matter the weather. Go out there and create some RC chaos in the snow!