WPL C24 1/16 Review: A CHeap Mini crawler to get you hooked

The WPL C24 1/16 2.4G 4WD Crawler Truck Is a highly realistic 1/16 scale radio “crawler” RC truck. It has proportional steering and throttle (forward and reverse) and has a huge list of upgradable parts making it a legitimately hobby grade vehicle. Being a crawler it runs at low speed but is very powerful = this in combination with 4wd, grippy tyres and large suspension range makes it very capable in scaling obstacles. Best of all it is extremely cheap - less than $50 with everything you need to run. In this article I will review this truck in full

I usually like an understated look but my boys don't. Tigers and other stickers were their idea 🤷‍♂️

The small scale crawler market has really taken off recently based on the following because they can be used in so many ways:

• Small scale and low speed means you don’t need to travel to find fun spots to run – in your backyard, local park or even inside your house or garage. This also makes them really suitable for beginners
• Price is very low for a hobby grade car
• Reaplcement parts are inexpensive
• There is a huge range of upgrades – more powerful motors, metal parts, grippier wheels with weights and even a 2 speed gearbox controlled by a third channer
• Even stationary the plastic moulded body looks fantastic and is very presentable even as a scale model of the legendary Toyota Hilux

So let’s look at what is included in the kit

• The C24 car itself with a very realistic classic Toyota Hilux body
• The 2.4GHz remote control (requires 2 x AA batteries)
• Clip on parts for the body (discussed below)
• 2s li-ion battery - I bought this version with 2 batteries
  
• USB charger
• Stickers
• Spare plastic linkages and tie rods

A closer look at the build

All drive line components are plastic including the main prop shaft. Metal parts are available (like these driveshafts) as upgrades but my stock ones are holding up ok. Rear diff is locked

Steering servo is a proper 3-wire 17g unit (same size as the WL toys 144001) that is well elevated out of the way of splashes etc. Steering is simple, assured and centres well

Suspension is very basic but does the job with a spring inside the plastic housing. One of mine was binding but freed easily with silicon spray

Wheels and tyres look true to life and are a medium compound. Grip is actually pretty good. Outside diameter is 65mm and hex size is 5mm. There is no beadlock and no glue but tyres are quite secure

Headlights are wired and quite bright - good for night driving

All in one electronics does the ESC, receiver and control for the headlights and 3 pin servo. Replacement electronic boards are cheap if required but mine has proven robust.

Body is a 2-piece unit and is made from tough, injection moulded plastic. Cabin unit has windscreen and seats,dash that are pretty realistic.

Overall the scale side of this is really impressive - great detail and could sit on the shelf as a scale model. Drive and suspension is well designed but is pretty much entirely plastic and this is how they have kept the cost down. With that said mine has held up well to myself and my 2 year old driving so can't complain. Practically everything on this car has metal upgrades available (see below for detail)

​What needs to be done before running?

Really all you need to do is clip the little black plastic accessories to the body to make it look cool. Things like windscreen wipers, door handles, snorkels, indicator lenses and more. There is also a set of stickers... personally I wanted to keep my plain but as you can imagine the kids wanted stickers added. Adds to the fun and personalisation I guess!

The battery included has a unique discharge connector that is common to the small scale crawlers but also has a regular balance port which the included USB charger. These chargers do the job but if you are into the hobby I do recommend upgrading where possible. The ISDT 608AC as reviewed. My battery charged in less than an hour off a 5v 2a USB charger.

The included transmitter takes 2 x aa batteries which barely even need changing so long as you member to turn it off after use.
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Once you have figured out that the real “tool box” hatch on the tray hinges open and has the connector for the battery then you can plug this in, close the hatch and turn on the power switch at the front underside. The headlights will flash until you turn on the transmitter and it binds with the remote. From there the controls are very straightforward with steering trim the only parameter that you can adjust.

Where the battery at?

Tada!

What does it go like?

For a sub $50 crawler this runs like a dream. The amount of plastic used in the driveline had me worried but so far so good - driveline is quiet and efficient - good for around 30 minutes of run time.

Like most crawlers it is slow, probably best explained by the video clips below, What it lacks in speed though it more than makes up in power do to the reduction box which reduces the speed from the high revving motor to a slow and powerful turns of the wheels. I should note that the steering and throttle is very much porportional. My son's driving doesn't show that very well!

Plastic suspension is basic but like the driveline operates well and there is enough practical articulation to get you over a good deal of obstacles. Ground clearance is exceptionally good for a car this size with electronic components in particular kept well out of the way of dirt and splashes if that is your thing. 

Sorry not exactly crawling but you can see here that it doesn't struggle in the slightest with this long grass

Here's little 2 year old Jin driving. If he can do it surely you can? No pressure.

But what about the downsides?

It's clear that this car has an amazing amount of features for it's price and I'm surprised it runs as well as it does. Although I've not yet had an issue with it I think the extensive use of plastic will eventually be it's downfall, particularly in the linkages (which look like they could snap with a big or awkward fall) and driveshafts that will wear at the joints which will lead to increased play.

The good news is that replacement parts are very cheap and the metal upgrades are very fairly price. With some good choices you will have yourself and extremely capable crawler for very little money

In the time that I've owned it however, I've not had an issue with the plastic parts however the motor did burn out on me (see below). My 2 year old son is not especially forgiving on the throttle when he comes against a solid object so that is likely the cause but I have list here nonetheless. I have since bought a replacement motor for $5

When I lost power to my car I thought the ESC was burned but it was actually the motor. The brushes on one side were toast - usually a symptom of stalling the motor under power. 

Replacement motor is cheap - only $5: WPL Original 180 RC Car Motor For 1/16 B1 B16 B36 C1 C14 C24 C34

Upgrades available

Holy crap there are a lot of upgrade parts available. Metal parts of course yes but a servo controlled 2 speed transmission that can be controlled by aftermarket remotes? Sure! A working winch? Sure! Let's not forget ball bearing upgrades, additional lights, wheels weights for crawling, bodies, accessories to make a scale diorama and more. There is even a full metal chassis and part set Here is a link to all of the 124 parts on Banggood: WPL C24 full list of parts or click on the image below

Conclusion, Recommendations

If you are looking to get started with micro crawlers that the price and performance combination of the WPL C24 is impossible to beat - it looks great, is full features and it crawls very well. It may struggle with longevity but by that stage you'll either want to upgrade with the plethora of aftermarket parts or you may well wish to move on to another type of car by then.

Another way to look at this is as a nice go-anywhere RC car for the small person in your life - the ability to drive almost anywhere and the low speed make it suitable to run practically everywhere, including inside. Bonus: when the little on goes to bed you can play with it too!

There are of course better equipped more expensive models like the HBX 2098B Devastator and the FMS 1/18 land cruiser but these are at least double the price and don't perform wildly better - they are just constructed from better materials. Incidentally, I'm in the process of reviewing these models too as part of a dive into the world of mini crawlers.

For my closing words I do recommend this little truck if you wanted to dip your toe into crawling without over-committing on budget. It looks great, is realistic and runs much better than you'd expect for a <$50 RC car. If you prefer to pay for quality or know you will be in this area of hobby for a while I'd look for a more premium model like those noted above. I bought mine from Banggood who have this available in 2 ready to run variants (and 1 kit variant) as you can see below:

​WPL C24 1/16 2.4G 4WD Crawler RTR Truck RC Car Full Proportional Control Two/Three Battery

​WPL C24 1/16 2.4G 4WD Crawler Truck RC Car Full Proportional Control RTR

WPL C24 1/16 2.4G 4WD Crawler Truck RC Car KIT Full Proportional Control - Note: this is a kit for assembly and does not include electronics. Strangely this is more expensive than the RTR models but added here for completeness.

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